Southwest Of England News

ABB has secured an order with Portsmouth International Port to supply a shore connection solution for visiting ferries and cruise ships as part of the UK port’s Sea Change project.Shore connection allows visiting ferries and cruise ships to avoid emissions by connecting to the shoreside electrical grid while in port, supporting the Portsmouth’s port aim to be the first in the UK to be zero emissions by 2030.The initiative is part of the port’s Sea Change project to design, build…

Port of Aberdeen said Thursday it had been awarded funding from the UK Government for a multi-million-pound project to design and deliver the first large-scale landside and vessel-side shore power system in Scotland."The demonstrator project will cut vessel emissions at the berths by more than 80% compared with burning marine fuel and save in excess of 60,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the next 20 years," Port of Aberdeen said.Crucially, the port said, ‘Shore Power in Operation’ will pave the way for the roll-out of green shore power across North Harbour.

The ASV C-Enduro embarked on a robotics mission along with six other unmanned marine vessels off the southwest of England. Selected to take part by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), C-Enduro is fitted with a range of meteorological and oceanographic sensors to collect scientific data about ocean  processes and marine life. The project, coordinated by NOC, is the most ambitious of its kind in Europe. The vehicles are aiming to travel up to 300 miles over the next 20 days.

Ten people have been rescued after the bus they were travelling in was hit by a large wave on the seafront road at Newgale in Wales, and 6 from a disabled French commercial fishing vessel off the southwest of England coast in a 60 mph wind. Milford Haven Coastguard say they were contacted with reports that the bus was stuck on the seafront, having been hit by a large wave and was surrounded by water. The wind at the time was gusting over 50mph. Broadhaven and St. Davids Coastguard Rescue Teams…

5 new apprentices have started work at A&P Falmouth shipyard, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to Cornwall (in the extreme Southwest of England) and the future of the dockyard there. The apprentices beat off stiff competition from almost 70 applicants to be awarded the opportunity with A&P, one of the biggest commercial ship repair companies in the UK. They are electricians Dave Blizzard, aged 21, from Falmouth and Ben Casley, aged 23, from The Lizard; and marine fitters Jordan Moorhouse…

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.