Voith News

North Star, a U.K.-based service operation vessel (SOV) operator, has become the first organization in the world to have ships achieve Lloyd’s Register’s Cyber Resilience classification.The classification is in line with mandatory International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) standards implemented for all newbuilds from July 1, 2024.North Star’s new commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs), the Grampian Kestrel and Grampian Eagle, are the first in the world…

The 39-metre tug Silivri has been delivered to The BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation in Turkey.The TRAktor V3900-DF series tug was recently completed at Uzmar Shipyard to a design by Robert Allan Ltd.Silivri is only the second vessel in the world to combine Voith Schneider propulsion with dual-fuel LNG/diesel engines. This unique arrangement has only been combined once before, on her sistership Sultanhani, delivered earlier in the year to the same owner.Equipped with Wärtsilä 6L34DF engines and 32X6 Voith Schneider propellers…

On March 1, 2025, Denmark-based maritime consultancy Knud E. Hansen announced that Javier Suárez succeeds Finn Wollesen Petersen as the company’s Managing Director, part of a planned process that has been taking place over the past months, with Suárez and Petersen working together over the last few months to facilitate a smooth transition. Petersen, who has held the role of Managing Director since 2003, will remain with the company, focused on coordinating the company’s operations in the United States.Suárez, a Spanish national, joined Knud E. Hansen in 2017 as Director Operations.

North Star and its shipbuilding partner Cochin Shipyard have cut first steel on EnBW’s new hybrid-electric service operations vessel (SOV), which is on decade-long minimum charter to service the He Dreiht wind farm off the coast of Germany from the end of 2026.The steel cutting milestone was marked February 25, 2025 at Cochin Shipyard in India, where the planning, engineering design and construction work are being carried out.The newbuild will provide accommodation in field for up to 34 wind technicians as they maintain the development’s 64 wind turbines…

North Star has launched a partnership which includes MO4, Principle Power, SMST, Vard, and Voith Group to fast-track the development of high-performance operations and maintenance ships tailored for floating offshore wind farms.The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a dedicated working group of industry experts to help fast-track the design and testing of a new service operations vessel (SOV) concept.Together, the six organizations have committed to developing a detailed…

Provider of measurement and control solutions for the marine industry, Hoppe Marine, has opened an office for its new subsidiary, Hoppe America Inc.The new company is based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and is led by Ivo Beu as president. Beu is a naval architect with a unique blend of substantial maritime business background and project management skills.Starting his career as a naval architect at Flender Shipyard and MTG Marinetechnik, Beu later transitioned to the sales side.

Uzmar Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey has launched a first-of-its-kind tractor tug for Turkish operator BOTAS.The vessel, named the Sultanhani, was launched on February 27 as the world’s first Voith propelled tractor tug with liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual fuel propulsion. It is the first of two hulls being built for BOTAS to Robert Allan Ltd.’s TRAktor V3900-DF design.The TRAktor V3900-DF builds on Robert Allan Ltd.’s experience designing both Voith tractor tugs and LNG dual fuel tugs.

North Star has secured a contract with energy utility giant EnBW to deliver a new hybrid-electric service operations vessel (SOV) on a decade-long minimum charter to service the He Dreiht wind farm off the coast of Germany.The agreement marks the company’s first offshore wind move outside the UK market, a milestone mark in its ambitious European growth strategy to add 40 new SOVs to its fleet by 2040.The newbuild is of VARD 407 design which has been tailored to meet EnBW’s specific…

Norwegian partners are planning to build a series of zero-emissions platform supply vessels (PSV) equipped with Amogy's ammonia-to-power technology.Green Ships AS, a consultancy specialized in the design and construction of environmentally friendly vessels, and Bourbon Horizon AS, an international offshore shipping company, have signed an MoU with Amogy for the supply of its technology to two PSVs. The deal includes an option for a third vessel.Bourbon Horizon, formerly Bourbon Offshore Norway, will be the commercial and technical manager of the new vessels.

