Sarawak Shell Berhad awards McDermott offshore transportation and installation contract

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July 8, 2023

McDermott has been awarded an offshore transportation and installation contract from Sarawak Shell Berhad (SSB), for the F22, F27 and Selasih fields (FaS) pipelay and heavy lift project off the coast of Sarawak in East Malaysia.

McDermott will provide pre-commissioning works on all infield pipelines and perform the structural installation of three jackets and topsides.

“This is the fourth project we are executing for Shell under the Subsea and Floating Facilities project portfolio, demonstrating the strength of our long-standing relationship,” said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott’s Senior Vice President, Subsea and Floating Facilities. “To ensure efficient project delivery, we will draw upon the expertise from our Kuala Lumpur center, which supports the global execution of subsea and offshore projects.”

The project management and engineering will be executed in Malaysia, leveraging local expertise. Offshore installation will be performed using the DLV2000, McDermott’s versatile heavy lift and pipelay vessel.

Wärtsilä ANCS selects Fleet Xpress for AHTI floating laboratory

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July 7, 2023

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Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, will connect Wärtsilä ANCS’s new floating laboratory, AHTI, and its shore operations, to support the data exchange for advanced technology testing and the ship’s day to day operations.

Inmarsat Maritime’s award-winning Fleet Xpress connectivity will be packaged with unlimited back-up from FleetBroadband to meet all the demonstrator’s needs.

AHTI uses seamless, high-speed and reliable connectivity to create a seaborne environment where customers can test Wärtsilä ANCS’s own technologies and its technology partners’ solutions, all of which aims to reduce the environmental impact of commercial shipping. Through the programme, Wärtsilä ANCS tests new technologies to offer real-time insights into a vessel’s performance, energy use and the impact on commercial shipping. This provides a safer, faster, and more cost-effective setting for tests than a ship in service while still delivering accurate insights into performance at sea for test centre staff ashore.

Michael Christiansen, Vice President, Wärtsilä ANCS said:

“AHTI reduces time to market by providing a faithful reflection of a technology’s capabilities and limitations on the open water without the risks, red tape and costs that come with full-scale sea trials. As a floating laboratory, the vessel depends on reliable, high-speed connectivity, meaning that Inmarsat’s market-leading VSAT service, Fleet Xpress, is an important addition on board.”

Inmarsat’s Service Provider for the project, DRYNET, is also one of the Wärtsilä ANCS technology partners contributing to AHTI’s operations. The company selected Fleet Xpress and FleetBroadband as the best solution to provide a ‘multi-modal wide-area network’ for the ship.

Holger Ritter, Managing Partner, DRYNET GmbH, said:

“Equipped with Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress with always-on back-up from FleetBroadband, AHTI has the reliability, resilience, and redundancy it requires to remain constantly connected. The multi-modal connectivity package can also handle the vast quantities of data that AHTI generates, providing a strong foundation for applications such as enhanced situational awareness and remote control.”

Scott Middleton, Regional Sales Director, Inmarsat Maritime, said:

“With AHTI, Wärtsilä ANCS has created a means of demonstrating maritime technology that circumvents the usual challenges associated with testing at sea or in shore-based laboratories. We are proud to have been chosen as connectivity partner for a project that promises to accelerate maritime digitalisation, and we are grateful for the support of our long-time collaborator and Inmarsat Service Provider DRYNET.”

RWE, Mitsui and Port of Tilbury investigate green hydrogen

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July 7, 2023

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RWE, Mitsui, and the Port of Tilbury are developing an innovative hydrogen project at the Port of Tilbury in Essex as part of a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for two green hydrogen projects.

Hydrogen has a crucial role to play in helping the UK achieve its 2050 Net Zero ambitions and is an essential component for decarbonising different industrial sectors. Through the MoU, the organisations will complete two parallel work streams:

A small scale ‘proof of concept’ demonstrator project to produce green hydrogen for decarbonising items of port equipment by switching from fossil fuels to hydrogen.
An initial study into a 10 megawatt green hydrogen plant. The facility will be developed on Port of Tilbury land previously housing a coal-fired power station, transforming an area historically associated with fossil fuel power generation to green hydrogen production, at the heart of the Thames Freeport. The project will also look at options to scale up development over a ten year period upwards of 100 megawatts.

