Vessels Equipment News

Royal IHC and Karnafuly Ship Builders Ltd (KSBL) in Bangladesh have signed contracts for the design, engineering and hardware of four cutter suction dredgers (CSD). The four mono-pontoon custom-built CSDs (2x 700 mm and 2x 600 mm) will be built in Bangladesh by KSBL for Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for maintenance dredging in Bangladesh. Royal IHC will provide yard assistance for the installation, testing and commissioning of the equipment and the CSDs.Ronald van Son…

The Irish power grid operator EirGrid has awarded NKT a service contract for the interconnector connecting Ireland and Great Britain.The cable and cable accessories supplier to the energy sector has been awarded a five-year service agreement by the Irish power grid operator EirGrid for cable related services including repair works for the East West Interconnector.The 200 kV HVDC power cable with capacity of 500 MW between Ireland and Great Britain is connecting the countries power grid ensuring the high transmission security needed to power modern life.For NKT, the agreement marks the first contract including the company’s recently launched 10 days vessel mobilization guarantee.

The Athina Maritime Learning and Development Center, which has been recently established as the exclusive maritime training organization for Minerva Marine Inc. ship management company based in Athens, has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Digital for the supply of new state-of-art bridge, engine room and cargo handling simulators.A dynamic portfolio of simulator-based courses designed to leverage the realism and pedagogical value of Kongsberg Digital’s simulator technology is under development by the Athina Maritime Learning and Development Center…

Dutch supplier of vessels, equipment and services for the offshore, dredging and wet mining markets Royal IHC said it has acquire all of the outstanding share capital of Dutch based engineering and consultancy company KCI the Engineers B.V. from Dutch-Norwegian offshore service provider Oceanteam ASA. IHC said it plans to maintain KCI as an independent brand and operating company which will continue to serve external clients while also working on IHC projects. Diederik van Rijn, IHC Group Executive Director, said, “The acquisition KCI fits within the overall strategy of IHC to further develop into a provider of knowledge and technology based services and products.

Marsol International, a UAE-based global marine solutions provider focused on the offshore oil terminal market and related infrastructure, has signed a two years contract with Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production LLC (OOCEP) for the provision and management of the marine and offshore activities related to the tanker loading, via the single point mooring (SPM) offshore marine terminal including maintenance works, vessels, equipment and manpower. The Musandam gas plant, located on the west coast of the Musandam Peninsula…

In the last two months of 2016, IHC saw a substantial increase in the sale of its vessels, equipment and engineering packages. Almost half of the total order intake over 2016 was secured in this period. “We see market recovery in the dredging and renewables industry, and are positive that this will continue in 2017,” says IHC CEO Dave Vander Heyde. One of the highlights of the year end includes the sale of a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Easydredge 2700 from stock. Supported by the Argentinean bank BICE, the vessel was sold to Dragados Argentinos DASA S.A. (DASA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. DASA is a new company, established by three leading dredging contractors in the country.

Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production LLC (OOCEP) shipped its first crude oil cargo from the Musandam gas plant (MGP) with the support of UAE-based Marsol International. OOCEP, a subsidiary of Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C exported 300,000 barrels of crude oil as part of the operation, which were fully processed at the MGP on May 4 in Oman. Marsol, a global marine solutions provider focused on the offshore oil terminal market and related infrastructure, said its involvement included the provision and management of all marine and offshore activities related to the tanker loading…

Marsol International, a UAE-based global marine solutions provider focused on the offshore oil terminal market and related infrastructure, has been awarded two contracts in Oman. The first contract involves a Single Point Mooring (SPM) change out, including the removal of the existing aging structures followed by installation of new buoys. The second contract involves providing and managing all marine and offshore activities related to tanker loadings via an SPM offshore marine terminal, including marine works, vessels, equipment and manpower.

Continuous Improvement (CI) is the critical process of continually analyzing the performance of some aspect of operations, and then applying changes intended to improve that performance. This is the second in a series of articles intended to introduce practical tips for using CI to improve training effectiveness and efficiency in maritime organizations. Implementing a modest CI process for your in-house training is neither expensive nor difficult, and even a small program can produce a tremendous ROI in safety, efficiency, trainer engagement and trainee satisfaction.

Sea trials aboard Greenland, the world’s first LNG-fuelled short-sea dry bulk vessel, have validated the performance of Thordon Bearings COMPAC propeller shaft solution, indicating that seawater-lubricated bearing systems are applicable to all ship types and are definitely here to stay. "Erik Thun has truly raised the standard in sustainable shipping with this vessel, pushing the boundaries of environmental possibilities to a completely new level," said Tommy Holmgren, Sales Director with the Duwel Group, Thordon Bearings’ distributor in Sweden.

Continuous Improvement (CI) is a term we hear a lot lately. Sadly, despite knowing the term and possibly even applying CI principles to some aspects of operations, CI principles are infrequently applied to in-house job and familiarization training. This is a mistake. First, it is neither difficult nor expensive to establish and maintain a program of CI for in-house training. Second, there is a good chance that if you do ignore CI, not only will your training outcomes fail to improve, but they will likely deteriorate, resulting in a deterioration of safety and operational performance.

Whether driven by treasure hunting or environmental protection, the days of forgotten wrecks, even at great depths, is past. It seems like every month we see reports of long-lost maritime wrecks being discovered on the ocean bottom and treasures being salvaged from great depths. We also hear regularly of oil being recovered from sunken wrecks. There is now no practical limit to the ability to recover objects from the sea floor, regardless of depth, currents, weather, or other obstacles. The only existing obstacle seems to be financing - and costs are decreasing regularly.