UK-based offshore vessel owner North Star this week held a naming ceremony for the Grampian Tyne service operation vessel (SOV) which will be deployed at work at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK.The vessel was named at a ceremony at Equinor’s Port of Tyne base in the North East of England (UK), ahead of its early handover to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.The traditional good luck celebration, involving the customary champagne bottle being smashed against the hull of the ship…

With travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 levels, and transit systems benefiting from a return to work, passenger vessels have seen renewed activity. In its year-end review, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that they have experienced very…

Norwegian offshore wind service vessel firm Edda Wind has ordered another commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) from Gondan Shipbuilders, in Spain.The newbuild will be of Salt 0474 design, which is a further development of the Salt 0217 design and will be delivered in April 2025. In addition, the company has an option with the yard for one more vessel.Including the latest newbuild, Edda Wind will have a fleet of 10 purpose-built vessels, of which six are currently under contract.

Danfoss Power Solutions said its Editron division has been chosen to provide drivetrain systems for three hybrid passenger ferries that will operate on the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany. German shipyard Schiffbau- u. Entwicklungsgesellschaft Tangermünde mbH (SET) will build the vessels for Hamburg transportation company HADAG, expanding its fleet to 29 ships.Hamburg’s passenger ferry service is integral to its public transportation offering. With eight routes stopping at 20 different piers, the ferries are used by approximately 9 million passengers annually.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced the completion of the third and final Ollis Class Staten Island Ferry for the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division. Yesterday, the Dorothy Day, Hull 221, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe Shipyard passenger ready with the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection and the ABS Class Certificates in hand.“It has been an honor for our company to build the three Ollis Class Staten Island Ferries…

The use of certain technologies is rarely a stand alone decision. The switch from sail to steam did not happen overnight and they actually coexisted for over a century, where, based on available technologies, in certain applications steam was more attractive and in other applications sail was more attractive.The eventual dominance of screw propellers over paddle wheels was not even driven by technological considerations, but rather by a tug of war between a paddlewheel propelled vessel and a screw propelled vessel.

Viking announced its new 386-passenger river cruise ship Viking Mississippi has been floated out at Edison Chouest Offshore's LaShip shipyard in Houma, La.Set to debut in June 2022, the Viking Mississippi will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and St. Paul.Viking Mississippi is equipped with a variety of measures to maximize energy efficiency and emissions—including a diesel-electric propulsion system comprised of eight CAT C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines…

Physical activity to construct America's first Jones Act-qualified wind farm service operations vessel (SOV) has kicked off on the U.S. Gulf Coast.The vessel, Eco Edison, is being built at Edison Chouest Offshore shipyards in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida for planned delivery in 2024. Once complete, the vessel will immediately provide operational support out of Port Jefferson, New York for Ørsted and Eversource’s joint venture offshore wind portfolio, which includes South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind.

The year just ended, 2021, might be described as being about “trying to get back to normal”, across the entire transportation spectrum, two years into the pandemic. During this time, the decarbonization and electrification waves have swept across maritime passenger transport. The passenger side of the business is dependent on multiple funding sources; increasingly, this money will be driven by environmental and social considerations.The long-awaited funding of “infrastructure”-related projects…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced the completion of the second Ollis Class Staten Island Ferry for the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division. The Sandy Ground, Hull 220, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe Shipyard passenger ready with the USCG Certificate of Inspection and the ABS Class Certificates in hand.“I am pleased to announce the newest Staten Island Ferry Sandy Ground is being delivered to New York City. This vessel honors our nation’s African-American heritage and will tell the story of the landmark Sandy Ground community…

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) on Monday commissioned the newest Staten Island ferry, SSG Michael H. Ollis.The 320-foot, 4,500-passenger vessel was built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group ass the first in a series of three new Ollis Class ferries due to enter service for Staten Island Ferry.The three Ollis Class double ended 4,500 passenger ferries, are designed by Elliott Bay Design Group, each featuring four ABS Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) L12ME23B @ 750…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced it has completed the first of three new Staten Island “Ollis Class” ferries for the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division. The MV SSG Michael H. Ollis, Hull 219, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe, Fla. facility fully certified and passenger ready.Dann Ocean Towing’s Colonel is towing the ferry on a 12-dray trip to New York City. Upon arrival, the ferry will be staged at Caddell Dry Dock for cleaning and another round of trials and training.

A group of maritime industry and technology experts in Germany is working on a project to unlock remote control capabilities for safer and more efficient harbor tug operations.Backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the project is being led by Voith in partnership with the Hamburg University of Technology, the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services, the Federal Office for Hydraulic Engineering, winch and crane manufacturer McGregor…