Shipping and Marine Issue 120 May 2015

Issue 120/May

The magazine for maritime management

Risks in

store Understanding the potential risks of ‘contango’ and its impact on marine insurance

Enter the debate

Can conforming to mandatory legislation and applying additional ‘green’ approaches to shipping really be profitable?

The new normal

Why cloud computing has become so attractive to the shipping industry in the last 12 months

Issue 120/May

Editor’s comments The MagazIne for MarITIMe ManageMenT

‘‘

Risks in

There are a myriad of potential issues that can arise from the use of tankers as floating storage facilities and it’s prudent to investigate all these before proceeding

store Understanding the potential risks of ‘contango’ and its impact on marine insurance

Enter the debate

Can conforming to mandatory legislation and applying additional ‘green’ approaches to shipping really be profitable?

The new normal

Why cloud computing has become so attractive to the shipping industry in the last 12 months

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch Business Development Director David Garner Editor Libbie Hammond libbie @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Art Editor/Design David Howard Profiles Editor Jo Cooper Staff Writers Andrew Dann Steve Nash Ben Clark Production Manager Fleur Daniels Production dhoward @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertisement Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Laura Thompson Gavin Watson Mark Cowles Tarj D’Silva Jeff Goldenburg Jo-ann Jeffery Emily Claxton

Contango

unchained

T

he attraction of the new phenomenon of ‘contango’ might seem obvious – buy cheap oil and store it until the price goes up – but as Christian Ott points out in the feature on page 8, this approach is not without risks.

There are a myriad of potential issues that can arise from the use of tankers as floating storage facilities and it’s prudent to investigate all these before proceeding.

Then Phil Lewis’ article on page 10 discusses technology and how cloud computing in particular has a strong role to play in delivering productivity, especially with regards to a recent spike in M&A activity in the shipping industry.

We also take a look at green approaches to shipping, and a survey from the IMarEST, which has revealed interesting results.

While 88 per cent of respondents agreed that the Green Agenda is good for the global maritime industry, many respondents also felt that the sheer number of initiatives available makes it difficult to determine the best solution in which to invest. How do you feel about this issue?

Editor: Libbie Hammond

Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Gareth Stevens Mark Cawston Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: 044 (0)1603 274130 Fax: 044 (0)1603 274131

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk.

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

©2015 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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contents Features

6

3 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

6 Enter the debate Can conforming to mandatory legislation and applying additional ‘green’ approaches to shipping really be profitable?

8 Risks in store?

8

The dramatic and sustained drop in the oil price that began in the autumn last year has given rise to a market phenomenon known as ‘contango’, also known as the oil-storage trade

10 The new normal The international nature of the shipping and marine industries creates a strong operational ‘fit’ for cloud computing

Profiles 14 Euro Marine Logistics 18 Hirtshals Havn

36 LaNaval Shipyard

21 LMG Marin

39 TransAtlantic AB 42 Unigas International 44 Spliethoff Group

24 Luyt Group 27 Quartzelec 30 Rotortug

46 Port of Ystad

32 Irish Mainport

48 Dan-Bunkering

34 Insatech Marine

50 Skipper Electronics

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Maritime news Sealed and delivered uSafety seal manufacturer Roxtec has provided its waterproof sealing solution to the largest and most powerful tidal turbine in the world.

Manchester based Roxtec UK managing director Graham O’Hare said the deal with Scotrenewables Tidal Power Limited involved Roxtec supplying the new SR2000 2MW floating turbine which is 65m long, three m diameter and weighs 550 tons. Once launched later in 2015, the SR2000 will undergo an intensive demonstration programme at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), following which it will be offered to the global tidal industry as a technology with the lowest cost of energy in the sector.

“The turbine was built in Orkney and at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, and Roxtec provided support at both locations throughout the project,” said Graham. “We have sealed a high volume of multiple electrical control and instrumentation cables of various sizes on the turbine through every bulkhead between sections. Going forward our seals are designed to be flexible with easy maintenance access and spare capacity for upgrades. This is important because the project is still in test phase and changes may be required. But our sealing solutions have been designed so changes can be carried out easily at low cost.”

He added: “Roxtec was chosen for this project because we are industry leaders in sealing solutions for the renewables sector, where we have been used in over 40 offshore windfarms in Europe. Customers have confidence in our meticulous engineering and testing of sealing products which are the best in the world at helping protect people and assets from a range of hazards.”

Skimming off the top uSeaHow operates one of northern Europe’s largest fleets of oil spill response vessels. Over the 30 years that SeaHow has carried out OSR (oil spill response) work, it has found several challenges with the existing equipment. As a result of three years of product development, SeaHow has launched its own product line of skimmers, addressing the key challenges OSR organisations face today.

The SeaHow skimmer product line consists of different sizes of skimmers suitable to vessels from six m long to the largest vessels used in offshore OSR. The skimmers are easy to deploy and operate, making it possible to turn virtually any work boat or larger vessel into an OSR vessel in case of an accident. “Most of the funds available for OSR equipment acquisition is today used for purchasing vessels, leaving little money for the OSR equipment itself,” says Jari Partanen, CEO of SeaHow. “By using SeaHow skimmers you can utilise your existing vessel fleet and direct the investment funding to the OSR equipment itself.”

Currently most of the OSR equipment operated by OSR preparedness organisations only can collect heavy oil qualities. The EU Sulfur Directive, implemented from 1.1.2015 increases the use of light oils as vessel fuel in Northern Europe significantly. This puts a high pressure on organisations to update their OSR equipment. The new SeaHow products are among the first skimmer products that can truly collect both light and heavy oils efficiently. “The capacity tests carried out by Lloyd’s Register not only show that the light oil collection capacity of the skimmers is excellent,” states Hannu Hoviniemi, director of SeaHow Business Development, “but also shows an incredibly high efficiency. When collecting light oil from water surface, over 90 per cent of the collected liquid is oil.”

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Maritime news Import solution uTemporary building experts Spaciotempo have installed a hightech structure at the Port of Felixstowe. The 25m x 25m building is helping to cope with demand following the introduction of a new food safety programme at the port, which now deals with around 60 per cent of all goods imported to the UK. It will remain on site until work to create a permanent facility that can handle greater volumes of incoming traffic is completed in July.

The structure, erected in double-quick time, features a special uPVC cavity wall system, a double-skinned thermo-insulated roof and roller-shutter doors. It is acting as a holding area, which is connected to the main warehouse by a weatherproof link. Spaciotempo have also provided five weather-protected, retractable tunnels to create a protective environment for goods being moved to the building from some of the four million containers arriving at the port each year.

IMCA paper accepted by IMO uThe International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to use the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) proposals as the basis for the review of the IMO Guidelines for vessels with dynamic positioning (DP) systems (MSC/ Circ.645). The review will be taken forward by an IMO intersessional correspondence group that will further develop the draft, with a view to finalising it at the next meeting of the IMO Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) sub-committee, in 2016.

IMCA’s Technical Director, Jane Bugler explained: “IMO’s circular 645 is the established international standard for DP systems. The guidelines have successfully provided the framework on which national regulations and classification society rules are based, and which are supplemented by a growing body of more detailed industry guidance.

“645 has been working well but needs amending slightly to reflect changes in both technology and industry practice. The IMO review will also consider the inclusion of DP equipment class 0, to reflect the four equipment classes that are now recognised, and the flag state certification provisions.

“The IMCA proposals were developed by an internal workgroup, with input from co-sponsors that include a number of governments and other industry organisations. We look forward to a highly constructive time working on MSC/circ.

645 with the correspondence group.”

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Kru comfort uA new range of workwear lifejackets has been introduced

by Ocean Safety, specialists in the worldwide supply, distribution, service and hire of marine safety equipment. The new Kru Workwear range completes Ocean Safety’s lifejacket offering, and comprises five models, individually designed for each type of user. They include Kru Wipe Clean- easy to maintain in unclean/contaminated environments, the Kru Fishermans, Kru FR (Fire Retardant), Kru Emergency Services – ideally suited to fire, police and ambulance rescue crews, and Kru Anti-Static – designed for areas where sparks could potentially cause explosions.

Kru is a brand favoured for its compact and low-profile design, including a 3D tailored collar, which makes it comfortable to wear for long periods and when heavy overalls are worn.

Pass muster uAdonis released an upgraded version of the Adonis Crew Station Bill module at the Cruise Shipping Miami exhibition. Fully integrated into Adonis Personnel Manager (APM), the module facilitates complete safety planning on all muster stations. Working with other APM modules such as the Competence Management and Crew Change module, Crew Station Bill allows any vessel - from the smallest to the largest - to complete its muster list easily, fast, and in full compliance with all of the ship’s various emergency procedures. The module displays safety levels, instructions and duties; users can select from a number of report formats, which can be customised to the requirements of each customer.

“Onboard safety is the most important concern for cruise and ferry companies - indeed, for all offshore vessels and maritime organisations,” said Erick Meijer, product director of Adonis AS. “The upgraded Crew Station Bill module was originally developed for use on Crystal Cruises’ high-end luxury ships, and was further refined when adapted for the diversified fleet of DFDS, one of Northern Europe’s largest transporters. Working with these two very different, market-leading organisations has enabled us to bring to market a safety module that can be tailored to the needs of any vessel, regardless of size, with hundreds of crew and many muster stations to manage.”

Maritime news

Huge potential uCreating one of the world’s leading lifejacket providers and safety product suppliers, Safety and Survival Systems International Ltd (3Si) has acquired International Safety Products Ltd (ISP).

ISP will join Ocean Safety and Typhoon alongside Revere Survival within the group, to further complement the growing portfolio of products and services offered.

ISP commercial director, Geoff Billington, said the acquisition signalled a new era for ISP, which will ramp up its ambitious overseas expansion. “One of ISP’s greatest strengths is its passionate, dedicated and highly-skilled workforce,” he said. “Our strong team ethos and attention to customer service have been fundamental in elevating the business to where it is today. Under the 3Si Group ISP can now access an extended customer base enhancing our ability to reach new markets and territories. This provides huge potential for ISP’s unrivalled product offering.”

Prestigious contract uThordon Bearings has received an order through its Italian distributor Pedrotec to supply a seawater-lubricated COMPAC propeller shaft bearing package to Seven Seas Explorer, the 56,000gt cruise ship under construction at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard.

The Seven Seas Explorer, Regent Seven Seas’ first newbuild contracted to Fincantieri, has been designed to set new standards in both passenger comfort and environmental protection. Craig Carter, director of marketing, Thordon Bearings, said: “The award of this prestigious contract marks a number of firsts for Regent Seven Seas. Not only will Seven Seas Explorer be the most luxurious cruise ship ever built, it will be the owner’s first Fincantieri-built cruise ship and exceed already stringent marine environmental regulations. We are delighted that Regent Seven Seas has selected our COMPAC system, the first water-lubricated propeller shaft system for the cruise line.

“More and more shipowners are realising that water-lubricated propeller shaft systems not only meet US EPA rules governing the use of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL) but its use can also reduce operational costs. Seawater-lubricated bearing technology negates the purchase, storage and disposal of costly mineral and synthetic oils.”

Continued Craig: “The US Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing regulations introduced in December 2013 that stipulate all vessels over 24m operating in US waters must switch over to EALs in all oil-to-sea interfaces before their next dry docking.

“When used in conjunction with the COMPAC bearing system, seawater – an approved EAL – lubricates the bearings to ensure the smooth, effective and safe operation of the vessel. Not only do we guarantee our seawater-lubricated system for a wear life of 15 years, but it reduces substantially a shipowner’s annual operating and maintenance costs, compared to an EAL-lubricated metal bearing and two seal system.”

Award winners uA significant regeneration programme, designed to revitalise trade along the Manchester Ship Canal by creating the UK’s first ‘Green Highway’, has led to Peel Ports Group being named the top Multi Modal business at this year’s SHD Logistics Awards.

The award recognises the growth in trade along the Manchester Ship Canal, which has seen, over the last five years, the number of containers handled on the canal rising from 3000 a year to 22,500. The growth was enabled by an intricate programme of investment in facilities at a container terminal in Irlam, on the outskirts of Manchester, as well as the launch of a ‘Green Highway Shuttle Service’ ran by Peel Ports’ own shipping line BG Freight.

This allows customers to transport goods along a 44-mile stretch of water from the Port of Liverpool to Manchester without their goods ever touching the road. Further expansion plans will see investment in around four million sq. ft. of port-centric warehousing and multimodal logistics hubs along the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford, Warrington and Ellesmere Port.

