Arctia’s Vessels Get PC3 Notation

By

-

February 4, 2019

Finnish state-owned company Arctia Oy said that its vessels MSV Fennica and MSV Nordica have now both received certificates of compliance with the IMO Polar Code. Both vessels now have a Polar Class 3 (PC3) class notation.

According to the owner and operator of Finnish icebreaker fleet, they are among the very few in the world to have this high ice class notation.

Arctia Offshore Ltd. is one of the first commercial operators to commit to stricter manning and training requirements, as well as decreasing the environmental footprint of vessels operating in polar areas, on its own initiative and in accordance with the Polar Code.

The Polar Code, officially the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, is an international regime adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2014. The Code sets out regulations for shipping in the world’s polar regions, principally relating to ice navigation, ship design, safety and environmental footprint. The Code has several implementation dates.

“We want to be at the forefront of safe and sustainable polar operations. By offering our dependable and certified solutions to other maritime operators and businesses active in polar waters, we support safe shipping in these demanding conditions”, says Pia Broumand, Chief Safety Officer and DPA at Arctia Ltd.

“Our MSV Fennica and MSV Nordica have extensive track records in a variety of polar operations. We are pleased to incorporate the best Arctic operating practices and comply with the Polar Code”, states Petri Aho, Senior Vice President for Offshore and Marine Services at Arctia Ltd.

Source:marinelink

Blaze on 9,200 teu APL ship continues for fourth day

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

A fire on the 9,200 teu APL Vancouver off Vietnam has yet to be contained four days after it erupted.

The ship was en route from Shenzhen to Singapore when the fire broke out early in the morning of January 31 near the accommodation block, the latest in a series of blazes originating from containers in transit around the world in recent months.

The APL vessel diverted to Vietnamese waters for assistance and the local coast guard has deployed significant resources to try and douse the blaze.

“There are ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire that broke out onboard APL Vancouver. Shore support and firefighting tugs have been deployed while Vietnamese Coast Guard vessels are on site. Additional resources including equipment, external specialised firefighters and salvage master have been mobilized,” a spokesperson for APL told Splashtoday.

Source:splash247

New Cruise and Ferry Expo Planned for Hamburg

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), the organizer of SMM Hamburg, is launching a new expo focused on marine interiors. The new MARINE INTERIORS Cruise & Ferry Global Expo will be dedicated to the interior design and outfitting of passenger ships, addressing the demand from the booming cruise and ferry market.

The first expo will take place from from September 11 to 13 at the Hamburg Messe fair complex. Suppliers from all segments of the ship interior equipment and design industry will showcase their products, and visitors will include procurement executives, interior designers and other decision-makers from the world’s leading cruise and ferry lines, shipyards and design studios.

In preparation for the launch of the new expo, Hamburg Messe conducted a comprehensive market analysis. Exhibitors and visitors will benefit from the decades of experience and the extensive network of SMM – the leading international maritime trade fair, which is also organised by HMC. Another factor that will guarantee the event’s success is the fact that it is held in parallel with the Seatrade Europe – Cruise and River Cruise Convention, which is already attracting thousands of senior cruise industry representatives to Hamburg’s fair complex. Visitors will have free access to both events.

“We are creating a new platform for showcasing trends and innovations that will make the cruise experience even more luxurious, entertaining and unique,” said Bernd Aufderheide, president and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress. “We are responding to a request expressed by many exhibitors to establish a standalone trade fair dedicated entirely to the fast-growing passenger ship interiors segment. Already at SMM 2018, more than 300 exhibitors from this segment were present."

The new trade fair will benefit from the large number of cruise and ferry lines, shipyards and suppliers based in Germany and the rest of Europe. With the new expo, Hamburg will strengthen its position as a leading hub for the cruise industry.

The new expo will be held biennially every odd-numbered year beginning in 2019. Exhibitor registration for this year's fair begins this month, and the details may be found a website.

Source:maritime-executive

ONE Grus Delivered

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE) has announced that ONE Grus, with a carrying capacity of 14,000 TEU, has been successfully delivered at Kure Shipyard of Japan Marine United Corporation.

The sublet owner is Nippon Yusen Kaisha. This is ONE’s first delivery this year, and the 5th newly built 14,000 TEU magenta containership, after ONE Columba (delivery date on November 16th, 2018). It is equipped with outstanding safety and environmentally-friendly capabilities such as structural arrest technology and highly efficient welding technology. ONE Grus employs a hull form that improves efficiency in cargo-loading, which is achieved by minimized engine-room space. It also has excellent structural safety due to its Crack Arrest Technology. Additionally, the vessel is equipped with world’s first “dual rating system” technology in its main diesel engine, with two selected output for high or low rating. This allows flexibility in operations and improve in fuel efficiency, resulting in significant reduction of greenhouse gases. The navigation bridge adopted the Integrated Navigation System (INS), which consolidates functions of vessel systems to efficiently reduce the workload of operators. Furthermore, for safety improvement, a wide window is also newly employed for widen visibility which aid the vessel operators from the wing of vessel’s bridge when berthing and unberthing. She will phase in THE Alliance’s Asia to Europe 5 (FE5) service, with its port rotation Leam Chabang, Cai Mep, Singapore, Colombo, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Southampton, Jeddah, Colombo, Singapore and Laem Chabang.

