Shipping and Marine Issue 116 Final Edition

ISSUE 116 FINAL

The magazine for maritime management

London calling As the commodities tide turns from West to East, the UK will have to be innovative and learn to develop its traditions into effective modern tools if it wants to keep pace

Investing in the future Why government funding to support innovation in the maritime arena is still crucial

filtering through

Do ship owners finally accept they have to take steps to address the Ballast Water Management Convention?

actionable intelligence The increasing importance of asset monitoring and management in the shipping and maritime industry

If you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health & Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

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ISSUE 116 EARLY

Editor’s comment ThE mAgAzInE foR mARITImE mAnAgEmEnT

London calling As the commodities tide turns from West to East, the UK will have to be innovative and learn to develop its traditions into effective modern tools if it wants to keep pace

investing in the future Why government funding to support innovation in the maritime arena is still crucial

filtering through

Do ship owners finally accept they have to take steps to address the ballast Water Management convention?

actionable intelligence the increasing importance of asset monitoring and management in the shipping and maritime industry

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch Sales Director David Garner Editor Libbie Hammond Art Editor/Design David Howard

Top

tech

There’s so much impressive technology in this issue, it’s hard to know which to highlight first. The unmanned vessel on page eight highlights not only the importance of Government funding for maritime start-ups, but also what is possible when people with true vision are helped to develop their

Profiles Editor Jo Cooper

ideas. Powered by the waves, this little vessel can run almost

Staff Writers Matthew High Andrew Dann Steve Nash

research, the technology can only continue to evolve.

Production Manager Fleur Daniels

Management Convention looms ever closer. On pages ten and

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 Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Graham Allinson Mark Cawston

indefinitely with zero emissions. Already being used for Then on page 18 we have ballast wastewater treatments – increasing in importance, as ratification of the Ballast Water 12 we look at marine electrical systems, and asset monitoring management systems.

Alongside this focus on technology, we are also examining safety at sea and our cover story - the evolution of Singapore as a shipping hub.

I hope there’s something in there that interests you.

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

If you would like a digital version of Shipping & Marine magazine please contact Iain Kidd: ikidd@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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www.shippingandmarine.co.uk. ©2014 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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.

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FEATURES 4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

8 Investing in the future Government investment in marine technology is just as necessary now as it was 60 years ago

10 Make the switch Why low voltage, intelligent switchboards that deliver superior safety, reliability and performance are vital to modern shipping and offshore vessels


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12 Actionable intelligence It is clear that effective management of vessels, structures and machinery on a large scale can quickly translate into massive savings

14 Navigating the legalities of life at sea Nick Harrison considers the health and safety regulations intended to protect workers at sea and the issues that can arise when accidents occur

16 London calling As the commodities tide turns from West to East, the UK will have to be innovative and learn to develop its traditions into effective modern tools if it wants to keep pace

18 Filtering through Libbie Hammond spoke to Tore Andersen about the ballast wastewater management market

20 Oceans of expertise With almost three decades of experience in the transportation of vessels, Sevenstar Yacht Transport is now a world leader in its market

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contents 28

profiles 24 Red Funnel 28 Karmsund Havnevesen 31 Huegli Tech 34 Oesterreichisher Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) 37 Griffon Hoverwork 41 Scandlines 43 Rodne Trafikk 46 Falmouth Harbour Commissoners (fhc)

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53 Ahrenkiel Steamship 56 Almi Tankers 59 Nordhavn Marine & Offshore 62 Eltorque 64 Ultra Fog 66 Load Line Marine

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68 Macduff Shipyards Group 70 Stena Line Freight 72 Southern Wind Shipyard

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Offshore collision guidance Mitigating the risk of collision at sea requires a deep understanding of the causes. New industry guidance has been issued, which will help make offshore operations safer for marine and energy operators.

The new Guidance Notes for Collision Analysis assist owners, operators, and designers of offshore units with identifying potential collision scenarios, assessing the relative risks and conducting numerical analysis, establishing representative collision loads, and measuring the impact of these loads on the structural integrity of offshore units.

A collision may occur as a result of a vessel losing its positioning or navigational abilities due to structural, mechanical, or electrical failure, human error, and environmental conditions.

