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Specialist Equipment News

05 Jul 2023

Cold Water Can Kill in Minutes

Source: MAIB

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has highlighted that, on average, crew have under 11 minutes to recover someone who has fallen overboard into cold water before they become unresponsive.An analysis of 20 accidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021 shows that the time decreases as the water becomes colder or the sea state rougher. In some cases, crew had just four or five minutes to coordinate a complex recovery.When examining the rate of successful recoveries…

03 Oct 2022

Lithium-ion Batteries: Fire Risks and Loss Prevention Measures in Shipping

Copyright JustSuper/AdobeStock

About the Author: Captain Rahul Khanna is Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. A marine professional with 26 years of experience within the Shipping and Maritime industry, Captain Khanna served more than 14 years on board merchant ships in all ranks, including Master of large oil tankers trading worldwide. Although shipping losses have more than halved over the past decade fires on board vessels remain among the biggest safety issues for the maritime industry.

21 Feb 2022

Fire Dies Down on Ship Carrying Porsches, Audis and Bentleys, with Little Left to Burn

©Portuguese Navy

A fire which swept through a cargo ship carrying thousands of luxury cars and adrift off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands has lost its intensity, probably because there is little left to burn, a port official said.The Felicity Ace, carrying around 4,000 vehicles including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys, some electric with lithium-ion batteries, caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday.The 22 crew members on board were evacuated the same day. "The fire has subsided in recent hours…

18 Feb 2022

Felicity Ace Still Ablaze, Towing Vessels En Route

(Photo: Portuguese Navy)

A ship carrying around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys, that caught fire near the coast of the Azores will be towed to another European country or the Bahamas, the captain of the nearest port told Reuters on Friday.Lithium-ion batteries in the electric cars on board the vehicle carrier Felicity Ace have caught fire and the blaze requires specialist equipment to extinguish, captain Joao Mendes Cabecas of the port of Hortas said.It was not clear whether the batteries first sparked the fire.“The ship is burning from one end to the other...

03 Feb 2022

Has Captain Cook’s Ship Endeavour Been Found?

WikiCommons/Illustration by Samuel Atkins

The Australian National Maritime Museum has announced a shipwreck found in Newport Harbor, off Rhode Island in the United States, has been confirmed as Captain Cook’s ship, HMB Endeavour.There have been very similar announcements made over the years but have they finally made a definitive case?By making its announcement, the Australian National Maritime Museum seems to have decided so, and there does seem to have been significant recent progress, centered on one shipwreck that matches the known details of the Endeavour closely.However…

21 Jul 2021

Dutch Dredging Giants to Deepen Approach Channel to UK Harbor. Deal Valued at $165M

Credit: Van Oord

Dutch marine and offshore contractor Van Oord has, together with its compatriot Boskalis, secured a contract for deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor at the Harwich Haven in the UK,  allowing access to large container ships.The contract valued around 140 million euros ($165 million) and split 50/50 between Van Oord and Boskalis has been awarded by Harwich Haven Authority. The project entails the deepening of the approach channel and inner harbor from minus 14.5 to…

07 May 2021

Van Oord, Beattie FRC Secure $83,5M Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Work

Aberdeen Harbour Board has awarded two new contracts for the construction of the South Breakwater and Crown Wall, with a total value of £60 million (USD 83,5 million)Dutch marine and offshore contractor Van Oord will act as the principal contractor for the 550-meter-long South Breakwater, and Scottish-based construction firm Beattie FRC will build the concrete Crown Wall along the length of the North Breakwater.Both structures will provide critical protection for vessels and operations within the Harbour expansion, ultimately protecting the port from a one-in-300-year storm.

01 Apr 2021

Suez Canal Must Upgrade Quickly to Avoid Future Shipping Disruption

Illustration of the Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal - Credit: Corona Borealis/AdobeStock

Egypt's Suez Canal must move quickly to upgrade its technical infrastructure if it is to avoid future shipping disruption, shipping industry sources said, as the major trade route tries to bounce back from a costly six-day closure.International supply chains were thrown into disarray on March 23 when the 400-meter-long (430-yard) container ship Ever Given ran aground in the canal, with specialist rescue teams taking almost a week to free her after extensive dredging and repeated tugging operations.Egypt will get two new tugboats…

03 Nov 2020

Britain's New Polar Ship Sir David Attenborough Starts Sea Trials

RRS Sir David Attenborough at Liverpool Cruise Terminal (Photo: Richard Turner / BAS)

