exactEarth to provide Advanced AIS services for MDA’s Dark Vessel Detection Program

By

-

March 4, 2021

exactEarth Ltd. announces that it has signed an agreement with MDA to provide advanced Satellite-AIS data services as part of MDA’s recently announced Dark Vessel Detection (“DVD”) program for the Government of Canada.

The DVD program is intended to detect and identify vessels that have switched off their AIS transponders and are engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (“IUU”) fishing.

IUU fishing is a global problem that results in significant economic loss – estimated at $23 billion per year by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada – and leads to considerable damage to the world’s fishing population and habitat. exactEarth is part of the MDA-led project that is supporting the Government of Canada’s commitment to help deter IUU fishing by using satellite technology to locate so-called “dark targets”, those whose AIS transponders have been switched off. Under the terms of its agreement with MDA, exactEarth will provide advanced global Satellite-AIS data services to support pilot trials of the DVD program.

Peter Mabson, President and CEO of exactEarth, said:

“exactEarth has been working with the global fisheries community for the last ten years and we are very pleased to expand our relationship with MDA and to be a part of this leading-edge project to help the Government of Canada in its important fight against IUU. IUU is a global issue and exactEarth’s advanced Satellite-AIS and small vessel tracking capabilities provide an important and comprehensive real time information source in helping to detect and locate vessels that may be engaged in this type of illegal behaviour.”

Minda Suchan, VP of Geointelligence, MDA, said:

“MDA is pleased to play a critical role in helping the Government of Canada assert its leadership position in the prevention of IUU. Combining exactEarth’s industry-leading Satellite-AIS data with imaging from satellites like RADARSAT-2 is an important part in identifying dark targets and tackling this global challenge. Thanks to the Government of Canada and our partners, these types of vessels are going to have much more difficulty avoiding detection in the future.”

Brightree signs up as new Inmarsat Fleet Connect dedicated bandwidth application provider

By

Chief Editor

-

March 4, 2021

0

Brightree and Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, have signed an agreement for Brightree to join the fast-growing group of certified application providers to offer a dedicated application for Inmarsat’s Fleet Connect service.

Fleet Connect is a dedicated bandwidth service that provides connectivity independent of the ship owners’ primary bandwidth, allowing Application Providers to have an always-on, or on-demand, two-way communication channel to the vessel.

Brightree will use Fleet Connect to offer their Marine Bunker & Fuel Consumption Monitoring application and Remote Engine Monitoring services.

Brightree’s application with a state-of-the-art Coriolis mass flowmeter, to accurately measure marine engine fuel consumption and bunkering transfer, and their Dandelion cloud-based remote controller transmits real-time consumption data over Fleet Connect, to assist and achieve fuel efficiency.

Remote Engine Monitoring is performed via its Dandelion service to the engine’s electronic digital interface, transmitting data in real-time via the Fleet Connect dedicated bandwidth. This creates a data repository, allowing for performance trend analysis to be achieved, and sent either on a fixed interval or on-demand from the on-shore office. A mismatch in fuel consumption data with engine parameters indicates an abnormal condition or lower engine efficiency, and alerts can be sent using SMS or email. This provides better maintenance scheduling of engines at a lower cost. Brightree also aims to use existing onboard equipment as much as possible to also reduce initial CAPEX.

Kevin Peng, Managing Director at Brightree, said:

“It is a privilege to be working with Inmarsat. We have been seeking a reliable and cost-effective IoT data satellite solution for some time. Fleet Connect is a dedicated bandwidth for IoT data, which comes with high reliability of connectivity and competitive pricing. This is the IoT satellite communication solution that Brightree has been seeking for a long time.”

Marco Cristoforo Camporeale, Head of Digital Solutions, Inmarsat Maritime, said:

“We are delighted to be working with an innovative start-up such as Brightree. The Brightree application gives our customers a transparent and easy way to monitor their engine and fuel efficiency, helping to support the IMO’s target to reduce the industry’s CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030.”

The goal of the collaboration is to digitalise the process of marine fleet management. With engine and fuel consumption data collected in real-time, optimization and predictive maintenance can be achieved, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Agreement for the sale of Hornsea 1 transmission assets

By

Chief Editor

-

March 4, 2021

0

Hornsea 1 Limited, a joint venture owned by Ørsted (50 %) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) (50 %), have announced that it has signed an agreement for the sale of its transmission assets to Diamond Transmission Partners Hornsea One Limited (‘DTP’).

DTP is a partnership between Diamond Transmission Corporation Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation) and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

The transmission assets hold an asset value of GBP 1.175 billion. The assets include the onshore substation, export cables, the offshore reactive compensation substation (RCS), and three offshore substations.

