Houlder News

UK-based Submarine Manufacturing and Products (SMP) will provide its new submarine rescue system (SRS) to the Indonesian Navy.The SRS will be hosted on a mothership designed by independent design and engineering consultancy Houlder and delivered by its Indonesian strategic partner, BTI Defence.The three-year build contract will include the UK design and manufacture of the SRS, centered around SMP's new SRV-F Mk3 rescue submersible. The custom build of the mothership will take place in region…

CB&I, McDermott's storage business, has received Approval in Principle (AiP) for its design of a liquid hydrogen (LH2) cargo containment system from DNV.CB&I collaborated with Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited to provide safe LH2 shipping solutions that enable hydrogen energy supply chains using gas carriers.The containment system design is based on CB&I's proven vacuum-insulated spherical technology for onshore LH2 storage. CB&I has designed and constructed more than 130 large, field-erected LH2 storage tanks worldwide over the past 60 years.

Houlder, the design and engineering consultancy, is collaborating with Blue Sea Power, an integrated energy solution provider as a gas-to-power company based in Athens, to develop three innovative floating LNG-to-power barges (FSRPs).According to the partners, the FSRP barges, which are set to be operational by 2025, will efficiently provide greener, lower emission baseload and peak power to the non-interconnected islands of Kos, Chios, and Lesvos. This power will be used when existing renewable solar and wind energy utilization reaches its technical limits.

Houlder won two new contracts by Marine Scotland, the Scottish Government Directorate responsible for the integrated management of Scotland’s seas. The two-vessel design contracts ensure support for the design and build of two new vessels which will have enhanced vessel capabilities and be designed to operate in the harsh conditions of the North Atlantic and the North Sea.Following a fleet evaluation in 2019, Marine Scotland developed a fleet plan to meet the future needs of marine protection and research in Scotland.

A new project, FLO-MAR, has attracted funding from MarRI-UK’s Clean Maritime Call to assess the feasibility of using flow batteries in vessels to enable zero-emission marine propulsion and auxiliary power. Four UK organizations will work together on the project to investigate how the design of electric and hybrid ships, from ferries through to tugs and wind farm vessels, can be optimized to accommodate flow batteries and to assess the advantages this technology offers in comparison with existing lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel-cells.

Naval architect and marine engineering firm Houlder has played a key role in the development of the U.K.’s new polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough, since it was first conceived by the British Antarctic Survey.CEO Rupert Hare will join members of the project team as hull number 1390, comprising 10,000t of steel, is launched at Cammell Laird Shipyard on July 14.As experts in ship construction, and ice class design in particular, Houlder worked with the British Antarctic…

As the global fleet of offshore renewables fleet increases, ways to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency and safety of operations and maintenance work, using robotics and autonomous systems, will also grow. Elaine Maslin reports.Robotics and autonomous systems are moving into many areas of modern day life. It’s becoming harder to avoid them, from our phones to automotive systems and now offshore energy renewable projects.Both are seen as tools to do otherwise dull, dirty or dangerous work…

Marine engineering services firm SMS is midway through a contract for Woods’ Silver Fleet to build three huge pontoons for the Thames. The works amount to circa 750 metric tons of fully fabricated steel pontoons and over 5,000 man hours of specialized, local, labor in Southampton, Hampshire, U.K.Chris Norman, the managing director of Southampton Marine Services (SMS), said, “This project is of significance not only to SMS but also the local shipbuilding community. “It’s the first time in 13 years…

Britain’s largest independent ship repairer and marine engineering services provider Burgess Marine has improved its service offering by obtaining third party accreditation to CE Mark structural steel and aluminium fabrications, and by signing a framework agreement with design firm Houlder. CE Marking has become mandatory for all construction products where the product is covered by a harmonised European standard (hEN). BS EN 1090 is one such harmonised standard which covers structural steel and aluminium fabrication. Since July 2014, products within the scope of this standard must be CE Marked. Companies producing structural steel or aluminium fabrications which are being sold in the UK or the wider European Economic Area are legally required to CE Mark the product.

Offshore wind farm development has been led globally by the UK, followed by Germany. Both countries have governments with long term commitments to renewable energy. Denmark, Belgium and The Netherlands are building wind farms, but they are a long way behind the leaders in offshore wind. In 2014 the UK accounted for over 50% of all the offshore wind energy generated globally. All of these countries border the North Sea, a notoriously stormy sea area, which has a high frequency of wind to drive the turbines. Traditional survey vessels are first to arrive in a potential wind farm area.

DuPont Sustainable Solutions, through its subsidiary BELCO, has been awarded a contract to supply DuPont Marine Scrubber systems to two vessels owned by Condor Ferries, a Guernsey-based company that operates year-round freight, car and passenger ferries between the Channel Islands, United Kingdom and France. DuPont will provide four, single-stream, open-loop, gas-cleaning units for Commodore Clipper and Commodore Goodwill. Exhaust gas-cleaning systems will allow the ferries to meet all IMO Annex VI sulphur requirements while continuing to operate on heavy fuel oil, DuPont said.