Vic Brodrick, head of sales, Peel Ports Mersey, said: “The Green Highway is not futuristic thinking, it’s about reapplying infrastructure and logistics solutions from the past, placing ports at the heart of a country’s commercial activity. The Green Highway has attracted significant business and interest from major international shipping lines, freight forwarders, importers and exporters, who are realising both the cost and environmental benefits that the service provides. This award recognises the fact that Peel Ports is a progressive business committed to the development of its assets.”

Working in partnership uSolstad Offshore in Singapore have awarded IKM Subsea Singapore a contract to provide ROV services onboard their DLB ‘Norce Endeavour’ for construction support projects offshore Thailand for 2015. The barge will be mobilised in Singapore.

IKM Subsea will provide the Merlin WR 200 Workclass ROV together with the required toolings to execute the project, which consists of numerous platform installation.

“IKM Subsea has a history with Solstad dating back to 2009 when we had the first Merlin WR 200 onboard their vessel in Norway. This was a stepping-stone for IKM into the ROV market and we have grown ever since. We are proud to continue our support to Solstad in the Asia Pacific region and hope this would be a successful and long lasting partnership,” says Mahesh Govindan, IKM Subsea Singapore’s general manager.

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Green shipping

Enter the

debate

Can the green approach to shipping be profitable?

A survey from The IMarEST has revealed interesting results The recent increase in legislation on shipping emissions reflects the growing concerns over the industry’s environmental impact. Although it is by far the most efficient mode of transport, it is predicted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that shipping emissions could rise by between 150 and 250 per cent by 2050 if unregulated. The ‘Green Agenda’ attempts to address the issues by looking at ways to increase energy efficiency, thereby reducing emissions and costs to ship owners.

But can conforming to mandatory legislation and applying additional ‘green’ approaches to shipping really be profitable? The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) together with Colfax Fluid Handling, a leader in pumps, systems and smart technology solutions for the marine industry, investigated the possibilities through a survey of various companies and individuals and their experiences, expectations and concerns regarding environmental trends. The results of the survey were then used as a basis for the agenda of a high-level round table discussion, ‘Making the Green Agenda Pay’, which gave a panel of experts from across the industry the opportunity to debate on the problems, opportunities and likely profitable investments related to green initiatives.

Survey Results The survey highlighted that 88 per cent agreed that the Green Agenda is good for the global maritime industry and that customers expect owners to have a ‘green policy’ in place, but that less than 46 per cent think it offers good value for money. Many respondents feel that the sheer number of initiatives available to shipping companies make it difficult to determine which particular solutions will work for them. It is generally felt that a best-practice guide or a set of available options would be useful for the industry as a whole.

The debate following this survey covered a range of topics including legislation, ballast water, fuel consumption, emission control, training and commercial advantages.

Legislation It was felt that legislation does not always take into consideration the views of shipowners or

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reflect a true understanding of the shipping business. It was also identified that there is often a lag between international conventions being adopted, ratified and then entering into force. This can result in considerable changes in circumstances and advancements in technologies by the time the convention comes into force. Additionally, conflicts between national, regional and local regulations can also cause problems, as can changes to a vessel’s route or service which require it to operate in a new regime.

Ballast water Whilst accepted that there are environmental benefits to the imminent requirement to fit a ballast water system, there are also financial considerations to take into account. It is predicted that the shipping industry will incur an estimated $6 billion in costs to equip ships and the systems may even exceed the value of the ship itself. It was questioned whether or not ports should offer ballast water reception facilities as an alternative, and whether building zero ballast vessels would be viable or too expensive.

Fuel consumption On the topic of fuel consumption, it was seen as difficult to quantify the savings that could be achieved through improved propulsion efficiency (which will lower fuel consumption, emissions and bunker costs) and slow steaming (which reduces fuel consumption but can affect operational efficiency) due to the volatility of the bunker market and the recent fall in crude oil prices. Though many measures were already being taken, such as ensuring the hull is kept clean, using advanced antifouling paints and polishing the propeller.

Emissions With regards to emission control, there remains an inherent contradiction in the steps to cut NOx and SOx emissions, as reducing one can lead to an increase in the other. NOx emissions can be reduced by modifying the diesel engine to adopt a Miller cycle, two-stage turbocharging or fitting selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems.

SOx emissions can be reduced through use of a scrubber or using marine fuel/gas oil. However both routes incur costs and analysis is necessary to find a cost-effective solution tailored to a particular vessel and route. CO2 emission is an ever-increasing problem but is recognised, as an important factor in climate change, as requiring a step-change in emission levels rather than incremental adjustments.

Training Correctly trained staff tops the list of green initiatives being taken up or considered by respondents and is identified as a key factor in efficient operation of a vessel. Competent personnel and high-quality training will have a major positive impact on costs and many owners are already investing in this.

Commercial advantage There can be commercial advantage in a vessel or company meeting the environmental needs of its charterers or cargo owners who themselves may be required to demonstrate green policies.

Dr Bev Mackenzie, technical & policy director at the IMarEST, comments: “As a global commitment

to taking ‘green’ measures spreads across the world and across all industries, shipping must take the opportunity to respond with its own measures.”

Profitability The discussion highlighted a number of viable options available to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, some of which will generate savings in addition to reducing the cost of compliance.

One way of achieving a financial return is the process of carbon credits, whereby a saving in carbon emissions can be converted into credits that can be sold on the open market.

Using LNG, a cheaper alternative to heavy fuel oil, holds a financial benefit as well as reducing emissions. However, there are extra costs associated with adopting this type of fuel as well as a risk that LNG prices will escalate with demand. Cold ironing (using shore-supplied power when alongside in port) could eliminate fuel consumption of auxiliary gensets, but may simultaneously increase the carbon footprint of these shore-based sources.

Actions Of the many aforementioned techniques and options, it was concluded that collaboration between owners, manufacturers and others was the best path to selecting a viable solution.

Joint industry projects, along with examination of sectors such as the petroleum and aviation industries, could lead to practical solutions.

It was also deemed important to incentivise

these initiatives rather than imposing penalties, and to encourage legislators to engage with and support the industry by reflecting the view of end users. Increased testing and the adoption of more sophisticated measurements will be integral in making the right choices, as will learning to recognise the diversity of the shipping industry and the bespoke solution required for each specific case. Implementing these recommendations will require engagement, support and investment from industry, regulators and the research community. The IMarEST will continue to address the conclusions from this discussion by establishing a Special Interest Group (SIG) on Emissions from Shipping, which will work with all stakeholders through a mixture of further roundtable discussions, meetings and online networking. n A second roundtable will be held to discuss Green Ship Technologies in Asia. You can take part in the survey here: http://bit.ly/1Auqzhk The IMarEST is an international membership body and learned society, bringing together marine engineers, scientists and technologists from all over the world. The Institute works to promote the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology, providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices and upholding the status, standards and expertise of marine professionals worldwide. For further information visit: www.imarest.org.

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Marine insurance

Risks in

store?

Christian Ott takes a look at marine insurance and ‘contango’ The dramatic and sustained drop in the oil price that began in the autumn last year has given rise to a market phenomenon known as ‘contango’, also known as the oil-storage trade. This has created a great opportunity for tanker owners looking for employment of their vessels as floating storage facilities. However, such an opportunity is not without its risks.

Christian Ott

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The reason why this market condition arises is because the oil price has fallen rapidly to almost historic (modern) lows, creating the opportunity to buy it cheap now with the aim of storing it until the price increases sufficiently to turn a profit.

That will happen when the price of oil is greater than the acquisition + storage costs. Essentially it is a bullish bet on the future price of oil, and dramatic drops in oil prices have at times been

followed by steep rises, which would explain the popularity of this trade.

The reasons why vessels are being used to store the oil are threefold. First, it is due to the limited availability of medium to long-term shore-side storage facilities. Second, because of the potentially attractive cost of storage, and finally (and most importantly) because a vessel can quickly move to a desired location for actual delivery once the price moves sufficiently.

- It may be ‘smuggled’, particularly as a way to avoid taxes and export controls - It may originate from a country or source that has been subjected to sanctions by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, the United Kingdom or other nations or supranational institutions - There is a dispute as to the legitimate ownership and control of the oil (this issue is of particular concern with respect to Iraq and Libya) These risks are particularly high when oil is being offered by way of a STS, which makes it difficult to verify the true source of the oil especially if it has been the subject of repeat STS operations, co-mingling or blending.

Given that P&I liability cover expressly excludes smuggling as well as breaches of sanctions, it is important to take all due care not to be the unwitting participant in an illegal operation.

Next steps

Impact on marine insurance Understanding the potential risks and the impact on marine insurance will be important to ensure these risks are properly managed. Typically oil is shipped over voyages of known length and these last generally no more than 30 to 40 days on the longer routes taken by the VLCCs. Tanks are cleaned and prepared before the voyage, and again upon completion.

This means that tanks are regularly maintained, other issues can be attended to by the crew, and the crew themselves stay busy and attentive to their tasks ensuring that motivation and focus remains high. The length of the voyage also means that there should be little to no significant loss in volume over the time involved.

These ‘typical’ voyage matters are change fundamentally when a vessel is taken out of active sailing service and instead utilised as a floating storage facility. Unlike a lay up, however, the vessel remains laden and perhaps engages in ship-to-ship transfer (STS) operations during this employment. This means the potential for property and liability claims is increased, even as opposed to a hot lay-up scenario.

The risk scenarios include: l Physical damage to the vessel, her tanks and

her machinery (from the cargo, as well as

STS operations) l Engine maintenance issues, leading to

problems once she is ordered to move again l Hull fouling due to prolonged stays or drifting l Explosion risks due to temperature and

pressure variations l Cargo shortage claims originating from the

long-term storage and STS operations l Cargo settling and contamination issues from

long term storage as well as STS l Ensuring that crew remain alert, but also well

cared for l Contractual disputes over cleaning, supplies,

hull fouling and other consequences of this

particular employment of the vessel l Sanctions and smuggling It is a known risk in certain parts of the world, including parts of Africa and in some areas of the Middle East, that oil being offered for transport or storage has a significant legal risk attached to it because:

Given that there are myriad potential risks and issues that arise from the use of tankers as floating storage facilities for oil cargoes, it would be prudent for ship-owners to make contact with their insurers to discuss the proposed employment of the vessel. The insurers can then assist in assessing the situation, consider whether existing insurance coverage is sufficient or whether it needs to be augmented, and propose loss prevention strategies that keep the vessel safe (with the desired profit hopefully following, too).

What 2015 holds for the price of oil will continue to be the subject to keen debate as well as speculation. Tanker owners have been beneficiaries of the dramatic oil price movements in the last few months, due to higher spot charter rates and the possibility of longer-term storage contracts. To ensure that profit does indeed follow, risk management - be it technical or commercial – in conjunction with appropriate insurance cover will be key. n Christian Ott is vice president, head of claims, Skuld Singapore Branch, and loss prevention and recurring claims team leader. Skuld combines Scandinavian heritage with the talents of its people around the world to deliver bespoke marine insurance cover. A name synonymous with financial strength and stability, Skuld has grown from a Scandinavian P&I club into a diversified marine insurer with a global footprint and a sector-leading operating performance. For further information, visit: www.skuld.com.

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Cloud solutions

The new

normal

Maximising the return on cloud investment. By Phil Lewis

The shipping industry has seen a spike in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity over the past year or so. Container M&A in particular continues to grow cautiously, and more consolidation is set to take place within the developing clean shipping segment. One of the main drivers for this wave of M&A activity is a push for operational efficiency and the substantial economics of scale it can offer.

Technology - especially enterprise application software - has a strong role to play in helping deliver this productivity. However, in many cases, buying the necessary additional licenses for an expanded on-premise software deployment can be prohibitively expensive for some companies.

By comparison, the lower up-front costs of cloud computing - whereby software is held centrally but delivered in any location where there is access to the internet - means that at the point of acquisition, the technology of the newly-formed company does not become a drain on finance. A cloud deployment also suits the global and mobile nature of the shipping business. Combined with the need to ensure visibility throughout various international operations, a cloud model is ideal.

Similarly, the ability to upgrade the software and maintain consistency across geographically dispersed offices or newly acquired companies is a key benefit. This may make it easier to keep up to date with changes such as finance regulation or taxation, or to have a single set of central, standardised processes that are accurately communicated to all involved parties.

Lastly, in the age of the touchscreen and ubiquitous applications, consumer cloud computing has had an effect on the business-computing environment as it has driven a rapid evolution of the end user experience. Cleaner and simpler software accelerates the buy-in and therefore adoption from end users, and further still more cost-effective training.

With these benefits on offer, it is clear to see why cloud computing has become so attractive to the shipping industry in the last year in particular.

