Kongsberg Maritime Celebrates 50 Years of Ship Design
2024 marks 50 years of ship design work for Kongsberg Maritime. From setting the benchmark that set the standard for offshore supply vessels in the 1970s, to advanced anchor handlers that transformed the oil and gas industry, and a growing reference list in fishery and merchant ships, Kongsberg Maritimeâs range of ship designs has continued to evolve over the past five decades.The early 1970s, at the dawn of the offshore oil and gas industry, saw the very first vessels, designedâŚ
New UTM Payload Available for Scout 137 Drone System
ScoutDI has added an ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM) payload, complete with in-flight A-scan, to the capabilities of its end-to-end inspection data solution for the Scout 137 drone.The product is suitable for offshore applications where drones are becoming common for visual inspection and steel plate thickness sampling must be done regularly to monitor e.g. the effects of corrosion over time.Adding the UTM payload enables the Scout 137 drone to collect location-taggedâŚ
Provaris Engages DNV for H2Neo Carrier Tank Review
Provaris Energy has engaged DNV for the review and approval of its H2Neo carrier's proprietary hydrogen cargo containment system.Prototype tank construction and testing remains on track to commence in Q1 CY2024 with completion expected by the end of Q2 CY2024. Additional parties involved in the work program located in Norway include Prodtex for construction and SINTEF for prototype testing and reporting.Construction will include the use of two laser welding robots, one material handling robot, and a scalable, custom hydraulic jig that will be employed during construction.
Navico Invests to Boost Manufacturing Capabilities
Navico Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation, announced a multimillion-dollar investment in its Lowell, Mich. facility to create two Centers of Excellence in metal fabrication and electrification. The investment is intended to increase quality, capacity and efficiency, as well as improve product manufacturing capabilities, the company said.âNavico Group is committed to being a leader in metal fabrication and electrification for the industries we serve, and this investment is a testament to thatâ said Brett Dibkey, Navico Group President.
"AI is the Game Changer"
Austal USA Advanced Technologies is working with the US Navy on technical solutions that will power the next-gen of navy assets. Don Hairston recently took the helm of the AAT team, and discusses how additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence are powering the future of naval asset design, construction and lifecycle maintenance.Don, what specifically attracted you to the position as GM of Austal USA Advanced Technologies?I liked Austal USA as an up-and-comer; it offers tremendous growth opportunities.
Green Instruments Secures Shipyard Deal for Fire Detection Equipment
Danish company Green Instruments has entered a major agreement with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for the delivery of equipment that detects oil mist and vapor on ships and triggers an alarm before fires can develop and endanger the crew, ship, equipment, and environment.The shipyard now installs Green Instrumentsâ equipment on every new vessel built.Oil mist is formed by oil droplets floating in the air and can ignite at low temperatures. Green Instrumentsâ oil mist detector is designed to register the slightest traces of oil mist and vapor from hydraulic oils and bunker fuelâŚ
3D Printed Spare Part Cuts Downtime for Wallenius Wilhelmsen's RoRo Vessel
Pelagus 3D said Wednesday it had delivered a Return Oil Standpipe at Kobe, Japan, to be installed on Wallenius Wilhelmsen's RoRo vessel TYSLA. The collaboration involved Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Wilhelmsen Ship Management.Traditionally, the procurement, fabrication, and delivery of specific spare parts has been a time-consuming process, often leading to costly downtime for the maritime and offshore industries. However, with the advent of Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D PrintingâŚ
Newport News Shipbuilding Continues Hiring Push
HII said its Newport News Shipbuilding division continues to make progress in the area of workforce development acceleration, and is meeting hiring demand for skilled trades positions through community outreach efforts and on-site hiring events.The shipyard recently participated in the Whatâs Next for Success Foundation career and job fair held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Hundreds of people, including local high school students, met with NNS talent acquisition representatives to learn about career opportunities at the shipyardâŚ
Furuno's Berthing Aid System Receives ClassNK's Endorsement
Japanese classification society ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions to a Berthing Aid System developed by Furuno.Furuno's Berthing Aid System displays the distance and angle between the ship and the quay to assist in berthing operations.The Berthing Aid System uses LiDAR to calculate the relative distance and angle between the quay and hull, and displays superimposed images for situational awareness. The system aims to improve safety during berthing by measuring and visualizing the positional relation between the quay and shipâŚ
Next-Gen Naval Defense: Laser Weapon System Takes Aim at Drones, Missiles and More
Laser Weapon Demonstrator (LWD) trials onboard the German frigate Sachsen have successfully been completed, following on from the integration of the LWD in June 2022, MBDA, a multi-national European group specializing in the field of complex weapon system.The High-Energy Laser Naval Demonstrator Working Group (or ARGE), consisting of MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall, is responsible for development and construction of the LWD, and for supporting the trials that were planned and organized by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr EquipmentâŚ
Clean Technology Lasers: A New Tool to Remove Corrosion and Scale
Laser systems quickly remove corrosion and scale from metal surfaces with less preparation and mess than traditional techniques.In the maritime industry, corrosion and scale (where rust penetrates a metal surface) can quickly become an issue in an outdoor, salt sea spray laden environment. When sea spray evaporates, it leaves salt behind, leading to saltwater staining and accelerated corrosion.So, most shipbuilders as well as those responsible for maintenance and repair understand the value of treating metal surfaces to remove corrosionâŚ
Recovery Efforts Continue on Grande Costa DâAvorio Car Carrier After Deadly Fire
