Seizure of Ukrainian ships by Russia: this case came to Hague Tribunal

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September 30, 2021

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has announced this on Twitter.

In November 2018, 24 Ukrainian sailors and ships of the Ukrainian Navy “Berdyansk”, “Nikopol” and “Yana Kapa” were seized by Russia in the Kerch Strait region.

Kuleba wrote:

“The case is very important for Ukraine. We prove the illegality of the behaviour of the Russian Federation against our state, the illegality of the detention and holding of Ukrainian warships and the unlawful trial against our sailors, who spent 9 months in a Russian prison.”

According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this case is also of decisive importance for the world, since Ukraine proves with facts and legal positions that, following international maritime law, the absolute immunity of warships is a fundamental principle and all countries are obliged to observe it or will be punished.

Kuleba summed up:

“I am sure that Russia will be held accountable in our claim, no matter how long it takes. The effective work of the Foreign Ministry in international courts is an instrument for establishing justice and another lever of pressure on Moscow.”

The press service of the court said that the hearings will be held in a hybrid format, with some members of the parties’ delegations and some members of the arbitral tribunal joining in person, and some via videoconference.

The hearings will last four days and will be held in two rounds. Ukraine will present its oral arguments to the court on October 12 and 15, and Russia on October 11 and 14.

If necessary, an additional hearing will take place on Saturday 16 October.

On November 25, 2018, the Russian Federation attacked and seized three ships of the Ukrainian Navy near the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea. On May 25, 2019, the UN Maritime Tribunal ordered the Kremlin to release them immediately. The crew was released in September 2019 for exchange. On November 17, ships began to withdraw from Kerch, later a video appeared as they pass under the arches of the Crimean bridge. On the 19th they were handed over to Ukraine in a “ditched” state.

Source: LIGA

Wärtsilä awarded marine sector commercial certification for EU Stage V compliance

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September 30, 2021

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The Stage V legislation, which came into force in 2020, tightens restrictions on non-road engines and equipment, and sets stricter limits on emissions, especially particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The certification applies to the total solution, including the Wärtsilä 14 engine and exhaust after-treatment system, and was received by Wärtsilä in September, 2021.

Stage V certification is required for engines powering the European inland waterways vessels, which together comprise a fleet of approximately 17,500 ships. The first deliveries of the certified Wärtsilä 14 engine will be for two new passenger ferries being built for the Swiss company General Navigation Company (CGN) by Shiptec AG. The ferries will operate between Switzerland and France across Lake Geneva, with the first vessel expected to commence operations in December 2022.

Johan Penninga, Account Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power, says:

“This certification is an important step in Wärtsilä’s commitment to promoting greater environmental sustainability for shipping, and to achieving a decarbonised maritime sector. The fact that the Wärtsilä 14 marine engine has been so recognised is clear evidence of the technical developments achieved in support of these commitments.”

In addition to the Wärtsilä 14 engine itself, the key technology element is the new high-speed engine version of Wärtsilä’s NOx Reducer (NOR) system, which utilises selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). The system was shown to have successfully demonstrated all required performance and functionality features by TÛV Nord, the official technical services provider. Final type approval was issued by Generaldirektion Wasserstrassen und Schiffahrt (GDWS).

Keppel completes construction of offshore wind substations for Ørsted

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September 30, 2021

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The detailed engineering, procurement, and construction for the two unmanned offshore wind farm 600MW substations, which comprise the topside modules and jacket foundations, was completed with a perfect safety record.

The topside modules, which have a combined weight of more than 8000MT, are expected to sail away in late October 2021 to be integrated with the jacket foundations on site standing in the Taiwan Straits. Keppel O&M completed the construction of the jacket foundations earlier in Q2 2021 and will be undertaking the integration work for the offshore substations. When operational, the Greater Changhua 1 & 2a will be Taiwan’s first far shore and large-scale offshore wind farms.

