Fuel, Propulsion, Emissions & the Decision to Scrap or Refit
When the maritime history books are written, 2020 will be viewed as a year of pivots, re-invention and new paradigms. By February 2020, concerns about marine fuel’s sulfur content quickly shifted to near-term disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-year, with demand recovering, the conversation turned to longer term questions surrounding the moves towards reduced maritime carbon emissions and alternative fuels. How will this all impact the current fleet?Perhaps the most extreme reaction to the shifting landscape is the ongoing “pivot” of Scorpio Bulk (NYSE: SALT)…
Interview: John Waterhouse, EBDG - “Be Bold in Thinking but Cautious in Application”
John Waterhouse is a ubiquitous character in the U.S. maritime industry, a deep-thinker, a signature bow tie and more than three decades of naval architecture and marine engineering experience and success as co-owner of the Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).While growing up, John Waterhouse spent some time in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and it was as a young boy standing on the shores of English Bay, watching ships come in from around the world to load and unload their cargos, when he realized that a maritime career could be his future.
Inside NYK's World-First Autonomous Ship Trial
NYK has conducted the world’s first Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) trial performed in accordance with the IMO’s Interim Guidelines for MASS trials* as the company begins tests to realize its target of manned autonomous ships** for safer operations and a reduction in crew workload.Iris Leader, a large NYK-operated PCTC having a gross tonnage of 70,826 tons, was navigated day and night using the Sherpa System for Real ship (SSR) navigation system from September 14-17, 2019…
ClassNK’s Super Eco Ship for Coastal Trade
As the Industry waits for the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India to roll out the much hyped policy to boost Coastal Shipping and Inland Waterways transport, ClassNK & Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) took the first step to conduct a workshop on “Super Eco Ship For India Coastal Trade” as a strategy to be first to cash in on the opportunities when the policy gets implemented. Held in Mumbai last week at the IRS auditorium, both the classes presented to the gathering of ship owners, coastal operators, barge owners, representatives of manning companies, shippers and other allied trade the large number of options and opportunities that the trade and industry could avail of in order to get the full advantage of coastal shipping and inland waterway transport.
MHI Endowing Courses in Nuclear Engineering at Hanoi University
A ceremony was held today at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), in Hanoi, Vietnam, to mark the commencement of the fifth year of courses endowed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). The courses are conducted at the university's School of Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Physics. The commemorative ceremony was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including: Prof. Dr. Ta Duc Thinh – Director of Science, Technology and Environment Department, Ministry of Education and Training; Mr. Pham Quang Trung - Deputy Director General of Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST); Mr. Michio Daito, Counselor at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam; Professional Doctor Pham Hoang Luong - Vice-President of HUST; Dr.
Biofouling Foiled: UV Light Harnessed for Biofouling Control
Since the first deployment of in-situ monitoring instrumentation, biofouling has been a problem. Without an effective solution, people have historically had to accept the limits biofouling imposes on ocean sensing work, with significant repercussions. When instrumentation is deployed in-situ, the value of the data taken during the deployment corresponds with the longevity: information gleaned from a longer deployment is often more useful than information from one of a shorter term.
Wärtsilä System Chosen for New GoM LNG Facility
Wärtsilä says it has been awarded a contract for the control system of a shore-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelling facility in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, USA. The facility is owned by Harvey Gulf International Marine, a major owner-operator of offshore supply and specialty vessels headquartered in New Orleans. It will be used to supply fuel to Harvey Gulf's fleet of LNG powered platform supply vessels (PSV), and will be the first source of LNG fuel in the Gulf of Mexico. The Wärtsilä scope of supply comprises the control cabinets, the PLCs, computers, software programming and service commissioning. It is designed to enable the entire fuelling process to be fully controlled from the control room onboard the Harvey Energy class platform supply vessels…
Konecranes Wins Follow-up Order from Brazilian Shipyard
In June 2013 Konecranes received a further order from Brazilian shipyard Estaleiro Enseada do Paraguaçu – EEP. The high-tech portal jib crane is scheduled to be taken into operation in August 2014. The order follows up the Konecranes Goliath gantry crane that the same customer ordered in March 2013. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order, but the price for this type of crane typically is in the range of $6-8 million, depending on the exact scope of delivery. The crane will be equipped with the latest in crane technology.
The eNav Strategy and its Implications
Virtually everyone is, by now, familiar with the concept of electronic navigation, also called eNavigation or eNav. The problem is that the term means different things to different people. Historically, it started with radio beacons. Radar, loran, and GPS have been added over time. Now we have AIS and electronic charting. Most mariners view this as an increasingly sophisticated set of tools installed on the ship to improve the ability to avoid collisions, groundings, and related casualties. That is only part of the story.
Tin Dredges: Thai Built and Operated
"We hire a new crew to build each dredge," said Khun Songpon, "My father, Yongyut Junsiri, trains them as they build the dredge then the same crew operates it in Indonesia. It is a brilliant innovation, but not surprising from a firm that can draw on the 35-year experience of its president Yongyut Junsiri in both the design and operation of dredges. In recent years the opportunities for tin dredges have centered on Indonesia. However it is experience gained in dredging Thai waters…
NACE Keeps the Corrosion Out of Coatings
NACE International, The Corrosion Society, is a professional technical society dedicated to the prevention and control of corrosion. The organization offers technical training and certification programs, sponsors conferences, and produces industry standards and reports, publications and software. Established in 1943, NACE has more than 15,000 members worldwide, provides education, and communicates information to protect people, assets, and the environment from the effects of corrosion. Over the last three years NACE has been working closely with the Federal Highway Administration and CC Technologies to complete the federal funded Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in the United States.
A Step Forward For Thick Section Plate Cutting
For years, general manufacturing companies have enjoyed the benefit of laser cutting systems for producing complex or simple parts in batch volumes as low as one, and as high as tens of thousands. The laser is an incredibly powerful tool that remains unsurpassed in manufacturing activities across the world. As flexible and reconfigurable production tool that provides welding, cutting and machining capabilities in a single device, lasers are readily automated and have demonstrated that they can easily operate in "lights-out" mode for even greater productivity. With all this said, why aren't there any laser shipyards? Why hasn't one of the worlds largest and most important transportation industries rushed to implement laser cutting and welding technology?