“Assessing the impact of potential collisions is critical to the longevity of any offshore unit not only from a design perspective, but also to help ensure a safe operating environment,” says Phil Rushton, Senior Engineer for Offshore Structures, and one of the primary authors steering the development of this latest guidance from Lloyd’s Register.

A primary goal for the launch of these new Guidance Notes is to provide the direction and criteria to help industry increase the level of protection against collisions at sea. The Guidance Notes cover everything from vessel groundings to collisions with merchant, naval, and support vessels.

“Collisions at sea represent one of the top safety hazards for any operator,” highlights Rushton. “Mitigating collision risks is vital to the protection of our environment, the safety of industry’s people working offshore and the longevity of offshore energy infrastructure.”

Download a copy for free at www.lr.org/guidance-notes.

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Going green In 2015, the first LNG-Hybrid Barge will serve the AIDA cruise fleet at the port of Hamburg, reducing the cruise ship’s sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and particle emissions. During the summer season, the Hybrid Barge will provide electrical energy for the AIDA and other cruise ships. In winter, during the cruise off-season, the LNG-Hybrid Barge will provide both electrical energy and heat for the public grid.

Imtech Marine has equipped this LNG-Hybrid Barge with its latest ‘green’ technology by order of Becker Marine Systems in Hamburg. The LNGHybrid Barge is fitted with Imtech Marine’s electrical solutions and fire extinguishing equipment. In addition, Imtech Marine installed the complete ventilation systems with corresponding heat recovery and sea water cooling systems, supporting the Hybrid Barge’s ‘green’ approach by saving energy through reduced heating and cooling requirements.

Harbour hub Building work has started on the Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park, which is designed to accommodate companies in the growing marine energy sector and is being built on the site of a formal coal-fired power station at North Quay in Hayle; now owned by Cornwall Council.

The Devon & Cornwall division of Midas Construction has won the contract to build the business park, which is part of the £24 million investment by Cornwall Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Government in the regeneration of Hayle Harbour.

It will offer 2500 sq metres of managed workspace including 900 m2 of modern office accommodation over two floors with superfast fibre broadband and seven light industrial units varying in size from 200 to 250 m2. It is expected to open in summer 2015 and create 120 jobs.

John Pollard, Councillor for the Hayle North and Leader of Cornwall Council said: “This new business park will cement Cornwall’s position at the forefront of the development of marine energy, and as the local councillor I am proud to see Hayle – which is already home to Wave Hub playing such an important part in this fast-growing industry.”

MARITIME NEWS Collaborative agreement

Satellite services

StormGeo and Deep Sea Mooring have signed an agreement to provide notifications of weather-related movements of floating offshore units and vessels undertaking complex marine operations. This innovative service will help customers save money and time, while enhancing planning and safety standards.

“This agreement with Deep Sea Mooring compliments and supports our ambition to deliver high quality services that facilitate optimum decision-making on weather-sensitive operations.

In a time when the focus on cost saving and efficiencies is so great, it’s more important than ever to combine detailed weather information with optimal planning capabilities to execute critical offshore work,” notes Hogne Folkestad, VP Offshore in StormGeo. StormGeo will publish and support the notifications, while Deep Sea Mooring will be responsible for the hydrodynamic models and all calculations of motion resulting from the expected weather.

An example is illustrated by floatels that utilise DP (Dynamic Positioning). Here the direction the floatel should have to minimise walkway movement can be calculated, thus increasing availability before disconnection. In addition, information regarding disconnection windows is delivered in advance, meaning the process can be undertaken in safety during calm weather, rather than, in worst case scenarios, waiting for automatic disconnection.

Other applications for the service encompass drilling operations and offshore lifting operations on floating units.

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast) has been awarded a satellite service contract by Allseas Group S.A., a global leader in offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction.

The contract covers their flagship vessel, the Pieter Schelte, the world’s biggest ship, which took to the seas for the first time for sea trials in September. The satellite service provides highperformance broadband connectivity for missioncritical communications between the vessel and the land-based operations.

The Pieter Schelte was designed to lift oilrigs out of the water and move them to shore for disposal.

