Wider Energy News

Garry Noonan, Director, Innovation, Ardmore Shipping is candid in discussing emerging technologies and their impact on ship fuel and emissions reductions. With a fleet of product and chemical tankers under his guise, Noonan gives insights on technologies that he has seen work, as well as his thoughts on the fuel transition, which he believes won’t become mainstream until we’re well into the 2030s.While Cork, Ireland-based Ardmore Shipping, founded in 2010, is relatively new in shipping circles…

Alfa Laval has introduced a methanol-fired Aalborg boiler that accommodates a wide range of fuel types including LNG and methanol.It will be the first time a methanol boiler has been installed onboard a ship, and Alfa Laval has secured significant orders for the new boiler including for container ships, tankers and cruise ships. Deliveries of the methanol boilers are scheduled to commence in late 2023.Alfa Laval says its “ready boiler” concept provides a future-proof platform, allowing for easy adjustments to the existing burner and boiler pressure section as needed.

Germany boosted its offshore wind power capacity by 357 megawatts (MW) to 7,036 MW last year, inching towards a planned 30,000 MW by 2030, power grid operator TenneT said.The German arm of the Dutch transmission group will play a key role in achieving the target, linking the majority of new wind farms to onshore high-voltage transmission grids, with a commitment to provide six 2,000 MW links by 2031.

Greek shipping company the Angelicoussis Group announced it has appointed Sveinung J. S. Støhle in the new role of deputy CEO.Støhle, who is stepping down as president and CEO of Höegh LNG on November 1,  has more than 25 years’ experience in liuefied natural gas (LNG) shipping and the wider energy and LNG space. He will join the Angelicoussis Group’s senior management team in Athens.Maria Angelicoussis, CEO of Angelicoussis Group, said, “Sveinung’s extensive industry experience will certainly add strength, depth and quality to our existing senior management team.

Seen as a next step toward the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals, Methanol—if produced from renewable green sources—will bring the industry to a level of carbon neutrality. At Alfa Laval, the technologies to enable that step are being developed.As a low-flashpoint fuel, methanol poses significant challenges that require a new approach to fuel supply. Alfa Laval is partnering with MAN Energy Solutions to develop a low-flashpoint supply system (LFSS) for ME-LGIM two-stroke engines.

British oil major BP and the German renewables firm EnBW submitted their bid for offshore wind acreage in the ScotWind leasing round, looking to secure the rights for a lease area off the east coast of Scotland that could support offshore wind projects with 2.9 gigawatts (GW) generating capacity.The seabed round in which firms apply for the license to build wind farms has attracted the interest of both "traditional" renewables giants such as Iberdrola, Orsted, Ocean Winds, and Vattenfall…

Engineering and construction services giant  KBR has won a contract with Nigeria's UTM Offshore to support the development of Nigeria's first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility.Acting as Owner's Engineers, KBR will be responsible for a multi-disciplined due diligence review of the Pre-Front End Engineering Design, being completed by Japanese engineering company JGC.UTM Offshore is leading the development of the 1.2 million tonnes per year FLNG facility in collaboration with LNG Investment Management Services…

SBM Offshore forecast that 2021 core earnings will be slightly below market expectations, the multinational oil firm said on Thursday, noting 2020 challenges will spill into 2021 as many of its clients had to cut budgets.The Dutch company, which supplies floating oil and gas production vessels, forecasts earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of around $900 million in 2021, missing a company-provided consensus for an EBITDA of $926 million."COVID-19 affected our clients and the wider energy market and impacted our operations and projects…

A joint Lloyd’s Register (LR) and A.P. Moller – Maersk study assessing the transition to zero carbon fuels has found that the cost of transport will rise – not because ships themselves will require greater levels of investment but because new fuels are projected to be significantly more expensive than existing fossil solutions which will lead to increased operating costs.According to the study partners, achieving net zero is therefore an operating expense (OPEX) not a capital expenditure (CAPEX) challenge.

Global Energy Group has reached an agreement with Repsol Sinopec Resources UK to take over the long-term operation of the Nigg Oil Terminal jetty under a new lease with Crown Estates Scotland.Since cessation of production from the Beatrice oil field, Repsol Sinopec has been exploring reuse options for the facilities at Nigg Oil Terminal, including the jetty.Under the agreed deal, the jetty will be operated as an extension to the Port of Nigg which has already established itself as a leading deep-water port servicing oil and gas, offshore renewables and the wider energy markets.The addition of berthage with even deeper water extends the capability of the Port and is already attracting interest from mobile drilling operators…

UK-based provider of consultancy, health & safety advisory, workforce solutions and software services Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) has won a framework agreement from Total to provide geophysical acquisition supervision.SMC said that the framework contract award from the French oil company would see it support a number of seismic supervision services throughout the three-year contract.“SMC is very pleased to have been awarded a framework agreement which will see it support a number of seismic supervision services throughout the three year contract,” SMC said.This contract award represents yet another significant milestone in the continued growth of SMC and its diversification of services delivered to the seismic exploration sector and the wider energy industry in general…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS) have released “Zero-Emission Vessels Transition Pathways.”The study, according to LR, aims to show what is needed to enable the transition, both at the ship and supply infrastructure level, to deliver zero-emission vessels (ZEVs) that are crucial to achieve the IMO’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy 2050 ambition.The new study seeks to address key questions about ZEVs such as: what needs to happen between now and in the next three decades for ship deployment? And what needs to happen within this period to develop the supply infrastructure?The study looks at the key milestones…

Eidesvik’s offshore supply vessel (OSV) Viking Princess reportedly can now operate with only three generators instead of four after a retrofit of an energy storage solution with The Switch DC-Hub at its heart, helping the 5,381 GWT ship to save around a ton of fuel every day.The solution entails replacing one of the main generators of Viking Princess  by batteries connected to a DC-Hub. This energy solution allows the shipowner to reduce the operating costs, fuel consumption and emissions associated with the previous generator that is no longer needed.According to Asbjørn Halsebakke…

Aberdeen-based Hydro Group Plc, a global design and manufacturer of underwater cables and connectors for subsea, underwater, topside and onshore applications, sets sights on further international growth with opening of new Singapore office. Singapore currently represents Hydro Group’s second largest export market, with the Group identifying more than £1million of potential sales in the region per year. The new office will support Hydro Group’s increasing presence in Southeast Asia and offer its range of subsea optical cables…

Aberdeen Harbor Engages in Study into Potential Port Expansion. Aberdeen Harbour Board has commenced a major feasibility study into the potential expansion of facilities at the port. Continued growth in traffic and cargos, as well as an increase in the size of the vessels has prompted the study, as projections indicate that Aberdeen Harbour will remain the principal port for the oil and gas sector in the North Sea and West of Shetland. The harbour has also been outlined as a potential…