The cloud challenges There are however, challenges that must be addressed to ensure the maximum return on a cloud investment. These can be broadly termed ‘integration’, ‘visibility’ and ‘analysis’. These three areas are all linked by the fact that, in a push for operational efficiency and economies of scale, silos of information cannot be tolerated.

Integration When businesses with decades of legacy equipment and systems merge, there is often a requirement for a substantial project to bring together all the separate processes. This project is critical if new technology is to help deliver improvements in productivity across the entire organisation.

However the drive to integrate must not become a burden in itself. The use of established open standards such as

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OAGIS can make the integration project quicker without compromising on the connectivity across the new organisation. New lightweight loosely coupled middleware can also simplify and expedite this traditionally cumbersome area.

Visibility One of the key benefits of integrated systems is that a business has new levels of visibility across the newly formed organisation. Having established this foundation, this visibility can be used to make accurate comparisons to establish the best processes, activity and results driven by the different companies.

This is based on the identification and extraction of complete, accurate data that can create meaningful intelligence. Software can only deliver this information if it has access to all the necessary data.

Analysis It is of little use having complete access to data across various systems if that software cannot support decision-making in a meaningful

way. Because M&A activity and consolidation are typically very dataintensive, the ability to analyse and present large amounts of information quickly and clearly is vital. Complex operational data such as tanker sizes and fuel demands, cargo values as time passes and even manpower levels need to be displayed in a consistent and easy to understand manner.

It is at this point that the importance of the interface becomes clear as productivity improvements are often encouraged or thwarted by the smallest of changes to the user experience, potentially unsettling users. n Phil Lewis is senior director, solution consulting, EMEA, at Infor. Infor is fundamentally changing the way information is published and consumed in the enterprise, helping 73,000 customers in more than 200 countries and territories improve operations, drive growth, and quickly adapt to changes in business demands. Infor offers deep industry-specific applications and suites, engineered for speed, and with an innovative user experience design that is simple, transparent, and elegant. For further information visit: www.infor.com.

Case study: Boskalis and Infor Boskalis is a leading service provider of all-round dredging and maritime solutions. Headquartered in Papendrecht, the Netherlands, Boskalis has more than 11,000 employees in 75 countries across six continents. The company focuses on projects in the energy, ports and infrastructure markets with primary clients including governments, oil companies, port operators, insurance companies, mining companies, shipping companies and international project developers.

Faced with several changing conditions within the enterprise, as well as the merging of companies, an expansion of services and an increase in more complex, multi-segment projects, Boskalis realised the need for a new IT solution that not only fitted this international and acquisitive profile, but could also accommodate growth.

Building on 13 years of positive experience with Infor characterised by strong support and extensive expertise and business knowledge Boskalis invested in the Infor 10x version of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) application called Infor LN, which includes Infor ION, Infor Ming.le and Infor Business Intelligence (BI) to support the organisational change process resulting from the growth Boskalis has experienced in recent years.

The Infor ION (Intelligent Open Network) open middleware platform integrates solutions such as Business Intelligence, Expense Management and ERP alongside third party software.

Elsewhere, Infor Ming.le provides a uniform user experience to ensure that this work ‘behind the scenes’ does not impede the user experience - a clear benefit as cloud computing power meets a consumer-grade interface.

“Getting the right information from our systems is crucial for Boskalis, and we need flexible and agile solutions to achieve our goals,” said Rien Krijger, ICT director, Boskalis. “We were impressed by the innovative, disruptive technologies that Infor produces, which allow them to be ahead in the market. With Infor 10x, we now have the necessary tools for increased control, helping us to standardise processes and further strengthen our global market position.”

The international nature of the shipping and marine industries creates a strong operational ‘fit’ for cloud computing and ideal ground to derive substantial financial savings throughout daily operations, consolidation and mergers and acquisitions. The technology is very much here to stay and the competitive advantage of early adopters will soon pass as cloud becomes the new normal for the industry.

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Profiles There are thousands of ships sailing the oceans today, transporting every kind of cargo.

The global fleet is manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality and the companies involved in this sector are among the most technologically sophisticated of any in the world.

The prominent and successful companies that are highlighted in the next pages of Shipping & Marine provide real world examples of how state-ofthe-art technology, best practices and modern innovations are put into practice in the maritime sector.

Euro Marine Logistics Hirtshals Havn LMG Marin Luyt Group Quartzelec Rotortug Irish Mainport Insatech Marine LaNaval Shipyard TransAtlantic AB Unigas International Spliethoff Group Port of Ystad Dan-Bunkering Skipper Electronics

Profile: Euro Marine Logistics Below: City of St. Petersburg, opposite page: City of Rotterdam

Route to

success

H

eadquartered in Belgium since its inception in 2011, Euro Marine Logistics (EML) is a joint venture project between Mitsui OSK Lines and Hoegh Autoliners AS. Integrating the existing short sea activities of both businesses, the company began operations in June 2011 with a focus on achieving profitability as a European shortsea company that delivers optimum services to customers. Borne from the expertise of its parent companies, which both operate as key players in the market of global ocean PCC/PCTC transportation, EML combines the strengths of Mitsui OSK Lines and Hoegh 14 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Autoliners AS to play a leading role in the short-sea transportation of finished vehicles and other ro-ro project cargo throughout Europe.

Boasting a fleet of 14 vessels of various types, EML has the capability to meet the frequency requirements of its customers, as Marc Pauwels, managing director of Euro Marine Logistics notes: “Our mixed tonnage means some of our vessels have a 750 to 1500 car equivalent unit capacity, while others can handle more than 3000 car equivalent units. The combination of small, medium and large vessels helps us to meet the demands of the market.”

Since it was previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine

in July 2014, EML has witnessed strong growth, with 900,000 to 950,000 car equivalent units anticipated in 2015 in comparison to the approximate 800,000 units in 2014. Moreover, it has enhanced its services with the introduction of two new routes; one of the rotations begins in Newcastle, the UK and Zeebrugge on the Belgian part of the continent going to Gothenburg, Sweden, before setting sail to St Petersburg, Russia & Hanko, Finland. The second line rotates from Iberia to the UK, where the company calls at two new ports, Sheerness and Grimsby besides Newcastle.

“Now that we have introduced the new routes, EML operates six

services,” confirms Marc. “The first of these is the East Mediterranean service from UK/continent, which passes through Spain, Morocco, Italy and Greece before reaching Turkey; this route is on a 35 day rotation with five ships, which ensures a weekly service. Next is the new West Mediterranean service, which sails from Iberia (Barcelona, Setubal and Santander) to the UK’s Sheerness, Grimsby & Newcastle ports; this route travels on a three vessel rotation in 21 days to ensure a weekly service.

We also travel from Newcastle to Drammen, with stops at Zeebrugge, Esbjerg and Gothenburg along the way, this service is every five days. Meanwhile, the Baltic route is a fixed weekly service from the UK and continent, with sailings from Newcastle & Zeebrugge to Gothenburg, St. Petersburg and Hanko. There is also Scan-Baltic route, from Newcastle, the UK via Zeebrugge to Malmo, Gdansk and then onto Ust Luga; this is a once every ten days’ service. Finally, there is a service with one vessel between Barcelona and Algeria.”

Supported closely by its owners, www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 15

Profile: Euro Marine Logistics

www.adampolsa.com.pl Tel: +48 85 740 78 60 • e-mail: adampol@adampolsa.com.pl ADAMPOL has established itself as one of the leading vehicle logistics companies serving transportation flows in the geographical area that includes the European Union, CIS countries, Central Asia and the US. It operates based on a combination of outbound and inbound multimodal transportation, a multifunctional terminal with compounds in the Free Customs Zones in Malaszewicze (PL), Lapy (PL), port of Gdansk (PL), Chekhov (RU) and Myachkovo (RU). Their total storage yard area of 106,5 ha offers a capacity of 48,000 vehicles.

ADAMPOL delivers over 480,000 vehicles yearly to its Customers by utilizing the fleet of 1500 car transporters owned by ADAMPOL Group and its subcontractors.

Recently, the port in Gdansk became a very profitable logistics solution in the transportation process relative to the political and economic situation in Russia and unfavorable cabotage laws and regulations in Germany. ADAMPOL’s branch in Gdansk is located right at the heart of the harbor in the Free Customs Zone.

The Gdansk branch offers: l Storage capacity – 15 000 vehicles l Unloading of vessels 24/7

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Harbor operations (storage, handling, quality services, customs documentation) Highly qualified and experienced staff l Eco-friendly & modern fleet l Road and rail freight forwarding l Customs clearance l Stevedoring

l

l

ADAMPOL is involved in many projects with global automotive and logistics giants, who can attest to the highest quality of ADAMPOL services.

The latest project, involving the Gdansk branch, was the collaboration with Grimaldi and Euro Marine Logistics (EML) - the sea operator associated with Fiat transportation from the Tychy factory to the Port of Gdansk and then with vessel transportation to England.

ADAMPOL arranged the loading of 1700 units with an impressive loading ability of 120 cars per hour.

New projects and deepening cooperation with major logistics operators strengthens ADAMPOL’s position in the global automotive market.

the business chooses to persistently challenge itself to provide a service with the highest quality both to serve the needs of its customers and to take up environmental responsibility by continuously seeking to improve the ecological footprint. With a team in place to ensure EML goes above and beyond the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sulphur emission regulations, the company has fully complied with the SECA requirements that came into effect on January 1st 2015. “We fully studied the best way to comply with these regulations and came to the conclusion that fitting scrubbers was not viable, so we decided to burn low sulphur fuel in order to comply. It is a huge investment and a technically complicated issue, which is why we decided to join the Trident Alliance, as we feel regulations only work if they are enforced.”

Despite strong growth in ports of call such as Sweden, the UK, Spain and Italy, EML faces a major challenge due to uncertainty within Russia as the economic crisis continues and trade flows become more depressed. “We need to cope with the crisis in Russia, which

has happened suddenly and caused more short sea tonnage to now face economic collapse. To remain competitive we need to re-allocate our ships and find new routes for them to operate on until a solution is found.”

Meanwhile, to further strengthen its services over the coming years the company is looking for opportunities to add more medium size vessels to its fleet, as Marc concludes: “Our small tonnage is

getting older, however, it is more or less the same cost to build a small vessel as it is to build a large vessel; the problem is that large vessels are not as efficient with regards to frequency. For these reasons, we feel medium sized vessels are the way forward, especially on the shorter legs. In short sea shipping PCC/PCTC operators are not only competing with ferry and Roro operators, but also with inland. Our strategy is consolidation, while also ensuring we maintain frequency through the use of appropriate tonnage.”

Euro Marine Logistics www.euro-marine.eu

• Joint venture operating since 2011 • Introduced two new services in 2015 • Operates in Europe, Baltic and Mediterranean

Adampol

Our co-operation with EML has been going for many years but recently is more intense and will certainly develop. Currently we are working together with Nissan - cars are transported from UK to Poland then distributed in the local market. We also co-operate with Mazda with the transportation of vehicles from Spain to Italy. Adampol would like to increase co-operation with EML in the future on the existing and other markets.

In addition, the latest action is announced on our web site and on the newsletter of Automotive Logistics Magazine: http://www.adampolsa.com.pl/en/o_firmie/ aktualnosci/221,Effective-loading-of-850-Fiat-850-x-Fiat-byAdampol-SA-at-the-port-of-Gdansk http://www.automotivelogisticsmagazine.com/news/ adampol-helps-with-spot-shipments-of-fiat-500-to-uk

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Profile: Hirtshals Havn

An uncompromising

solution

T

he history of the Port (Havn) of Hirtshals dates back almost 100 years when the construction of the port first began during the 1920s. Although its key location at the mouth of the Skagerrak has allowed the port to grow to become Denmark’s sixth largest port, the Port of Hirtshals has never been officially inaugurated.

Instead the port was first put to 18 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

use during the late 1920s and later during November 1929 it was decided that the construction of the port was completed enough for a landing fee to be charged from 1st December 1929, thereby putting the Port of Hirtshals into official use.

Since beginning with its first breakwaters to protect the local fleet of fishing boats, the Port of Hirtshals has continued to evolve and grow to incorporate transport, cargo and offshore services in addition to its existing fisheries heritage. During 2001 the Port of Hirtshals reached a major milestone when Hirtshals Municipality took over the ownership of the port from the Danish state for a price of €15.4 million. Since transitioning into municipality ownership the

Port of Hirtshals has continued to receive significant development through investment valued at some €61 million. Works to the port and its facilities between 2006 and 2009 have included the rebuilding of two ferry berths to accommodate two new super-speed ferries; the creation of a customs and service centre; the deepening of the port’s East Basin 1 to improve safety standards for landing pelagic vessels; the deepening of the port’s East Basin 2 to a depth of 10.7 metres to serve larger fishing vessels and ship and the restructuring of roads links and lanes throughout its central East Harbour.