Britain’s new polar ship, the Sir David Attenborough, headed for the open seas on Tuesday to start trials after a storm delay, before making its maiden voyage to Antarctica next year for climate change research.The 200 million pound ($260 million), state-of-the-art, polar research vessel, with its red hull and a bright yellow crane on its stern, sailed past Liverpool’s historic docks and out into the sea, headed for north Wales.Officially the ship is named after the veteran BBC naturalist David Attenborough…

28 Oct 2019

Blyth Port Readies Turbine Training Facility

UK's East coast port , Port of Blyth, said that it is installing a bespoke wind turbine training facility at its Bates terminal as part of a GBP1mln investment in training provision aimed at the offshore energy sector. This is a first for the UK wind industry.With the rapid growth of renewable energy providing the North East with major inward investment opportunities, the skills gap that currently exists in the sector is a key barrier to growth.This investment has enabled the Port of Blyth, through its award winning training arm Port Training Services, to purchase, modify and install a Vestas V47 turbine, develop a dedicated training…

13 May 2019

Well-SENSE Intros Miniature Optical Gauge

Downhole sensing technology specialist, Well-SENSE, has launched a miniature optical pressure-temperature gauge, as part of its FiberLine Intervention (FLI) system.The Well-SENSE optical gauge widens the well surveillance application envelope for FLI, both on and offshore, and offers operators a low-cost and disposable alternative to both permanent downhole sensors and more traditional electronic logging devices.Combined with FLI’s other features and benefits, including a simple deployment mechanism and distributed sensing, it can deliver savings in the region of 50-90% compared to conventional logging methods.The fiber Bragg grating based device is a robust optical gauge with no electronics, batteries, external connections or power supply required.

25 Feb 2019

NEXT GEN 2019: Burning Issues and Cutting Edge Marine Safety

NEXT GEN Presenters (Photo: Shock Mitigation)

3 One Day Workshops - Southampton UK April 2-4, 2019As the digital age rapidly arrives all around us, it (or IT) may have overlooked that safety at sea is still all about people. To meet the changing requirements of modern fleets, smart organizations and specialist equipment manufacturers now need to work together to blend traditional safety methods with innovation.A unique program of three specialist safety days for the sub IMO / sub 80 feet professional sector is being held back-to-back at the Grand Harbor overlooking the port of Southampton UK this April.

09 Jan 2019

MSC: Clean-up Ops Continue in North Sea

Switzerland-based MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company confirms that significant progress has been made in an unprecedented clean-up operation in the North Sea and on the beaches of the Netherlands and Germany."We would like to thank the authorities and volunteers in these countries for their support in the response," said a press note from the world's second-largest shipping line in terms of container vessel capacity.More than 250 containers fell from the ship “MSC Zoe” during a night of heavy weather on 2 January.MSC responded as quickly as possible to the incident and immediately engaged Ardent Global, internationally-renown experts in marine salvage and emergency response…

04 Jan 2019

MSC Intensifies North Sea Clean-up

Switzerland-based global container shipping and a company MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company said that it is directly taking over more of the clean-up of German and Dutch waters and beaches, following the recent container spill from the cargo ship MSC Zoe.The world's second-largest shipping line in terms of container vessel capacity said in a press release that in close collaboration with local authorities, it is now working with a number of salvage companies to add momentum to the quick response started on 2 January.In some locations, MSC is also taking over contracts initiated by local authorities as part of an emergency reaction to the incident, in order to provide a sustained and effective response operation.

21 Nov 2018

London P&I Club Issues Loss Prevention Guide for Coal Cargoes

File Image AdobeStock / © Eremychuk

THE London P&I Club has published a loss prevention guide on risks associated with the carriage of coal cargoes, with particular emphasis on gas monitoring and ventilation.The guide, written by Paul Willis, Senior Associate with UK-based forensic investigation and root cause analysis specialist Hawkins, notes that the management of coal cargoes and the proper use of gas detection equipment are key elements in the prevention of coal fire claims. It details the fundamental requirements relating to the installation…

07 Aug 2018

Venezuela Dodges Oil Asset Seizures with Export Transfers at Sea

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has limited the damage from an unprecedented slump in crude exports by transferring oil between tankers at sea and loading vessels in neighboring Cuba to avoid asset seizures.But the OPEC member nation is still fulfilling less than 60 percent of its obligations under supply deals with customers.Venezuela has been pumping oil this year at the lowest rate in three decades after years of underinvestment and a mass exodus of workers. The state…

