Electrical Systems News

The U.K.’s most advanced polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough left Cammell Laird shipyard Wednesday to commence two weeks of technical sea trials ahead of scheduled delivery to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in November.“Although the vessel’s construction is now complete, trials are a critical and final part of the program as they allow our engineers and the ship’s crew to put the vessel through its paces at sea,” said Linton Roberts, Director of Operations at Cammell Laird.

I don’t remember when I discovered that the first application of lightbulbs occurred at sea rather than ashore. But when I dug a little deeper into the subject recently, I came across an interesting set of coincidences that shows how innovation often relies on simply doing, rather than endlessly talking about it. After Thomas Edison managed to make sufficient improvements to the lightbulb concept to have it show commercial viability in late 1879, he ended up in a chicken and egg conundrum.The lightbulb might be great, but to get it to work would require an electrical power plant.

A new icebreaking tugboat built by Blount Boats in Rhode Island has been delivered to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to work in the Niagara River to help alleviate shoreline flooding and reduce the likelihood of ice limiting the power production at large hydro plants along the Niagara River. The Breaker II joins a fleet of three boats that work every winter to install the Lake Erie—Niagara River Ice Boom—a series of 22 spans of steel pontoons that straddle the mouth of the…

Swiss-based technology giant ABB will provide electrical, control, and telecommunication solutions for Malaysia-based Yinson's new FPSO - Anna Nery. Once delivered, the FPSO will be deployed at Petrobras' Marlim 2 oil field offshore Brazil."Leveraging its ABB Ability System 800xA control system with Select Input/Output (IO), ABB will take responsibility for integration engineering in the project, integrating all the production modules onboard the vessel into a combined Integrated Safety and Control System (ICSS)…

Wärtsilä said it has been awarded a contract to design and equip two new zero-emissions ferries that will be built for Norwegian operator Boreal Sjö at Holland Shipyards in the Netherlands.The vessels are expected to commence commercial operations in autumn 2021, serving the Launes – Kvellandstrand – Launes, and Abelnes – Andabeløy – Abelnes routes in Norway.The two ferry designs are not identical. One is for a 30 meters long vessel capable of carrying 10 cars and approximately 100 passengers…

Geraldton-based Dave Perham, an operator from Australia’s Western Rock Lobster fishery, has taken delivery of a new lobster boat from Dongara Marine designed to have much lower fuel consumption than comparable vessels.Completed in late April 2020, some 12 months after contracts were signed, Force of Nature is a 22.4-meter Southerly Designs monohull which, like other recent Dongara Marine fishing and pilot boat newbuilds, combines an aluminum hull with a composite superstructure.The new boat is an upgrade from Perham’s current vessel…

Alewijnse Marine has completed the electrical fit-out of the Mexican Navy’s latest vessel; the Long Range Ocean Patrol (POLA) vessel ARM Reformador. Built at the ASTIMAR 20 naval shipyard in Salina Cruz, Mexico, with the Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards and its suppliers, it is widely regarded as the most advanced naval vessel afloat in Latin America.The scope of works covered all aspects of the ship’s electrical systems, including engineering, the supply and installation of equipment, project coordination and supervision, and commissioning.

Wärtsilä announced it will reorganize its marine business into three independent entities, with the objective to accelerate strategy execution and simplify the business structure.The new businesses, consisting of Marine Power, Marine Systems and Marine Voyage, will be operational as of July 1, 2020.The organizational structure change is a continuation to the shifts made in 2019, whereby Wärtsilä's equipment and service businesses were integrated to strengthen the focus on complete lifecycle solutions…

Subchapter M, the United States regulatory code dealing with towing vessels and requirements for towing vessel safety, has officially been in place since July 20, 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard finalized Sub M rulemaking.Since the rules were finalized there have been a couple of important hammer dates. In spring and summer 2018 the first certificates of inspection (COI) were issued. COIs are central within the Sub M program. A vessel needs a COI to legally operate. (All vessels were required to comply with Sub M by July 20, 2018.

Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet in Sweden has won the public tender for a contract to undertake a major life extension program on the survey and research vessel S/V Ocean Surveyor, owned by SGU, Sweden’s national geological survey agency.“We are happy to let Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet perform the extensive conversion of the vessel and are confident that she will be ready for another 25 years of marine surveying prior to the field season 2021. Ocean Surveyor is a key platform for many marine surveys conducted in Sweden…

Alewijnse Marine has won the contract for the electrical fit-out of two additional Damen Combi Freighter 3850s currently in build at Damen Yichang Shipyard for delivery in January 2020.The contract is based around the design, build and delivery of the main and emergency switchboards that form the core of the vessels’ electrical systems including those for alarm monitoring, fire alarms and public address. Alewijnse personnel will also oversee the installation and commissioning of the systems undertaken by the yard’s technicians.Damen’s Combi-Freighter range is comprised of eco-friendly…

AMELS contracted Alewijnse Marine to perform the complete electrical systems installation on the first two vessels of its new range of Limited Edition AMELS 60 superyachts.The 60-meter long AMELS combines innovative naval architecture with hybrid propulsion technology.Alewijnse will deliver a total package of electrical installation and systems integration, encompassing an Integrated Bridge System, Audio-Video systems and IT network as well as the hybrid propulsion system.The electrical engineering phase is underway for the first AMELS 60.

