Industry Pays Tribute to Innovation Awards Winners

Winners of the Lloyd’s List-SMM 2002 Awards for innovation in shipbuilding and marine technology were announced in the Hamburg Congress Centre last night (September 24) at a gala ceremony which brought day one of the world’s biggest maritime fair to a glittering conclusion. Several hundred leading industry figures gathered for the final stage of an initiative launched in March by Lloyd’s List and SMM organisers Hamburg Messe to recognise the technical advances which enable maritime commerce and defence. With 13 awards in three merchant and naval categories, the inaugural scheme attracted a massive wave of nominations for ships and support systems reflecting the cutting edge of ingenuity in improving performance, reducing costs and protecting the environment. Up to eight entries per award were short-listed by an assessment committee before final judging by an international panel including Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers president Joseph Cuneo, IACS chairman Alan Gavin, IMO secretary-general William O’Neil, Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology president Simon Rickaby and European Marine Equipment Council president John Young. As acknowledged by last night’s audience of fellow professionals, their top three choice for each award confirmed the depth and diversity of invention which drives the vanguard of the worldwide maritime industry. Honoring the most significant recently-launched ships in six classes: Passenger ship Winner: Millennium, built by Chantiers d’Atlantique for Celebrity Cruise Lines. The world’s first gas turbo-electric cruiseship, reducing emissions and through-life maintenance costs by use of a combined gas/steam turbine main power plant. Runners-up: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards; and the Costa Atlantica/Carnival Spirit design, also from Kvaerner Masa. Containership (sponsored by Germanischer Lloyd) Winner: Dole Chile and Dole Colombia from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft for Dole Fresh Fruit International. The cold-storage sisterships - largest of their kind - feature hatchcoverless configuration and modified atmosphere conditions prolonging product life. Runners-up: Hapag Lloyd’s Hyundai-built Hamburg Express; and P&O Nedlloyd’s Remuera from Samsung. Ro-ro/ferry Winner: Glutra, a fjord ferry built by Langsten Slip for Nordwestlandske, Norway. The first LNG-fuelled ferry, which combined with a gas-electric propulsion plant offers environmental and operational benefits. Runners-up: TT Line’s Nils Holgersson from SSW Fahr und Spezialschiffbau; and Ulysses (Irish Ferries/Aker Finnyards) Bulk carrier Winner: Gypsum Transportation’s self-discharging Gypsum Centennial from Hyundai Mipo. Incorporates first of its kind equipment including the moving hole feeder discharge system and the smokeless Sulzer RT-Flex engine. Runners-up: Jaeger Arrow, operated by Gearbulk; and Nora, built by Niestern Sander for Wijnne & Barends. Tankers Winner: Tempera, the Sumitomo-built crude carrier for Finland’s Fortum Oil & Gas Shipping. The revolutionary double acting tanker (DAT) design allows the world’s largest 1A Super ice-class vessel to break the ice by sailing stern-first and thus retain the efficiency of a conventional, open-water bow form. Runners-up: the LNG carrier Abadi, a Brunei government/Mitsubishi/Shell joint venture; and oil and products carrier Seaturbot, built by Lindenau Werft and managed by German Tanker Shipping. Special purpose vessels Winner: the hospital/rescue ship Esperanza Del Mar, built by Izar for Spain’s Marine Welfare Institute. Combines state-of-the-art medical facilities with specialised equipment for towage, salvage, firefighting and pollution control. Runners-up: the Global Marine cable ship Atlantic Guardian from Giessen-de Noord; and Island Offshore’s supply vessel Normand Rover from Sovikmefnes Verft. Innovation in Marine Technology and Machinery Shipbuilding technology (sponsored by Lockheed Martin Marine Systems) Winner: Intelligent Engineering’s SPS sandwich plate system. The composite structural laminate is an alternative to conventional stiffened plate construction providing strength, performance, safety and cost benefits in newbuild and repair applications. Runners-up: Sea Grand Prix tin-free anti-fouling coatings from Chugoku Marine Paints; and the GKN Walterscheid Walform M high pressure air and hydraulic fitting system. - Propulsion (sponsored by Wartsila) Winner: the energy-saving Kappel propeller concept from the European Commission-funded Kapriccio propulsion research project. Blades curved towards the tips on the suction side reduce energy losses, fuel consumption, noise and vibration. Runners-up: Alstom’s integrated electrical power and propulsion system; and the Sulzer RT-Flex engine. Navigation Winner: the UK Hydrographic Office prediction system Admiralty TotalTide, offering exceptionally fast, accurate and user-friendly global coverage of tidal height and stream on a single CD-ROM. Runners-up: the Transas Navi-Sailor 3000; and the STN Atlas Marine Chartradar Atlas 1000. Communication & IT Winner: Saab’s Transpondertech automatic identification system from a world leader in AIS safety at sea technology, which enhances situation awareness, control and surveillance of vessel traffic. Runners-up: the Shipmanagement Expert System from software developer Archilles Vardakis; and Task Assistant from Ulysses Systems On-board cargo handling Winner: the bulk carrier moving hole feeder discharge gate system from Canada’s Kamengo Technology. Featuring the largest telescopic boom of its kind, the system was nominated for its first full-ship application on the Gypsum Centennial. Runners-up: the Tiltdecks ro-ro system from Seaform Designs; and the Tankradar Star tank gauging system from Saab Rosemount Marine. - Safety & environment (sponsored by Tyco Fire & Security) Winner: Star Cruises for its Nautical Learning Event Report system. The Malaysia-based line’s safety management system adapts ship VDR incident recordings for playback and review by bridge teams throughout the fleet. Runners-up: the SAFIR safety and improvement reporting system from software developer BASS; and OptiMarin’s OptiMar ballast system. Naval Shipbuilding and Marine Technology Naval specialists category sponsored by Lloyd’s Register. Winner: the Hydrex Mobdock mobile mini-drydock. Through on-going use and development of the cofferdam principle, Hydrex has constructed a series of purpose-designed Mobdocks for mid-ocean assignments ranging from anode replacement to bow thruster removal. Runners-up: the Meko A200 air defence corvette from Blohm+Voss; and the US Navy SWATH research vessel Kilo Moana.