Сompanies sign agreement for the transport of hydrogen in Belgium

By

-

November 22, 2019

The climate target to reduce CO2 emissions in Belgium by 80% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels is a major challenge. Hydrogen has an important role to play in the mix of solutions to achieve results. That is why Deme, Engie, Exmar, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp, Port of Zeebrugge and WaterstofNet are joining forces. A joint study serves as a basis to coordinate delivery of concrete projects that shape the production, transport and storage of hydrogen.

In a hydrogen economy, hydrogen is an important carrier for renewable energy to be used for electricity and heat production, for mobility, for fuel production and as a raw material for industrial production. Crucial in the viability of a hydrogen economy is the generation of sufficient renewable electricity for the production of hydrogen. Since in Belgium wind and solar energy are not sufficiently available, part of the necessary renewable energy must be imported. However, efficient and economic solutions for the import, transport and storage of hydrogen require specific expertise. That is why seven major industrial players and public stakeholders are joining forces: Deme, Engie, Exmar, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp, Port of Zeebrugge and WaterstofNet have signed a cooperation agreement to bring their expertise together in a coordinated way and to take steps towards a Belgian hydrogen economy.

In a first phase, the partners will make a joint analysis of the entire hydrogen import and transport chain. The aim is to map the financial, technical and regulatory aspects of the various components in the logistics chain: production, loading and unloading and transport by sea and via pipelines. The outcome of the analysis must be a roadmap that indicates the best way to transport hydrogen for the various applications in the energy and chemical sector. The results of this analysis, which is expected to be ready in approximately one year, will form the bridge towards concrete projects.

Luc Vandenbulcke, CEO Deme:

“We strongly believe that hydrogen can play a crucial role in the CO2-free energy transition. As a pioneer in the development, construction and financing of offshore wind farms, we want to make full use of our expertise for the production, transport and storage of green hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Thanks to this unique partnership of ports and industry, Belgium can play a leading role in the green hydrogen economy and further reduce CO2 emissions."

Philippe Van Troeye, CEO Engie Benelux:

"Hydrogen is an essential link in a low-carbon ecosystem. Our participation in this project and our desire to share our expertise in renewable energy and hydrogen fits perfectly with ENGIE's ambition to be the leader of the carbon-free transition by developing integrated and customized solutions for our customers.”

Nicolas Saverys, CEO Exmar:

“As an international transporter of natural gas, LPG, ammonia and other petrochemical gases, Exmar is also focusing on the future. We want to help investigate how the hydrogen gas transport chain can be developed in the most efficient and economic way. This way, our long-standing expertise in the transport and transformation of gas in the safest way can support all initiatives for the large-scale use of hydrogen gas.”

Pascal De Buck, CEO Fluxys:

“As a gas infrastructure company, transporting and storing gas is the core of our business. Today this is natural gas but in time this will increasingly be replaced by other gases such as hydrogen and biomethane. By maximally reusing our infrastructure for carbon-neutral energy carriers, we are shaping the energy system of the future.”

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp:

“We want to give every chance to hydrogen as an energy carrier, as basic element for chemistry and as a fuel, and therefore commit ourselves as an active pioneer of the hydrogen economy. As Europe's largest integrated chemical cluster, we are an important link in this. We also look at collaboration with spearhead clusters and knowledge institutions and want to learn from this hydrogen coalition for our international ambitions.”

Joachim Coens, managing director Port of Zeebrugge:

“Today, Zeebrugge is already an important landing point for the wind energy that is extracted in the Belgian North Sea. In the coming years we will have a build-up of a huge amount of variable renewable energy, from wind, sun and tides. The challenge is to transport and store these large quantities of green energy. The port of Zeebrugge has a role to play here, as a multifunctional energy hub. If hydrogen can be the solution for energy transport and storage, then this can perfectly take place in Zeebrugge, where state-of-the-art LNG infrastructure, i.e. storage capacity and pipelines, and years of know-how are available."