The Coast Guard needs a ship that can do more than just break ice; it needs a multi-mission ship to provide for the nation’s security, asserting its sovereign rights, and protecting its long-term economic interests. That ship is the Polar Security Cutter.Since Russia cashed the check in 1867 for the purchase of Alaska the U.S. has been an Arctic nation. Today, it is one of eight countries that have territorial land or seas above the Arctic Circle or in the polar region (six of those countries have Arctic Ocean coastline or an exclusive economic zone above the Arctic Circle). The U.S.

Danish shipping giant Maersk will install a containerized 600 kWh marine battery system on board the 4,500 TEU Maersk Cape Town in December 2019 to improve vessel performance and reliability while reducing CO2 emissions.“This trial will provide a greater understanding of energy storage that will support Maersk in moving towards further electrification of its fleet and port terminals. Maersk will continue to facilitate, test, and develop low-carbon solutions on our journey to become carbon neutral by 2050…

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) completed her necessary repairs and extensive, accelerated upgrades over the last two years, following a fatal 2017 collision.The ship and her crew, now underway to conduct comprehensive at sea testing, will perform a series of demonstrations to evaluate onboard systems to ensure they meet or exceed Navy performance specifications. Among the systems that will be tested are navigation, damage control, mechanical and electrical systems…

The evolution of marine design is increasingly influenced by three drivers: New three-dimensional design tools, the increasing complexity of power systems, and new access to high-latitude shipping routes. While new digital design tools are a natural progression of the current Information Age, new propulsion energy requirements and Polar shipping routes are reactions to the legacy of the ebbing Industrial Age. Three-Dimensional Design WorkflowsA young naval architect recently stated…

Deltamarin, which provides ship design, offshore engineering and construction support for the marine and offshore industries worldwide, is strengthening its position as a trusted designer of ro-pax vessels with the latest contract signed with Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC).The contract covers basic and detail design services for Tallink’s new LNG-powered shuttle ferry set to operate between Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia.Deltamarin’s commission covers basic and detail design services for the hull, machinery and electrical systems.

Netherlands-based OOS International has revved up the engines on its newbuild semi-submersible heavy lift crane accommodation vessel OOS Walcheren for the first time.The OOS Walcheren is currently under construction at China Merchants Heavy Industries (Jiangsu) Shipyard, said a press note from the Dutch offshore company .The OOS Walcheren is the sister vessel of the OOS Serooskerke, which is presently undergoing the final stages of commissioning before heading out for sea trials.

Technology group Wärtsilä said it will engineer, supply and install complete battery hybrid packages to two offshore supply vessels (OSV) owned by Norwegian-based operator Atlantic Offshore. The 746 kWh battery hybrid systems will be installed on the Ocean Star and Ocean Art at the Fitjar shipyard in Norway. The project is sceduled to be completed in early 2020.The hybrid propulsion conversions will unlock improved fuel consumption and a reduced environmental impact, said Wärtsilä, who booked the order in June 2019.

Norwegian shipowner Ocean Yield ASA has agreed to acquire Navigator Aurora, a 37,300 cbm ethylene gas carrier owned by Navigator Gas.According to agreement, the ship will be purchased for a total consideration of USD 69.75 million net of a seller’s credit, with a 13-year bareboat charter to a company 100% owned and guaranteed by Navigator Holdings - Navigator Gas.The vessel is expected to be delivered to the Company during October 2019. Navigator Gas has certain options to acquire the vessel during the charter period.

Wärtsilä won the deal to engineer, supply, and commission a hybrid propulsion system for an offshore sector vessel for Norway's Eidesvik.Wärtsilä willcarry out the upgrade project on ‘Viking Neptun’, a construction vessel, and this order follows two similar hybrid upgrade contracts awarded to Wärtsilä in recent months.The 15,900 DWT ‘Viking Neptun’ was built in 2015. It is fitted with Wärtsilä engines and Wärtsila’s Low Loss Concept (LLC) electrical systems. By choosing Wärtsilä’s battery hybrid solution…

Corvus Energy, the Norwegian-Canadian designer and manufacturer of energy storage solutions for marine propulsion and electrical systems opens  a new automated battery factory in Bergen, Norway to meet demand.“There is an electric revolution going on in the maritime sector, and we want to deliver the best solutions in the industry,” said Geir Bjørkeli, CEO of Corvus Energy.“The Corvus team in Vancouver developed the groundbreaking battery solution that accelerated adoption of zero-emission and hybrid marine propulsion systems, particularly in Norway.

The Spanish wind energy giant Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has received an order for 1,714 MW from Orsted and Eversource.Encompassing three offshore wind power projects, the signed conditional contract is the largest U.S. offshore wind power (OWP) order to date, it said in a press release.According to SGRE, the order encompasses the supply, delivery, and installation of SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines including service agreements in federal waters off the northeastern coast of the U.S.