The divestment takes place in accordance with the offshore transmission owner (‘OFTO’) regime. In February 2020, following a competitive tender, Ofgem selected DTP as preferred bidder for the offshore transmission licence for the Hornsea 1 Offshore Wind Farm.

Ørsted will provide DTP with operations and maintenance services for the transmission assets under a long-term agreement.

Hornsea 1 is an offshore wind farm in the UK, located approximately 120 km off the Yorkshire coast. The wind farm consists of 174 Siemens Gamesa 7 MW wind turbines with an overall capacity of 1,218 MW, enough to power more than one million British homes.

Kongsberg Maritime to deliver innovative low-emission LFC for Sølvtrans

By

Chief Editor

-

March 4, 2021

0

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) is delighted to announce that it has signed a NOK 70 million contract with Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft to design and equip a new Live Fish Carrier (LFC) for live fish transportation company Sølvtrans. In support of this and their long-standing collaboration, Sølvtrans has also signed a Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA) with KM for maintenance of their fleet.

The new 5,000m3 LFC will be built to KM’s new NVC 390 design, with a clear focus on reduced emissions and enhanced sustainability. This is reflected by the comprehensive KONGSBERG equipment package, which includes Promas propulsion, generators, thrusters, electrical systems and automation. To date, KM has designed eight LFCs for Sølvtrans, with six previously built or under construction at Myklebust Verft.

With its headquarters in Ålesund on Norway’s west coast, Sølvtrans is the world’s largest LFC company for the transportation of live salmon and trout, with plans to invest up to NOK 7 billion on 18 newbuild vessels by 2025. Sølvtrans has more than 30 years’ experience in the operation of LFCs, pioneering the use of a humane and cost-effective closed system technology for the transportation and handling of live fish which greatly reduces the potential spread of infectious diseases.

Monrad Hide, Sales Director in Ship Design, Kongsberg Maritime, says:

“We greatly appreciate the collaboration we have developed with Sølvtrans and Myklebust. Sølvtrans’ determination to promote humane, environmentally-friendly operation is entirely consistent with KONGSBERG’s mission to incorporate sustainability in everything we do, and this cooperation has had major positive ripple effects in our region.”

The new LTSA comes following a market challenge by Sølvtrans to KM on product life cycle management, account management and quality of service.

Leif Johnny Ulleland, Sales Manager, Aftermarket Sales, Kongsberg Maritime, says:

“These factors are equally as important to Sølvtrans as the investment cost of their new build, and are now included in our new LTSA.”

The LTSA cements Kongsberg Maritime’s position as equipment supplier to the combined fleet of 25 vessels operated by Sølvtrans and Sølvtrans Chile, which can be found plying the waters of Norway, Canada, Scotland, Chile and Tasmania.

Roger Halsebakk, CEO, Sølvtrans, said:

“We are pleased to strengthen and build on our relationship with Kongsberg Maritime, both through commissioning this new LFC and confirming our business link for the future through signing an LTSA. KONGSBERG has been a trusted partner for many years, and we look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that our vessels operate as sustainably, humanely and efficiently as possible.”

Ulleland concludes:

“We have enjoyed a long and close collaboration with Sølvtrans, servicing their vessels and supporting their daily operations. Looking forward, we are now working on improving their dock planning, upgrading their battery options, examining digitalisation opportunities and setting them up for remote access.”

New wood-chip carrier for Hokuetsu Corporation delivered

By

Chief Editor

-

March 4, 2021

0

A new wood-chip carrier for the Hokuetsu Corporation was delivered on March 2 at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Saikai city, Nagasaki, Japan. NYK and Hokuetsu have a long-term contract for this vessel.

The ship has been named “Southern Ace” because the vessel will transport wood chips made from logs that have been confirmed to have been legally obtained through sustainable plantations in the Southern Hemisphere and the ship will continue serve the company in the tradition of wood-chip carrier HOKUETSU ACE II.

This new carrier is an eco-ship that uses approximately 15 percent less fuel compared to conventional wood-chip carriers.

These advancements have been made through improvements to the hull form while maintaining transportation capacity and the use of a larger propeller that improves propulsion. The carrier is also equipped with ladder fins that improve water flow generated at the aft-end of the vessel.

Minesto resumes operations in the Faroe Islands

By

Chief Editor

-

March 4, 2021

0

This includes verification of electricity production together with the utility customer SEV and third-party certifier DNV. Personnel, hardware, and installation vessel have been mobilised and commissioning work is underway.

Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, said:

“We are pleased to be back in action in the Faroes and look forward to push forward providing tidal energy to the Faroese electric grid from the site in Vestmannasund. Scaling up and commercialising the technology is the obvious business focus for Minesto. We are making good progress in realising a proposed 10MW site together with our partner SEV in the Faroe Islands. This work includes important local collaboration to secure long-term cost-effective operating resources.”

In parallel, Minesto is working with the international classification society DNV for third party verification of the power production performance of Minesto’s technology according to international standards. The first phase of this collaboration has been completed.

Martin Edlund said:

“Third party validation of the DG100 system’s electricity production performance is an enabler in strengthening commercial relations and attraction of project funding.”

Successful verification of the DG100 product configuration during the end of 2020, with regards to both functionality and performance, has during the last months enabled design freeze and manufacturing planning for scale-up of a 1.2MW powerplant. This design constitutes the basis for the two tidal energy farms in development in the Faroe Islands and Wales.

Martin Edlund said:

“With a strengthened and more experienced organization we are confident that the focus on developing utility scale projects in parallel with the key operations in Vestmannasund will give us the results we need to successfully commercialise our unique product.”

Global Offshore to provide complete cable care service to Equinor wind farms

By

Chief Editor

-

March 3, 2021

0

The framework agreement will see primary contractor, Global Offshore, supply cable management services and perform associated call off services, comprising of active cable maintenance as well as unplanned repairs. The agreement gives Equinor access to Global Marine Group’s fleet of cable ships and CTVs, including their versatile cable laying ships, Global Symphony and Normand Clipper, equipped with one of Global Offshore’s Q1400 jet trenchers.

A first for Global Offshore, which traditionally carries out work on offshore cables, the framework agreement covers the onshore and offshore export cables at Equinor’s Dudgeon wind farm, as well as the offshore export cables at Hywind and Sheringham Shoal, with the potential to cover other wind farms in the future. The framework agreement is the latest in a long list of contracts for Global Offshore’s Complete Cable Care service.

The Complete Cable Care solution is designed to proactively maintain cable assets and respond quickly to power cable damage, bringing increased standards of readiness and responsiveness to the industry. The service is supported by a maintained stock of universal power joints, as well as access to qualified jointers, prepared to respond rapidly to a fault or incident.

Director of Power Cable Maintenance at Global Offshore, Andrew Lloyd, said:

“We have been providing an unsurpassed cable care service to the offshore renewables industry since the very first European wind farm installation 20 years ago. In the present day, we manage multiple framework agreements, covering over 2,500km of subsea power cable as part of our Complete Cable Care solution, utilising pre-engineered scenario plans alongside access to the right cable spares, joints, jointers and assets, to support our clients’ operations.”

Lloyd continued:

“Though our first to include the maintenance of onshore cables, our framework agreement with Equinor is one of many Complete Cable Care contracts we have in place with OFTOs and wind farm owners across the globe. Being chosen as Equinor’s primary contractor further cements our position as the number one cable care provider in the industry.”

The framework agreement will mark the second contract for Global Offshore at Equinor’s Hywind offshore wind farm. In Autumn 2017, Global Marine Group carried out the survey and trenching activities, involving cutting and jetting techniques, of the subsea export and four inter-array cables at the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, a five turbine, 30MW floating wind farm, located 25-30 km off Peterhead, North-East Scotland.

Latvian innovative technologies enhance the competitiveness of the Port of Riga

By

Chief Editor

-

March 3, 2021

0

Due to intense competition in the region the ability of each port to offer the fastest, cheapest and most efficient cargo handling solutions is becoming increasingly important.

The competitive advantage of the Port of Riga is being fostered by unique handling technologies and equipment, which are designed and manufactured here in Latvia, by the company “Smartteh”. Furthermore, the equipment originally created for the port of Riga has also become a sought-after Latvian export product.

During the five years of operation, a dozen different innovative loading solutions have been developed at the “Smartteh” production facility. The equipment designed by the company operates in the Riga port companies “Jaunzeltiņi”, “KS Terminal” and “WT Terminal”. Currently, one of the most ambitious projects of recent times – an impressive dry bulk cargo conveyor line at the “B port” terminal – is almost finished. Container systems and various types of loading solutions manufactured in Latvia have already been implemented in Russia, Germany, Finland, Turkey and other countries.

Cooperation with the Riga port companies has been an important starting point for the development of the company “Smartteh”. Mārtiņš Niķis, Member of the “Smartteh” Board, added: “Trust from foreign clients is much higher if we can demonstrate ready-made products in our portfolio. In cooperation with port companies, efficient solutions have been developed, which are successfully used to provide services to our customers even in very remote places where our equipment has been exported. We can remotely monitor the productivity of the equipment and identify damaged elements, providing immediate support.”