Adwin Martens, Director of WaterstofNet:

“As a pioneer in hydrogen development in Flanders and coordinator of the IBN Power-to-Gas, we are particularly pleased that a number of strong parties will bring their expertise together on the theme of large-scale import, transport and storage of hydrogen. This collaboration offers important perspectives for a further large-scale rollout of hydrogen applications."

New alliance to bring AI solutions to the energy industry

By

-

November 22, 2019

0

Baker Hughes, C3.ai, and Microsoft Corp. have announced an alliance to bring enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to the energy industry on Microsoft Azure, an industry-leading cloud computing platform.

This alliance will enable customers to streamline the adoption of scalable AI solutions for the energy industry that help promote safety, reliability, and sustainability. It leverages the significant energy technology expertise of Baker Hughes, C3.ai’s proven AI platform and applications, and the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform. As a result, energy businesses will have a secure and reliable suite of enterprise-scale AI applications optimized to run on Azure. These solutions are tailored to address challenges across the entire value chain, from inventory optimization and energy management to predictive maintenance and process and equipment reliability.

Jay Crotts, Shell Group CIO, said:

“Shell supports the aim of this strategic alliance to improve efficiencies, increase safety, and reduce environmental impact through digital transformation, aligning seamlessly with our goals and ambitions. Baker Hughes is one of our long-standing and valued partners in oilfield services and software development, and we use the C3.ai platform on Microsoft Azure to accelerate digital transformation across our business, helping to improve overall operations. The new technologies being developed will be critical as we all need to work together to reduce the net carbon footprint of the products and solutions that we put into society.”

Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes, said:

“The industry is adopting technologies that help manage the challenges and opportunities associated with the energy transition. The AI solutions offered through Baker Hughes and C3.ai deliver insights that can reduce risk and improve performance for operators as they navigate this transition. With a singular offering that can accelerate digital transformation across the sector, energy businesses can now draw on the power of Microsoft’s cloud, C3.ai’s leading AI capabilities, and Baker Hughes’s expertise in the energy industry.”

Thomas M. Siebel, CEO, C3.ai, said:

“We are witnessing a massive market shift as oil and gas businesses undergo enterprise-level digital transformation to improve efficiencies and increase safety, while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. With Microsoft’s global reach and horizontal cloud platform, Baker Hughes’s technology domain expertise, and C3.ai’s industrial AI capabilities, organizations can rapidly improve core business operations and better serve customers with AI-enabled products and services. This strategic alliance is a complete game-changer for the industry.”

The solutions will simplify the process of adopting AI capabilities for energy companies, starting with the shift of data management, storage, and compute onto Azure, through the development and enterprise-wide deployment of domain-specific AI applications built on the BHC3 AI Suite.

Judson Althoff, EVP, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft, said:

“For the energy industry, this is a time of significant transformation, and forward-thinking companies are exploring how to leverage technology to make their operations cleaner, safer and more efficient. By bringing together the domain expertise of Baker Hughes and the AI strengths of C3.ai to run on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, customers can achieve new levels of digital transformation while advancing their sustainability commitments.”

Joint group launched VMS for fishing vessels in US

By

-

November 22, 2019

0

Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, along with its partners Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd (Addvalue) and Network Innovations, have launched the first type-approved IP-based terminal and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for fishing vessels operating in United States (U.S.) waters, marking a significant milestone for sustainable fishing in the U.S.

The new broadband communications and VMS package was launched at a Network Innovations event at the Pacific Maritime Expo in Seattle from November 21-23. The Addvalue iFleetONE communications terminal and proprietary VMS have been typeapproved in four of the five U.S. Fisheries Management regions, as required by the U.S. National Maritime Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE).

