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Western Isles News

03 Feb 2023

Contract Finalized for Two New Ferries for the Little Minch

(Photo: CMAL)

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) confirmed the signing of the Bank Refund Guarantee (BRG) for two new vessels for the Little Minch routes between Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert (Harris).Work to build the ferries will now begin at Cemre Marin Endustri A.S shipyard in Turkey, with an expected delivery date for both in June and October 2025 respectively.They will be built to the same specification as the vessels for Islay, which are already under construction at Cemre. Both are currently ahead of schedule.Jim Anderson…

12 Dec 2022

Shell's 34,000t North Sea-bound Penguins FPSO Leaves Chinese Shipyard

Credit: Boskalis (supplied)

Shell's Penguins FPSO has set sail from China loaded aboard Boskalis' White Marlin semi-submersible heavy transportation vessel.In a social media post on Thursday, Boskalis said: "Boskalis’ semi-submersible transport vessel White Marlin departed from Qingdao, China with an impressive cargo; the 34,000-ton cylinder-shaped Shell Penguins FPSO. After a smooth and safe float-on and [seafastening] campaign, the vessel started her journey to Norway." At the time of writing, the White Marlin was sailing past the east coast of Taiwan…

03 Apr 2020

Salvors Working to Refloat Cargo Ship Aground in the UK

(Photo: Maritime & Coastguard Agency)

Salvage operations continue on board the cargo vessel MV Kaami after it ran aground in the Minches in March in northwest Scotland.A HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter winched all of the eight-person crew to safety from the cargo vessel which ran aground in adverse weather conditions in the early hours on March 23.The vessel, which made contact with the Coastguard and reported taking on water, remains on hard ground at Sgeir Graidach rock and is being monitored by the U.K.'s…

24 Oct 2019

Ofgem Rejects 600MW Shetland Cable Gig

Energy regulator Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has been "unable to approve" plans for two huge subsea cables to take energy from the Scottish islands to the mainland.The transmission links from Shetland and the Western Isles were proposed by Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) to connect planned new wind farms on the islands to the national grid.In March 2019 Ofgem said it was minded to approve the estimated £709 million link.The proposal from SSEN for a 600MW transmission link was based on the largest planned project, Viking Energy Wind Farm, securing subsidies through the UK Government’s Autumn Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction.The award of these subsidies would have provided confidence that the wind farm is likely to progress…

27 Aug 2019

Scotland to Power Ferries with Hydrogen

Ferries serving the Western Isles and West Coast of Scotland could soon be powered by hydrogen generated from onshore island wind power, according to a newly published feasibility study.The Scottish Western Isles Ferry Transport Using Hydrogen (SWIFTH2) project, which was led by the Point and Sandwick Trust in collaboration with seven industry partners including Wood, was part-funded by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.The project team also included Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, ITM Power, ENGIE, Ferguson Marine Engineering, Caledonia Marine Assets Ltd and Johnston Carmichael.The study assessed the feasibility of deploying hydrogen-powered passenger ferries on nine existing Caledonian MacBrayne ferry routes servicing the Western Isles.

16 Jan 2018

Shell Announces Plan for Penguins Filed Redevelopment

Shell announced the final investment decision for the Penguins field redevelopment project in the U.K. sector, which includes the construction of a new-build Sevan Marine designed cylindrical floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The Penguins field is in 165 metres of water, approximately 150 miles north east of the Shetland Islands. Discovered in 1974, the field was first developed in 2002 and is a joint venture between Shell (50 percent and operator) and ExxonMobil (50 percent). The Penguins field currently processes oil and gas using four existing drill centres tied back to the Brent Charlie platform. The redevelopment of the field…

05 Dec 2017

DNV GL Support for Dana Petroleum Western Isles FPSO

DNV GL has been supporting Dana Petroleum on the development of the Western Isles field and the Western Isles floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel as it progressed towards first oil, which was achieved earlier this month. DNV GL has been engaged by Dana since 2012, as the classification society, verification body and marine warranty provider on the Western Isles FPSO, a Sevan Series 400 cylindrical monohull with a 44,000 bbl/d topsides facility. Uniquely, it is not only the first complete engineering procurement and construction (EPC) FPSO project constructed in China, but also the first offshore unit in China to comply with the UK continental shelf legislation requirements.

12 Aug 2016

Update: Oil Rig Aground off Scotland

Photo: MCA

No further pollution has been detected in the area of the grounded oil rig Transocean Winner as the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) continues to monitor the scene. The MCA counter pollution surveillance aircraft yesterday flew over the location and surrounding area to make careful observations for pollution around the rig and the nearby coast and sea and no sheen or sign of pollution has been found. Teams from Smit Salvage and Transocean will continue inspections on board the rig this week and the rig remains in the original position.