It also boasts a pipelay tension capacity of 2000 tons, making it the largest pipelay vessel in the world. Its top speed is 14 knots (25.9 km/h) and it can accommodate a crew of 571 people.

SpeedCast designed a customised communications solution to meet the unique requirements of Allseas for the Pieter Schelte, which include operational and ship management applications, as well as crew communications.

SpeedCast’s advanced solution utilises dual maritime VSAT systems, with frequency diversity, including C-band and Ku-band, as well as an L-band backup, to provide Allseas with a highly reliable, highly resilient communication solution with worldwide coverage. The solution provides full system and equipment redundancy for both data and voice services to deliver guaranteed reliability under all operational conditions.

“We are thrilled to be working with Allseas on such an impressive vessel,” said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast. “It is a testament to SpeedCast’s ability to deliver highly complex and customised solutions on vessels with unique requirements. We thank Allseas for their continued trust in SpeedCast and for this latest milestone in our long-term working relationship.”

Dining experience The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), a pioneering coalition of companies from across the global shipping industry focused on uniting commercial growth with sustainable behaviours, has announced that all of its members have signed a set of shared commitments to set a clear benchmark for sustainable practices. These shared commitments also aim to create greater clarity and momentum on the minimum needed across the industry if it is to achieve its vision of a truly sustainable industry by 2040.

By signing up to the commitments, each member agrees to: • Publicly report on sustainability • Have a sustainability strategy that links to its core business • Set clear reduction targets for environmental issues that are most material to their activities (as per their impacts and an agreed list)

• Deliver a positive impact on people and society Alastair Fischbacher, director, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative said: “The SSI’s members recognised that having consensus and consistency around some of the core elements of sustainable business practices is essential. Due to the scope of the shipping supply chain and the players in it, these commitments have to be relevant to everyone, simple to understand and easily evaluated. At the same time, they need to be meaningful enough to set a benchmark for industry leadership. Putting a stake in the ground to fulfil these four areas in each member’s organisation will provide a foundation for demonstrating tangible progress over time, whilst we continue work as a group on addressing the challenges to a more sustainable industry in line with our vision.” www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 5

World’s first Two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered sea vessels have been named on Teeside.

Operated by shipowner Anthony Veder, the new ships will carry Liquefied Ethylene Gas (LEG) from SABIC’s Wilton facility on Teesside to manufacturing plants in North-West Europe and Scandinavia. The state-of-the-art ships will drastically cut both sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions compared to the vessels they are replacing. Switching to alternative fuels for ships, such as LNG, instead of traditional fuel oils is one of the solutions identified by Anthony Veder to help SABIC further improve its environmental performance.

“As a responsible global company, SABIC is committed to providing high-quality products to its customers while doing all it reasonably can in order to reduce the environmental impact of its operations,” said SABIC’s European Supply Chain Director of Chemicals Wouter Vermijs while attending the naming ceremony.

The new ships, with a cargo capacity of 4,768 m³, will reduce NOx emissions by over 85 per cent, with SOx and soot particles reduced by nearly 100 per cent and CO2 by 20 per cent. The cost of the additional LNG investment of the vessels has been partly funded from the European Union’s TEN-T programme, which seeks to ensure Europe has a well-run transport infrastructure in order to maintain the continent’s competitiveness and wealth.

Crucial communications QinetiQ has been awarded an 18-month contract to continue supporting the Royal Navy’s Software Issuing Office (SIO) in the distribution of all software and electronic data to its fleet units across the globe.

The SIO is part of Navy Command’s Fleet Information Management Unit (FIMU) which provides mission and system critical geographic, encyclopaedic warfare reference data and electronic publications for Command, Control, Combat and Mission Support Systems across all of the fighting arms of the Royal Navy.

QinetiQ initially developed the information systems that underpin the effective operation of the SIO affording the Royal Navy the assurance that its ships, submarines and aircraft are receiving validated, assured and uncompromised digital data in the age of cyber and information warfare. Using the QinetiQ information systems over 4000 individual software and data products are reproduced, distributed and tracked by the SIO every month. This allows the SIO to know at any time what software has been issued to every ship, submarine or aircraft across the globe.