Dehenna Davison MP, Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, commented:

“This project is another great example of Freeports driving the UK’s shift to a dynamic, low-carbon economy by developing the industries of the future. This will bring great local opportunities by creating exciting new careers for people, demonstrating one of the many reasons why Freeports are at the core of our levelling up agenda.”

Peter Ward, Commercial Director at the Port of Tilbury and Thames Freeport lead, said:

“This is an important opportunity to support the Port of Tilbury’s commitment to achieving Net Zero for our customers. Our business has set out our ambition to be carbon neutral by 2032 and Net Zero by 2042 by investing in the infrastructure in the ports. As part of Thames Freeport, our MoU with RWE and Mitsui to develop a new hydrogen plant at the Port of Tilbury will help accelerate the UK’s path to a decarbonised economy and support our vision for low carbon logistics.”

Steve Boughton, RWE Director Hydrogen Development, said:

“Hydrogen is a key component of the energy transition and we want to play a leading role in this, aiming to develop 2GW of capacity by 2030. This collaboration with Mitsui and the Port of Tilbury is for an innovative project combing production and industrial customer use with potential fuel switching of port equipment.”

“Hydrogen will play an essential role in the pathway to net zero, particularly in hard to decarbonise industry. We are committed to playing a full part in the delivery of this emerging technology in the UK, and at the same time creating skilled green jobs.”

Shinya Umehara, General Manager Hydrogen Solutions Business Division, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.:

“Mitsui has set a target of achieving net zero-emissions status by 2050 and aims to halve its greenhouse gas (GHG) impact by 2030, compared with the level for the fiscal year ended March 2020.”

“Hydrogen is one of the areas identified for Mitsui’s key strategic initiatives as stated in the Medium-term Management Plan 2026. Through this project, Mitsui is looking forward to playing an important role in the realisation of the UK’s hydrogen strategy in collaboration with the Port of Tilbury and RWE.”

NYK completes vessel dismantling in Bangladesh

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July 7, 2023

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The NYK Group is the first Japanese shipping company to complete dismantling at the yard, meeting ship recycling regulations specified in the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 commonly known as the Hong Kong Convention.

The facility is operated by PHP Ship Breaking and Recycling Industries Ltd., which meets the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention and has been certified by NYK.

To confirm adherence to these standards, the NYK Group dispatched supervisors and seafarers to monitor the prevention of environmental pollution and industrial accidents. Following the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs),3 the NYK Group confirmed that human rights were thoroughly respected through human rights due diligence4 conducted by a third party.

Ship-recycling yards are mainly located in developing countries such as India and Bangladesh, and some of those yards have received international attention for needing to adopt proper measures to prevent environmental pollution and industrial accidents. Bangladesh’s ratification of the Hong Kong Convention on 26 June paved the way for the treaty’s entry into force two years later on 26 June 2025. In the meantime, international society is expected to step forward to address issues at ship-recycling yards.

NYK has actively worked to improve antipollution measures and safety controls in the ship-recycling industry by participating in the Japanese government’s monitoring committee for Bangladesh yards. On July 3, NYK newly certified two ship-recycling yards in Bangladesh that meet the company’s standards. To realize a sustainable society and environment, the NYK Group will continue to promote ship recycling at yards that meet the standards of the company and the Hong Kong Convention.

Successful installation of SpaceX’s Starlink on the first ships of the AIDA fleet

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July 7, 2023

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By October 2023, all ships in the AIDA fleet will be equipped with SpaceX’s innovative Starlink broadband service.

“Our project team has already equipped three ships in the AIDA fleet with Starlink antennas and the field test has been very convincing. Guests and crew appreciate the faster internet connections and enjoy the more comfortable web surfing. Digital work on board is also made easier. We are very much looking forward to offering this new standard on all ships very soon,” reports Steffi Heinicke, Senior Vice President Guest Experience & OBR.

On AIDAblu, AIDAbella and AIDAstella, guests can already benefit from a Starlink special offer with increased data volumes in the Internet packages from mid-July. With the special introductory offer “Starlink Special”, the Internet packages L, XL and XXL can be purchased at the usual price with twice the volume. The volume is doubled automatically for packages that have already been booked. Parents of kids and teens can look forward to a 50% discount when booking the social media flat rate “Fifty” on the myAIDA service portal.