19 Sep 2017

LGH Acquires JDN’s UK Hire Division

Steve Walker, managing director of JD Neuhaus (left); and Colin Naylor, managing director of Lifting Gear Hire. (Photo: LGH)

Lifting Gear Hire (LGH) has acquired the Aberdeen-based hire division of JD Neuhaus (JDN) Ltd., a manufacturer of hoists and crane systems for extreme environments. JDN, headquartered in Germany, will retain its other U.K. divisions, including sales and repair, and will remain an LGH supplier. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. The acquisition, which comes less than a year after LGH re-launched in the U.K. after a 10-year sabbatical, further enhances the company’s fleet of JDN products, principally air operated hoists.

24 Jan 2017

Gaylin Plans for Growth in Vietnam

Heavy lift slings being mobilized for a short-term rental project from Gaylin’s Vietnam facility (Photo: Gaylin)

Singapore-headquartered Gaylin, a specialist supplier of lifting, rigging and marine equipment, said it has initiated a plan aiming to reposition its Vietnam facility to address changing trends in the local oil and gas, refining and chemical plant sectors. Under the plan, Gaylin will build on more than a decade of experience supplying slings and shackles to expand the portfolio, creating rental and labor-based revenue streams. Gaylin has five other global hubs in the region—South Korea…

10 Feb 2017

Cammell Laird Awards Coatings Contract for RRS Sir David Attenborough

Artist's impression of the RRS Sir David Attenborough unloading supplies in Antarctica. Copyright Rolls Royce.

Subsea Industries’ Ecospeed hull protection system has been selected for RRS Sir David Attenborough, the polar research ship under construction at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, Liverpool, U.K. The £150 million contract to build the vessel, which Cammell Laird won in 2015, represents the biggest commercial shipbuilding contract in Britain for 30 years. The ship has been commissioned by the National Environment Research Council (NERC) and will be operated by British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

22 Feb 2016

Vallur Appointed Group Vendor Manager, GAC’s Oil & Gas

GAC has reinforced its long-term commitment to the oil & gas industry with the addition of a Group Vendor Manager to its dedicated Oil & Gas team. Based at the Corporate HQ in Jebel Ali, Dubai, Madhu Vallur, oversees third party suppliers and agents GAC works with to support the sector. He is responsible for vetting appointment of freight forwarders, air & ocean charter brokers, specialist equipment suppliers and oil & gas procurement experts to meet the diverse needs of oil & gas companies around the world. He is also charged with ensuring that all appointees meet the same high standards of quality, safety and compliance that are strictly applied to GAC operations worldwide as well as overseeing procurement and supply chains and supporting news GAC oil & gas start-ups.

10 Aug 2017

GranInvestimentos and Royal IHC Join Forces

Brazilian company GranInvestimentos and Dutch company Royal IHC are joining forces to deliver integrated life cycle solutions to customers in the oil and gas sector. Through this partnership, both companies are set to increase their operational and service activities, and expand their presence in Latin America. The association came into effect when IHC acquired a 50 percent share of GranEnergia – a subsidiary of GranInvestimentos that is active in the oil and gas market. The new partnership will be named GranIHC Services. It will provide integrated services to customers in the oil and gas industry in the fields of offshore maintenance and repair, logistical services and infrastructure facilities.

20 Sep 2016

Ocean Endeavor Repair Completed

(Photo: Harris Pye Engineering Group)

Harris Pye Engineering Group completed repair works during the two-stage multi-million dollar Diamond Offshore demobilization project for its semi-sub rig Ocean Endeavor from the Black Sea, which completed its contract in January 2016. The initial phase of the repair work, which started in December 2015, while the rig was offshore Constanta, Romania involved cleaning of mud, brine, base oil and skimmer tanks. Steel repairs were carried out on a main column blister. The removal of three Seatrax crane pedestals…

30 Nov 2015

Opportunities for Growth as Chinese Economy Evolves

China invested more than $89 billion in renewable energy projects in 2014 – a growth of 31% on the previous year. Beijing is aiming to generate 200 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from wind and 100 GW of solar by 2020.

The global breakbulk and heavy-lift markets have had to navigate choppy waters in recent years. Not necessarily due to a shortage of freight, but as a consequence of unsustainably low freight rates. The global economic recovery since 2009 has been slow, and competition for the multipurpose sector has intensified due to bulkers, container lines and RoRo’s making forays into the breakbulk and heavylift market, as they look to diversify their business and make up for the lack of demand in their respective core markets.