Salvage and post-fire recovery operations continue on the Grande Costa DâAvorio car carrier at Port Newark as crews work to transfer vehicles and cargo from the vessel to the port facility.As previously reported by MarineLink.com, Grimaldi's cargo vessel Grande Costa DâAvorio caught fire on July 5 at the Port of Newark. Two firefighters died in the incident. The fire was extinguished by the morning of July 11.To date, all vehicles have been removed from the cargo decks of the shipâŚ
ABS Study Explores Potential of Commercial Nuclear Propulsion
New research explores how nuclear propulsion could transform the design, operation and emissions output of vessels in the commercial maritime industry.Classification society ABS said it commissioned Herbert Engineering Corp. (HEC) to carry out the study to examine the potential of advanced modern reactor technology for commercial marine propulsion. The study is designed to help industry better understand the feasibility and safety implications of nuclear propulsion and to support future development projects.The studyâŚ
US Says Chinese Coast Guard Harassing Philippine Vessels
The United States urged China on Saturday to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines after another maritime confrontation between the two Asian countries."We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.The Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "aggressive tactics" following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas ShoalâŚ
Weather Routing: Sofar Ocean Plots the Course
Sofar Ocean is on a quest to extract and put to use data from the worldâs waterways. Co-Founder and CEO Tim Janssen discusses how his teamâs hyper-focus on data is helping to improve weather routing via Wayfinder.Tim Janssen and his Sofar Ocean team continue their âEpic Ocean Data Quest,â remaining laser focused on doing its part to help extract and put to use increasing quantities of information from the worldâs oceans. For its part, Sofar continues to build scalable networks to gather information premised on its Sofar Spotter buoy.
Ammonia Startup Amogy Raises $139 Million
Brooklyn, N.Y. startup Amogy on Wednesday announced it has raised $139 million to begin manufacturing its ammonia-to-power technology and bring its first product to market in 2024.The Series B-1 fundraising round was led by SK Innovation, joined by other global investors including Temasek, Korea Zinc, Aramco Ventures, AP Ventures, MOL PLUS, Yanmar Ventures, Zeon Ventures and DCVC. âWe are working from a place where we have no doubt that our technology will change the world,â said Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy.
Dredge Firms Focus on Sustainability as ESG Issues Climb Agenda
Climate change, rising sea levels, land reclamation and offshore energy are all factors underpinning business models at Europeâs dredge and marine engineering majors. They are adopting strong sustainability credentials as their operations come under closer environmental, social, governance (ESG) scrutiny and new opportunities open up in the US offshore wind sectorThe relatively small number of global marine engineering and dredge firms face more observation of their business models than ever before.
Philippines, US Discuss Joint Coast Guard Patrols in South China Sea
The Philippines and the United States are discussing conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea, a Manila official said on Monday.With overlapping sovereign claims in the strategic waterway, the Philippines has ramped up rhetoric against what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operation.Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) spokesperson on South China Sea issuesâŚ
3D Printing: Navy Builds Up Additive Manufacturing on Ships
The U.S. Navy has long valued the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing.AM refers to the depositing of material layer by layer to create an object. For the Navy, itâs not practical to carry every replacement part for every system on a ship, and it can be difficult to forecast if or when parts will fail. AM provides a flexible source of supply in being able to make parts instead of ordering them and waiting for them to arrive, especially for warships at the far end of the supply chain.
Portable Laser Shock Peening System Demonstrated for the US Navy
For the first time, a portable laser shock peening system has been developed for and demonstrated in a shipyard environment and on board a U.S. Navy warship to combat aluminum cracking.On June 24, 2022, through a 2020 National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) Research Announcement Project, Hepburn and Sons LLC, teamed with LSP Technologies, Vigor Industries and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) was able to demonstrate for the first time ever the use of a portable Procudo LSP system both in a shipyard facility and onboard USS Cape St. George (CG-71).
Port of South Louisiana Buys Avondale Global Gateway
The Port of South Louisiana (Port SL) said it has reached a deal with T. Parker Host to buy the Avondale Global Gateway, a logistics hub at site of the former Avondale Shipyard.The acquisition of this 254-acre facility at mile 108 of the Mississippi River will allow the port to be more competitive in traditional international trade and focus on the new frontier of renewable energy development, Port SL said.The purchase and sale agreement was announced Thursday by Port SL CEO Paul Matthews following unanimous approval from the port commission.
Racing to the Bottom: Seabed Warfare Brings Threats, Opportunities
In the early morning hours of September 26, 2022, seismologists located throughout northern Europe detected two disturbances originating in the Baltic Sea that were consistent with underwater explosions. Within hours, an aerial image captured by a passing Danish F-16 showed an expanse of frothy seawater, suggesting that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines had experienced a catastrophic event. Within days, an investigation by the Swedish Security Service concluded that both pipelines had sustained extensive damage due to an act of gross sabotage.
Roundtable: North American Naval Architects Weigh In
Marine News spoke to leaders at three North American naval architecture and marine engineering firms about some of the latest trends impacting their business today. Mike Fitzpatrick, president, Robert Allan Ltd.; Jeff Bowles, director, DLBA Naval Architects; and Rich Mueller, president and CEO, NETSCo., weigh in on topics such as digitalization, decarbonization and the naval architect talent pool.How do you view the maritime industryâs ongoing shifts in areas such as digitalization and decarbonizationâŚ