The Port of Hirtshals was last profiled in Shipping and Marine during July 2011, during which time the port’s managing director Jens Jensen discussed the increasing ferry traffic arriving at Hirtshals, reaching 40 weekly ferry calls during 2012.

Today the continued investment into the port has driven this number higher still as it continues to develop.

“Over the past four years we have

been increasing our activities in all segments, including in the transport sector,” says Jens.

“We currently have 60 ferry calls a week at the port in the summer time and the turnover for the Port of Hirtshals last year was €9.3 million, which is a new record for us. The port is developing well as we increase our activities. We have just announced our new Vision 2020 strategy, where we see the port as a new intermodal hub located in the centre of Scandinavia.”

Indeed the port has enjoyed exciting levels of development in recent history, which is set to see it continue to grow in other markets inline with its sustained increase in ferry traffic. “We have a unique geography close to some of Europe’s main shipping lanes and just this summer The Danish State invested

in a new combi terminal for rail, which will be finished by June. The E39 motorway also reaches the port so by the summer of 2015 Hirtshals will be a truly intermodal terminal,” Jens elaborates. “It is part of our vision to grow in the transport sector to offer shipping companies, rail operators and road users new logistical possibilities, which will offer more efficiency and cheaper

transport because it will be possible to use the spare capacity of vessels and rail links more effectively.”

An integral part of the port’s continued growth is the development of inland facilities on the eastern side of the port, which will encourage further marine and inland traffic as well as further trade, as Jens explains: “We started development

ROHDE NIELSEN A/S

ROHDE NIELSEN A/S operates worldwide as a marine dredging contractor. We have since the establishment in 1968 executed marine projects from Greenland in the North to Cape Town in the South, and from New Zealand in the East to Panama in the West. We run a modern fleet of 42 specially built and highly maneuverable vessels. With their shallow draught, these vessels are capable of working close to the shore.

ROHDE NIELSEN A/S has maintained the navigational depth in the entrance to Hirtshals Harbour since 1992 and participated in all major port extensions over the past 20 years.

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Profile: Hirtshals Havn

on this area early on in 2015 and we hope to complete the first steps of the investment by August. If everything goes well, construction should be finished by New Year 2015/16. The area will be divided into areas for trailer handling, as well as two locations dedicated to the maritime industry. Presently we have quays that we will be able to use more effectively when we have the developed land area behind them. We will focus on more services in the maritime sector using this area to encourage more ships to the port. The trailer handling area will correspond to the ferry and RoRo traffic and enable the efficient handling of trailers from one service

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to another. We also have other spaces available for fisheries, so we have divided the port effectively for different market sectors.”

During the coming year and beyond, the Port of Hirtshals will rely on its unique location as well as its targeted Vision 2020 investment strategy to deliver a strong logistical hub within Scandinavia, as Jens concludes: “We say that we have three strengths to built on and these are our geography; our geography and our geography. When you look a map you will see that the port is centred very closely to the shipping lanes between Norway and Europe and that there is not a great distance to the UK. Therefore it is possible to

create a major transport hub in the area without a major deviation from the main shipping lanes – in fact there is only 20 minutes sailing time between the main shipping lanes and the vessels berthed in the port. Now we have the rail coming right into the port as well as the motorway so clients do not need to compromise to use the port, which means there is excellent motive in using it as an intermodal transport hub.”

Hirtshals Havn

www.hirtshalshavn.dk • Long marine tradition • Advantageous location • Significant investment

Profile: LMG Marin Orca at sea

Grand

designs F

ounded in Norway by three naval architects, Mr Lund, Mr Mohr and Mr Giaever-Enger, in 1943, LMG Marin developed over the years to create a legacy of reliability, experience and innovation. Today a leading naval architect and maritime engineering firm, LMG Marin has been an active participant in the progression of the modern maritime and offshore industries throughout Norway. With reference to more than 1000 ships that have been built at shipyards across the globe, LMG Marin has developed strong ties to both the maritime and offshore industries on a global scale.

“LMG Marin is a pure naval architect and ship design house that offers design packages for all different kinds of ships. Since our establishment more than 70 years ago, we have always been in the hands of employees as a fully independent ship design firm. We have no formal links to shipyards, equipment suppliers or shipowners, which allows us to work on a wholly independent level. Our main office is in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway; we also have three branch offices in Norway (Aalesund), Poland (Szczecin) and France (Toulouse).

Seventy designers and engineers at LMG Marin are involved in designs of offshore vessels, ferries and naval ships; there are currently 23 vessels under construction which have been designed by our personnel,” explains Torbjorn Bringedal, managing director of LMG Marin.

Having developed long-term expertise on vessels such as large offshore vessels, passenger vessels, ferries and ropax over the years, the company has recently been diversifying its market share through active involvement in green projects, most notably those related to LNG propulsion. Discussing LMG Marin’s progression in the LNG market, Torbjorn states: “Over the last few years we have developed new and more efficient solutions as technology has become available. On our earliest LNG vessels we had a high degree of redundancy and complexity; following a number of projects we have been able to simplify solutions, with three of our LNG ship designs becoming award winners for different features that made operations less complex and more cost efficient.

“First of all, we reduced superfluous redundancy and ensured safety in all systems and arrangements, as LNG was very new

in the market at this time. The next stage of development for us involved simplifying solutions by using only one LNG tank and simplified gas supply and machinery systems.

Following this, we eliminated the electrical drives that had previously been required for any kind of gas propulsion vessels; instead, we made a vessel with a direct mechanical drive for using LNG. Our most recent development involves eliminating the standby diesel option by instead using a CNG reservoir as a standby source of fuel for redundancy purposes.

“Through innovation and expertise we have been able to give our clients LNG fuelled vessels, which are easier to operate and more cost efficient. This enables LNG to be a commercially attractive fuel, and an interesting alternative to traditionally fuelled ships.”

Aware that companies involved in LNG fuel need to be involved in the whole logistic fuel supply chain, LMG Marin has participated in the development of LNG terminals, a concept known as GraviFloat.

Designed for installation in shallow waters, the patent pending concept offers the benefits of a land-based concept, in addition to those of the www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 21

Profile: LMG Marin

Left: Gravifloat, right: Torghatten

FSRU. Fully fixed to the seabed during operations, each unit, built and delivered turnkey by an international recognised shipyard, can be designed for a range of purposes and to almost any size.

Customers can choose from an LNG receiving and regasification terminal, a full capacity liquefaction terminal, a mobile unit for stranded gas production and liquefaction or for temporary production of associated gas to support oil production.

Offering full flexibility, GraviFloat terminals can range from 20,000 m3 in storage and can expand by building block principle if and when required. Based on a unique combination of proven technology, GraviFloat offers safe, reliable and cost efficient solutions.

Elaborating on GraviFloat, Torbjorn notes: “We have been working with ships that are fuelled on LNG, which means we have investigations together with shipowners as to the availability of LNG fuel, and assist the shipowner in establishing a LNG logistic chain for their operation. Using our experience, we find it natural to expand this part of our business with the GraviFloat concept energy terminal system. This is developed through LMG Marin.

One of the major industrial shipyard groups in the world have realised the market potential, and have invested in the company, as it requires capital for commercial realisation. Gravifloat is now marketed through a dedicated company bearing the same name.”

With a number of large new build projects underway it is easy to think LMG Marin has enjoyed success, which is certain to continue.

However, with the oil and gas industry facing challenging times, the company has observed the general market slowdown. Not a company to shy from a challenge,

the company has secured contracts in other markets, searched for new opportunities in the market, while also strengthening its presence in the oil and gas industry, as Torbjorn concludes: “A lot of our ongoing projects on the offshore side are contracts that were agreed a while ago, but due to the oil price falling in 2014 and the oil and gas industry cool down especially in Brazil and Norway, securing new projects in this aspect of the business has proven a challenge. Despite this, we have engaged in a joint venture with OilCraftTM in order to in long terms

gain a bigger share of the offshore support vessel market. We are also focusing on other types of ships, further opportunities in the naval market as well as environmentally and cost efficient ships based on LNG fuel, battery hybrid and zero emissions battery concepts.”

LMG Marin

www.lmgmarin.no • World leading independent designers of drill ships • Global leader for green LNG powered ships

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Profile: Luyt Group

Meeting

demand

W

ith a history dating as far back as 1960, when Jan Luijt founded Machinefabriek Luyt NV to meet market demand of new build winches, Luyt Group was established in 2003 following strong growth in the winch market and increased customer demand.

Today Luyt Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of maritime products, with Machinefabriek Luyt BV one of its key members.

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Originally building winches for the fishing industry, Machinefabriek Luyt saw huge opportunities for growth due to the large demand for winches across the globe and began to design, develop and produce winches for other industries. The company went onto design more than 800 winches for its global client base. Led by its founder until 1998, Machinefabriek Luyt remains an independent, family-owned company that is now managed by his son AndrĂŠ Luijt and daughter

Jacoline Luijt.

Although winch building, including the development and design of tailor-made winches, is the main activity of the group, it also provides services such as aluminium workboat construction, hulls up to 25 metres and the delivery and maintenance of ship diesel engines, generators and special filter systems.

The group’s main customers within the winch-building segment of its operations are based in Europe, Dubai, Egypt, the Red

Sea and Black Sea, while its construction services have attracted the attention of firms operating in the North Sea and Europe.

Meanwhile, maintenance and repair work takes place at Dokbedrijf Luyt BV in Den Oever, which is where the group’s dockyard and floating lift dock is based. It is here that work on tall shafts, propellers and shafts take place, as well as the application of painting, power housing and anti foul lines. In close proximity to Den Oever is Friesland Diesel Motoren BV (FDM), which specialises in servicing and maintenance of engines onboard vessels. Luyt Group’s core customer base includes international firms in the offshore, dredging, fishing and other maritime industries.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in January 2014, the group has enjoyed increased demand from the market due to the bankruptcy of

competitors, an increased interest in extending the life of vessels and the opening of a new division that is focused on marine diesel engines.

“We are very busy,” confirms Patrick Koopman, production and sales manager at Luyt Group. “We have repaired a lot of winches and manufactured a lot of new winches over the last few months. There are currently a number of vessels in the harbour for a range of jobs and we also have a vessel over in England at the moment, the Sara Lena BM-30. We have taken her gearbox out in the main engine and replaced it; in addition, we have put a new conveyor and elevator belt on the ship, which is to be trialled in March.

“With regards to our new division that focuses on marine diesel engines, things are going very well; we have always been a sub-dealer of Caterpillar engines and we now have three engineers in this segment.

Brevini Group Benelux

Brevini Group Benelux supplies Luyt Group with powerful motion Brevini Power. Transmission and Brevini Winches are parts of the globally active Brevini Group. Together, they provide a complete product and knowledge portfolio in the field of drive systems, winches and hydraulics. Used across a range of market sectors, our applications guarantee the seamless, powerful motion Luyt Group was looking for.

For various projects Brevini has supplied Luyt Group with gearboxes for their custom built winches and capstans, and with winches for the custom built solutions Luyt is known for.

By choosing Brevini Group Benelux, Luyt Group chooses the components and systems that are very well trusted in the offshore and dredging sector. These products ensure the perfect performance of cranes, propulsion equipment and winches, guaranteeing high production and low maintenance costs. You will find Brevini components and systems in a diversity of market sectors: Construction, Agriculture, Mining, Transport and Shipbuilding.

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Profile: Luyt Group

They have a lot of work on, which is great for us.

Work within this business segment began on fishing vessels, but it has since expanded into dredging and offshore vessels, so it’s a good start.”

Using its 54 years of expertise, Luyt Group’s engineering department designs winches in 3-D programmes and recently developed a series of winches that meet the rules and regulations of wellestablished classification bureaus and ISO standards. Complementing the work of these engineers, the technical engineers install the winches worldwide and can test on location. Luyt Group also meets the needs of customers by sending engineers out directly to complete any maintenance, modification, repair and service on winches through the provision of a 24 hour service. Indeed, it is this availability and commitment to quality that has partially resulted in the full order 26 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

book that the group is currently enjoying.

Another reason behind the group’s impressive growth is its ability to listen to market and customer demand and respond with innovative solutions; a strength that has resulted in its unique range of rust-proof, salt water resistant winches, as Patrick Koopman notes: “At the moment we have two vessels that are having stainless steel winches fitted on them; one is from Germany and the other from Holland.

The issue for winches on vessels is salt water, which makes everything rusty, but with stainless steel it eradicates all of these problems for customers, so it is a good development for us. We already have five vessels with the winches installed.”