Vessel’s Specifications of ONE Grus
LOA 364.15 M
Deadweight Tons 138,611 T
Beam 50.6 M
Net Tons 146,694 T
Depth 29.5 M
Capacity 14,052 TEU
Full Draft 15.8 M
Flag Japan

Source:marinelink

PIL and IBM Trial Delivery Using Blockchain Platform

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

Pacific International Lines (PIL) has used an electronic Bill of Lading (e-BL) built on the IBM Blockchain Platform in a successful real-time pilot tracking shipment of mandarin oranges from China to Singapore for the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Combining e-BL with blockchain technology promises to help companies reduce their document processing times to almost zero, with an instantaneous digital transfer of the bill of lading for their cargo. Document handling is automated, and goods delivered more quickly and efficiently. The trial resulted in a significant reduction in the administrative process of transferring the title deed – from five to seven days to just one second.

Hupco, a major importer in Singapore of mandarin oranges for the upcoming Lunar New Year, took part in the e-BL trial as the consignee of 3,000 cartons of mandarin oranges (approximately 108,000 mandarin oranges). As a symbol of prosperity, mandarin oranges are a common sight during the Lunar New Year in Asia, with people exchanging them as greeting gifts and eating them during the festive celebrations.

Companies shipping perishable items like these mandarin oranges benefit from faster document processing and expedited cargo clearing for delivery, says PIL. This shortens the overall shipping time – reducing potential risks for retailers and providing fresher options to consumers. For this trial, the consignee (Hupco) benefited from collecting their goods faster with the immediate receipt of the electronic Bill of Lading. They also benefited from lower operating costs such as electricity costs and greater security by helping prevent document fraud, which comprises 40 percent of all maritime fraud.

The live trial follows the e-BL Proof of Concept which was announced in October 2018. PIL and IBM collaborated to digitize the lifecycle of negotiable and non-negotiable Bills of Lading on top of distributed ledger technology. The collaboration was supported by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Shipping Association, Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore Customs (National TradePlatform) and Bank of China Limited Singapore Branch.

A similar trial from Singapore to Brunei has taken place for negotiable e-BL with key stakeholders participating including Bank of China Limited Singapore Branch. The negotiable e-BL network establishes an extensible ecosystem which facilitates trade transactions and settlements, as the process of issuing Letter of Credit and Guarantee is enhanced, says PIL.
Source:maritime-executive

Complaint Dismissed in Canada’s Warship Construction Battle

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has dismissed a complaint by Alion, one of the companies that bid on the nation's contract for a series of new warships.

The $60 billion contract is likely to be awarded to Lockheed Martin. It involves the construction of 15 warships and is the largest single government purchase in Canada's history. Lockheed Martin is proposing the Type 26 warship designed by BAE.

Alion complained that BAE’s Type 26 does not meet the mandatory requirements set by the government' request for proposal (RFP) regarding vessel speed and the number of crew berths.

The RFP was released to 12 companies that had been pre-qualified to participate in the procurement by Irving Shipbuilding in October 2016. Irving is the prime contractor for the construction of the 15 warships at its Halifax shipyard.

Alion states that its proposed design, based on a Dutch frigate, met all of the RFP’s requirements. A bid was also received from Navantia/Saab/CEA Technologies with their proposal was based on the Spanish Navy F-105 frigate.

In reaching the decision, the Tribunal referenced motions by Public Services and Procurement Canada and Irving Shipbuilding. Both argue that the Alion does not have standing to bring the complaint before the Tribunal and that the Tribunal does not have jurisdiction to conduct the inquiry.

The new warships will replace Canada’s 12 aging Halifax-class frigates and already-retired Iroquois-class destroyers. The choice of preferred bidder was announced in October last year, and construction of the 150-meter (492-foot) vessels is expected to start in the early 2020s.

The procurement has been the subject of bid-rigging allegations including that a number of amendments were made to the RFP to suit Lockheed Martin's bid. The company's proposed design, whilst under construction for the Royal Navy and selected for the Royal Australian Navy, is seen to be inconsistent with Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy that calls for a proven, off-the-shelf design to cut costs and mitigate risks.

Source:maritime-executive

Sea Hunter Sails to Hawaii Autonomously

By

-

February 4, 2019

0

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)'s Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vessel, Sea Hunter, has become the first ship to successfully autonomously navigate from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and back without crew onboard (except very short duration boardings by personnel from an escort vessel to check electrical and propulsion systems).

