Equipment News

The marine technology company Kraken Robotics has received $1.7 million purchase orders from Ocean Infinity for the AquaPix Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) sensors and support.According to a press note from the provider of software-centric sensors and underwater robotic systems, product delivery is expected during Q1 and Q2, 2019. This is the second set of purchase orders from Ocean Infinity under an initial master agreement contract announced in Q3 2017.Oliver Plunkett, President and CEO of Ocean Infinity said…

The first major milestone in the construction of Nexans’ new DP3 cable laying vessel, the C/S Aurora, was passed Monday, February 18, 2019, with the cutting of the first steel.“With this modernization we will further strengthen our ability to deliver green power for the future”, said Vincent Dessale, Senior Executive VP Subsea and Land Systems Business Group at Nexans. “Aurora will play a key role in the installation of our cutting-edge submarine cables to help bring more energy to the world…

Scienco/FAST, an experienced manufacturer of Marine sewage devices (MSD) recently received an extraordinary service order. Or, maybe it’s not that extraordinary.Scienco/FAST, a St. Louis, Missouri-based manufacturer has, over many years, had plenty of experience in dealing with archived orders. In fact, the firm just had a call from a client that needed to replace a part on a previously installed Scienco/FAST system. So what? Well, it turns out that the system was installed onto a domestic tugboat, way back in 1975. That more-than-43-year-old workhorse is still in service.

Saudi Aramco and National Oilwell Varco Incorporated (NOV) recently held the first Arabian Rig Manufacturing (ARM) Board of Managers meeting.ARM is a newly formed company, a joint venture (JV) between NOV (owning 70% of the JV’s shares) and Saudi Aramco. Highlights of the meeting included the appointment of senior officials and the approval of the company’s branding strategy.The JV partnership will establish a world-class onshore rig and equipment manufacturing and aftermarket facility in Ras al-Khair, 80 kilometers north of Jubail.

Belgium-headquartered EXMAR Ship Management has selected the LuminUltra Quench-Gone Aqueous (QGA) test kit to monitor the quality of the drinking water produced onboard the LPG FSO NKOSSA II.The decision follows the success of the QGA solution in analysing the quality of the water produced by reverse osmosis aboard accommodation barges operating offshore West Africa.Paul-Philippe Halleux, who is a Technical Superintendent from EXMAR Ship Management’s Offshore Services division…

To address rapid increases in volumes APM Terminals Inland Services Ecuador introduced an accurate and reliable Truck Appointment System (TAS).This approach has already proved itself at other APM Terminals’ facilities, including neighbouring Peru. The system allows for much better co-ordination of arrivals and departures leading to significantly shorter wait times for trucks.The system now allows truck arrivals at the facility to be spread evenly throughout the day with a truck turnaround time of just 45 minutes.

Argentina has decided to acquire four offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built by Naval Group. The contract entered into force on February 14, 2019, and Naval Group will now begin production on the four vessels. The first to be delivered will be L’Adroit. Developed, financed and built in less than two years by Naval Group, L’Adroit had been made available to the French Navy since 2011, thereby demonstrating its operational capabilities for the action of the State at sea. The remaining…

Maersk Maker, the sixth and last of a series of six anchor handlers for Maersk Supply Service A/S, was delivered from Norwegian shipyard Kleven on Thursday.Built for operation in deepsea depths, the M-series vessel Maersk Maker had a naming ceremony at Kleven yard, with Rikke Eskjær as godmother. The vessel will leave Kleven in a few days, heading to Aberdeen and the spot market in the North Sea.Maersk Maker is of the Salt 200 type and has an open deck area of more than 800m2, with 102m2 covered deck area as well. She is also equipped with anchor handling winch of 450 tons.

Philippine's Udenna Corporation has broken off negotiations over a potential investment of $73 million in struggling Singapore-based offshore vessel company Emas Offshore.The ailing Singaporean contractor Emas Offshore announced in a regulatory filing that Udenna had informed the company that it would no longer be injecting $73.29 million into the offshore services provider. No reasons were given in the announcement for Udenna's decision.Dennis Uy-led Udenna is the parent company of Pheonix Petroleum and Chelsea Logistics Holdings.Udenna and Emas inked a non-binding term sheet last October…

From the standpoint of vehicle propulsion physics, an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is little different from your personal ski boat or a tanker. It shares the Vessel-Propulsor-Drive system model, which allows a Propulsor to convert Drive energy into thrust for the purpose of moving a Vessel. The basic principles of thrust equilibrium and motion are common to all three, as are the translation of rotational energy into axial thrust by the central element of the system – the…

New holographic technology is set to revolutionize training procedures, fleet management, ship performance and engineering maintenance in the maritime sectorHave you ever wished you could move around your fleet of ships, in full 3-D, without ever moving from your desk? Have you ever wanted to be able to delve into the complex inner workings of one of your vessels and inspect its internal structure while sitting in your office? Have you ever been performing maintenance work within…