With a full order book in place until October 2015, the future looks positive for Luyt Group as it reaps the benefits of other companies becoming bankrupt in a challenging market and becomes a stronger player in the winch industry. “We anticipate more work in the winch division of our group as some big winch companies don’t exist any more but their winches are still in operation. There are still firms out there that need these winches to be serviced or repaired, which provides us with good opportunities for growth over the coming years,” concludes Patrick Koopman.

Luyt Group B.V.

www.luytgroep.nl • Winch specialist for 55 years • Provide service and repair on other brand winches • Offer customised designs

Profile: QUARTZELEC

EM’Powering the oil, gas and marine markets Quartzelec’s workforce delivers its competitive edge

E

lectrical machines feature prominently in almost every industrial sector around the globe; and are the driving force behind these businesses. The oil & gas and marine sectors are no exception; simply look at any aspect of any business operating in one of these areas and there will be a bespoke electrical motor or generator at the centre of every critical capability, process or service.

The rating and cost of these machines varies significantly in line with the machines’ duty, as does the diversity and number of companies that design and build them. At one end of the spectrum there are the relatively ‘inexpensive’ low voltage motors that are often regarded as ‘disposable / replacement’ items when faults occur; supplied to a set price point and with a given life expectancy. However, transition into the high voltage sector and it becomes a different matter. Here a much smaller number of specialist global manufacturers are involved. Typically costing tens or more commonly hundreds of thousands of pounds to purchase, these large motors are inevitably in constant operation and due to constant moving parts are

subject to progressive wear. Machines typically rated at 3.3kV and above would have specific and ongoing monitoring and maintenance to keep them operational.

While a number of OEM equipment providers offer ‘through life’ support, often at a price, there are some instances where the original manufacturer is no longer in operation or they no longer support particular categories of equipment.

This has resulted in the establishment of specialist companies like Quartzelec, a leading international and independent electrical engineering group that provides a comprehensive range of support services for rotating electrical machines. Created in 2009, through a management buy-out, and with a turnover now approaching £60 million, the company can trace its lineage back over 80 years. Its impressive heritage includes several of the great names in electrical design and fabrication including British Thomson Houston (BTH), AEI, GEC Machines, GEC Alsthom Large Machines, ALSTOM and Cegelec.

With a highly skilled, experienced and knowledgeable workforce, Quartzelec has multiple UK and overseas locations, however, the company’s HQ and flagship

workshop is located in new, purpose built facilities in Rugby from where it can manage the repair, overhaul and maintenance of rotating electrical equipment. In addition to these extensive workshop facilities, the team also has access to an extensive library of design drawings and a full design department which means it can manufacture strategic replacement parts or reverse engineer complete machines (electrical and mechanically interchangeable) to meet growing customer requirements.

With a customer base that’s spread throughout the marine and oil & gas industries, a core Quartzelec strength is in having highly experienced teams located close to key operations.

Aberdeen is a perfect example and is playing a key part in the company’s success and the drive it has for expansion today.

“Our engineers and electricians undertake general maintenance, repair and installation work on an array of vessels, rigs and land based facilities across the region,” explained Jamie Burns, the recently appointed general manager for the Aberdeen operation. “Quartzelec has been the supplier of choice to many businesses within the oil & gas and marine sectors for many years, working on www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 27

Profile: QUARTZELEC

Jamie Burns

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high voltage generation on platforms in the North Sea and the vessels that support them, and we have our own large repair facility situated at the harbour side.

“For many years we’ve been used as a main support channel, keeping high voltage machines up and running, but without much forward planning. When a machine ‘broke down’ we would mobilise a team and head straight out to site. Now we increasingly undertake more

pro-active project based work and have invested time and money into people and equipment to become a better solutions provider – effectively empowering our customers to take more control of their requirements when it comes to electrical machines.

Planned maintenance is becoming increasingly important so in response to customers’ requests, we’ve developed a full condition monitoring package - Lifeview®; through our Swiss based business Quartzteq.

We now offer mobile and fixed monitoring solutions and can subject equipment to processes such as partial discharge checks and vibration analysis, with the aim of preventing breakdowns. This in turn means less

downtime for our customers and better management of overall costs.”

Operating in such a niche market, ensuring the right people, with the right skills set and accreditation is vital, so Quartzelec has focused on recruiting and training. Over the past few months, five additional technicians have been added to Aberdeen’s existing complement of 50 and the search is on to increase this further over coming months. There are also plans to establish operations in both Leith and Glasgow to extend capabilities and provide a complete electrical offering.

“Within the marine business, we’re highly regarded as one of the best at what we do,” Jamie continued, and a recent project exemplifies this. “We typically perform general ‘day-to-day’ maintenance on an array of electrical switchgear and switchboards, breakers and dynamic positioning and communications systems right through to complete overhauls and retrofits on anything electrical on a vessel which could involve dry dock services and even sea trials – but when the need arises we pull out all the stops. In this instance engine fire damage to a vessel at sea resulted in extensive damage to cable runs and we were contracted in to ensure it was out of charter for the shortest amount of time possible. We operated a seven-man team, around the clock, to strip back the damaged cables to the point of origin and replace them to the specification standard and in a time scale that suited the customer.”

It’s this same level of dedication that’s seen Quartzelec engineers sent all over the world to carry out marine and oil & gas tasks, ranging from investigative work to entire studies and delivering projects. There is

little doubt in the company’s ability to perform and trusted partners like ATB Laurence Scott and Brook Crompton for whom Quartzelec are authorised repairers further underpin this.

“It is our workforce that provides our biggest competitive edge,” concludes Jamie. “Customer satisfaction has been at the heart of everything we do and reputation and word of mouth are fundamental. The marine and oil & gas markets are relatively small, close knit communities, so we have to continually provide exemplary customer service; continually improve and ensure the job is done to the best standard and as fast and efficiently as possible – backed up by strong

project management.”

So when it comes to replacing damaged cables and ‘disposable’ motors right through to the installation, service and repair of bespoke high value, high voltage electrical motors and generators Quartzelec has the drive, determination and skills to deliver a practical and cost effective solution - empowering the oil & gas and the marine sectors and providing the service and support they demand.

For more information on the maintenance, repair and service of electrical motors and generators for the oil & gas and marine sectors contact Jamie Burns, Quartzelec’s General Manager in Aberdeen on 44 (0)1224 593008 or email Jamie.

Burns@Quartzelec.com. For general information on the services available from Quartzelec, please call 44 (0) 1788 512512 or email Jody.

Townsend@Quartzelec.com

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Profile: Rotortug

Pulling forward

S

ince Mr Ton Kooren in Spain constructed the first Rotortug® design in 1999, the innovative Rotortug BV has established a reputation as a pioneer within the specialized towage industry.

Originally founded under the name Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading BV, later known as KST, the company’s first generation of Rotortugs were exclusively built for the use of international maritime service provider Kotug; however, following an increase in demand for specialised towage services, the company made the strategic decision of extending the sale of its design to third parties.

As KST BV continued to develop over the years, its efforts became increasingly focused on design and new building consultancy, marketing and training solutions; this move away from shipbuilding resulted in an exclusive design 30 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

agreement between KST BV and Robert Allan in 2012 that enabled potential customers to contract either organisation for a license to construct a Rotortug. Two years after this strategic contract was signed, the company underwent a successful rebranding operation, thus further cementing its position in technical marketing and consultancy. Speaking with Shipping and Marine magazine during January 2014, managing director of Rotortug Evan Willemsen said: “Under its new name, Rotortug BV will continue its focus on the technical marketing and development of the Rotortug as an established brand as well as other towage related solutions. Now that the shipbuilding aspect of the business is gone, it’s the perfect opportunity for us to rebrand.”

Having realigned its core business with the shipping industry, Rotortug enjoyed a productive and

prosperous 2014 as KT Maritime Services Australia Pty Ltd awarded a contract for the design and operation of three of the world’s first purpose built FLNG infield support vessels, as Evan highlights: “Steel cutting of the 100 tons, 42 metre Rotortugs commenced for the KT Maritime Services contract; as is customary, in September 2014.

“Keen to take advantage of the growing opportunities within the LNG market, three Rotortugs were transported to the Shell LNG Brunei terminal to support LNG carriers,” confirms Evan. “This contract is a natural development for Rotortug as we are looking for expansion into this field; we aim to provide a towage solutions concept, a system based approach to maritime risk management for oil majors and terminal operators both on shore and offshore. That would be our main market plan for the future.”

Supporting this strategy is the

company’s state-of-the-art, game changing new design, the ART 80-32. Viewed as an industry benchmark and designed by Robert Allan Ltd, the next generation series has generated significant buzz in the market, with four on order at Cheoy Lee Shipyards in Hong Kong.

To date, two of these Rotortugs, named RT Discovery and RT Endeavour, have been delivered to their owner, Elisabeth Ltd in Malta. Delivered in October and November, respectively, the two tugs deliver high performance, unrivalled maneuverability and optimised safety during operations.

Elaborating on the benefits of the ART 80-32, Evan states: “The main features of this tug design includes its combined high bollard pull of 86 tons, made up of three thrusters and two winches, which means you can always work in the direction you are going to, rather than having to work

backwards. The ART 80-32 has a very good speed of 13.5 knots, with 7.5 knots sidestepping capabilities; this key feature provides crew comfort that they can always move towards a safe position, should the tug get into a dangerous situation.

Moreover, if the towline fails, the vessel can be turned around and reconnected. We have paid attention to all details, and have worked extremely hard to come up with something very close to the perfect tug design.”

Although the design ticks all of the right boxes for the tug boat market, the ART 80-32 is now in the process of proving itself to a conservative customer base, as Evan notes: “Since being delivered in October, the RT Discovery has given a few sneak previews of its capabilities and generated attention from the market. However, a tug can look nice and be well designed, but it also has to work and perform

for us to convince clients that this is simply a much better system.” On the tipping point of early majority market acceptance for industries in need of enhanced safety and optimum performance. The future looks promising as the first ART 8032 vessels commence operations and opportunities continue to develop.

“We see increased demand for infield support vessels throughout 2015, so we will focus on delivering this concept to other FLNG and FRSU operations, while also expanding our presence in the LNG and FPSO markets,” concludes Evan.

Rotortug BV

www.Rotortug.com • Leading designer, developer and supplier of the Rotortug® • Recently launched the game-changing ART 80-32 • Exclusive design contract with Robert Allan Ltd

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 31

Profile: Irish Mainport

A smart

reactor

Celtic Isle leaving the dry dock in Rushbrook with the Cape Clear storm gates in tow

S

tarting life as a shipping agency and stevedoring company in Cork back in 1954, Mainport has grown through acquisitions to become a fully integrated marine services company. The company operates from sites across Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, & Brazil , and serves a variety of markets including offshore, seismic, towage and salvage. With a significant part of the business in the oil and gas offshore industry, the recent dip in the industry means that the company has switched its shortterm focus from growth to market consolidation. By solidifying its position in the market it has put itself in a position to react as soon as the industry picks up.

When Shipping and Marine last featured the business in 2012, marine director, Captain Dave Hopkins indicated a desire to enter the Brazilian and Canadian markets despite difficulties with trade legislation within both. In 2014, the company successfully opened an office in Brazil 32 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

while Canada still waits, a move that has so far proven to be successful.

Dave also mentioned a growth in the seismic sector, which prompted the company to order two new build seismic support ships. Since then Mainport has taken delivery of these ships, which are now working on long-term charters with clients in India, and throughout the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Within the salvage sector Irish Mainport has been successful in obtaining some key partners within the market. “Resolve Marine, a US salvage operator have set up their European equipment base here in our warehouses in Cork,” explains Dave. “Hopefully we can build on our relationship with Resolve in the future.” Elsewhere, it has used its salvaging services to implement its corporate social responsibility programme in the local area. “In 2007, Mainport were the driving force for a programme to clean the River Lee in Meithael Mara, putting the plan together and gathering in assistance

from other organisations within the city. The programme continues today with regular sweeps of the river by the members of Meithael Mara in the small aluminium workboat Mainport Lee, which was provided by Mainport.” So far the project has removed 1018 items of rubbish from the river, and last year recycled 1.5 tonnes of metal.

Other significant local projects include a Mainport tug vessel towing a 1000 tonne concrete storm gate into Cape Clear for protection. “This was a lock chamber for the harbour in West Cork such that when it is fitted, it will protect local boats on the Island in storms,” elaborates Dave. The project involved towing the chamber a distance of 100 km from Cork Dock Yard to Cape Clear Island.

