Greater Energy Efficiency News

The Singapore government has recounted the achievements of Maritime Singapore to date to highlight the nation’s successes as a maritime hub in 2023:Total business spending by key maritime companies overseen by MPA exceeded S$4.8 billion, up from S$4.3 billion in 2022. Twenty-five maritime companies established or expanded their operations in Singapore last year. These included maritime services companies and companies setting up sustainability desks in Singapore as part of their…

Brunvoll has signed a contract with Vard for the delivery of propulsion and maneuvering system for Toyo Construction’s new cable laying vessel.Toyo Construction’s new vessel will have three azimuth propulsion thrusters in the aft of the vessel. The foreship of the vessel will have two tunnel thrusters and a retractable azimuth thruster.Furthermore, the vessel will feature Brunvoll’s control system for propulsion and maneuvering, BruCon PTC.In December 2023, Vard, a Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group…

Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, signed a contract for $200m to design and build a customized hybrid cable-laying vessel for Japan's Toyo Construction.The hybrid cable vessel will have a design specifically developed for custom needs to meet the growing Japanese offshore wind farm market and will also be able to operate worldwide. It will have an optimal hull design to suit natural and construction conditions in Japan, allowing it to be used in both shallow…

Tokyo Kisen Co on May 26 held a naming and launching ceremony of the electric tugboat Taiga, built at Kanagawa Dockyard Co., Ltd in Japan.The Taiga is powered by an electric propulsion system that combines  e5Lab-developed large-capacity lithium-ion batteries and a diesel engine."It is an eco-ship designed to protect the environment in areas surrounding the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki, and also a crew-friendly tugboat, not only achieving low/zero emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx…

Integrated automation and energy specialist Høglund announced it has been commissioned to supply advanced, fully integrated hybrid, automation, and digital solutions to two asphalt carriers to be built in Wuhu shipyard, China. The owner, Continental Bitumen, is an integrated procurement, logistics and distribution company supplying bitumen in Europe, Africa and Middle East. The technical manager and operator of the vessels is Tipco Asphalt.The central part of this delivery is the hybrid electric system…

There is  increasing pressure for shipowners to sharpen their environmental performance, driven by an IMO target to halve greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by 2050, regional regulations and market pull from charterers, banks and investors.“This represents a whole new ball game for the industry. Optimization of ship operations has traditionally been dictated by the efficiency of delivery around the globe that has typically meant being able to sail at full speed, thereby burning more fuel, to minimize costs for the charterer.

Share of electricity in the final demand energy mix will more than double from today’s level to 40% in 2050, with two thirds of that electricity provided by solar PV and wind, said DNV GL.Electrification will transform how energy is produced and consumed. By midcentury, 40% of final energy demand will be met by electricity (up from 19% in 2017), 63% of which will be generated by solar PV and wind, said the third edition of the Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) by DNV GL.Electrification is also having a dramatic effect on road transport and by 2032 half of new car sales globally will be electric. The intrinsic efficiency of electric engines means that despite a 75% expansion of the global vehicle fleet by 2050…

Tallink Grupp, the largest passenger and cargo shipping company in the Baltic Sea region, and Finnish shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) signed the contract for the construction of a new LNG-powered fast ferry for the Tallinn – Helsinki route shuttle operations.Similarl to the group’s newest vessel Megastar, the new shuttle ferry will also be dual fuel operated, its overall length will be approximately 212 meters and with a passenger capacity of 2,800, said a press release from the Estonian shipping company operating Baltic Sea cruiseferries and RoPax ships from Estonia to Finland.The vessel will cost approximately 250 million euros and it will be built at the Rauma shipyard in Finland…

The demanding conditions of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia are plain sailing for MS Viikki, the world’s first LNG-fueled bulk carrier. The solution, built around WE Tech’s variable frequency drive technology WE Drive and The Switch direct drive permanent magnet shaft generator, helps the vessel achieve Ice Class 1A propulsion, while still slashing fuel consumption, costs and emissions. It is a game-changer for ice-class operations.Demanding high standardsESL Shipping is…

The provider of software tools for the offshore industry UniSea has agreed to take part ownership of the energy efficiency specialist Yxney.“Yxney is experiencing rapid growth meeting the increasing demand for data-driven energy efficiency solutions in the offshore sector,” said CEO Gjord Simen Sanna of Yxney, which provides operational support and HSEQ (quality, health, safety, environment) to offshore industry.“UniSea is a highly respected player in the industry with a large client base. Yxney already uses UniSea data as the source for our calculations on many vessels. Closer collaboration between the two companies will allow us to provide even more efficient data flows…

ABB shore power connectors retrofitted to three Holland America Line vessels will help these ships achieve low emissions in port anywhere in the world.Cruise line Holland American Line will retrofit three of its vessels with ABB’s innovative shore power connectors that allow the ships to draw on land-based electrical grids when docked in port.Holland America Line proactively encompasses programs that aim to reduce emissions and comply with international regulations and environmental guidelines – and seeks to exceed these requirements wherever possible.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Pentair's Aquatic Systems with a 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy-efficient products and educating consumers about energy efficiency. Pentair's accomplishments will be recognized in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2015. Pentair, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2013 is being honored for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency. This is Pentair's second consecutive Partner of the Year award. In order for pool pumps to earn the ENERGY STAR certification, the pool pumps must be at least 30-72 percent more energy efficient than typical pumps.