The U.K. Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s RFA Argus serves as a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship maintaining a 100-bed medical complex aboard. A&P Falmouth has asked Houlder to provide technical guidance during the retrofit of its ballast water treatment System. The engineering work includes an initial survey, the identification of hazards and creation of a risk register, development of a procurement specification for major and long lead items and an installation specification including definition of new pipework, shipping routes and removal drawings.

U.K.-based engineering group Houlder has launched a new venture to support clients headquartered in the United States following an increasing number of successful global projects for oil majors, operators and service providers. Houlder Americas Inc. opened its San Felipe Plaza doors earlier this year and is already undertaking work for a growing number of clients including Ensco and Schlumberger. Key to the business’s success is employing local engineers to work alongside the small team that has relocated from the U.K. led by Garry Kennie, Houlder Americas Inc. president.

Increased emission legislation is impacting on the maritime industry and the development of LNG as a fuel is growing at a pace. The marine engineers and designers at Houlder have recognized this and are developing specialist equipment as a result. An example, announced this week at the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy LNG Bunkering Seminar, is a standalone processing unit that efficiently manages boil-off gas on board bunker vessels and client ships. With potentially 5,000 LNG fuelled vessels on the horizon, Houlder’s unit is expected to make a significant impact to LNG powered vessels in the future.

Marine design and engineering company Houlder announced the formation of an LNG project team in its London headquarters. Ian Meaden, Des Upcraft and Lijo Thomas joined the team this month to work exclusively on developing LNG projects in response to market requirements. The company said its new talent investment means it can build on its current LNG equipment projects to help with all aspects of marine design, engineering and project management from initial FEED study to implementation.

The pile Gripper Arms, installed this week, stabilize 6m diameter 650t steel piles as they are driven into the seabed by the MPI Discovery installation jack up vessel. Installed on the vessel’s stern below deck level, they provide resistance to wave, tide and current forces in water depths of up to 40m. Their position and the additional control this provides significantly reduces installation times providing a valuable enhancement to the Discovery’s capability, Houlder said. “The challenge of handling offshore wind turbine piles has grown along with their size.” commented Frederic Perdrix…

Houlder said it will open an office in Houston to service key oil and gas clients headquartered in the U.S. The company said the move is the latest of a series of expansion steps and follows the delivery of an increasing number of offshore project engineering, marine design consultancy and equipment projects over recent years. Current Offshore Projects & Engineering Director, Garry Kennie will establish Houlder Americas Inc. to both service Houlder’s current clients source new business in country.

U.K. employee-owned business, Houlder has been awarded a three year contract to deliver Project Management Consultancy services to Libya’s Mellitah Oil and Gas B.V. (MOG) in relation to the design, construction, delivery and hook-up of a new Floating Storage and Offloading System (FSO) and associated subsea systems. The new Gaza FSO will replace the existing Sloug FSO which has been on site since 1989. The contract win will secure up to 30 high value marine industry jobs for the duration of the project. Rupert Hare, Chief Executive Officer commented “We are delighted to be working with Mellitah Oil and Gas B.V. to deliver this prestigious…

UK-based equipment provider Houlder deliver a 'Fast Track' cable reel system to Acteon company, Aquatic for S.America subsea work. The Reel Skidding Drive System (RSDS), designed, engineered and constructed by Houlder to the client specification, consists of a skid frame, skid trolley and push beam. Weighing 75t itself, the RSDS receives a loaded cassette reel of flexible product, engages its drive system and then transports the unit 10 metres along the vessel deck from the loading to the product deployment position. It is designed to operate at sea in all but storm conditions.

Finalists for this year’s Offshore Achievement Awards have been named  {Tuesday 22 January}, in an announcement which celebrates the highest performing companies and individuals within the energy industry. The 2013 awards, which were launched in October by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section, received a high level of interest across each of the categories. TAQA Bratani is supporting the awards as main sponsor for a second successive year. The awards, which were re-launched in 2011 by SPE Aberdeen…

The offshore industry’s highest achievers were recognized at the 2013 Offshore Achievement Awards, with Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, picking up the Significant Achievement accolade. The 27th awards ceremony, which saw a record attendance of 530 guests, took place at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre and was hosted by Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges. The industry’s top talent was celebrated in categories which included Great Large and Great Small Company, Safety Innovations and Emerging Technology.

Houlder and BMT Nigel Gee announced that their jointly developed Turbine Access System (TAS) has won the Safety Innovations Award at the 27th Offshore Achievement Awards organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Aberdeen Section. The award was presented to Frederic Perderix, Houlder Chief Technical Officer by Walter Thain Vice President, Operations for Petrofac, the Award sponsors, at the dinner in Aberdeen on March 21. TAS is a patented motion compensated platform that provides a safe and stable point of access to the Turbine, Offshore Structures or other vessels.

Houlder & BMT Nigel Gee announce that their jointly developed Turbine Access System (TAS) has successfully completed offshore trials. The TAS was fitted to Turbine Transfers’ 24m Cemlyn Bay for a four week trials period at RWE’s Rhyl Flats offshore windfarm off the coast of Wales. The TAS is a lightweight motion compensated gangway that provides substantially improved access to offshore wind turbines for maintenance personnel. It considerably increases the level of safety and operability, both of which are prime goals for offshore wind farm operators and developers.