However, despite these recent successes, current market conditions are forcing the company to switch tactics when it comes to its position in the market. As Dave explains that: “Rather than expand, we have worked to consolidate our existing business in

Left: Seismic support vessel Mainport Pine

response to the slowdown in offshore business.” In response to this, Irish Mainport has taken advantage of current opportunities to root itself within its industries. “Our goal for 2015 is to solidify what we have until the oil crisis passes over,” Dave continues: “We have renewed our long-term charter with Kinsale energy to provide the multi role vessel ‘Pearl’ to cover the needs of the Kinsale Gas field. Additionally, we have now been awarded a licence for the provision of towage services on the Shannon estuary, by Shannon Foynes for five years. With this new system we are now the only licensed company allowed to operate on the Shannon for

the provision of towage services.”

In order to make sure it is a position to react as soon as the industry does pick up, the company has been active in keeping potential projects in the pipeline. “We are working on a few new projects at present but these will only come to fruition if the oil business picks up,” Dave highlights. “Hopefully this will be by the end of 2015.” Also at the company’s disposal, and what has made the company so successful to date, is the experience, knowledge and readiness apparent in its work force.

“We have built up a vast knowledge of the offshore business here in Ireland and we are set to go for any offshore projects that materialise in the coming years,” Dave adds. “We have young, active team who are always ready to get to grips with the project whatever it may be.”

Irish Mainport has experienced a history very much defined by success and growth. What is clear from recent events is that part of this success can be attributed to its ability

to respond smartly to the changing market conditions of the industries it operates in. With the current oil industry slowing down, the company has taken stock of where its strengths lay and made sure that it can remain strong and relevant throughout. After what should be a short-lived crisis, the company looks ready to take advantage of the growth that will accompany a restored oil industry.

Despite the current situation however, a concluding point from Dave highlights that growth is still a key part of the company’s success: “Over the next three to five years we want to grow the business in the areas where we are best suited to, seismic support on a worldwide basis, and the offshore business in general.”

Irish Mainport

www.mainport.ie • Taken delivering of two new seismic support vessels • Expanded its global footprint in recent years • Current focus on consolidation rather than growth as oil industry slows down

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Profile: INSATECH MARINE

S

On a mission

ince its establishment in 1989 in Vordingborg, Denmark,

by Alan Christoffersen, Insatech AS has continuously strived to find viable and superior solutions within automation and instrumentation; a focus that has enabled the firm to gain integral experience and knowledge of the maritime industry. A part of Addtech Group’s business segment, Addtech Life Science since December 2005, Insatech’s long-standing collaboration with a number of the world’s leading manufacturers has ensured it can provide an excellent service to both its customers and suppliers on a global scale.

“For the first 20 years in operation, we were focused on industrial instrumentation to pharmaceutical customers, as well as energy producers such as power plants, machine builders and clients within the oil and gas industry. It wasn’t until approximately eight years ago that we noticed potential to use some of these

34 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

high accuracy-measuring instruments from the industrial world in the marine industry. We approached some Danish ship owners and operators and developed a Bunker Management System to measure bunker fuel; this was our entry point into the marine market. Since then we have established a specific marine department within Insatech, Insatech Marine, which today has between 65-70 members of staff,” begins Kristian Nielsen, head of business development and solutions at Insatech Marine.

Utilising its experience in the development, manufacture and supply of products to a number of industries that require high standards from national and international authorities, Insatech Marine focuses on the delivery of field-tested, proven technical solutions that meet the increasingly stringent rules and regulations of the shipping industry. “Research, development and innovation goes hand in hand at Insatech,” says Kristian. “In

two months from now we will be launching new and enhanced systems on the market, as we have continuously improved our equipment.

Currently we are developing at such a pace to adapt to the fast changing requirements within the shipping industry that we are having issues with keeping track of our marketing and brochures. The marine industry is perhaps 20 years behind our original land-based industrial markets, but over the last three to five years the marine customer has begun to pay attention to the benefits of energy optimisation.”

A major area of interest for Insatech and the shipping industry as a whole, the implementation of energy optimisation measures by shipping firms has been a slow burning process, as conservative organisations have been cautious to adopt measures due to risk, potential hidden costs and difficulty in gaining access to capital. Insatech Marine has created a Performance Management System; a

Opposite Lto R: Performance system engine perf, Performance system flow meters, Performance system main engine

solution that provides ship operators with continuous and consistent log performance data to ensure an ongoing evaluation of a ship’s performance. “This is a sophisticated system that not only looks at how much fuel is burnt, but also how much energy is produced from the engine and the auxiliary engines; through the performance monitoring system we can also look at the conditions that the ship is operating in,” says Kristian.

Able to customise its systems to fit any type of vessel, Insatech Marine looks set to flourish as those within the shipping industry steadily develop a stronger knowledge of the benefits involved in energy optimisation and emission control.

However, as a company committed to continuous improvement and strong working relationships with customers, Insatech Marine will spend the remainder of 2015 focused on improving its performance monitoring

Coriolis mass flow meter

and management systems and also displaying its high quality solutions at Nor-Shipping in June.

“Nor-Shipping 2015 will give us the opportunity to display our solutions as well as a new concept that are to be launched shortly. We’re working on finalising a performance concept that includes our Fuel Consumption and Performance Monitoring Systems. An on-board Performance Management System is being developed with the goal of optimising the vessel so that it operates in the most efficient way and provide the crew with the best possibility to minimise the operational cost. Together with a database-todatabase system that will transfer

data from vessel to headquarters, and enable clients to manage their fleet and the performance of their vessels from headquarters via our Fleet Manager system. As our equipment fits on most types of vessels, Nor-Shipping also enables us to maintain a presence in the market by showing our brand and what we can do,” concludes Kristian.

Insatech Marine

www.insatechmarine.com • Supplier of Performance Optimisation solutions • Supplier of Bunker Management Systems • Will participate in Nor Shipping in June 2015

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 35

Profile: LaNaval Shipyard

Sophisticated

ships

Main picture: LaNaval Shipyard Below: Dry dock and a module

D

edicated to the design and construction of sophisticated vessels that deliver high added value since its inception more than 100 years ago, Spanish shipyard LaNaval has developed a global reputation over the years for its ability to manage the most complex projects. Discussing the shipyard’s history, Javier Angulo, commercial director of LaNaval, begins: “In order to find LaNaval’s origin we must go back to the creation of the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval (SECN) in 1909, which was established to boost the renovation of the Spanish Navy. In 1915 SECN bought some land at the Nervion River banks in the Sestao area with the aim of building a shipyard. The shipyard was completed only one year 36 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

later, by April 1916 and it was named LaNaval.

“On the inauguration date of LaNaval, the keel of the first vessel, Alfonso XIII, was layed. This was a cruise vessel. Since then LaNaval has been mainly dedicated to the design and building of different type of ships, such as containers, crude oil tankers, shuttle tankers, chemical tankers, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, dredgers and offshore vessels.

Throughout its long history, the shipyard has also produced different ship’s equipment and materials, such as two stroke diesel engines, casted propellers, boilers, furniture and so on.”

In addition to these competencies, the yard also provided ship repair services for a number of decades, however, this segment of the business

32,500 dwt fallpipe vessel

Multipurpose cable lay vessel

stopped in the mid 1990s. Following a decade without this service, the shipyard was acquired by private owners in 2006, which resulted in drydocking activity beginning once again in 2013 after major investment in one of its two drydocks.

Alongside its ship repair services, the shipyard also developed its reputation in growing sectors such as LNG. “During the 2000’s LaNaval designed and built three LNG carriers, which was a breakthrough due to its high technical requirements.

Around this time, we also entered the market of dredgers and offshore vessels,” says Javier. “Today LaNaval is focused in the following type of vessels: dredgers and offshore vessels for the oil & gas and the offshore wind industries, as well as ro-pax ferries.”

One business segment where the shipyard has developed a world leading reputation is suction dredgers, with seven trailing suction hopper dredgers designed and built since 2002. Within this list, the Cristobal Colon and Leiv Eriksson, both 46,000 m3, are the most capable dredgers of this type available on the market, further proving the shipyard’s expertise in this area. “We currently have additional contracts for design and build of two additional trailing suction hopper dredgers of 17,000 m3 for Van Oord, which will be delivered within 2017,” notes Javier. Alongside the Van Oord contract, LaNaval is focusing on the construction of one ferry for TESO, which is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2016 and one multipurpose cable lay vessel for DEME/Tideway, which is due for

delivery in the first quarter of 2017.

Committed to maintaining its reputation for custom-made excellence, LaNaval’s competent and flexible employees operate within high quality facilities that includes two slipways, 283 m x 42.8 m and 270 m x 43.16 m respectively, and two drydocks, 152 m x 22 m and 146 m x 21.8 m, two outfitting piers, 300m and 570 m, and a general warehouse. In addition, the yard has steel and fabrication workshops, painting and sandblasting cabins (1700 m2), a steel storage area, a 9000 m2 piping workshop, pre-outfitting workshops, general offices, a pre-assembly workshop and production offices.

Complementing the shipyard’s facilities is its focus on compromise and flexibility to customers, alongside the strong technical skills and capabilities of its staff, as Javier highlights: “Our recent and current clients include Jan De Nul Group, EDT Offshore, TESO, Van Oord and Deme Group. To ensure we remain competitive, we compromise with the strict fulfillment of all our commitments and obligations with our clients. The best proof of our capabilities in this area is that our customers come back to us, time and again.” www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

Profile: LaNaval Shipyard

Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) With its production facility in Ghent and marketing often limited to word of mouth, Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) has over a century of experience in designing, engineering and production of tailor made medium-speed power solutions for a large variety of customers with needs ranging from 1000kw to 5000 kW per engine. Over 15 years ago ABC started with land based dual fuel solutions with references in oil and gas applications. With the Texel ferry project ABC marks the move to dual fuel marine applications, offering diesel like response at reduced operating cost. Because smaller players can make bigger differences.

38 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Continuing to list the shipyard’s strengths, Javier notes that LaNaval is not averse to creating partnerships with other companies to ensure the best possible solutions: “We have a technical office with strong capacities, which is differential from the rest of the Spanish and from the majority of the European shipyards. We also have the proven capacity to co-operate with other external offices and main key suppliers, to talk at the same level, proposing solutions, alternatives and so on. In fact, LaNaval has a very important network of local suppliers and subcontractors that make possible to achieve the projects in cost, time and quality.

On top of this, over the last few years, we have optimised processes in order to achieve maximum efficiency in terms of costs, time and quality, with the strict fulfillment of our client’s requirements.”

Despite the downturn in demand of offshore vessels within the oil and gas industry, LaNaval has still managed to sign new contracts thanks to its strong market reputation. Moving forward, the shipyard aims to find further opportunities in its core markets, while also developing a stronger reputation for the design and construction of tailor made vessels.

“We want to be a world reference, competitive and a reliable partner for the design and build of sophisticated ships, with a key focus on dredgers, offshore and ro-pax ferries,” concludes Javier.

LaNaval Shipyard www.lanaval.es/en

• More than 100 years history • World leader for suction dredgers • Design and build sophisticated vessels

Profile: TransAtlantic

Breaking the

I

n 1972 the company Nordsjöfrakt was formed, beginning operations from Skärhamn, Tjörn. The business gradually expanded with minor bulk and RoRo tonnage, and by 1989, the operation encompassed 15 vessels, including three reefer vessels, which it had acquired together with the Bylock Group, forming Bylock & Nordsjöfrakt (B&N). A series of acquisitions and transitions ultimately led to the establishment of Rederi AB TransAtlantic, which today has two business areas, shipping and logistics and offshore/ icebreaking services.

TransAtlantic AB is a leading Swedish shipping company with headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden and additional offices in Europe, where it has gained much of its experience operating within the North European shipping and logistics sector. The company is organised into two business areas:

ice TransAtlantic and Viking Supply Ships, in total employing 800 personnel with a recorded turnover in 2014 of MSEK 3190.

The sister company in the Group, Viking Supply Ships, operates in offshore and icebreaking conditions on a worldwide basis. With its headquarters located in Copenhagen since 2011, its Viking Supply Ships division is active within offshore and ice breaking, primarily in the arctic and subarctic areas. As one of the few players in the market, Viking Supply Ships possesses unique expertise in conducting operations in ice and harsh weather conditions.

In contrast, operating within the Baltic and North Sea as its geographic base, the fleet of TransAtlantic AB consists of a number of container and RoRo vessels sailing on fixed lines. Out of its headquarters, the additional interests of TransAtlantic Ship Management, operating as a fully

owned subsidiary of TransAtlantic AB, offers full ship management services, with the core elements of its business covering ship management of bulkers, RoRo, general cargo, and container vessels. A result of having a pool of talented employees with long experience in shipping, is that the business is able to offer and deliver innovative and cost efficient shipping and logistics solutions for the Nordic industry, connecting the Bay of Bothnia / South Sweden with the continent in a reliable and flexible manner.