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Sitting comfortably Alu Design is working with acclaimed car designer Per Ivar Selvaag to create a new generation of marine chairs.

In what Alu Design CEO Einar Ulrichsen describes as ‘a huge coup for the business’, Selvaag and his team at San Francisco-based Montaag have agreed to work on the firm’s state-of-the-art moulded aluminium chairs on an on-going project-by-project basis. As part of the deal, Montaag will not design marine chair for any other manufacturer.

“This is an incredible development,” states Ulrichsen. “Per Ivar has a worldclass design pedigree and, through his vast experience in the car industry, a unique understanding of ergonomics and delivering enhanced user experience. He’s worked with true global leaders in industrial manufacturing and design and the insight he can bring to our product development process is invaluable. To create the best products you need the best people, and with Per Ivar that’s exactly what we have.”

“Marine pilot chairs are uniquely challenging from a technical stand-point and are terrific design projects to be involved in,” Selvaag says, explaining: “The consideration of utility, first and foremost, but also the roles played by technology, form factor and something as abstract as individual character provide a complex and intriguing development canvas.”

“Alu Design’s stated goal is creating ‘a better seat’,” Ulrichsen concludes. “We’re excited that Per Ivar is now onboard to help us to fulfil that commitment to the market.”

MARITIME NEWS Breaking the ice The Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) yard in South Korea has ordered a total of 54 Wärtsilä dual fuel engines to power 172,600 cbm icebreaking LNG carriers being built for use in arctic conditions to serve the Yamal LNG project in Northern Russia.

The ships will be owned by one joint venture between Teekay LNG Partners of Canada and China LNG Shipping (CLNG), and another joint venture between China Shipping LNG Investment Co.,Ltd. (CSLNG) and Japan based Mitsui O.S.K. The order for engines was placed with Wärtsilä’s Korean joint venture company, Wärtsilä Hyundai Engine Co., (WHEC) in October.

The Wärtsilä machinery is capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), heavy fuel oil (HFO), or low-viscosity marine diesel oil (MDO) but LNG will be the main type of fuel to be used. When operating in arctic waters the engines will be operating in ambient temperatures of as much as minus 50 degrees Celsius on LNG The icebreaking LNG carriers for the Yamal LNG project will be equipped with carriers breaking through ice more than two metres thick, in Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines. operating modes that allow dramatic variations in engine load within a limited period of time. Wärtsilä’s ability to meet these demanding design criteria was a key factor in the award of this contract.

For each LNG carrier Wärtsilä will supply 12-cylinder and 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines. “This very important order once again emphasises the technical leadership that Wärtsilä has established in dual-fuel engine technology. The fitting of Wärtsilä 50DF engines onboard the first LNG carriers in 2006 set a trend in the industry and since that introduction, 65 per cent of all new LNG carriers have been fitted with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines. The strong success of this particular engine over the alternatives is based on its superior propulsion efficiency and the clear environmental advantages that operating on gas allows,” says Lars Anderson, vice president, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

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Investing in the future

How Government funding has put wind in the sails of innovation for over half a century.

By David Elson Christopher Cockerell’s invention of the Hovercraft was built on his lifelong study of mechanical engineering. After completing two degrees at Cambridge University during the 1930s, and then advancing wartime work on the radar system, Cockerell turned his attention to a failing Norfolk boat hire company.

He soon realised that if a boat was lifted above the water it could go much faster, and by 1955 had finished a prototype of a working hovercraft. Cockerell struggled to get private sector funding for his technology however the British Government was willing to help and after a number of years introduced him to the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), which later became the British Technology Group. The NRDC placed its first order in 1958. This laid the foundation that allowed Cockerell to dedicate his life to improving his prototype hovercraft.

Cockerell’s invention was one of the most important and radical in the history of British marine technology and has inspired many of today’s marine inventors. Yet Cockerell was not alone in needing government support. The founders of MOST Autonomous Vessels (AV), who are working on progressive marine technology today, have

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been supported by the Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK and its partners, in their innovation journey. Thanks to help from NERC, DSTL and Innovate UK, the team at MOST (AV) have developed the AutoNaut – a wave-propelled, unmanned, datagathering vessel.