09 Aug 2016

Update: Salvors to Board Grounded Transocean Winner

Final preparations are being made to put a small team of salvors on board the grounded semi-submersible oil rig Transocean Winner off the Isle of Lewis this afternoon. The rig broke free from a tow line in severe weather Monday and ran aground off the western isles of Scotland. Salvors are conducting an initial assessment of the rig as part of the ongoing operation to remove it. "Weather permitting, it’s then intended to put a second larger group of salvors on tomorrow to carry out a more detailed inspection." Shaw said. Three vessels including the ETV Herakles remain on scene. A temporary exclusion zone of 300 meters has been implemented around the rig.

08 Aug 2016

Semi-submersible Drilling Rig Grounds off Scotland

Severe weather has caused semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Winner to break free from tow and run aground off the western isles of Scotland, the U.K. Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. There are no personnel on board the rig and there is no risk to life, MCA said. There is 280mt of diesel on board. The tug Alp Forward encountered severe weather west of the Isle of Lewis while towing the Transocean Winner, and remained connected to the rig overnight on Sunday but was unable to make headway with the tow. The MCA’s Emergency Towing Vessel Herakles was deployed from Orkney on Sunday night to assist. Early Monday morning, the tow line parted, and due to the severe weather conditions it was not possible to reconnect.

11 Apr 2016

Fishing Vessel Sinks off Scotland

A fishing vessel sank off the Western Isles, Scotland, in the early hours of April 9. Four crew members were on board at the time of the incident. One was located and taken to hospital by helicopter, two have been found but are confirmed deceased, and one fisherman remains missing. The U.K. Coastguard received a distress alert just before 3:45 when the fishing vessels emergency positioning beacon (EPIRB) was activated near Mingulay. The search involving the Coastguard search and rescue helicopters based at Stornoway and Prestwick, the Barra RNLI lifeboat, local fishing vessels and Police Scotland has been scaled back. Mark Rodaway, National Maritime Operations Commander, for U.K.

08 Dec 2015

CMAL Installs New CCTV System for SCG

Photo courtesy of CMAL

Scottish Communications Group (SCG), an independent communication equipment specialist, has been awarded a $2.7 million contract by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) for the design and installation of a new CCTV solution at their Clyde and west coast network of 25 harbors, ports and slipways. These range from Largs on the mainland to Tarbert (Harris) in the Western Isles. The new CCTV system has been designed to improve safety and security for customers, Harbor Operator personnel…

26 Jun 2015

Scottish Ferry Workers on Strike

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members at the ferry operator CalMac go on strike over the future of services of Scotland’s west coast as two thirds of CalMac routes have been suspended. CalMac will operate a third of its Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, with nine of 27 routes sailing as normal or to an amended timetable. The RMT union is concerned about the outcome of a tendering bid which could see the service change hands from publicly-owned CalMac to private firm Serco. They walk out over prospect of Serco winning contract to operate services across Clyde, inner Hebrides and Western Isles. Supplemented by air services…

20 Jan 2015

Five Airlifted from Sea after Fishing Vessel Sinks

The U.K. Coastguard was notified of a fishing vessel in distress just before 11 a.m. this morning. The Iuda Naofa, a 23-meter Irish fishing vessel, was taking on water 48 miles north of the Butt of Lewis, the U.K Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported. A Coastguard Rescue helicopter was requested to attend the scene and drop a salvage pump onto the Iuda Naofa to pump off the ingress of water. However, the vessel became swamped and started to sink. The helicopter airlifted two of the crew onto the nearby sister fishing vessel, the Star of Hope. The other three crew were transferred by helicopter to the Western Isles hospital, where they are being treated for mild hypothermia.

23 Apr 2014

Safety the Focus as Heavy Lifting Picks Up

Samson and Manitowoc Announce KZ100 Synthetic Crane Hoist Line. (KZ100 is also featured in the image running across the top of this page)

Heavy lift operations offshore are an awe-inspiring feat, but an operation that requires consistent monitoring of man, machine and procedure to ensure they are conducted in as an efficient and safe manner as possible. Due to a growing focus on safety related to subsea lifting operations, DNV GL recently established a Joint Industry Project (JIP) to develop practical methods for reducing the risks and lifetime cost of steel wire ropes for subsea lifting applications, using an integrated systems approach.

08 Jan 2014

Lankhorst Mooring Ropes for Western Isles Development FPSO

Lankhorst Gama 98 rope manufacture

Offshore rope manufacturer, Lankhorst Ropes has been awarded a contract by Aberdeen based Dana Petroleum to provide Gama 98 polyester mooring lines for the Western Isles Development FPSO vessel (Floating Production Storage and Offloading). Given the weather conditions in the North Sea, and relatively shallow water depth, the cylindrically shaped FPSO will use a semi-taut leg mooring system. It will be moored with 14 polyester mooring lines in three clusters of 4, 4 and 6 lines at 250m water depth.

28 Jun 2013

ABB Wins North Sea FPSO Power & Automation Order

FPSO General Layout: Image courtesy of Dana Petroleum

ABB wins contract worth $20 million for providing power & automation technologies to a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) built by the Chinese shipyard COSCO Nantong for Dana Petroleum. ABB's delivery will contribute to efficient and safe operations, and reliable power distribution on board. The FPSO will have Sevan Marine's characteristic cylindrical design and will be located on the Western Isles field on the UK Continental Shelf, 160 kilometres east of the Shetland Islands.

17 Jun 2013

Scana Offshore Vestby FPSO Contract Price Upped

Scana Industrier ASA has through its subsidiary Scana Offshore Vestby, been awarded a Variation to the contract for delivery of  Mooring Winches to Dana Petroleum. The contract is for the delivery of  Mooring Winches to Dana Petroleum SO at the Western Isles Development Project in the UK sector of the North Sea. The FPSO will be built based on Sevan Marine technology. The total value of the contract is now updated from 57-million NOK to 74-million NOK. The Mooring Winches have been developed in close cooperation with the customer, says Scana. The project has started and delivery will be in the 4th quarter of 2014. The contracts will involve Scana Steel Stavanger in addition to Scana Offshore Vestby.

13 Mar 2013

Scana to Supply FPSO Mooring Winches

Scana Industrier ASA subsidiary, Scana Offshore Vestby, has signed a winch supply contract with UK-based Dana Petroleum. The contract is for delivery of mooring winches for Dana Petroleum's new floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) which will be used in their Western Isles Development Project. The total value of the contract is 57 MNOK. Dana Petroleum plc is a $4 billion oil and gas business with operations in the UK, Egypt, Norway, The Netherlands and Africa. The Western Isles Project (Dana 77% and Cieco 23%) will develop two discovered oil fields called Harris and Barra in the Northern North Sea, 160km east of the Shetlands and 12km west of the Tern field. The FPSO will be based on Sevan Marine technology and built at COSCO Qidong Shipyard in China.

12 Jun 2012

Ferry Contract for German Shipbuilder

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has announced that Lloyds Banking Group plc (LBG) are to provide financing for a replacement vessel for the Stornoway to Ullapool route and has named Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft MBH & Co. KG (FSG), Germany as the preferred shipyard for the detailed design and construction of the vessel. The new 116m Roll On Roll Off vehicle passenger ferry will be capable of operating 24 hours a day and will have a capacity for up to 700 passengers, and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles. The new vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2014 and will go into service shortly thereafter.

14 Sep 2005

Entire Ship Crew Treated for Food Poisoning

A doctor and a nurse were last night treating 24 foreign crewmen with suspected food poisoning on board a cargo ship off the Western Isles, the U.K. Maritime & Coastguard Agency reported. Earlier, six of the worst-hit crewmen were evacuated by the Stornoway lifeboat to hospital in Stornoway after the captain of the 50,000-ton Yeoman Bridge became concerned for their well being. However, after the GP and a police officer were winched on board the vessel by Coastguard helicopter to assess their condition, it was decided that it was not necessary to take the crew off, but to treat them on board. The Western Isles Major Incident Response Team had been looking at all the options in case a full evacuation of the ship was necessary.

26 Mar 2012

New Aquaculture Workboat from Alnmaritec

Alnmaritec, the specialist aluminium boat builder based in Northumberland, recently announced the completion of ‘Shelagh Jane’ a new aquaculture workboat for service on a fish farm on the West Coast of Scotland. This rugged no nonsense support boat is a development of the highly successful Alnmaritec Wave Worker class. She is designed specifically to have improved sea keeping properties to allow her to transfer long distances between fish farm sites and she has a unique hull form to fulfil this role.

28 Dec 2006

Six Dead in Offshore Helicopter Crash

Six offshore workers were killed and another missing feared dead after a helicopter belonging to an Aberdeen-based firm ditched into the Irish Sea. The aircraft, carrying five Centrica employees and two crew, ditched into freezing water 25 miles off the between the Isle of Man and Morecambe Bay on the Lancashire coast. The Aerospatiale SA-365N Dauphin 2, operated by CHC Scotia Ltd, ditched close to a gas drilling plaftorm on its last journey ferrying workers back to shore. The search continued last night as hope faded for the one remaining crew. Two RAF helicopters - one from RAF Valley and one from RAF Leconfield - as well as RNLI lifeboats from Fleetwood and Barrow were also helping with the search as were several support vessels.