Type approval in the fifth region is expected imminently. Inmarsat’s Eric Griffin, VP for Offshore & Fishing, said:

“We are excited to work with Network Innovations and Addvalue to be the first into the vast U.S. fisheries sector with iFleetONE. This high-speed broadband terminal and VMS combination will transform regulatory compliance, fisheries governance in U.S. waters to sustain fish numbers and protect vital ocean habitats. Meanwhile, commercial fishermen will now have access to voice and data services, enhancing crew welfare and providing reliable communications between fishing crews and their families and friends ashore.”

An estimated 4,000 legally licensed commercial fishing vessels are permitted to fish in U.S. Fisheries Management regions. They are required to report their GPS positions via a typeapproved secure satellite link. iFleetONE VMS is the first and only mobile satellite terminal to provide secure VMS services for NMFS with full-featured voice and IP-based communications capabilities.

The iFleetONE VMS will, for the first time, enable every stakeholder in the VMS ecosystem, including NMFS Law Enforcement, fisheries management officials and other end users to have a suitable platform to develop many new and innovative applications that have been limited previously by the lack of availability and affordability of legacy technologies.

Dr Colin Chan, Chairman and CEO of Addvalue, commented:

“Leveraging the resilient and competitive Inmarsat Fleet One services and Network Innovations’ established and pervasive market reach for coastal fishing vessels in the U.S., we are confident to see good penetration into the fishery market. This will not only generate significant terminals sales but also grow recurring revenue with the bundled VMS subscription service for us and our partners.”

The iFleetONE proposition is the first communications and VMS combination to enter the substantial U.S. fisheries market with a terminal and broadband system incorporating IP connectivity based on the guaranteed performance available via Inmarsat L-band services. Satellite communications systems specialist Network Innovations will provide a range of airtime plans and packages to support the service, both for data and voice communications.

Speaking for Network Innovations, Matt George, Global Maritime Vice President added:

“The U.S. fisheries sector is a substantial new market for innovative satellite communications and we are looking forward to offering a range of airtime packages specifically tailored to fulfil the requirements set forth by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the different regions. We offer a series of plans that range from VMS reporting only plans, to plans that include additional data packages to allow fishers to take full advantage of the connectivity provided by iFleetONE. Our specialty is helping customers choose the right solution and airtime package for them.”

Corvus Energy to supply its energy storage system for hybrid SES

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

Corvus Energy has signed a contract with SEC Marine Ltd, UK to supply the energy storage system (ESS) for the world’s first hybrid surface effect ship (SES) for crew transfer.

The development of the 22m hybrid SES for use as a crew transfer vessel is in response to an industry-wide push to develop and deploy innovative technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, while cost-effectively servicing windfarms located offshore. The vessel design has been developed in partnership with the operator CWind and ESNA, a ship design company based in Kristiansand, Norway, which specializes in commercially competitive vessels with surface effect technology to deliver significant carbon reductions.

Trygve Halvorsen Espeland, naval architect at ESNA, points to the advantages:

“We see that hybrid propulsion in vessels like offshore wind crew transfer vessels enables a greener footprint and multiple benefits for the vessel owners. The vessels have the benefit of range with the combustion engine, while the batteries provide both increased speed with power boost, peak shaving and reduced fuel consumption. Moreover, the engines will have fewer running hours and the silent hours on board will be appreciated by the crew and passengers. The vessel design will accommodate further developments in hybrid propulsion and battery technology, ensuring it has the capability of being developed into a totally carbon-free solution in the future.”

The crew transfer vessel is designed with two catamaran hulls, closed area between and an inflated rubber bag in the stern which supports up to 80% of the vessel weight when filled with air. The remaining 20% is supported by hull buoyancy. Less hull resistance enables higher vessel speed and less wave contact gives reduced motion for the crew.

Kim Klokkervold, Senior Sales Manager at Corvus Energy is clear in his predictions:

“The electrification of crew transfer boats and smaller workboats has only just begun. We are confident that we will see a massive shift from diesel to battery-hybrid powered propulsion on all kinds of smaller workboats due to substantial benefits and increased focus on reducing emissions.”