The VACON 100 FLOW is an AC drive designed to improve flow control for multi-pump applications in which several pumps are used in place of a single one. Multiple pump solutions help lighten the load by spreading it across several pumps, thus offering greater energy efficiency and system redundancy – if one pump fails, the others can take up the additional load. For operations in which demand fluctuates throughout the course of the day, such as a municipal water system providing peak water consumption in the morning and minimal usage at night…

Innovations in computer display technology would seem to have recently hit a plateau. With the advent of LCD panels, improvements in computer displays have recently been limited to larger screens, higher pixel resolution, greater energy efficiency, and lighter, more efficient use of base resources. Yet there remains two areas where computer display manufacturers can continue to offer improvements: the human-machine interface, and local display intelligence. To offer the most effective solutions…

Greater energy efficiency and safety increasingly determine the selection of electric drives, even at high levels of power. With its IndraDrive CL/ML, Bosch Rexroth now offers a scaled product range of strong drive solutions from 110 kW to 4 MW for applications in metal forming, plastics, test, printing, metallurgy, marine, offshore and other heavy industries. These drives open up numerous opportunities for users to improve energy efficiency, especially through power regeneration.

Fincantieri together with Genoa University's Polytechnic School, is promoting 'Innovation Challenge', with a large investment as the Italian shipbuilder seeks new shipbuilding ideas with a cost-efficiency focus. The initiative, arising from a well-established collaboration between the company and Genoa University, will be financed by Fincantieri with a total investment of up to Euro 500,000. It will seek to capitalize on and develop the best ideas originating from the university in order to translate them into product innovations in areas most critical to competitive advantage…

ABS Nautical Systems expands in Greece with contracts signed by Sun Enterprises Ltd., Quintana Shipping Ltd. and Nautilus Marine Acquisition Corp. All three companies will utilize ABS Nautical Systems’ Energy & Environmental Manager module through the ABS Newbuild Program, which offers complimentary software to ABS-classed vessels built after January 1, 2009. Sun Enterprises Ltd., located in Piraeus, serves as the consolidated operating company for a modern fleet of tankers and dry bulk carriers. The company will implement the software solution on three of its newly-built vessels. Quintana Shipping Ltd. located in Kifisia is an international provider of shipping transportation services through the ownership and operation of dry bulk vessels.

Distributors can view latest line of “Green” Matrix reverse osmosis and sewage treatment solutions used by major yacht makers and customers like the Canadian Coast Guard. Aqua-Chem, Inc., a leader in complete global water purification solutions, announced today that it will be demonstrating a comprehensive green line of water treatment, desalination and processing technologies at the 2011 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, taking place October 27-31 at the Broward County Convention Center. Among the “Green” Matrix solutions showcased at Aqua-Chem’s exhibit location at the Fort Lauderdale Bahia Mar Marina 2011, 400/500 Tent 410-411…

Maersk Line took home the “Best Global Shipping Line” and “Best Green Service Provider - Shipping Line” at the 25th annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards, which was held in Singapore on 27th April 2011. Maersk Line won the “Best Global Shipping Line” award for the 18th consecutive year, which serves testimony to its continued status as the global leader in container shipping. It was also the second time that Maersk Line was awarded “Best Green Service Provider - Shipping Line”, recognition of its leadership on environmental performance.

Norway  is  pursuing  ambitious,  forward-thinking  energy  policies,  but  could  go  further  in  its efforts to become a low-carbon economy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has concluded in a review published today. Energy Policies  of  IEA Countries  - Norway  2011 Review  says  that  it will  be  challenging  for Norway  to meet  its 2020  target of  reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared with 1990  levels,  because  both  the  country’s  electricity  supply  and  its  energy  use  in  buildings  are already essentially carbon-free due to hydropower use.

The management of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from shipping has been widely talked about and extensively reported on over the past six months. The disappointment of COP 15 and the resulting lack of clarity has caused some frustration as well as an increased likelihood that there will be a plethora of regional and potentially costly regulations to respond to. So with this new set of challenges on the horizon perhaps now is the time to reflect on some of the alternative ways of promoting energy efficiency and greener shipping. Del Redvers and Simon Burnay of the BMT group, experts in corporate sustainability and ship performance matters…