Mr Chris Ong, CEO of Keppel O&M, said:

“Working in close collaboration with Ørsted, we were able to devise win-win solutions to work around the constraints caused by the pandemic to ensure the safe completion of the project. This is the seventh major project completed by Keppel O&M this year and is testament to our engineering expertise, execution excellence and how we have adapted our operations to manage the challenges posed by COVID-19.

“Keppel O&M’s pivot to renewables has gained traction, with S$1.3 billion worth of offshore wind projects secured over the past three years. We have the capabilities to develop solutions across the value chain of offshore renewables as well as undertake the R&D of other decarbonisation solutions such as hydrogen, ammonia, and electrification. This is in line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, which has put sustainability at the core of the Company’s strategy.”

After integration of the topside modules onto the jacket foundations, Keppel O&M will conduct testing of the substation systems within its scope.

Expected to withstand the sea and extreme weather conditions at the site, the offshore substations will distribute the energy generated from the offshore wind farm to the onshore substation via subsea cables.

Located 35-50 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County, the Changhua 1 & 2a Offshore Wind Farms will supply around 1 million households in Taiwan with green power. Taiwan recently announced plans to install 15GW of new capacity in offshore wind for the ten-year period between 2026 and 2035.

ONE to launch the first dedicated Korea and Central/South China to Straits service

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September 30, 2021

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Ocean Network Express (ONE) is pleased to unveil a new addition to their offered services, connecting Korea and Central/South China to Straits.

The new weekly Korea – China – Straits (KCS) Service, launching on the 30th October from Pusan, will enhance the coverage of the Intra Asia market, bringing more options and greater flexibility to ONE’s valued customers.

This is ONE’s very first dedicated Korea and Central/South China to Straits service which provides a competitve transit time from port to port. The unique selling proposition of this service is the Pasir Gudang call and customers can now take advantage of shipping from Pasir Gudang to Laem Chabang, a direct service in the market.

KCS service rotation is as follows:

Pusan – Shanghai – Xiamen – Singapore – Port Kelang – Pasir Gudang – Laem Chabang – Shekou – Pusan

Spliethoff Group selects Hanseaticsoft’s Cloud Fleet Manager

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September 30, 2021

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Spliethoff Group has selected the ship management system Cloud Fleet Manager (CFM) to manage their vessels and tasks and is currently implementing the complete portfolio of solutions. The system is provided by German software company Hanseaticsoft and will be used to further increase the digitalisation of processes and to automate workflows.

The new system will be initially rolled-out to manage 80 of the company’s ships with more planned to follow the successful initial launch.

With over a century of maritime expertise behind it, the Amsterdam-headquartered Group operates a large and modern fleet of 100+ vessels and offers a broad portfolio of specialised services. Sectors include, among others, dry cargo, breakbulk & project cargo as well as container & Ro-Ro cargo. A dedicated team of professionals is committed to making sure all cargoes are handled safely and efficiently.

Spliethoff Group chose CFM since it seamlessly fits into the company’s technology stack and both teams share a joint vision of the technical and functional aspects of a work-saving management solution.

Alexander Buchmann, CEO of Hanseaticsoft comments:

“We are very happy that Spliethoff Group has selected our system to digitalise and automate their processes. With 2021 marking its 100-year anniversary, we feel proud to provide our product to such a well-established player in the maritime industry. Being able to automate workflows and gain detailed insights into the efficiency of processes and departments lets companies free up time to focus on business-critical decisions and to enhance productivity in a sustainable way. With this decision, Spliethoff Group highlights its commitment to be on the forefront of shipping once again.”

Rolls-Royce supplies mtu solutions for digital service on the Avemar Dos ferry

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September 30, 2021

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Rolls-Royce’s new mtu engines, new mtu ship automation system, and new mtu Go! tool for remote service have well and truly future-proofed the high-speed catamaran Avemar Dos run by Spanish operator Balearia.