The lightweight Corvus Energy Dolphin modules are ideally suited to crew transfer vessels as they are tailormade for weight-sensitive vessels and have multiple possibilities of installation which ensures the optimal hybrid solution for maximum emission savings. Moreover, batteries are safer and quieter for the crew, and save both fuel and maintenance costs for the owners.

The vessel will be built at Wight Shipyard Co in the UK and is expected to service the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore windfarms located 23 kilometers off the Dutch coast from mid-2020.

Tidal energy: the MeyGen power project in Scotland

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

In 2010, as part of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters leasing round, The Crown Estate awarded an agreement for lease to MeyGen Limited, granting the option to develop a tidal stream project of up to 398MW at an offshore site between Scotland’s northernmost coast and the island of Stroma, as shown in the map below.

The 3.5km site covers some of the fastest flowing waters in the UK, just 2km from Scotland’s north-east tip. To the north of the site is the uninhabited island of Stroma, which creates a natural channel with the mainland to accelerate the millions of tonnes of water flowing between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean every day. This site was originally identified by Atlantis in 2007, following a global review of tidal resource which concluded that the high flows, medium water depths and proximity to the mainland rendered it a prime location for development.

The MeyGen project is currently the largest planned tidal stream project in the world and is the only commercial multi-turbine array to have commenced construction.

Wärtsilä launches its predictive maintenance product

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

The technology group Wärtsilä announces the launch of its Expert Insight predictive maintenance product. This digital product enables customer support to be delivered proactively by Wärtsilä Expertise Centres to ensure long-term accurate insight for their predictive maintenance strategies. The product is available in combination with a Wärtsilä Lifecycle Solutions agreement.

Wärtsilä Expert Insight is an innovative breakthrough that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems in real-time. When anomalous behaviour is detected, it is flagged to specialists at Wärtsilä Expertise Centres, allowing them to support the customer proactively with an appropriate resolution to the issue. The combination of AI, advanced diagnostics, and Wärtsilä’s deep equipment expertise greatly enhances the safety, reliability and efficiency of the equipment and/or systems installed. Wärtsilä Expert Insight represents an important next step within the company’s ongoing development work in honing its predictive maintenance capabilities.

Frank Velthuis, Director Digital Product Development, Wärtsilä, says:

“Finding ways to serve the customer better is a constant priority and central to Wärtsilä’s product development philosophy. It’s at the heart of our Smart Technology approach to raising efficiency, safety, and performance levels, and the Expert Insight innovation supports this philosophy totally. It greatly improves the reliability of equipment and systems, and it gives us added ability to respond far more proactively throughout the lifecycle of the customer’s asset.”

Wärtsilä Expert Insight promotes closer collaboration between Wärtsilä’s Expertise Centres and the customers’ technical personnel, which in turn forms the basis for better asset management decisions, thereby taking predictive maintenance to a new level. By identifying and highlighting potential issues proactively, asset availability is greatly enhanced, as is the reliability and safety of the equipment or system.

Wärtsilä Lifecycle Solutions improves customer business performance and competitiveness. The offering goes beyond mere maintenance and operation to deliver guaranteed performance based on mutually agreed target levels. Wärtsilä Expert Insight is a highly advanced digital product that adds to this value proposition.

Norwegian government supports Cyber Risk Management System

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

NYK and Dualog, a cutting-edge innovator of maritime IT, announced that a new project for the development of a cyber-risk management system for ships will receive two years of funding from the Norwegian government fund Innovation Norway.

In accordance with recent developments in information and communication technology, ships remain connected to the internet and continually share data between ship and shore. Ship data is monitored onshore using IoT, and electronic chart data is distributed from shore. Despite these benefits, there is a risk of becoming exposed to cyberthreats, such as becoming infected by malware.