Wärtsilä launches an innovation contest, Wärtsilä Marine Mastermind, aimed at start-up companies and entrepreneurs, in connection with the start-up event Slush. The purpose of the contest is to find new and unique digital services for the marine industry. The contest is open for existing companies as well as for aspiring entrepreneurs. The winner of the contest will get to further develop the idea together with Wärtsilä's experts and Shift Actions, specialised in agile concept and product development. Wärtsilä is a globally known pioneer in the utilisation of digital technologies in the marine and energy industries. With the innovation contest…

The year 2015 has been a busy year for The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, and for the industry AWO is privileged to represent. It’s a dynamic time for a vital industry that constitutes the largest segment of the U.S. domestic fleet, as companies throughout the industry are investing heavily to meet evolving customer needs; the industry stands on the verge of historic regulatory change; and AWO pursues an active public policy agenda to support members’ needs for predictable and practicable government policy.

Dubai-based Swire Emergency Response Services (SERS), a fully owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific Offshore group, announced its partnership with Mediterranean-based International Environmental and Marine Services (IEMS) to jointly provide Tier 2/3 response services to clients in Europe, Africa and the Middle East The partnership was inked on 24 October in Dubai. “We are excited about the collaboration between SERS and IEMS. This partnership will allow both companies to leverage on each other’s expertise and provide a broader range of highly sophisticated, prompt and reliable emergency response services to the offshore oil and gas industry.

The U.S. Coast Guard 9th District informs it has jointly signed a Mutual Training Agreement, that further promotes cooperation and education opportunities between the Association’s seventeen member companies that operate cargo vessels on the Great Lakes and the Coast Guard as their primary regulatory agency. This agreement was reached under the Coast Guard’s Merchant Marine Indoctrination Ship Rider Program, which provides for valuable professional exchange opportunities for the mutual benefit of both the Coast Guard and the merchant marine industry. The MTA will allow Coast Guard marine inspectors to join a vessel’s crew while underway and act as a riding observer…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has awarded Fugro an additional contract for the deployment of two specialist vessels, equipment and expertise in the deepwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370). Fugro will mobilize its vessels Fugro Equator and Fugro Discovery, both fitted with specialist deep tow survey systems for the work. Since June, the Fugro Equator has been involved in the bathymetric survey of the search area. Fugro and ATSB expect the Fugro Discovery to begin the deep tow search late September with Fugro Equator joining shortly thereafter.

Following required regulatory inspections along with regular scheduled maintenance in Mobile, Alabama, the Trailer Bridge Ro/Ro vessel the Jax - San Juan Bridge (JSB) returned to service on July 5. In addition to the American Bureau of Shipping regulatory inspection, several key upgrades were made to the JSB. This work is all part of Trailer Bridge’s Asset Protection Program that ensures our fleet remains in peak condition to meet the continuing needs of our customers. “We operate the youngest Marine fleet in the trade and are fully committed to reinvesting in our vessels, equipment and systems,” said Trailer Bridge’s CEO, Chris Dombalis. "Safe and efficient vessel operations is of the utmost importance to Trailer Bridge as well our customers who have come to depend on our service.

IHC Merwede has revealed a healthy net profit margin of 4.1% in 2012 and a positive sales forecast for the year ahead. The company develops and builds vessels, equipment and life-cycle support services for the dredging, mining and offshore industries, which have been performing well – despite the global economic situation and the knock-on effect for the maritime industry. In 2012, IHC Merwede reached a revenue of €895 million and a net profit of €37 million. After the exceptional years of 2010 and 2011, the revenue and profitability were lower last year.

Weeks Marine has selected Seaworthy Systems SeaStarTM Maintenance Management System for its towing fleet. Seaworthy will deliver turnkey systems containing vessels equipment, customized maintenance plans, and inventory for 12 Tugs and associated barges. Additionally regulatory compliance and the responsible carrier program will be included. The system will also be installed shore side. System training will be provided by Seaworthy's marine engineers. Seaworthy has installed over 150 marine maintenance systems.

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has completed a contract with Fluor for the installation of 36 inter-array cables at the Greater Gabbard wind farm. Originally contracted to install 29 cables, the remit of OMM’s work was expanded during the course of the project to encompass provision of a full range of installation services for 36 inter-array cables, including front end pre-engineering support, installation and the delivery of a final report using in-house survey capabilities. Work was completed using the 122m vessel Deep Cygnus. Greater Gabbard is a 504MW offshore wind farm, located 25 kilometres off the Suffolk coast. OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said:  “I’m delighted to announce the project’s successful completion.

Stork Technical Services lands major West Africa subsea inspection project. Stork Technical Services (Stork), the leading global provider of knowledge-based asset integrity management services for the chemical, oil and gas and power sectors, today announces a major £10million contract win for subsea inspection activity with a major operator, offshore West Africa. Stork announced the contract at the Subsea 2012 exhibition, where the company is exhibiting for the first time on stand A25 on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 February 2012 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Andrew Altendorf is the CEO and majority owner of Acme Environmental Inc. Acme’s history spans almost 50 years and the firm is recognized as a pioneer in the manufacture of oil spill containment booms and other oil spill recovery items. A U.S. Coast Guard classified OSRO, Acme and Altendorf support numerous customers in Oklahoma and the Midwest with their emergency response. He has been the President of the Spill Control Association of America since November of 2010. Prior to taking the reins as President, he served on the SCAA Board of Directors for 5 years.