Four new-generation mtu 20V1163 M84 units replaced the previous 1163 units, taking the vessel to a new level of ecological soundess. Fuel consumption – and with it CO2 emissions – are 8% lower than with the previous propulsion system. Furthermore, the new Series 1163 units deliver the same power output, but with a 33% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions, thereby meeting the requirements of the IMO Tier II emissions standard.

The ferry’s automation system has also been renewed: the mtu ship automation not only controls and monitors engines and gearboxes, but numerous other crucial ship systems such as fuel tanks and on-board generator sets. That means that the crew can benefit from an all-round view of the ferry. The new ship automation system brings not only new software, but new screens and computers with interfaces to other systems on board. The digital platform mtu Go! puts the finishing touch to the ferry’s all-round update, allowing the customer to remotely access the vessel’s operating data at any time, monitor its condition and predictively plan maintenance.

Pablo Vivancos, Sales General Manager at Rolls-Royce Solutions Iberica, said:

“The Avemar Dos is now the fourth Balearia ferry to be powered by mtu. Several of these ferries are supported by mtu Value Care maintenance agreements, individually tailored to suit each vessel. We’re very proud to be Balearia’s trusted partner.”

The Avemar Dos catamaran was built in 1996 by the Austal shipyard in Australia. It went into service in 1997 and following several changes of owner was taken over by ferry operator Balearia in 2008. It originally served the Strait of Gibraltar route between Algeciras and Ceuta. Now the new repowered ferry plies beween the mainland port of Denia and the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Majorca. The 82-m ferry can accommodate 855 passengers and 174 vehicles.

Besides the Avemar Dos, the Ramon Lull high-speed ferry was recently re-powered using mtu engines – in this case Series 4000 units. Other high-speed ferries, like Nixe and HSC Formentera Direct, have used mtu propulsion ever since going into service.

TotalEnergies, GIG and RIDG reveal west of Orkney ScotWind bid in Scotland

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September 30, 2021

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A consortium of TotalEnergies, Macquarie’s Green Investment Group and Scottish developer RIDG has announced their bid for an offshore wind project in an area west of the Orkney Islands. The two-gigawatt proposal – named the West of Orkney Windfarm – has the potential to power more than two million homes and is currently being assessed by the Crown Estate Scotland as part of the ScotWind leasing round.

The bid is the culmination of five years of engagement between the consortium and stakeholders in Caithness and Orkney, which includes Memorandums of Understanding with Orkney Harbour Authority and Scrabster Harbour Trust to enhance port infrastructure and position the area competitively to support offshore wind projects in the future.

An exclusive Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed with the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney (EMEC), formalising a long-standing relationship in technical innovation and environmental data collection, building on EMEC’s unique marine energy research and development facilities and expertise.

Edward Northam, Head of GIG Europe, said:

“Scotland has been a pioneer in the deployment of renewable electricity – and now, through projects to be delivered via ScotWind, we believe it could play a role in showcasing a deep and economy wide energy transition. By working with local partners, we can ensure that we create sustainable, long-term jobs in Caithness and Orkney as part of this transition to a net zero economy.”

Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President Renewables at TotalEnergies, said:

“TotalEnergies is delighted to participate in this tender alongside GIG and RIDG. We will provide our resources and expertise in offshore operations and maintenance to ensure the success of this project in close collaboration with the local community and industry which we aim to strengthen. Our participation in the tender is an illustration of our commitment to support Scotland in its energy transition towards its Net Zero target by 2045. If awarded, this project will contribute to our goal of reaching 100 GW of renewable generation capacity by 2030.”

Mike Hay, Director of Scottish developer RIDG, said:

“RIDG first put the West of Orkney Windfarm on the map back in 2016; since then, we’ve been working closely with local stakeholders to ensure any project we bring forward delivers for the local economy. We were therefore delighted to submit our bid as part of a consortium designed specifically around this location, and particularly excited to do this with the support of so many local businesses, who will be vital for successful project delivery.”

The consortium has undertaken extensive site investigations, including birds, marine mammals and near-shore geophysical surveys, and has finalised a grid connection agreement with National Grid that will enable the project to commence generation in 2029.