The technology developed by “Smartteh” – an innovative equipment for loading logs into containers -, has been implemented by the Riga port company “Jaunzeltiņi” – one of the largest port terminal operators specializing in timber cargo handling and loading. The log loading system is designed to place timber cargo quickly and efficiently on a special platform to be automatically loaded into a container.

Artūrs Veispāls, Chairman of the “Jaunzeltiņi” Board, highlighting the advantages of the new “Smartteh” equipment, said:

“The new technology is another step to increase the efficiency of the terminal, with the aim to offer our clients a cheaper and higher quality service. With one piece of equipment we can replace the work of about five loaders. Currently, the containerization can be performed in a smaller area, and timber can be stacked in higher stacks, as a result of which the cargo at the terminal can be handled simultaneously in larger volumes. Moreover, such equipment cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It was invented, designed and implemented right here. The export potential of the new technology is evident – our partners and competitors from other countries expressed their interest in this equipment even before it was installed.”

Port companies need efficient and modern technological solutions, and equipment manufacturer “Smartteh” – an opportunity to implement ideas and projects, test and improve equipment in real operation. As a result of this cooperation, the production of exportable innovative products in Latvia has been developed and continues to evolve.

‘Esvagt Njord’ secures contract extension with Equinor

By

Chief Editor

-

March 3, 2021

0

Equinor and ESVAGT will continue the good collaboration at Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm off Great Yarmouth on the English east coast, where the SOV (Service Operation Vessel) ‘Esvagt Njord’ has been servicing Equinor since the autumn of 2016.

Equinor have just agreed to extend the contract on ‘Esvagt Njord’ by another five years until the end of 2026.

ESVAGT looks forward to extending the good cooperation. Ib Hansen, Head of Commercial at ESVAGT, says:

‘We have a very well-functioning operation on the ‘Esvagt Njord’, where ESVAGT’s crew and Equinor’s technicians work as one team, co-operating together excellently. We have a high level of safety performance, compliance and a proactive attitude towards all HSE matters. We have performed well with regards to technical and maintenance performance, ensuring uninterrupted operations for Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm.’

‘Esvagt Njord’ was the third specially built SOV dedicated to offshore wind farms in ESVAGT’s fleet when she arrived as a newbuild in the autumn of 2016. The vessel was the first SOV in the UK, when the contract was originally awarded.

Today, ESVAGT operates seven SOVs in the English, German, Dutch, Belgian and Danish sectors in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, and the company will receive two further SOV newbuildings during 2021.

Søren Karas, Chief Commercial Officer at ESVAGT, is pleased that the SOV and ‘Esvagt Njord’ crew have delivered so strongly that a concept from 2016 is still in high demand in 2021:

‘When we initially entered into the first contract to service Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in 2016, ESVAGT had some experience in offshore wind, but it was still in its infancy. Now, through five years of good and productive collaboration at Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, we have documented our competencies with a strong performance. We look forward to building on our close and fruitful partnership with Equinor.’

MSC Seaside will be deployed for the first time in Europe since her launch

By

Chief Editor

-

March 3, 2021

0

MSC Cruises has announced that one of its most innovative ships MSC Seaside will be deployed for the first time in Europe since her launch in 2017, joining the Company’s flagship MSC Grandiosa in the Mediterranean from 1 May.

MSC Seaside will be performing a brand-new itinerary, complimentary to that offered by MSC Grandiosa and featuring 7-night cruises calling Genoa, Valletta in Malta and Civitavecchia with two first time ports of call – Siracusa in Sicily and Taranto in Puglia. Embarkation will be available in all Italian ports.

MSC Seaside will implement for the protections of its guests and crew MSC Cruises’ industry-leading health and safety protocol that has been tried and tested since August 2020. Measures will include universal testing at embarkation as well as mid-cruise, weekly testing of crew, social distancing, the wearing of masks in public areas, only protected shore excursions as well as enhanced deep sanitation and ongoing cleaning procedures.

MSC Grandiosa’s current successful itinerary will be extended through to the end of May with the ship calling at the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo as well as Valetta in Malta. MSC Grandiosa has been welcoming guests for a holiday at sea from August of last year and has since safely and responsibly carried more than 40,000 guests.

MSC Seaside and MSC Grandiosa itineraries are currently available to residents from Schengen countries and Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania.

For each of the two new destinations that MSC Seaside will visit, MSC Cruises will offer a range of protected shore excursions to ensure that guests are able to go ashore and discover the sites whilst remaining in a safe social bubble.