With this in mind, the 98th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC98) approved guidelines on maritime cyber-risk management in June 2017. The committee recommended that a description of cyber-risk management be included in the safety management systems of shipowners and ship-management companies.

In 2017, NYK entered a strategic partnership with Dualog, and has been developing data-sharing between ship and shore, which is Dualog’s strong point. In fact, the two companies have launched a new Cepa Shield project that focuses on cybersecurity. (“Cepa” means onion in Latin.)

The cyber-risk management system developed by the Cepa Shield project will be able to be applied to all NYK-operated vessels and will provide multiple layers of risk management.

When a cyberattack comes from the outside, these features help NYK to grasp from shore the condition of each vessel against the attack. NYK can then remain aware of any ships subject to a concentrated attack and in need of immediate protection.

With the financial support of Innovation Norway over the next two years, the project will carry out trials on 50 NYK-operated vessels.

On November 21, a media event was held at the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo.

The NYK Group aims to create new value by taking advantage of digitalization in accordance with the company’s medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” and strives to enhance transport safety, efficiency, and international competitiveness further.

About Innovation Norway

Innovation Norway is the Norwegian government's instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry. The organization supports companies in developing their competitive advantage in domestic and international markets.

“Ventus Beigang” commenced charter at Formosa 1 in Taiwan

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

PSA Marine together with its Taiwanese partner, Ta Tong Marine Group, has formed a joint venture company, Ventus Marine Co., Ltd (“Ventus Marine”), to service a long-term contract awarded by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S for the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

Ventus Marine will leverage on Njord Offshore Ltd (“Njord Offshore”), a leading offshore wind crew transfer vessel operator’s extensive experience and expertise in managing crew transfer vessels in Europe for the operations in Taiwan.

The charter commenced on 1 November 2019 and is served by a 26-metre Crew Transfer Vessel (“CTV”), Ventus Beigang, that can carry 12 passengers. Ventus Beigang is registered under the Taiwan Flag and has obtained both Bureau Veritas and CR classifications. She is fully manned by Taiwanese crew who had undergone a series of on-the-job training conducted in Europe and Taiwan by Njord Offshore’s experienced Masters to ensure a high service level and safety standards for the customers.

Mr Peter Chew, Managing Director of PSA Marine, said:

“We are excited to expand our presence in the Taiwan offshore wind market. With a strong local partner, committed management team and crew, we are confident of delivering safe and reliable service to our customers.”

Mr Lin Hrong-Nain, Chairman of Ta Tong Marine, said:

“It is our pleasure to form a joint venture to support Formosa 1 offshore wind farm for Taiwan with our experienced partners PSA Marine and Njord Offshore. We believe our team will deliver good service to the customers.”

IAPH partners with PortXL to connect innovators with global ports

By

-

November 21, 2019

0

IAPH signs agreement with PortXL, opening up a global portfolio of port and maritime start-up innovators to the World Ports Sustainability Program. PortXL has already supported more than 72 start-up and scale-up innovators to engage in over 150 paid pilot contracts in the maritime sector.

The International Association of Ports and Harbors is delighted to add PortXL as partner onto its World Ports Sustainability Program. An agreement was signed last week to develop a worldwide innovation platform, where ports can engage in pilots and partnerships with start-ups and scale-ups. The short-term plan to bring IAPH members into contact with the network of innovators is now underway. The matching process will culminate in face-to-face encounters between port project sponsors and innovators at the IAPH World Ports Conference next March.

PortXL Co-Founder and Director Carolien Vat-Sandee comments:

"The port industry is of major significance for an economy, nationally and internationally. But at the same time port industry activities impact the environment. So if we want to sustain the growth of the economy, we should look after our ecology. And innovation is actually the answer for both."

