Tsi News

To help shipbuilders meet increasing demands to reduce the impact of noise on marine life, Técnicas y Servicios de Ingeniería, S.L (TSI) has obtained technology especially for the construction of ‘silent vessels’.In addition to environmental effects, the health of staff and the vessels themselves can also be affected by a loud ship. Noise is often an indicator of onboard vibration problems that can lead to equipment and system damage.In response to these issues, TSI has invested in technology from noise specialist…

Over the past two months the world has been rocked by three major hacking events that have garnered international notice. These included the EQIFAX event in which 140 million individuals were reported to be possibly compromised, the WannaCry attack and the NotPeyta event. In the past two years the emphasis on the cyber security of the Marine Transportation System, a vital economic cog to the world has come under increasing scrutiny. In August, trade journals and major international…

Japanese steelmakers have bought coking coal from the United States, Canada and China to replace supply lost after a cyclone closed rail links in Australia, their biggest supplier, industry and trader sources said. Still, the Japanese buyers are paying nearly double the $150 a tonnes price that they were discussing with sellers for second-quarter supply before the supply disruption. The supply talks are now on hold and prices will likely stay high until full volumes start flowing again. In 2016, Japan bought about 71 percent of the 59.9 million tonnes of coking coal it consumed from Australia. "We've tapped supplies by bringing forward shipping schedules of cargos from Canada and the United States…

TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico Successfully Performs First LNG Bunkering at Jacksonville Port. On Saturday, January 9, 2016, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico successfully loaded LNG bunkers aboard the world’s first LNG powered containership, MV Isla Bella. Approximately 100,000 LNG gallons transported by 12 TOTE-owned LNG ISO containers were loaded on schedule. The bunkering was conducted under strict US Coast Guard oversight while Isla Bella was also undergoing cargo operations. The LNG was transferred from the ISO tank containers using a specially developed transfer skid developed by TOTE’s partner Applied Cryogenics Technologies (ACT) of Houston, Texas. The transfer skid is designed to allow four ISO tanks to be transferred to Isla Bella at once, dramatically reducing transfer time.

An increasing number of systems on ships and at marine facilities depend on cyber technologies for routine operations. While cyber technology has improved efficiencies in the marine industry and around the world, it has also created potential vulnerabilities. For example, the towboats that move goods through the Western Rivers and along our coasts rely heavily on electronic navigation systems, including Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to safely transit around riverbends, capes, and shoals.

Techno-Sciences, Inc. (TSi), the recently-acquired company of McMurdo Group, the end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness division of Orolia (NYSE Alternext Paris – FR0010501015 – ALORO), announced that is has been selected by the Governments of Cyprus, Brunei, Argentina and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States to deploy their SAR network infrastructure solutions and next-generation MEOSAR (Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) systems, totaling nearly $6 million. The wins fortify McMurdo Group’s global SAR leadership and include the deployment of a six-channel MEOSAR system in South America, a two-channel MEOSAR extension in the U.S. and Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) software for a European and Asian SAR authority.

Bureau Veritas has developed a voluntary notation intended to assist shipbuilders and operators reduce underwater noise radiating from ships. The comprehensive set of standards and measuring services is grouped as NR614 Underwater Radiated Noise (URN). It aims to control and limit the environmental impact on marine fauna of all self-propelled ships and provide a standard and a system to assess compliance with specific vessel requirements for underwater radiated noise. Jean-Francois Segretain…

McMurdo Group’s Techno-Sciences Inc. says it has been chosen by the Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) to deploy their next-generation satellite-aided search and rescue systems. The MEOSAR (Medium-altitude Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) installations will be the first such systems in Asia Pacific and will significantly reduce the time between a distress beacon activation and the resulting emergency alert notification from hours to minutes, greatly accelerating the rescue coordination effort by SAR personnel. As a result, survivors will be found faster and more lives will be saved. “Australia and New Zealand have two of the largest SAR regions in the world…

The ongoing risk of a strike or work slowdown at West Coast ports may already be diverting cargo to other distribution methods and setting the stage for broader economic impacts, Fitch Ratings says. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers are currently working without a contract and could strike at any time. However, Fitch notes that recent negotiations between the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are said to be amicable, and cargo has been moving through West Coast ports without incident since the expiration of the previous contract on June 30.

GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. (GCT) says it celebrated the grand opening of its newly expanded, semi-automated facility in Bayonne, New Jersey, which is intended to be the most productive marine terminal on the US East Coast once complete in summer 2014. Following four years of careful planning and construction, more than 400 of GCT’s customers, stakeholders, vendors, contractors, workforce, and staff were on hand to witness the efficiency and optimization that is at the heart of the container terminal. Global Terminal was designed with safety in mind. The semi-automation of container handling combined with the comprehensive training is a major contributor to improved terminal safety and the development of skilled opportunities for the workforce.