Mike Poole, who is a director of MOST (AV), has had a long interest in wave-propelled boats. His combined interests in boating and the environment led him to believe that a sensor-equipped wavepowered boat, which didn’t need fuel and could therefore run almost indefinitely, would be a useful data-gathering tool. He was right, and the resulting technology has since proven to be a cost-effective and efficient way to gather data from the seas for use in science, military and industry applications.

Mike found a partner in his endeavour after being introduced to retired Royal Navy Commodore David Maclean in 2011. David liked Mike’s ideas, and they teamed up to build a prototype, funding the project themselves. They founded MOST (AV) Ltd in 2012 with some help from Innovate UK and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

As soon as Mike and David proposed their project to us we knew we could help them to bring it to market. We have seen many times the journeys that innovators take to get to this point, and the different

innovation

barriers that can prevent their progress. Because of this, we have developed our resources to help them overcome these obstacles. The access to expertise and funding that we provided to AutoNaut was the impetus they needed to continue their innovation expedition.

In September 2012, NOC announced that they were looking for long-endurance marine unmanned surface vehicles, which could use new sensor technology to gather data from the oceans for several months at a time. They launched a competition through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which aims to connect public sector challenges with innovative ideas from industry.

Once AutoNaut became part of the SBRI programme, alongside the NOC, we were able to offer Mike and David funding of £400,000 in early 2013 to develop an advanced prototype, allowing them to escape the funding gulf that many start-up companies face.

As well as using wave power to keep it moving, AutoNaut uses solar energy and a methanol fuel cell to power its sensors and is controlled via satellite. Because it is wave-powered it has zero emissions. The vessels can carry a wide range of sensors. To date, the vessels have gathered meteorological data, solar data for calculating available solar energy; data on water quality; water depth;

temperature and conductivity. Another sensor can measure currents at various depths. A further array of sensors has allowed the vessels to venture into the marine conservation world.

For Mike, building a business around the AutoNaut is the culmination of years of effort. “It’s only been in the last few years that I have been able to transform my interest into a successful business.

Support from Innovate UK and its funding partners was a big part of the equation. It enabled us to take several big steps towards production and launch ourselves into the market.”

Both Cockerell and Most (AV) sought Government support on their innovation journeys, proving that government investment in marine technology is just as necessary now as it was 60 years ago. n David Elson is lead technologist marine & maritime industry at Innovate UK. Innovate UK works across business, academia and government - supporting innovative projects, reducing risk, creating partnerships, and promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange and open innovation. Innovation contributes to higher productivity and economic growth, and is core to competitiveness. UK companies looking for help to bring their innovative ideas to market can find out

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Make the

switch

Mark Beswick examines why low voltage, intelligent switchboards that deliver superior safety, reliability and performance are vital to modern shipping and offshore vessels
 With the new IEC 61439-2 electrical safety standards coming into force in 2014, all new electrical switchgear needs to be independently tested and issued with a certificate to verify it complies with this exacting standard, ensuring electrical protection for people and their environment.

By incorporating low voltage intelligent switchboards, which deliver superior safety, reliability and control, operators will be able to ensure safe operation, trusted reliability and optimum performance.

Losing electrical power is a worst-case scenario for any marine service provider, as the knock on effect to customers or crew can be catastrophic. Therefore, to ensure the risk of any power failure is reduced as far as possible, Okken switchboards incorporating the latest intelligent electrical should be incorporated into each upgrade.

Intelligent switchboards communicate their status real-time and automatically alert operational crew of an overload or situation where power failure could occur if not dealt with. Also, if a power failure

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does occur, serious consideration should be given to incorporating a facility to ‘hot swop’ out the circuit protection, allowing rapid replacement without the need to switch off the whole switchboard.

Being informed in real-time of the status of the electrical network, means that any downtime required for maintenance can be accurately scheduled to fit timetables.

An intelligent switchboard can also greatly reduce energy costs by providing visibility for optimising loadings, motor operation, trace problems, precise control, identify trends and troubleshoot problems before they result in a costly power loss. In addition to helping boost power system reliability and productivity, intelligent electrical devices such as progressive starters and variable speed drives can synchronise motor operation to load capacity, reducing peak energy consumption by up to 50 per cent.