Ports all over the globe are facing a wide variety of sustainability challenges. This need to "grow the economy, whilst sustaining the ecology" is being addressed head-on by PortXL, the world's first maritime accelerator. Supported by a impressive list of corporate partners that include Van Oord, Shell, MSC, DEME, Boskalis and Vopak, PortXL scouts over 1000 start-ups and scale-ups and selects up to twenty for each of its locations every year. Those selected then gain access to hands-on mentorship, training and are given the chance to pitch to organisations to implement paid-for pilots and proof-of-concepts to demonstrate their innovations in a live environment.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented:

"If you take a look at some of the innovations in PortXL's portfolio, any port in the world could benefit in practice, not just the major ones. A floating autonomous collector of plastic waste that collects data on water quality. Floaters attached to man-made structures capable of generating grid-connected electricity power from ocean and sea waves. Concrete composite structures for breakwaters capable of generating marine diversity and acting as a carbon sink. A hull cleaner capable of 'car-washing' a vessel to remove biofouling during a port stay. These are just four of the multitude of innovations being supported by PortXL through their network of port communities."

IAPH member ports are already being offered access to the PortXL startups via an online form where they can either declare their interest or submit specific challenges to the PortXL network. By the time of the IAPH World Port Conference in Antwerp next March, these ports will have a chance to "meet and match" the start-ups face-to-face on location to discuss concrete pilots and trials.

Online access to the PortXL network for port stakeholders:

"The plan is to create viable matches by allowing port authorities to connect their own major stakeholders and companies operating at their port with the PortXL-endorsed innovators" comments PortXL Director Cees-Willem Koorneef. "Port Authorities know which of their customers and stakeholders might be best equipped to trial and use these innovations. This has already yielded results at the Port of Rotterdam, North Sea Port and the Port of Antwerp, but really a coastal location of any size, anywhere in the world could benefit. As an example, it is in Gibraltar where the world's first wave-generated electricity is being fed into the grid."

In 2018, PortXL has expanded from Rotterdam to Antwerp and Singapore and in 2019 it has assisted the Italian port of Taranto with the development of their own innovation hub. In total, PortXL has 72 accelerated companies in its portfolio, with over 150 paid pilot contracts signed with corporates as a result. It also has 2,300 start-ups and scale-ups in an ever-growing database.

ONE and TPS Valparaiso launch XVELA platform in Latin America

By

-

November 20, 2019

0

XVELA, the world’s first maritime business network for ocean carriers and terminal operators, announced that Ocean Network Express (ONE) and TPS Valparaiso have successfully implemented XVELA as part of a partnership between the three companies announced earlier this year.

ONE selected XVELA to help improve visibility and efficient data exchanges between various stakeholders and chose TPS Valparaiso as the launch point for its global collaboration campaign. Centrally located in Chile, TPS Valparaiso is one of the most important terminals in Chile. Through this implementation, ONE and TPS Valparaiso will be able to streamline communication between ONE’s planners and terminal operators and collaborate in real-time.

Paulo Biazotti, Vice President LAWC, ONE, said:

“Our focus is to offer a superior service to our customers, and XVELA provides us with functions that allow better integration between the shipping company and the terminal, which means better planning of our ships. We chose TPS for this project because of its proactivity offering innovation in a market as traditional as shipping, and because we share a similar approach to customer solutions.”

In a statement, TPS General Manager Oliver Weinrich said that TPS is:

"…very honored that ONE has chosen to work with us on this project, in a totally pioneering way in Chile, which at the same time reaffirms our fluid and instantaneous way, in key aspects for operational coordination.”

XVELA’s shared platform will provide visibility on the arrival and stability of ships coming into the terminal and will help maximize the efficiency of TPS vessel calls. Improving the communication that underpins this historically painstaking process will go a long way towards helping both carriers and terminals maximize returns and optimize operations.

Sumitha Sampath, VP of Operations at XVELA, said:

“We believe shared data and communication will improve operations and efficiencies at terminals across the globe. This partnership with ONE and TPS Valparaiso will help facilitate cloud-based communication in real-time and provide a platform to drive transparency and collaboration among partners.”