Var News

The industry consortium behind the Ocean Charger project, led by Vard, has completed the demonstration of the charging solution in a port as well the connection solution offshore, proving the technology designed to supply clean power to offshore wind vessels is ready for the market.By connecting vessels to the power grid in the wind farm and charging batteries regularly, the Ocean Charger solution is securing availability of emission-free vessel operations.The Ocean Charger has proved through the tests that it can power operations at the field without using any additional energy sources…

Boluda Corporación Marítima CEO Vicente Boluda Fos will receive the Knight of the Legion of Honour medal in Paris on June 16, in recognition of outstanding services rendered to France by the Valencian businessman. The distinction will be awarded by former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy.Boluda France was created in 2007 after the purchase of the French company Les Abeilles, a company whose activity dates back to 1864.“It is with great pride that I accept this award from the French Republic: I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards the country.

Offshore accommodation rig provider Floatel International has awarded a contract to Semco Maritime for service work on the semi-submersible accommodation unit Floatel Superior.Semco said that the harsh environment accommodation rig is expected to dock at Hanøytangen in Norway, mid-February. According to information on social media, the rig has already arrived.The Floatel Superior rig was last year deployed offshore Norway, supporting Var Energi's Balder FPU work, and, according…

Horisont Energi, a company working to develop its blue ammonia project in Norway, has signed a deal with liquid bulk storage company Koole Terminals to develop an ammonia terminal and storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, for further distribution.Horisont Energi is developing the Barents Blue project in Norway's north, Europe's first large-scale carbon-neutral ammonia plant with offshore carbon storage. Gas for the project will come from Equinor's and Var Energi's offshore fields in the Barents Sea.

The world's first very large gas carrier (VLGC) to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel propulsion technology has completed sea trials, shipowner BW LPG announced Wednesday.BW Gemini and its newly retrofitted LPG propulsion technology were tested to their safe limits by an expert team from engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions, BW LPG’s Newbuilding & Projects and Technical departments, and classification society DNV-GL, who awarded the required classification certificate to following satisfactory performance.

BW LPG said the week-long sea and gas trials have kicked off for very large gas carrier (VLGC) BW Gemini, which has been retrofitted with pioneering liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel propulsion technology. The shipowner said the 2015-built BW Gemini achieved "a historic milestone" as the world’s first VLGC to be fueled by LPG, after its main engine was retrofitted from a MAN B&W 6G60ME-C9.2 type to a MAN B&W 6G60ME- LGIP dual-fuel type capable of operating on both LPG and traditional fuel oil."The retrofitting process at Yiu Lian Dockyard in Shenzhen…

ABB has won a contract to equip KNOT's shuttle tankers with battery technology and other electric solutions, with the aim of making the vessels fuel-efficient and reducing emissions. Once complete, the shuttle tankers will go on a charter with Norwegian oil company Var Energi.Under the contract awarded by the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, ABB Marine & Ports will deliver the power and control technology for the two new KNOT shuttle tankers.ABB’s scope of supply will also include the shaft generator system…

Dubai's Drydocks World has begun work on a part of a turret mooring system for Jotun FPSO, for Bluewater Energy, with the end client being Var Energi in Norway.Namely, Drydocks said Wednesday it had held a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the start of production of the turntable project for the FPSO.According to the company, this turntable is part of a Turret Mooring System (TMS) for the Jotun A FPSO, which will be permanently moored and operated at the Balder field in the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea.The turntable is 24 meters in diameter and 10 meters high, weighing around 925 tons.

Fire broke out onboard a nuclear submarine docked at the Mediterranean port of Toulon on Friday and was still raging but under control by afternoon, local officials said.Nobody was hurt and no nuclear materials or weapons were on board the vessel, the Perle, which is in dry dock for repairs, the prefecture said in a statement.“The fire is under control. It will not spread, but it has not yet been put out,” a spokeswoman for the Mediterranean prefecture told Reuters.The prefecture also said that smoke coming from the Perle was not radioactive.Dozens of firefighters were on the scene…

Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum and Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners (CSEIP) have today signed an agreement whereby funds advised by CSEIP will acquire an 80% stake in Fortum’s Nordic wind portfolio.Fortum will retain a 20% minority ownership in this wind power portfolio, continue to manage the construction, and serve as long-term asset manager for the wind portfolio.The portfolio consists of the operational Nygårdsfjellet (32 MW, Norway), Ånstadblåheia (50 MW, Norway), and Solberg (76 MW, Sweden) wind parks as well as the Kalax (90 MW, Finland) wind park, which is under construction. The parties have also agreed that funds advised by CSEIP will invest in an 80% share of the Sørfjord (97 MW…

Valmet and Seastema have entered a value-added reseller (VAR) agreement for marine automation to strengthen their foothold on the marine industry market. By joining forces both companies will be able to make their automation solutions better known and more attractive in this industry sector.“We have seen the expertise that Valmet has in automation systems for the marine industry. Valmet continuously develops its solutions to better meet the challenging environments on many types of vessels.

France and Italy forged a military shipbuilding alliance on Friday, as state-controlled Naval Group and Fincantieri signed off on a 50-50 joint venture that will bid for Franco-Italian warship projects and sell to the world market.The alliance reflects the two countries' desire to fend off competition in naval shipbuilding from the likes of China, the United States and Russia.It is targeting orders worth up to 5 billion euros ($5.63 billion) over the next decade. Naval Group said the joint venture aims to build 10-15 warships in that period…

ABB has won orders worth more than $150 million from Danish energy company Ørsted to supply technology to transmit wind energy from the 1,400 megawatt (MW) Hornsea Project Two, slated to be the world's largest offshore wind farm.The orders were booked in the second quarter of 2018 and are the first tranche of a global five year frame agreement for the supply of electrical and automation equipment for offshore and onshore wind power connection and integration to the grid, ABB said.ABB will supply its Static Var Compensation (SVC) Light technology with ABB Ability MACH control systems…

Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has signed a service and installation agreement with Radio Holland to support strong customer demand for rapid migration from Ku-based XpressLink to Fleet Xpress services. Radio Holland is a specialist in installing and maintaining maritime communications, navigation and automation systems along the global shipping routes. The non-exclusive agreement augments Inmarsat’s existing service partner and VAR arrangements…

Maritime security operations by Australian and New Zealand frigates operating in the Middle East region during the past six weeks have seized almost a tonne of narcotics worth an estimated street value of $711 million. Royal Australian Navy Guided Missile Frigate, HMAS Newcastle netted 724kg of narcotics worth an estimated $597 million. During the same operation, New Zealand ship HMNZS Te Kaha seized 257kg of narcotics worth an estimated $214 million. Patrolling as part of the Combined Maritime Forces, Combined Task Force -150, HMAS Newcastle’s Commanding Officer, Commander Dominic MacNamara said narcotics seizures denied a key source of funding to terrorist organisations.

Inmarsat the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has signed an agreement with Globecomm, appointing the specialised managed satellite services provider as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Global Xpress (GX), serving the Maritime market globally. The agreement completes Globecomm’s Global Xpress offering, having previously been appointed as a GX VAR for the Enterprise and Global Government markets. Global Xpress will be the first global Ka-band broadband satellite network providing very high bandwidth services to a range of land, maritime and aero terminals, delivered through a resilient, secure waveform which is optimised for mobility.

Inmarsat today announced the appointment of MVS USA, a leader in mobile satellite communications and a founding Inmarsat Distribution Partner, as a Global Xpress (GX) Value Added Reseller (VAR) for the Maritime market, selling FleetBroadband Xtra and Fleet Xpress. Deborah Deffaa, CEO, MVS USA and Executive Director, MVS Group, commented, “MVS values the relationship developed with Inmarsat over the past two decades and our participation in every new product launch. We are excited about offering the high-throughput connectivity and other benefits that GX brings. Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime, added: “Inmarsat has consistently partnered with MVS, and it is good news that this relationship is reaffirmed through this latest appointment.

Inmarsat has appointed SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a leading global network and satellite communications service provider, as a Distribution Partner (DP) for its flagship maritime service, FleetBroadband, and Fleet One, its new voice and broadband data service for leisure yachts and near-shore fishing boats. As part of the agreement signed today, SpeedCast has also been appointed as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Fleet Xpress, Inmarsat’s high-speed broadband maritime service, delivered over the new Global Xpress (GX) constellation. “SpeedCast is a valuable addition to our partner channel and strengthens Inmarsat’s capabilities across Asia Pacific during a period of unprecedented investment and service development in our maritime business…

Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) set a world record with the christening of 10 new Viking Longships. “Today is a proud day for Viking and for river cruising. We are honored to showcase 10 of our revolutionary new Longships and to have had such a celebrated group of women helping us christen them,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. Guests at the christening ceremony enjoyed remarks by each godmother and a presentation on the growth of river cruising by Hagen.

Inmarsat has signed an agreement with Imtech Marine, appointing the full-service provider and systems integrator as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Global Xpress serving the worldwide maritime market. This follows on from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two companies in 2012. Global Xpress will offer global superfast mobile broadband with download speeds of up to 50Mbps through a 60-100cm antenna. The Ka-band network will consistently deliver the fastest speeds through more compact terminals at a lower cost than existing VSAT services, making it accessible to many more vessels.

Inmarsat signed an agreement with NSSLGlobal Ltd, appointing the independent service provider for satellite communications solutions as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) of Global Xpress(GX) for the maritime market. GX will provide the shipping industry with global, superfast broadband service with speeds up to 50Mbps. Based on Ka-band technology, GX will consistently deliver higher performance through more compact terminals at a lower cost than existing VSAT services, making it accessible to many more vessels. It will offer global coverage and reliability, complemented by Inmarsat’s award-winning Fleet Broadband. www.inmarsat.com

DigiGone announced the introduction of a new videoconferencing service for crew welfare communications aboard ships at sea. The company’s new DigiCrew package enables the transmission of high-quality video via satellite, allowing crewmembers the freedom to see and communicate with family and friends ashore, no matter where their voyages take them. The service can be used for audio-only or text messaging as well. “Now, for the first time, there’s an affordable videoconferencing service for crew, optimized for transmission over narrowband satellite service,” said Michael Dunleavy, president and CEO. “Imagine the joy of being able to see your wife’s face or blow a kiss to your daughter on her first birthday from thousands of miles away.

In addition to the six state-of-the-art Viking Longships launching in 2012, Viking will continue expansion in 2013 with the launch of six additional Viking Longships: Viking Bragi, Viking Forseti Viking Rinda, Viking Skadi, Viking Tor and Viking Var. Designed by celebrated maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten—the team behind the Disney Dream and the Yachts of Seabourn, the new ships integrate patent-pending  technology and innovations such as diesel-electric hybrid engines, solar panels and onboard organic herb gardens. This year marks the 15th anniversary for Viking River Cruises, and with the launch of six new ships in a single season, the most significant year in the company's history.