The 132-foot trimaran was designed and built by Leidos, and the voyage was part of testing which has been ongoing since 2016. Sea Hunter will continue long duration and mission package testing throughout 2019.

Sea Hunter can shadow diesel-electric submarines for months, without human contact, across thousands of miles of ocean and chase them out of strategic waters, says Leidos. Relatively cheap and virtually silent diesel-electric submarines are challenging to track and are considered one of the key threats to naval and commercial shipping operations. Costing around $200-300 million, they are available to smaller or more volatile nations.

The ONR has already awarded Leidos a potential $43.5 million contract to develop Sea Hunter II, which is currently under construction in Mississippi. The sister ship will be evolved based upon lessons learned during the first Sea Hunter build, evolving mission requirements and further development of autonomy enhancements.

Earlier this year, Leidos was awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command to develop torpedo countermeasure technologies for submarine defense. The single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a two-year base period of performance, three one-year option years and a potential value of approximately $36 million, if all options are exercised.

Leidos will design, build, and test an acoustic device countermeasure (ADC) called the ADC MK5 – a three-inch diameter device launched from submarines to defend against incoming torpedoes. The company will also provide technical and non-recurring engineering services such as software and hardware development. The project is part of the Navy’s Next Generation Countermeasure program to replace existing ADC MK3 systems with newer technologies. Work will be performed in Washington, Northern Virginia, Ohio, California and Florida.

Source:maritime-executive

Colombo Port to get pilot boats: USD 3.12 mn investment for greater efficiency

By

-

February 2, 2019

0

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) will sign an agreement with Colombo Dockyard PLC to build two pilot boats for Colombo Port enabling it to handle a greater volume of activities with more efficiency.

A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. The Colombo Port currently has four pilot boats and the fleet was last upgraded in 2007.

Colombo Port has become busier over the years and its infrastructure needs to be developed allowing it become more competitive on a global scale.

The two new pilot boats will be faster than other boats in the fleet and will be better equipped to handle modern ships that frequently visit the country’s busiest port. We, therefore, think it will be a much-needed investment for the future, Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said.

The SLPA will sign an agreement with Colombo Dockyard PLC to build the two pilot boats and deliver them in 10 months. “The contractor was selected through a Cabinet approved procurement process. The SLPA will invest USD 3.12 million in new pilot boards,” the Minister explained.

The Minister expressed confidence that the Colombo Port would use the two pilot boats from December 01. “Colombo Port is the lifeline of the country’s economy. It is important to make the right type of investments at the right time to ensure that it operates with greater efficiency,” Ratnayaka added.

Source:hellenicshippingnews

Kawasaki Establishes New UK Subsidiary to Produce Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

By

-

February 2, 2019

0

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. today announced the launch in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, of Kawasaki Subsea (UK) Limited, its new subsidiary specializing in the production, sale, and post-sale servicing of AUVs.

With a focus on the growing demand for pipeline maintenance in offshore oil and gas fields, Kawasaki has been developing an AUV equipped with a robot arm for performing subsea pipeline inspections－the world’s first－based on a fusion of submarine technologies and industrial robot technologies fostered in-house over many years.

Kawasaki plans to launch the AUV in fiscal 2020. Prior to that, the company intends to increase its market presence and construct a business network through the new company, which is strategically located in Aberdeen－a hub city for North Sea oil and gas businesses.

Scotland is a global leader in offshore development, innovating subsea technologies for offshore oil and gas development. Following the establishment of this local subsidiary of the company, Scottish Economy Secretary Mr. Derek Mackay stated “I am delighted to welcome Kawasaki Heavy Industries who set up an office in Aberdeen. There have been a number of joint subsea projects between Scotland and Japan, and I am confident that Kawasaki Heavy Industries will play a leading role in this two-nation relationship in the subsea industry,” expressing his strong expectations for Kawasaki’s AUVs.

As further growth is expected in the AUV market, Kawasaki will aggressively pursue business expansion in this sector by developing high-quality, high-performance products, improving levels of customer satisfaction for its post-sale services, and enhancing customer engagement. Kawasaki also intends to launch operations and maintenance services businesses using AUVs in the future, and to apply the AUV to areas other than pipeline inspections.

Source:kawasaki

Incident on board APL Vancouver

By

-

February 1, 2019

0

APL, operator of the container vessel APL Vancouver (115,060 dwt, built 2013) reports that a fire broke out in one of the cargo holds whilst the vessel was on passage from Shekou to Singapore on, 31 January at 0430hrs. Emergency response procedures were immediately activated by the APL team.

The operator is in continuous contact with the vessel’s Master and local authorities to coordinate all necessary actions to ensure the fire is safely and promptly extinguished.

The situation is being closely monitored and relevant parties have been informed.