Fleet Xpress offers Navigazione Montanari the route to its digital destination

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September 30, 2021

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Inmarsat is enabling an acceleration in the digitalisation plans of long-term client Navigazione Montanari, after agreement for the chemical and crude oil tanker owner to extend its use of Fleet Xpress to its entire fleet.

The new agreement renews and extends Navmont’s use of Fleet Xpress services across 13 ships and envisages the transfer of five more tankers from competitor services to Inmarsat’s maritime broadband services by the end of 2021. The full scope of the agreement also covers Fleet Secure Endpoint cyber security protection, Fleet Care preventative maintenance and support and Inmarsat’s Fleet Data IoT platform.

Giovanni Campanelli, ICT Manager, Navigazione Montanari, said:

“We have chosen to expand the use of Fleet Xpress based on our experience of the hybrid Ka-band and L-band service across 13 ships, previously having used Ku-band services from another supplier on our other ships. Everything changed in the maritime market after Inmarsat launched Ka-band services 4 to 5 years ago. It has brought the stability, reliability and satellite availability we need to synchronise between ship and shoreside. The service also keeps crews connected to the internet as well as with friends and family at home. Ka-band also offers the throughput speeds to update software fleetwide as part of day-to-day operations.”

Campanelli added:

“The ability of Inmarsat’s Fleet Secure Endpoint to offer cyber protection and the reporting needed to support full compliance with IMO 2021 Safety Management System risk assessments for ships has been influential in the move to extend arrangements with Inmarsat. The solution protects all computers on board, isolates any issues so they can be resolved, provides cyber security training dimension for crews and offers the reporting capability required by inspectors.”

Navmont will maintain separate bandwidth channels for vessel management and crew connectivity with the agreement offering the flexibility to adjust business data use on request.

Campanelli observed:

“Through 2020-2021, Flag States, Port State Control and Class had increasingly used connected mobile devices for remote vessel inspections, in a change of operational culture that would have been hard to believe only five years ago. Now, in addition, we are embarking with Fleet Data and look forward to using the power of analytics and reporting to benchmark vessel performance and find ways to enhancing equipment and handling system efficiencies on board.”

Navmont also becomes one of the first Inmarsat clients to adopt Fleet Care service maintenance support for Fleet Xpress. Fleet Care replaces annual maintenance agreements with a service offering support from Inmarsat engineers at ports worldwide without incurring hourly charges.

Gert-Jan Panken, Vice President Maritime, Inmarsat, said:

“Inmarsat clients are increasingly seeking to accelerate their plans for digitalisation and the collaborative relationship between Navigazione Montanari and Inmarsat has always allowed for proactive dialogue at any time in the contract period. After a full review of options on performance and its evolving digital needs, we are delighted that Navmont has decided to go full steam ahead with Fleet Xpress, Fleet Secure Endpoint, Fleet Care and Fleet Data. We look forward to supporting the next steps in its digital journey.”

Five UK businesses achieve Fit for Offshore Renewables Granted Status

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September 30, 2021

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KRG Specialist Engineering Services from the Scottish pilot programme and EnerMech, Proeon Systems, Stowen Clean Energy Ltd and TECOSIM Simulation Ltd, all part of the New Anglia cohort, have proven that they have the necessary business acumen and the know-how to apply their knowledge of the sector to target key corners of the market, and boost their chances of winning business in the growing global offshore renewables industry.

Achieving ‘Granted’ status as part of the business improvement and supply chain growth programme means these companies will now be in a better position to access new opportunities to engage with major industry stakeholders and potential future customers.

This brings the total number of companies ‘Granted’ under the scheme to 15, with another 43 companies being supported through F4OR programmes in Scotland, North East England, Norfolk and Suffolk, with a new cohort set to be recruited in North East Scotland. Previous ‘Granted’ companies have gone on to win major contracts in offshore renewables with companies such as Total and Steisdal Offshore.