The key focus of the business is to connect the outports in Baltic and the major transshipment ports with a high quality liner service even in rough winter conditions, aiming to enhance its customers supply chain needs, building on its position as the preferred carrier in the Baltic Sea. Its container based liner traffic between Sweden, Finland, Germany and the Benelux area consists of modern www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 39

Profile: TransAtlantic

container vessels with high ice classification, with several of them boasting built-in dehumidifiers for transporting moisture sensitive steel products. Additionally it has been able to develop to include clearing, storage and forwarding operations, creating highly cost-effective solutions for customers through its ‘door to door’ solutions.

TransAtlantic co-operates closely industries in its strategic markets and continually looks for new opportunities to support local companies by giving direct access to efficient transportation systems. In 2014, Piteå was added as a new port call for the TransBothnia Container service, and at the beginning of April 2015 it was announced that Härnösand would be added to the TransFeeder North service. “With our previous success in Piteå in mind we were pleased to announce yet another a new port to our feeder product. We are convinced that our call in Härnösand will serve local industries with improved logistics solutions,” commented Nikolas Rowland, commercial director Sweden at TransAtlantic AB. Härnösand will be an excellent option for export and import volumes to North Sweden and an important step to further strengthen the service offering in the Bay of Bothnia.

As well as ensuring it is covering the areas that its clients consider essential, the business prioritises numerous safety initiatives, working actively through preventive measures to prevent incidents and accidents involving personnel and/or vessels.

“We are convinced that a culture with a high level of safety and motivated employees will ensure that all personnel detect the risks related to their work duties and within their areas of work so that we can proactively use training and exercises to minimise injuries and accidents,” states the company’s website.

Its safety management system (SMS) is intended to promote and contribute to onshore and marine safety initiatives that are continuously improved, and the business is certified in 40 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

and transparency, with continuous development in leadership and strategic competencies.

With a promising outlook ahead, the business is aimed at securing future focus and expansion in the Group’s respective areas of operation. Such aims will ultimately be achieved by creating awareness and understanding of customer’s needs and how customer value may be generated, as well as conducting investments in markets, competency and systems, and continuing with safety and environmental efforts to become one of the leading companies in its field.

accordance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.

Furthermore, it works hard to find the causes of any incidents so that it is better able to prevent any repeat occurrences. In addition, onboard procedures and checklists are continuously improved in cooperation with its marine employees to minimise risks.

Beyond safety, the importance of protecting the environment remains a critical consideration for the business, as it stands in the front line of working environment issues, with zero tolerance being the goal of its safety initiatives. As the environment becomes an increasingly competitive factor, many transport purchasers are increasing the demand for efficient environmental work from suppliers, which is often higher than the various legislations that apply in the industry. The trend is beneficial to TransAtlantic, since the effort with the fleet’s environmental performance is based on continuous improvements. Within the Group, a number of projects are being conducted to reduce the environmental load, which is continuously adapted to changes in the business world and customers’ requirements.

Environmental aspects are also considered for newbuilds, with the business endeavouring to be innovative with respect to such factors as vessel design and equipment. Through its commitment

to create value for customers by providing reliable, innovative and cost-efficient shipping and logistics solutions it looks to create an empowered and high performance organisation that is based on trust

TransAtlantic AB www.rabt.se

• Shipping and logistic solutions • Container and RoRo vessels • Extensive logistical network

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 41

Profile: UNIGAS INTERNATIONAL

Ultimate

delivery

U

nigas has recently taken delivery of the first of six 12,000 cubic metre new builds ordered last year.

With the company’s shareholders’ standing improving annually despite the global economic downturn stretching for almost seven years, confidence within the business remains high. “The impact on a macroeconomic level has not prevented the business from coming up bigger and stronger,” says Ian Woolley, managing director. “Following the continued petrochemical expansion in the Middle East Gulf region and also the potential return of Iran into the international business arena, this would be positive to our sector of gas shipping, as well as other industries,” he adds.

Additional focus in the Atlantic Basin stems from the expansion of shale oil and gas production in the US, notwithstanding the fact that the oil price has nearly halved, having a negative effect on the number of wells in operation. “Despite the downturn in oil and gas prices, we have seen continuous increases in physical production and that is likely to continue over the next three years. We see this aspect as being of fundamental importance behind the positive 42 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

impact, which we have already been experiencing,” explains Ian. With its fleet totalling 45 vessels of varying sizes on completion of the latest six ship new building order, the business maintains a good geographical spread of operations.

The availability of exports of different types of gas from the US, some of which hasn’t been possible before, will become available in much larger volumes because of the investments that the petrochemical industry is making in new crackers amongst other plants, producing more gas which can be carried on the types of ships owned

by Unigas. “While we realise that the focus will be on domestic consumption and capturing the downstream premium, there will still be reasonable amounts of gases made available from exports from the US, which will be both new and beneficial.

“We also have an eye on small ship LNG supply, particularly to low sulphur areas, which will be an increasing phenomenon across Northern Europe, Scandinavia and the US, as well as for movements of LNG between islands and mainland, such as the Caribbean, Asia and Chinese coastwise distribution. We believe there will be opportunities for

small LNG carriers, as it increasingly replaces other fuels for use as prime energy sources in power generation and mining and LNG bunker fuel distribution,” points out Ian. With the delivery of two more vessels expected during the early summer period this year, the impact on the business once these are operational is that they will allow the company the flexibility to order ships at the very bottom of the new building market as far as price is concerned, ultimately replacing ships that have been on time charter, as well as extra ships for developing new business.

Commenting, Ian says: “We will have the most competitive vessels in this size range, which we expect to deliver optimal returns over the long term.”

Operating on a worldwide basis, these vessels will be available for a mixture of business, both on the spot market, as well as in term business undertaking contract work, as well as time charter.

“Having these vessels enables us to look at these different modes and be able to develop new, longer term business over time.

“Whilst gas shipping is a relatively niche market, there are always new opportunities and challenges, and one of the main factors behind this is that

trade flow, product flow and product pricing is changing all the time,” he adds. The influence crude has results from price, demand and constraints in the downstream markets of the petrochemical industry stemming from the end users, such as plastic demand.

“It is very elastic in that sense but extremely difficult to predict because there are so many external factors that can influence it. It is hard to know what margins will remain for shipping a particular product at a particular time and whether a particular product flow is likely to stay or not.

“Of course, depending on how you’re able to position yourself in this

respect, either by chance, or by good judgment, advantages can be made to get ahead of the competition. At other times, particularly within the spot market, it is a matter of competing out there, and continuing to develop the longer-term business, which we are able to do, supported by our financially solid shareholders,” he continues.

A feature of the sector of the gas market in which Unigas operates is that contract periods tend to be short, typically lasting up to one year. Therefore, while it is possible to develop a long-term strategy, patience is vital to ride out the peaks and

the troughs. “We are in a fortunate position in that we can look at the next stage of potentially growing the fleet at the right opportunity, whether that is when the new building prices are more again in the owners’ favour or secondly through purchase opportunities of existing ships or fleets from competitors. We expect to see opportunities gathering more momentum and as such we are looking forward to the period ahead,” concludes Ian.

Unigas International www.unigas.nl

• Petrochemical and petroleum gas transportation company • Fleet of 45 vessels • Operational worldwide

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 43

Profile: Spliethoff Group

Oceans apart

O

riginally a cargo brokerage firm for the timber trade across Western Europe and the Baltic, the Amsterdam-based Spliethoff Group has since grown to become one of the largest ship management firms in the Netherlands.

Beginning its operations in 1921, the company earned a reputation over the years as a reliable, resourceful and dedicated partner to shipping firms and expanded the number of ships. During the 1970s, Spliethoff saw strong opportunities to further increase its fleet from Japan, a country known for high quality shipbuilding.

From a single shipyard alone, the company took delivery of more than 60 ships, a development that also established the Spliethoff name on a global scale.

Over the years, Spliethoff took the strategic decision to acquire other firms to enhance its capabilities and further establish its reputation as a leading ship operator. Today the group consists of Spliethoff, BigLift Shipping, Sevenstar Yacht Transport, Wijnne Barends and Transfennica. Discussing the group’s acquisitions with Shipping and Marine magazine in May 2012, Michel Fransen, chief financial officer of Spliethoff, explained: “We took 44 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

over Mammoet Shipping, now known as BigLift Shipping, because they are the number one specialist in heavy lift sea transportation.

We also acquired Transfennica, a ro-ro liner service between Finland, the European continent and the UK from its former shareholders and customers in the Finnish paper industry. In 2003 we procured short sea shipping company Wijnne Barends and, in 2004, worldwide yacht transport company Sevenstar.”

With a strong portfolio of first class shipping companies, Spliethoff offers a broad range of high quality services to the market; these include port-to-port and door-to-door transport, tramping, liner services and volume contracts; fixed ro-ro liner services, speciality services such as feedering to offshore projects and to heavy lift projects; heavy lift transport and installation works; shore staff support for loading and discharging cargo; and complete in-house engineering.

Since it was previously featured in

Shipping & Marine, the group has further strengthened its services with the establishment of a new liner service between Port of Cleveland and Antwerp. “Meanwhile, our new liner service between Port of Cleveland and Antwerp has proven to be successful; we load in Europe, an area that we usually connect with the Midwest of the US as there are a lot of companies operating there and a lot of congestion as many companies truck and rail their products to the east coast ports to reach Europe. Because we go directly to Cleveland this will save our customers a lot of time. Due to the success of this liner service we added a second ship to the route, which results in a sailing every two weeks.”

Another major development for Spliethoff Group took place in

2013, when heavy lift subsidiary BigLift set up a joint company with RollDock Shipping to form BigRoll with the aim of establishing a first class solution provider in the modular cargo transportation market. Complementing the combined expertise of BigLift and RollDock will be four newbuild MC-Class module carriers, which will be used to transport ultra large and heavy modular cargoes by sea. Designed to ensure short loading and discharging times, high service speed and low accelerations, the overall length of the MC-class is 172 m, while the beam is 42 m, which provides each vessel with a deck space of 42 by 125 m. The ships will also have Finnish Swedish 1A ice class notations, are DP2 prepared and have a maximum deadweight of 22,000 mt. The first of these state-of-the-art ships, the Big Roll Barentsz, is due for delivery end of 2015. Once in operation, the vessels will focus on the offshore and onshore oil and gas markets, as well as renewables, power generation, container cranes and shipyard sectors.

Aware of its environmental responsibility, Spliethoff will continue to focus on increasing the number of vessels in its fleet that have scrubbers; as the largest vessels have already had scrubbers installed, the company is progressing onto its mid range size, with 17 vessels being fitted out this year. “Compared to converting to LNG, installing scrubbers is far more flexible and less costly as you don’t have to change engines. Our existing ships have engines designed for heavy fuel oil so it really made sense on an economical and efficiency basis to invest in scrubbers.” For the future Spliethoff has several new designs ready, some of which are prepared

for LNG propulsion. The group is looking to order up to 30 new vessels in the near future.

Keen to ensure there is clear communication that will raise awareness of potential weak enforcement of marine sulphur regulations in the SECA area, Spliethoff joined the Trident Alliance, a coalition of ship owners and operators who support this common interest with transparency on compliance. Additionally, members share knowledge and experience on the different methods and

technologies that are available.

Despite being proud of its strong fleet and high standards, Spliethoff’s focus over the coming years is consistent improvement, as it continues to meet the demands of its growing customer base.

Spliethoff Group www.spliethoff.com

• Provide global ocean transportation • Twenty-three of 100 strong fleet will have scrubbers installed in 2015 • Includes the companies Spliethoff, Transfennica, Sevenstar, Wijnne Barends and BigLift

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Profile: PORT OF YSTAD

Bjorn Bostrom

Pump up the

S

trategically located on the Swedish south coast, the Port of Ystad has retained its focal activities in ferry traffic since its inception in the 11th Century.

Today listed as the tenth largest port in Sweden and the third largest ferry passenger port in the country, it has witnessed a steady rise in passenger traffic over the years and become Sweden’s largest port for ferry traffic to Poland and Bornholm. This trend for success has continued, with the port breaking its record for passenger traffic to Bornholm in 2014 following a total of 1,312,876 passengers travelling to the island throughout the year; an overall increase of

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volume

1.6 per cent in comparison to 2013, which was another record year for the port. The influx of new customers and the arrival of railway operator CFL Cargo Sweden AB, which began its service in the fall, has also resulted in a ten per cent increase in railway transportation.