Global Container Terminals (GCT) has announced the retirement of James J. Devine, President & CEO of GCT USA, at the end of June, 2014. Devine’s retirement brings a distinguished 13-year tenure with GCT to a close, where he was instrumental in revitalizing the US operations. “Jim is an exceptional leader who has capably navigated the company through challenging market conditions. GCT’s success is a testament to his tireless work and vision,” said Stephen Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer of GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. “We are grateful for innumerable contributions.” In the coming years, Devine will serve as a senior advisor to continue supporting the strategic growth of GCT USA.

Strategic acquisition validates Orolia's McMurdo Group as premier supplier of COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue solutions, establishes U.S. McMurdo Group, a global company in end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) solutions, today announced the successful acquisition of Techno-Sciences, Inc. (TSi), a provider of SAR satellite ground stations, integrated emergency response center systems and coastal surveillance solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. TSi’s Beltsville, Maryland location becomes the U.S. Headquarters for McMurdo Group, a division of Orolia (NYSE Alternext Paris – FR0010501015 – ALORO), global specialist in critical Global Navigation Satellite System solutions.

Stephen Edwards, President & CEO of GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., issued a statement on Port Metro Vancouver’s trucking dispute. “Due to the backlog of import cargo in containers held on our terminals caused by the trucking dispute, our Canadian subsidiary TSI Terminals Systems Inc. (TSI) has reluctantly issued force majeure (“inability to serve”) to our shipping line customers. This is applicable only to import cargo in containers destined for local delivery. Import cargo to rail and all export cargo are not affected and continue to be served by the company,” Edwards said.

McMurdo Group was launched today as a new global company in end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) solutions. Comprised of Orolia’s former Positioning, Tracking and Monitoring Division, McMurdo Group combines Boatracs, Kannad, McMurdo and Techno-Sciences, Inc. into the industry’s first, single-vendor provider of end-to-end lifesaving and tracking solutions including distress beacons, satellite connectivity infrastructure, monitoring/positioning software and emergency response management. “The formation of McMurdo Group is far more just than a corporate realignment. It is an opportunity to lead, simplify and educate a fragmented…

The Steel Index (TSI) daily iron ore reference price hit its highest level in 12 months on Dec. 18, reaching $107.4 per dry metric tonne. This reference price, for 62% Fe content fines CFRFO China port, represents an 82% increase since March, when the price dipped to $59.1/dmt. The price hit its previous high in August, before falling back sharply to $76.1/dmt in September. Since then prices have been volatile, with this week alone seeing an increase of 5.2% despite falling freight rates on the key routes into China. “In my opinion, the levels we’ve seen in the spot market this week are as a result of tightness in supply and continued Chinese demand. I don’t see the market correcting for a least another week or two,” saif Jerry Yu a Hong Kong based trader.

For the past several years, maritime security has been on everyone's mind. From the halls of Congress to the longshoremen working the midnight shift, the threat of a possible terrorist attack on the maritime interests of the United States and dealing with new security requirements have kept this topic on the front burner. While most in the maritime industry are relatively aware of the legislation that has been promulgated since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, new evolving legislation continues to be implemented. In this regard, the most recent legislation that addresses the continuing implementation of the maritime security regime is the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008, HR 2830 (the "Bill").

Administration (TSA) and the U.S. system port security exercises today in San Francisco. Area Maritime Security (AMS) Committee. secure. governmental agencies and private industry. current Area Maritime Security Plans. rail yard. participate over the next three years. security communities throughout the U.S. Brown, TSA's PortSTEP Project Officer. said Capt. Facility Security. (TSI). various federal, state and local government agencies. Community Research Associates of Alexandria, Va.; Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Narragansett, R.I. simulation software and databases to monitor and evaluate the exercises. In addition to TSA and the U.S. PortSTEP exercise.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard began a series of transportation system port security exercises in San Francisco recently. The Port Security Training Exercises Program (PortSTEP) is focused on building links within the Area Maritime Security (AMS) Committee. The committee assists the captain of the port in writing, reviewing and updating an AMS Plan in addition to supporting other transportation entities that depend upon the port being secure. The exercise will involve the entire port community, including both public governmental agencies and private industry. The partnership is intended to improve connectivity of various surface transportation modes and enhance current Area Maritime Security Plans.

The CLT propeller recently underwent real-world testing, which proved, according to its designer and manufacturer that the propeller can help to reduce or eliminate hull-induced vibrations and noise levels. Independent studies were conducted aboard Superfast Levante, which demonstrated that: the cavitation level developed on the CLT propeller blades is negligible from the ship's structural integrity point of view; vibration and noise levels are excellent in terms of comfort on board; and the contractual ship speed was much better than predicted. Superfast Levante is a 7,200 dwt RoRo cargo vessel delivered by Union Naval de Valencia (UNV) to Trasmediterranea, the major Spanish operator of RoRo vessels and ferries. The ship was ordered to operate between Cadiz and the Canary Isles.