End Product News

Researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Great Lakes Districts — Buffalo, Detroit and Chicago — recently released a technical report providing guidance for evaluating the environmental suitability of dredged material in the Great Lakes region.The “Environmental Evaluation and Management of Dredged Material for Beneficial Use: A Regional Beneficial Use Testing Manual for…

Alfa Laval says its 2800 m2 testing space – already equipped for today’s oil and gas fuels – has been readied for testing with biofuels. In coming years,  as the marine industry races to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the center will accumulate knowledge to aid maritime decarbonization.Located in Aalborg, Denmark, the Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre is a core component of Alfa Laval’s own research and development. It is also a site for collaboration with industry partners and research institutes…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced Thursday it has floated out the new cruise ship MSC Seashore at its shipyard in Monfalcone. The vessel has been moved to a wet dock where interior outfitting work will continue until delivery to MSC Cruises in July 2021.MSC Seashore, which will be MSC Cruises’ longest ship at 339 metres and the largest and most innovative ever built in Italy, is the third of four vessels in MSC Cruises’ Seaside class, following MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview launched in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Belgium's Port of Oostende, the engineering services provider DEME Concessions NV and Belgium-based investment management company PMV have launched a project to establish a plant in the Oostende port that produces green hydrogen from the electricity produced at Belgium’s offshore wind farms.The goal of the project, HYPORT Oostende, is to build the green hydrogen facility in the Plassendale 1 port area and have it up and running in 2025.Their goal is to have a plant operational in the port area of Ostend by 2025 that produces green hydrogen. This end product, green hydrogen, will both serve as an energy source for electricity, transport…

Royal Dutch Shell has struck a deal with Dutch tank terminal firm HES International to partially restart a German oil refinery mothballed since 2011 in response to new restrictions on marine fuels, two trading sources told Reuters.A new cap set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that will cut the sulfur content in shipping fuel to 0.5 percent from 3.5 percent from next year is set to be one of the biggest fundamental events to hit oil markets in years.HES Wilhelmshaven Tank Terminal is in the process of reinstalling the vacuum distillation unit (VDU) at Wilhelmshaven to produce low-sulfur bunker fuels ahead of the implementation of the IMO rules…

With the first commercial autonomous and remotely operated vessels due to launch in the next several years, DNV GL has released a new class guideline to help build a safety culture around these new technologies.“A new set of sensor, connectivity, analysis and control functions in maritime technologies is laying the foundation for remote and autonomous operations in shipping,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime. “Increased automation, whether in the form of decision support…

The Switch Norway, part of Yaskawa Corporation’s Yaskawa Environmental Energy Division, reports it has completed a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for its Electronic Bus Link breaker (EBL). It is the first time the new EBL, a key element within its DC-Hub, has undergone a FAT.The procedure was conducted in Trondheim under the supervision of class society DNV-GL and the undisclosed end customers. There were no issues recorded with the first three EBL units to undergo stringent testing…

Vroon has  announced that walk-to-work vessel VOS Start is to be equipped with the brand-new Barge Master Gangway. This unique combination will enable safe and efficient transfer of personnel and cargo. The Barge Master Gangway incorporates an access tower with elevator, providing stepless access. The adjustable pedestal provides full flexibility in landing heights. With the participation of Bosch Rexroth in the Barge Master team, the highest quality and safety standards are guaranteed. This unrivalled, next-generation walk-to-work vessel will be available to the offshore industry in Q2 2017.

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of its newest tugboat, Baltimore, named for the city in which the marine transportation provider is headquartered. The Baltimore is the third of eight vessels in Vane’s Elizabeth Anne Class of 4,200-horsepower tugboats contracted through St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Fla. The fourth in the series, the Delaware, is scheduled for completion this fall. Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes said, “Our partnership with St. The Baltimore is the 30th vessel completed for Vane Brothers under the supervision of Senior Port Captain Jim Demske…

Statoil has decided to launch a large project to write the story about the company for its 50th anniversary in 2022. The University of Oslo has been chosen the main supplier in a project that will also involve other Norwegian research institutions. «Statoil’s history» will be a historical fact-based research project to be ready for the company’s 50th anniversary in 2022. The project aims to acquire new knowledge about Statoil and the petroleum activity’s significance to society through 50 years and convey it to the public. The project is also to be a professional training tool for coming generations. The end product will include a history in two volumes and a comprehensive website that will be integrated with the books and provide further images, films and sound.

Elandra Yachts has added another layer of craftsmanship to its boat-building operation with the launch of a new in-house paint department at the Gold Coast plant, signalling further growth for the Australian luxury motor yacht brand. Renowned for the range of spectacular bronzed and golden hues gracing the hulls of its show-stopping vessels, Elandra Yachts will now detail and finish each model in-house, ensuring the company's exacting standards are maintained as the factory increases production to meet high international demand.

Carisbrooke Shipping has added eight 8,000 dwt general cargo vessels to its commercially-managed fleet. The vessels, TIP Oslo, TIP Copenhagen, TIP Helsinki, TIP Bremen, TIP Stockholm, TIP Leer, TIP Emden and Cremona, vessels were built between 2003 and 2005, with the TIP fleet offering ICE Class 1A flexibility, and mix of both single and tween-deck, geared and gearless vessels. The vessels were developed in partnership with German and Norwegian owners, and according to Carisbrooke Shipping chartering director James McConachie…

AVEVA Group plc announces that it has agreed to acquire FabTrol Systems, Inc. from the Dowco Group of Companies the acquisition is expected to complete by Friday 26 June 2015. FabTrol is a software business, headquartered in Eugene, Oregon with operations in North America and the United Kingdom, providing fabrication management software to the steel fabrication industry. The consideration of $6.5 million has been funded through AVEVA's existing cash resources. The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in FY16. The combination of the FabTrol software together with AVEVA Everything3D which is already integrated with AVEVA Bocad structural steel detailing software, creates a powerful design, detailing and fabrication solution.

The Meyer Werft Germany, Meyer Turku, STX France and Fincantieri shipyards have all placed orders with Wärtsilä for the supply of fresh water generators to a total of seven cruise ships. The orders were placed between September and November 2014, and delivery is scheduled to commence in May 2015 and will be completed by autumn 2017. Wärtsilä's delivery comprises a total of 10 large MSF distillation systems with unit capacities spanning from 115 tons/day to 900tons/day, and four Single Stage Desalination systems (SSD) with unit capacities of 30 tons/day.

The Meyer Werft Germany, Meyer Turku, STX France, and Fincantieri shipyards have all placed orders with Wärtsilä for the supply of fresh water generators to a total of seven cruise ships. The orders were placed between September and November 2014. Delivery of the Wärtsilä systems is scheduled to commence in May 2015 and will be completed by autumn 2017. Wärtsilä's delivery comprises a total of 10 large MSF distillation systems with unit capacities spanning from 115 tons/day to 900tons/day, and 4 Single Stage Desalination systems (SSD) with unit capacities of 30 tons/day. The Wärtsilä Serck Como fresh water generators produce the fresh water needed onboard a cruise ship for deck washing, laundry, cabins, swimming pools, and technical applications that need high quality water.

Gamma Yachts has built its most customized Gamma 20 so far, with smart design from Vripack, to opera singer Andrea Bocelli. Gamma Yachts announced the delivery of 22.1-meter M/Y Libertas, the third in its Gamma 20 ‘mini’ super yacht series. With design by Dutch company Vripack, the yacht has impressive guest space for its length overall as well as excellent fuel efficiency, the builder said. Built and designed in Holland, the yacht combines the precision and technical capabilities of the Dutch with world-class interior furnishings and materials from Italy.

Naval architecture and engineering firm Alan C. McClure Associates (ACMA) has recently completed a wind flow analysis on an offshore structure using its Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package. Until recently, no alternatives existed to determine the effect of aerodynamics and its associated forces on offshore structures other than wind tunnel tests, ACMA said. And, while wind tunnels answer part of the question, they are limited in the level of detail they provide.

A joint venture company formed by Shell and Hyundai Oilbank, has inaugurated a new base oil manufacturing plant in Daesan, South Korea. The plant has the capacity to produce approximately 13,000 barrels per day or 650 kilotonnes of API Group II base oils per year. (Base oils are the key component of finished lubricants, making up on average of 60-80% of the end product). Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President for Shell Lubricants, said: “As the demand for higher quality lubricants is on the rise in Asia, the region is shifting away from Group I base oils towards increased use of Group II and Group III base oils. The plant was built to capture the growing demand for Group II base oils in Asia.

Tier 4 EPA regulations create unprecedented challenges for many OEMs, as they require extensive testing to ensure end products are compliant. Mastry Engine Center now offers design and performance analysis services for its OEM customers to help with this hurdle. The diesel engine specialist said it can also streamline business for those who use its engine brands for their own equipment, with its sub-assembly and private label options. Mastry draws from more than 50 years of industrial and marine diesel engine experience to help its customers succeed.

Gazprom says it has started producing oil from the Prirazlomnoye field, which is the first Russian project for developing the Arctic shelf and the commencement, they say, of their large-scale activities aimed at creating a large hydrocarbon production center in the region. The Prirazlomnoye oil field [scene of an earlier Greenpeace protest] is located in the Pechora Sea, 60 kilometers off the shore. The recoverable oil reserves amount to 71.96 million tons, projected oil production comes up to some 6 million tons a year (to be reached after 2020).

Crowley Maritime Corp. subsidiary Titan Salvage, based in Pompano Beach, Fla., and its partner T&T Salvage, a maritime emergency and salvage company based in Galveston, Texas, recently completed a challenging wreck removal project off the coast of Chile. The job, which involved the removal and scuttling (the process of strategically sinking a shipwreck) of a grounded bulk carrier on Llolleo Beach, required the use of unique, ship-to-shore equipment – such as an aerial téléphérique and a pneumatic pontoon system…

As the evolution and integration of robotics in maritime vehicles continues to reshape missions and capabilities inland, near-shore and at sea, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News last month was on hand in Abu Dhabi for the unveiling of a new Unmanned Surface Vessel family. If it delivers as designed, it will revolutionize marine robotic vehicle applications for both military and commercial purposes. Robert J. Murphy is certainly no stranger to the world of autonomous robotic marine vehicles, having worked in the field for more than a quarter of a century, dating to the mid-1980s.

Damen Marine Components (DMC) has developed a pioneering nozzle production method based on a single weld seam on the inner side of the nozzle. This makes the process much more efficient and environmentally friendly. The new Nozzle Spinning Machine can deliver nozzles up to 4.5 m at short notice. Based in Hardinxveld in the Netherlands and part of the Damen Shipyards Group, DMC has invested in new spinning machinery for its facility in Gdansk, Poland. “The new spinning machinery…