The connection of the fleet to the new broadband connection that AIDA makes possible, is a significant benefit for their crew. This milestone improves communication to AIDA shore colleagues and thus intensifies cooperation. The lived AIDA culture becomes even more alive as a result. By increasing the data volume, each individual crew member benefits in terms of private use. The regular exchange with family and friends gives employees a feeling of being at home at sea. Their shared moments from life and work on board on their own social media channels offer individual insights into the diverse AIDA job worlds.

The fleet rollout of Starlink within Carnival Corporation started in December 2022 with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships. Thanks to the exemplary and dedicated work of the AIDA project team, the fleet-wide connection to Space X’s Starlink low earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology and associated IT infrastructure will be completed on AIDA ships ahead of schedule, by mid-October 2023.

In the future, AIDA guests and crew members will have access to a reliable, fast and even more affordable Internet connection in all AIDA destinations through a combination of different technologies, services and broadband connections. This opens up completely new possibilities for travelers who cannot do without the Internet or who want to stay in touch with friends and family and share their travel experiences.

Cadeler pushes into Polish offshore wind market

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July 6, 2023

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The overall project will begin in 2024 and marks Cadeler’s entry into a new and expanding offshore market.

Cadeler has signed a firm contract with Baltic Power to execute the transportation and installation of the full scope of 76 offshore wind turbines at the Baltic Power offshore wind farm. The overall project will start in 2024 and the WTG installation in 2025.

The contract has a value of between 68-85 million EUR and is the final confirmation of a reservation agreement from July 2022 by Cadeler and Baltic Power, a joint venture project of ORLEN and Northland Power Inc. Vestas will provide the turbines and it will be one of the first times the new V236-15.0 MW model will be used on a commercial scale. When the wind farm is completed in 2026, it will have a capacity of up to 1.2 GW of renewable energy.

For this project, Cadeler will make use of one of the two O-class installation vessels, which by the time of the project execution will feature a new and upgraded crane with a lifting capacity of 1,600 metric tons at a radius of 40 metres.

The project is the first time Cadeler will operate in the Polish market, entering a brand-new market with ambitious plans for offshore wind.

The wind farm will be situated in the Baltic Sea, 23 kilometres North of the Polish coast, near Łeba. It will spread across more than 130 square kilometres.

Rolls-Royce acquires yacht bridge and automation specialist Team Italia

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July 6, 2023

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Rolls-Royce has acquired Team Italia/Onyx Marine, the Italian group specializing in yacht bridges and marine automation.

Team Italia, established in 2000, designs and develops integrated bridges and marine navigation and automation systems – mainly for Italian yacht builders and shipyards positioned prominently on the global yacht market.

Denise Kurtulus, Vice President Marine in the Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, said:

“This acquisition is the next logical step on our way to becoming a provider of integrated solutions for the yacht industry. Our products complement each other perfectly, and with this step we expand our solutions portfolio significantly to enhance our market position and create further benefits for our customers.”

Massimo Minnella, Managing Director of Team Italia, said:

“We strongly believe that in order to implement a structured expansion and maintain the high level of continuity and growth that will secure the future of our company, we need an excellent partner and marine expert like Rolls-Royce Power Systems at our side. We see excellent prospects for reaping benefits together in the global luxury yacht market.”

With the new name Team Italia Marine s.r.l., the company continues to operate in the Italian cities of Fano, Livorno and Forlì. Its workforce of almost 60 employees including all managers and key personal will be taken over by Rolls-Royce, as Massimo Minnella will keep the role as Managing Director and Daniele Ceccanti as Technical Director. They will be supported by Nicola Camuffo, head of the Rolls-Royce mtu Yacht Competence Centre in La Spezia.

Ørsted and ESVAGT sign second contract for methanol-powered vessel

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July 6, 2023

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Ørsted and ESVAGT have signed an agreement for a sister vessel to the world’s first methanol-powered service operation vessel (SOV), which was announced in 2022, further deepening the companies’ commitment to reducing carbon emissions from the offshore wind supply chain.

The SOV will be ready for launch in 2026, where it will operate out of Ørsted’s UK East Coast Hub on a 10-year contract.

The new SOV will be powered by dual fuel engines, capable of sailing on renewable e-methanol produced from renewable energy and biogenic carbon, which will lead to a yearly carbon emissions reduction of approx. 4,500 tonnes. Ørsted has established itself as a pioneer in the field of green maritime fuels by taking Europe’s largest final investment decision on a renewable e-methanol facility, FlagshipONE in Sweden, and Ørsted expects to supply its own methanol for both of the SOVs. Several other maritime companies have placed orders on methanol-powered vessels, demonstrating that the demand for green fuels is materialising rapidly.

An offshore wind farm already has 99 % lower emissions than a coal-fired power station seen over the entire lifetime of the asset, including production, construction, and installation. Ørsted targets to become carbon-neutral in its energy generation and own operations by 2025, and the additional, second green fuel SOV will build on that, as Ørsted works towards its science-based target of reaching net-zero emissions across the full value chain by 2040.

The SOV is designed for comfort and high workability, providing a highly efficient workspace and safe transfer of technicians at the wind farm via a motion-compensated gangway and transfer boats as well as a crane for lifting heavy spare parts. As a floating home, it also offers recreational activities for the on-board crew and technicians, including fitness facilities, a game room, a cinema, and individual accommodation. The SOV is also equipped with a helipad for fast access and transfers to and from shore.

Ship fact sheet:

Length overall: 93.00 m
Breadth: 19.60 m
Maximum draught: 6.50 m
Speed: approx. 14 knots
Accommodation; 124 persons
Helideck: Diameter=18m/9T

Jan De Nul and Hellenic Cables provide offshore connections

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July 5, 2023

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Jan De Nul Group, in partnership with Hellenic Cables, has been awarded by TenneT the turnkey delivery of three HVAC offshore grid connection cables for the offshore wind farms to be developed in zones N-3.7 & N-3.8 in Germany.

These cables will connect the wind farms to the DolWin kappa convertor station, from which HVDC cables transfer the produced energy to shore.

The turnkey contract, with delivery foreseen in 2026, consists of three 155 kV HVAC grid connection cables. A single cable is installed between zone N-3.7 and the DolWin kappa convertor covering a length of 16.5 km. The N-3.8 zone on the other hand, will be connected to the convertor station by two cables, each with a length of approximately 10 km. Hellenic Cables will design and manufacture all cables, after which Jan De Nul will perform the transportation, laying, and protection works.

Wouter Vermeersch, Manager Offshore Cables at Jan De Nul Group:

“We are honoured that TenneT selected Jan De Nul together with our partner Hellenic Cables to deliver the grid connection cables for these two future German wind farms. The project has a large similarity with the export cable projects Trianel Windpark Borkum II and Borkum Riffgrund II that Jan De Nul and Hellenic have delivered to TenneT back in 2018. Following the recent completion of the export cable installation scope for TenneT’s Hollandse Kust Noord and West Alpha projects and TenneT’s recent award to Jan De Nul of a German 525 kV cable system portfolio, we look forward to yet another successful collaboration.”

Kostas Savvakis, General Manager at Hellenic Cables:

“This collaboration exemplifies the power of strategic partnerships in driving the energy transition and advancing sustainable solutions. We look forward to working closely with Jan De Nul Group and TenneT to successfully execute this project, contributing to the growth of offshore wind energy. We remain committed to delivering innovative solutions that support the global shift towards clean, renewable energy sources and strengthens Germany’s security of supply.”

Tasmania shows potential for green hydrogen exports to Rotterdam, says study

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July 5, 2023

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In Tasmania, much electricity can be produced from wind, a bit of solar and balancing with hydroelectric power, leading to one of the lowest costs for the production of green hydrogen in the world. The cost of transportation over a longer distance is relatively small and not a limiting factor.

The Tasmanian government and the Port of Rotterdam signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2021 to assess the feasibility of exporting green hydrogen to Rotterdam. Since then officials from the Tasmanian government and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have been working together intensely to study the potential supplychain to export green hydrogen to Rotterdam from Tasmania. One of the conclusions of the study was that the distance from the Tasmanian port of Bell Bay to Rotterdam is not a limiting factor.

The cost of overseas transportation is canceled out by the relatively low cost of producing green hydrogen in Tasmania where wind and hydroelectric power are abundant. There are good opportunities for large-scale off-shore wind farms in the Bass straight, north of Tasmania, where the country can benefit from the Dutch knowledge and experience in that sector. The market opportunities are also favorable; demand for green hydrogen will continue to grow rapidly in Northwest Europe for the industry to achieve its CO2 reduction targets.

It is important that the Tasmanian government takes a leading role in further developing the necessary infrastructure and scaling up green power and hydrogen production; first of all to meet the local demand and then for exports. Close cooperation with Europe is critical where regulation and certification are concerned for exporting to Europe.