Andrew Stormonth-Darling, ORE Catapult’s F4OR Programme Manager said:

“It’s a pleasure to see another set of impressive companies join the ever-growing community of those with F4OR granted status. Over the last 12 months, these companies have benefitted from being part of a cohort, increasing their industry engagement, growing their confidence, raising their profile and their market awareness. They have developed new relationships, technologies, capabilities and experiences, adding value to the UK supply chain. Completing the programme also ensures that the positive culture of continuous improvement is embedded and sustained long term.”

Developed with input from the offshore renewables industry and based on the successful Fit 4 Nuclear Programme, ORE Catapult developed the F4OR business improvement programme in collaboration with HVM Catapult’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, with the aim of developing an increasingly competent, capable and competitive UK offshore renewable energy supply chain to ensure a strong representation of UK content in domestic projects, as well as supporting a vibrant export market.

The F4OR programme offers the opportunity for offshore wind developers to engage, contribute to and benefit from an initiative that encourages and supports improved supply chain performance. F4OR provides additional industry engagement opportunities for those already in the industry and promotes the cross-sector transfer of technologies.

Silverstream to install its air lubrication technology on Carnival’s vessel

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September 30, 2021

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Clean technology company Silverstream Technologies has today announced that it has secured an order from Meyer Werft Shipyard to install its air lubrication technology, the Silverstream® System, on a new Carnival Corporation Excel-class cruise ship, currently known as hull S717.

The Silverstream® System uses a series of air release units (ARUs) in the flat bottom of a vessel to generate a rigid carpet of microbubbles that travel the full length of the hull. The technology will be installed during S717’s construction, with Meyer Werft manufacturing the ARUs to Silverstream specifications.

Once installed, the Silverstream® System will generate net fuel and emissions savings of more than 5%. The 344m vessel will be operated by Carnival Cruise Line when it is delivered in 2023. Like other vessels in its class, the newbuild will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), paving the way for the next generation of low carbon passenger vessels.

The news follows the order and ongoing installation of the Silverstream® System on P&O Cruises’ vessel Arvia, also an Excel-class vessel, which is currently under construction at Meyer Werft shipyard.

Today’s announcement marks yet another step in Silverstream’s relationship with Carnival Corporation, which started in 2017 with the installation of its technology on the Princess Cruises vessel Diamond Princess. The independent verification of the performance of the Silverstream® System on this vessel – over 5% net fuel and emissions savings – as verified by class society Lloyd’s Register laid the groundwork for more installations.

The repeat order from Carnival Corporation for the Silverstream® System on its next-generation passenger vessels therefore reflects Carnival’s confidence in Silverstream’s technology as an effective lifecycle efficiency solution, as well as its forward-thinking approach to carbon reduction.

Noah Silberschmidt, CEO, Silverstream Technologies, said:

“These powerful savings, combined with our System’s high reliability, availability and low maintenance, means that we have become a critical part of Carnival’s sustainability roadmap. We are continuing to work with Carnival to jointly identify further opportunities to install our technology across its current and planned fleet.”

Ben Clement, Senior Vice President, Newbuilds, Refurbishments & Product Innovation, Carnival Cruise Line, said:

“The addition of the Silverstream® System on Carnival Cruise Line’s third Excel-class ship will ensure that this vision continues to become a reality. Following the impressive fuel and emission savings on Diamond Princess, and subsequent orders of the System, we value our relationship with Silverstream and are excited to explore more opportunities to champion clean technologies in the future.”

Stephan Schmees, Executive Board Member, Project Management Ships & Quality, Meyer Werft, said:

“As one of the largest builders of luxury passenger vessels, we are excited to once again work with Silverstream and Carnival Corporation to deliver an efficient and environmentally superior vessel design. Carnival took the decision to add ALS to S717 quite late in the build process, so the fact we have been able to accommodate this change at short notice reflects our strong, dynamic relationship and the flexibility of the Silverstream team. We strive for high quality, expert engineering, and proven clean technologies, such as the Silverstream® System, help us achieve this.”