Transporting a 112MT transformer across the world is no simple task. The stakes are even higher when the sophisticated cargo is destined for an oil and gas plant and time is of utmost importance.Global Freight Forwarder Kintetsu World Express (KWE) and CG Holdings Belgium NV Systems Division chose Höegh Autoliners, with its direct RoRo service, global agency network and breakbulk competence, to transport its 112 MT Transformer trailer from Antwerp to Dammam."With the customer’s tight deadline…

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said talks with China went well on Wednesday, as the world's two largest economies try to iron out an agreement to resolve their trade dispute."So far, so good," he said when asked by reporters on how the meetings in Beijing went. He did not say who he met.Mnuchin said earlier he hoped for "productive" trade meetings as the two countries seek to end a festering dispute that has seen both sides level tariffs at one other.U.S. tariffs on $200…

ABB was tapped to supply integrated power and electric storage solutions to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration’s new electric ferry, the nation’s first.When delivered later this year, the 70m ferry will be able to take up to 550 passengers and 75 cars on up to 3,600 annual trips in the rough waters between Landeyjahöfn on the mainland and the Westman Island, covering eight-mile route in about 45 minutes.The ferry is designed by Polarkonsult and is being built at the Crist S.A. shipyard.

Heavy lift specialist Roll Group said it has completed its activities on the expansion of the LNG plant at the Elba Island project in Savannah, Georgia."The activities on Elba Island have come to an end for Roll-Lift USA. Mid-January the last equipment was removed, after working more than two years with an extensive fleet of equipment and a large team on the expansion of the LNG plant at the Elba Island Project located in Savannah, Georgia," said a press release.The first challenge to overcome was the low weight limit and deteriorating condition of the only access bridge on to the island.

Signing a supply agreement with Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science (Hitachi High-Tech), Wilhelmsen will supply Hitachi High-Tech’s industry-leading handheld XRF analyzers to the maritime market, enabling vessel crews to accurately and efficiently test the sulphur content of their fuel, on the spot.With the International Maritime Organization’s 0.50% global sulphur cap on marine fuels set to come into force on January 1, 2020 and discussions on enforcement strategies and potential penalties for non-compliance gathering pace…

Norway's designer and shipbuilder of specialized vessels VARD has contracted PG Flow Solutions to supply the engine room pump system to the world’s first autonomous and electric container vessel, Yara Birkeland.According to a press note from PG Flow Solutions, the provider of OSV cargo systems and below-deck well service solutions, Norwegian shipyard Vard Brevik has been tasked with building the NOK 250 million vessel on behalf of Oslo-listed international fertilizer producer YARA.Liquid handling and pump specialist PG Flow Solutions will deliver a complete engine room pump system…

Kalmar, the provider of eco-efficient cargo handling equipment and automated terminal solutions, , has signed a deal to supply six Kalmar Zero Emission Rubber-tired Gantry cranes (RTGs) to South Florida Container Terminal, LLC.The cranes will be equipped with a busbar energy system and operator assist features like auto steering and container stack profiling, said a press statement from Kalmar, part of Cargotec.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q1 order intake with delivery scheduled to be completed in early 2020.

Hatteland Display released a new 43 inch premium quality display as part of its Series X MVD product family. Hatteland Display’s latest UHD system features the same 4K panel technology as existing Series X MVD variants, all of which are designed to deliver the brightest, clearest picture for the safe and effective operation of bridge navigation and control systems.With 3840 × 2160 pixels compared to 1920 x 1080 on Full High Definition (FHD) displays, UHD is a significant technology improvement that empowers maritime technology manufacturers to develop new…

The Port of Indiana Burns-Harbor has extended its partnership with its longtime stevedore and marine terminal operating company, Federal Marine Terminals.A press note from the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, said that the deal will run through at least 2023."FMT has been a vital collaborator with the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor since 1999," said Port Director Ian Hirt, "and this consolidated operating agreement…

The seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity announced that its vessel, Seabed Constructor, sets sail from Cape Town to begin the search for the lost South Korean ship, Stellar Daisy.Stellar Daisy sank on 31 March 2017, with the tragic loss of 22 of its 24 crew. The ship, which was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China, is believed to have gone down in the South Atlantic Ocean approximately 1800 nautical miles due west of Cape Town.The Ocean Infinity team is expected to be on site and commencing search operations by mid-February 2019.

Recent research from Woodmac makes some fairly bold and insightful predictions on the future of maritime fuel as the clock ticks toward 2020 and new fuel rules from the IMO that will dramatically reduce the level of sulfur emissions from ships.* Research firm Woodmac sees a rise in the use on ships of "scrubbers", the equipment to clean up sulfur emissions, before the International Maritime Organization imposes new rules from Jan.

Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) has expanded its member offer with the launch of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) service. The new service aims to enhance preparedness and response capabilities to better support members’ needs in the event of a spill.To facilitate the service on a global basis, and to ensure the shortest time to mobilization, OSRL has signed ‘call-off agreements’ with a number of third-party UAV providers around the world. Launch partners for the service include Bristow Aerial Solutions, Sky-Futures and Vertical Horizon Media.