Based approximately 60 km from Malmo and 90 km from Copenhagen, the Port of Ystad is easily accessible to western Sweden via the E65 motorway. Meanwhile the town’s railway station is based in close proximity to the port, taking approximately 45 minutes with Skånetrafiken’s Pågatåg train; the same train also travels to Simrishamn in 40 minutes. Train departures to Copenhagen can take as little as an hour.

Managed by Ystad Port Logistics, the port’s facilities include four berths for the handling of conventional ferries carrying passengers and freight – one ro-ro, two ropax, and one ropaxrail – and one for passengers and vehicles on highspeed craft (HSC). Meanwhile, the maximum draft at the port is

7.2 metres, meaning it is able to dock small to mid-sized ships. Its onshore facilities include terminals, marshalling areas, and storage warehouses for general cargo. These facilities, alongside its enviable location, enable the port to play a vital role in both the transport industry and Sweden’s economy.

With six ferries travelling to Poland and three to Denmark on a daily basis and passenger numbers breaking records last year, the port’s focus throughout 2015 is to boost capacity for ferry operations in preparation for an anticipated increase of nearly 100,000 goods vehicles between 2017 and 2020. “There has been a tremendous increase during the last ten to 15 years, both regarding the Polish and the Danish routes. Poland has been the strongest nation during the economic crises years 2008-2010 and that has affected the market to and from Ystad positively,” says Bjorn Bostrom, managing director at Port of Ystad.

“During the crisis year 2009 the cargo flow grew with almost 11 per cent and Port of Ystad was one of only five ports in Sweden with positive

volume development that year. The route to Bornholm has also grown, especially on the passenger side, due to the fixed link between the area of Copenhagen and Swedish region of Scania, making it possible to cut at least half of the travelling time. Now 96 per cent of all passengers choose the Ystad-Rønne link,” he adds.

Moreover, the Danish Government is continuing to work on the acquisition of new ferry services to Bornholm, which are expected to come into effect in 2017. Despite these positive developments, the different laws in Denmark and Sweden will cause further border barrier difficulties for Ystad Port Logistics. “As you know, 96 per cent of all passengers to Bornholm already travel via Ystad, but there are some obstacles, in spite of both nations being members of the European Union, that creates some difficulties. For example, some medicine allowed in Denmark is forbidden in Sweden and pets must have special veterinarian certificates for entering Sweden. Our goal is to make it possible for rest of the four per cent also to go via Port of Ystad,” says Bjorn.

Keen to find a solution to this issue, Bjorn, alongside other personnel at Ystad Port Logistics, hosted a seminar on the topic with Swedish and Danish politicians as well as stakeholders in September 2014. The seminar was well received, with Hans Wallmark, Member of Parliament and vice president of the Nordic Council Presidium, stressing the importance of a good working relationship.

Committed to Freedom of Movement, the Port of Ystad aims to fight cross border barriers with transboundary co-operation and constructive discussions that will hopefully lead to mutually beneficial solutions for all parties involved.

Moving forward, Ystad Port Logistics aims to expand its services to countries on the southern and eastern side of the Baltic Sea, as well as strengthen the support it delivers to local regions. To make this goal a reality, the organisation has entered a strategic partnership with Aahus Port & Stevedoring Co, which will involve the two companies remaining separate entities while collaborating on the strategic progression of common goals such as start-ups in Skane, as Bjorn concludes: “You know the old saying; ‘alone is strong’ is of course true, but then again, together we are stronger.

The ports will primarily work together for creating a better infrastructure in the east part of the region of Scania and to give better opportunities for business development creating more jobs and eventually more goods to handle for the ports.”

Port of Ystad

www.ystad.se/port • Sweden’s largest port for ferry traffic to Poland and Bornholm • Broke record for passenger traffic to Bornholm in 2014 • In the starting phase of a strategic partnership with Aahus Port & Stevedoring Co

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Profile: DAN-BUNKERING

Strong position

W

ith a history dating as far back as 1876, when Julius Mortensen Shipping was established in Frederica, Denmark, Dan-Bunkering’s activities began in 1981 after business expansions into the bunker trading of fuel and oil products led to the establishment of an independent company, Dan-Bunkering ApS. Converted to A/S Dan-Bunkering Ltd in 1984, the Middelfart headquartered company has since established offices in Copenhagen in 1987, Shanghai in 2004, Kalinigrad in 2006, Singapore in 2009, Monaco in 2011, Houston in 2012, Beijing and Dubai in 2013 and Aalborg in 2014. To further strengthen its global foothold, Dan-Bunkering opened offices in Valparaiso and Montevideo in 2015.

“Established in 1981, DanBunkering is a pioneer within the bunkering industry and has grown

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from a small local player to being represented in all major time zones.

On top of our headquarters in Middelfart, where it all started, we have another three offices in Denmark; one in Middelfart, one in Copenhagen and one in Aalborg, the latter of which came about following the collapse of OW Bunkering,” begins Henrik Zederkof, CEO of Dan-Bunkering.

He continues: “There have been a number of benefits for us following OW Bunkering’s collapse, the most notable being that a number of highly skilled, trained, bunkering professionals are suddenly available for strengthening our capabilities across the board. We have taken on just under 30 personnel on the trading side, but also taken on staff for the controlling, legal and credit segments of the business, which will thus strengthen all links in our chain.

Another positive development is that certain clients are now missing

a supplier, so we are looking to see if we can take the clients that are familiar with our traders on-board.”

Originally beginning its operations with five employees, Dan-Bunkering has grown to more than 140 skilled and dedicated employees that are stationed across the globe. Indeed, the company’s teams of bunker traders strive to consistently seek out optimum bunker solutions for each customer, by not only view each client as unique and taking all aspects into consideration, but also minimising a vessel’s idle time and ensuring more nautical miles per dollar. “We have some of the most highly skilled and experienced traders in the whole industry, many of which have been with us for decades. As a company that strongly believes in developing partnerships with our clients and suppliers, we work with our partners to solve challenges and deliver an optimum service,” confirms Henrik.

Adhering to its own unique

Right: Henril Zederkof, CEO of Dan-Bunkering

concept, known as Best Bunker Buy, the company ensures customers can ask for any grade of product, anywhere, at any time, while also giving clients peace of mind in a volatile market thanks to its financial strength and risk management tools.

Moreover, the dedicated firm delivers more commitment to customers, as its teams go above and beyond to find the optimum bunker solution at a competitive price. In more detail, the Best Bunker Buy concept means customers are offered all grades of fuel, lube and gas oil, in addition to various additives required by their vessel’s engines. Thanks to DanBunkering’s in-house team of lube oil experts, customers can ask for any lube oil quantity and expect an efficient and unrivalled flexible service. On top of this, the company offers analysis of lube oil, which lets clients know when to change lube oil or add more to their systems to minimise the risk of damage.

Meanwhile, as piracy issues become an increasing concern for some shipowners and operators, DanBunkering’s professional security service offers an effective solution to minimise insurance costs and provides peace of mind to crew-members and their families. Another area of worry for customers is the risk of unpleasant financial surprises in a volatile oil market, however, as experts in hedging and fixed price agreements, Dan-Bunkering ensures earnings and cash continue to flow. Indeed, thanks to its credit lines, customised strategies and risk management tools, the company can fix bunker prices with a fixed price agreement (FPA) that means customers pay the agreed price, regardless of market difficulties.

“Although the downside to the collapse of OW Bunker has resulted in a lack of trust within the industry, we have done very well and haven’t faced any major credit issue throughout the economic crisis.

However, we do see that as a trading firm we do need to prove ourselves again as a lot of financial difficulties since 2008 have led to a tendency in the market for contracts to be renegotiated when conditions have changed. This is a challenge for us

and a trend we hope will stop so we can return to a time when a contract or promise is fulfilled; this is one of our strengths at Dan-Bunkering, that we promise what we deliver,” states Henrik.

Following a transitional period of taking on new personnel and gaining access to new potential customers, the conservative company will focus on creating strong partnerships that enable its customers’ success.

“We want to consolidate on these developments to ensure we deliver

100 per cent to our customers, which will strengthen our position worldwide and result in us becoming the preferred bunker supplier in the world,” concludes Henrik.

Dan-Bunkering

www.dan-bunkering.com • Global yet local supplier of marine fuels and lubricants • Provide a 24/7 service at more than 3000 bunker destinations • Long-term relationships with suppliers and customers

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Profile: skipper electronics

Aye aye

E

stablished as a brand in 1973 by SIMRAD, Skipper Electronics AS operated as a trading business for just over a decade before in 1984 becoming an independent Norwegian owned organisation and converting into a production company. Today more than 90 per cent of all products available through its portfolio are

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produced by the business itself.

Situated in Oslo, Norway, Skipper benefits from modern facilities with production, training, warehouse and office at the same location, allowing the business to promotes itself successfully as a flexible and reliable supplier of navigational electronics.

Manufacturing marine electronics for the merchant fleet as well as for fishing and navy purposes, the production of quality products has throughout the company’s history been of great importance, and the business continues to maintain that stance as its main target. As such, Skipper Electronics AS is ISO 9001:2008 certified, with all its navigational electronics IMO Wheelmarked, highlighting that degree of quality.

Its product design is based on experience, research and traditions, with its range known worldwide for reliability, quality, sophistication and good value for money. Furthermore,

the business is continuously improving the quality of the existing range and all new designs in the pipeline. It is important that not only do the products leave Skipper in good condition, but also that the quality of the products remain excellent throughout its lifetime, a value which it holds with all its steel tanks and sea valves being DNV approved.

Laying emphasis on the importance of a world wide service and support coverage, the business has established service hubs throughout the world, which stock all its main spare parts with the ultimate goal of reducing freight time when undertaking service for its customers. With the aim of providing an easily and readily available service offering for its customers, the company has established several other dealers throughout the world, capable of service and support on all Skipper products. To maintain effectiveness of these remote centres, Skipper

schedules annual training, as well as holding ‘train a trainer’ course in order to keep all up-to-date on the Navigational Echo Sounders and Speed Logs.

Popular within its product range are a number of navigational echo sounders, containing a history memory that stores depth, time and other navigation data continuously for the preceding 24 hours, with the option of printing this and current information in hard copy. One product, the GDS101, has three transducer connections as standard with resonant frequencies of 38, 50 and 200 kHz, with a wide range available to fit vessel requirements and is one of the markets most sold navigational echo sounders.

Its GDS102 is a dual channel navigation echo sounder that is able to record depths of 5000 metres and is prepared for connection of one or two transducers with a resonant frequency in the range of ten to 265 kHz. There is always a degree of uncertainty in placing the transducer in the vessel, which is the fundamental reasoning behind Skipper introducing its range of mounting options; Tank (ice protected, aluminium and steel), and Sea Valve for single and double bottom, with the availability of ice protection. The most important parameter is to place the transducer in a position where there is a minimum amount of aeration in the waterflow passing the hull of the ship in the full speed range of the vessel. The installation of the high frequency transducer (200 kHz) is recommended for aft in the vessel and the lower frequency transducer (50 kHz) in the forward part. The aft transducer will normally work only at low speeds due to aeration. The same basic rules are true when mounting the sensor for ‘Doppler Speed Logs’ air bubbles should be avoided.

The DL2, DL850 and DL1 are its newest range of doppler speed logs, working with the doppler principle STW in two axis and SOG in two axis. The DL2 can be mounted using several options, such as sea valve for double bottom and sea valve for single bottom, and is designed according to IMO resolution MSC334(90) with one sensor/hull

mounting and one electronic unit.

The capabilities of the range are demonstrated by the possibility of tracking bottom speed down to at least 150 metres.

Skipper Electronics manufactures a range of tanks to house the components. Its standard tank, made of durable approved steel is designed to withstand the harsh environment it is exposed to. Additionally, the ‘Combo Tank’ is similar to the standard tank, with the difference being a flange that is installed inside in order to fit various transducers and sensors. For more varied purposes, the ice protected tank is, as described by the name, made in order to protect the transducer from ice in arctic sea waters, or ships likely to ‘beach’ the vessel, such as land-going military vessels. This tank is required for the NAUT-OSV class if a sea valve is not

used. Finally, its aluminium combo tank is made in order to fit the 50 and 200 kHz transducer, together with any one of its speed log sensors.

It is through this consideration to the varied environments that its customers work in that positions Skipper Electronics as the first point of call for many operational fleets worldwide.

Skipper Electronics AS www.skipper.no

• Manufacturer of navigation equipment • Large portfolio of products • Proven commitment to quality

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Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Schofield Publishing Schofield Publishing Limited Unit 10, Cringleford Business Centre, Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 274131

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales manager: Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk