Energy Challenges News

A.P. Møller Holding A/S has acquired offshore vessel services firm Maersk Supply Service A/S from A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, through the closing of the previously announced transaction.In connection with the closing of this acquisition, A.P. Moller Holding has elected a new CEO and Board of Directors for Maersk Supply Service A/S. Christian M. Ingerslev will take over the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position from Steen S. Karstensen, who has been at the helm of Maersk Supply Service since 2016.

Houston-based Industrial Service Solutions (ISS) announced Thursday it is seeking bids from U.S. shipyards to build up to four hulls for what will become North America's first fully-electric towboats.The zero-emissions vessels, which will be constructed for New York-based Zeeboat and available for charter from 2025, will run entirely on battery power, without the use of diesel engines—a first for towboats in North America. Vancouver, B.C.-based Shift Clean Energy will deliver the battery energy storage systems.ISS…

Maersk Supply Service, an offshore supply vessel branch of A.P. Moller-Maersk, is launching its offshore vessel-charging venture, Stillstrom, to support the decarbonization of the maritime industry by eliminating idle emissions.Together with the offshore wind giant Ørsted, Stillstrom plans to demonstrate the world’s first full-scale offshore charging station for vessels at an offshore wind farm, scheduled for installation later this year. "Maersk Supply Service’s pioneering new company will deliver offshore electric charging solutions to vessels at ports…

USA subsea equipment firm FMC Technologies and French engineering company Technip have jointly announced that they expect their merger to be formally complete by January 16. Houston-based FMC and Paris-based Technip will form a new entity called TechnipFMC. Their planned amalgamation was first announced in May. The parties also announced the filing of a Delaware certificate of merger pursuant to which FMC Technologies and a subsidiary of TechnipFMC will merge effective immediately after the merger between Technip and TechnipFMC on January 16, 2017, which will complete the business combination between FMC Technologies and Technip. Trading of the TechnipFMC shares is expected to begin on January 17, 2017, on Euronext Paris at 9:00 a.m. (Paris time) and on the NYSE at 9:30 a.m.

Following a successful Network Innovation Competition bid in 2015, DNV GL has secured innovation funding from SGN to partner in a project to demonstrate the viability and practical reality of a mixed-source, energy-centric gas network for the future. The project was developed, and will be delivered, in partnership with SGN who are one of the UK's key gas distribution operators, and industry leaders in innovation. The integrated energy network of the future must be flexible, secure, cost effective and above all safe. The changing gas industry, driven by a reduced North Sea supply is increasingly required to accommodate gas from more diverse sources such as biomethane and shale gas.

The Alfa Laval Test & Training Center in Aalborg, Denmark will soon be expanded to five times its current size. This development, focused on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other alternative fuels, aims to address new challenges and possibilities for marine customers as they strive to meet environmental and energy targets. Alfa Laval  said the expansion will create the world’s most advanced test center for environmental and combustion technology – regardless of fuel type. Alfa Laval describes its Test & Training Center as a cornerstone of customer-focused technology development.

ARENA’s Research and Development (R&D) program supports R&D projects that will advance the commercial deployment of renewable energy technology in Australia. ARENA is providing $21.5 million funding for 12 cutting edge projects through the first round of the R&D program, which is focused on solar excellence. ARENA is keen to facilitate greater collaboration between the research sector and industry in the next round of the R&D program in 2015. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said building and maintaining strong links between researchers and industry – including manufacturers, generators and distribution companies – would help meet the challenges facing Australia’s energy market and future energy supply.

ExxonMobil has signed an agreement to become a founding member of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), a unique collaboration aimed at working together to advance and explore the future of energy. MIT President Rafael Reif and TJ Wojnar, Jr., president of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE), launched the collaborative effort during a ceremony at MIT. “At MIT, we find that working closely with industry alerts us to real-world problems and opportunities for progress. There is simply no better way to ensure that our research has an impact in the world,” said MIT President Rafael Reif. “That concept is at the heart of our long and successful relationship with ExxonMobil. “ExxonMobil has had a long and productive relationship with the outstanding faculty and students at MIT.

Lloyd’s Register’s Global Technology Center in Singapore held its inaugural Offshore Technical Committee last week with representatives from national and international oil companies, EPC contractors, owners, operators, fabricators, shipbuilders, equipment vendors and representatives from a number of academic and research organizations. The members took part in a series of networking opportunities and technical workshops but also crucially approved two Lloyd’s Register Rule-sets: The Floating Offshore Installations at a Fixed Location 2013 Rules and the Mobile Offshore Unit 2013 Rules. Both will be made public this month, May 2013. Chris Walters…

Transportation, Energy Ministers from Asia-Pacific Nations Pledge Cooperation on Cleaner, More Energy-Efficient Transportation. Transportation and energy ministers from 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific region today agreed to continue progress on initiatives to make transportation in the region cleaner and more energy-efficient, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today. The announcement came during the first-ever joint Transportation and Energy Ministerial Conference held by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)…

Statoil and Sintef have signed a new framework agreement – one which likely to be the most comprehensive individual research agreement ever signed in Norway. With a potential value of NOK 1 billion, the agreement is valid for four years with an option for an additional two plus two years. “Sintef has both wide and expert knowledge in disciplines that are important to Statoil, such as deepwater and multi-phase technology,” says Statoil research and development head Karl Johnny Hersvik. Statoil entered into its first framework agreement with Sintef in 1985.

Professors Olav Bolland and Hallvard Svendsen have won Statoil’s 2011 research prize for their work on enhancing carbon capture understanding and processes for reducing emissions. The prize of NOK 200,000 and an artwork by Roar Wold was awarded by Tor Ulleberg, vice president Oil and gas value chain in Statoil Research & Development during the Technoport awards in Trondheim on 10 May. “Through their efforts over many years, Bolland and Svendsen have helped to boost knowledge surrounding energy and carbon emission issues,” observes Ulleberg.

The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA),  the association representing the owners and operators of the U.S. “We strongly support efforts to expand our offshore energy resources, whether through opening new areas for oil and gas leasing or alternative sources like wind power and wave generation. This will help America achieve energy independence and create jobs at the same time. Energy expansion offshore and American jobs are connected. But we need to call attention to the fact that an alarming and growing number of foreign vessels are working offshore, taking jobs away from American mariners and work away from American companies. If we are now going to expand offshore energy, we must ensure that the work is done by Americans.

Exxon Mobil Corporation announced plans to seek regulatory approval for BlueOcean Energy, a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal that will create a gateway to global supplies of clean-burning natural gas to help meet the growing energy needs of New Jersey and New York. The project will have the capacity to supply about 1.2 billion cu. ft. of natural gas per day. Anchored approximately 20 miles off the coast of New Jersey – and reportedly not visible from the shore – the more than $1 billion terminal will be far from shore and away from shipping lanes…