Space is something that is becoming increasingly important for switchgear development. With electrical switchrooms on-board shipping taking up valuable space that could be used for commercial profit, there is always a premium to be had by operators specifying

MARINE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

‘‘

Switchboards must comply with a whole set of requirements linked to increasingly sophisticated and challenging applications and changing international standards, while also offering increased productivity and rapid return on investment

main electrical distribution switchboards that can reduce the size of these areas.

New compact modular, standardised boards are designed to accommodate more features with less volume and weight, with specially adapted characteristics such as space-saving drawers which directly connected to the vertical busbar are ideal for marine applications.

It is vital for modern shipping services to have electrical switchboards, which deliver superior safety, trusted reliability and optimum performance. Switchboards must comply with a whole set of requirements linked to increasingly sophisticated and challenging applications and changing international standards, while also offering increased productivity and rapid return on investment. By ensuring electrical equipment is built to these exacting standards, operators have equipment, which significantly reduces the risk of supply loss and decreases maintenance requirements while increasing reliability.

The new equipment needs to strike the right balance between high level performance, both in electrical distribution and motor

control, with open-endedness to continually satisfy the specific needs of marine operations. It should also deliver the highest possible level of safety for people and installation, even in the most demanding conditions and have built-in peak reliability both short and long term, guaranteeing availability as well as delivering a constantly superior level of performance with ease and speed of use and maintenance. n Mark Beswick is managing director at R&B Switchgear Group.

As a leading manufacturer of both AC and DC switchgear, R&B Switchgear Group offers a comprehensive worldwide service for the maintenance of switchgear, circuit breakers and all ancillary equipment.

R&B Switchgear Group operates across the marine, offshore, power and industrial sectors. With a wide range of expertise, the company boasts a portfolio of blue-chip customers including UK Power Networks, Shell, BP, P&O, MOL, Carnival and Talisman.

For further information visit: www.rbswitch.co.uk.

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Actionable intelligence Kevin Price looks at the increasing importance of asset monitoring and management in the shipping and marine industry

Shipping is one of the most asset intensive industries in the world. The 51,000 commercial and merchant vessels across the world come in a myriad of sizes and shapes from 20-foot inflatable dive boats in Hawaii, to casino vessels on the Mississippi River, to tugboats, to 1000 foot oil tankers and container ships and even a passenger carrying submarine. The cost of these vessels spans $5 million to $100 million and beyond.

However the one thing they all have in common is that the cost of operating a marine vessel means that any downtime will have a significant impact on profitability.

Profitability depends upon productivity, and productivity in the shipping industry is dependent upon reliability. About 90 per cent of the global goods transportation takes place through sea routes by purpose-built merchant vessels so any downtime is not only going to be expensive, but also very visible.

Without the ability to benchmark asset performance, then track and react quickly to maintenance issues, it is easy for the smallest amount of downtime to force a business to close. And because modern ships are so sophisticated, there is a wide range of potential sources for this fatal downtime.

However, effective and proactive maintenance of assets is not only

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important from a productivity and profitability point of view but also to ensure regulatory and health and safety compliance. The International Safety Management Code provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships. A requirement of the ISM Code is for the ship to be maintained in conformity with the provisions of relevant rules and regulations and with any additional requirements, which may be established by the company or companies that operate the vessel.

In addition, external threats to ocean-going vessels have increased substantially over the recent years. This has added a layer of security to the drive to ensure ships operate at maximum reliability, especially for tankers operating in areas at risk of piracy.

The sea is not a forgiving environment, and vessels that are kept in a dock do not make money, so the ability to implement asset management software on the vessels themselves is crucial in facilitating a proactive maintenance strategy that not only drives productivity and profitability but also ensures reliability. In order for systems to be reliable and accurate, crews must be empowered to upload information in real-time.

A case in practice Engineering specialist Technip operates a fleet of 21 vessels. Having identified a need to enhance its asset management it invested in Infor EAM to automate requisitions, planned maintenance, inventory and

MONITORING SOLUTIONS

cataloguing, purchasing and logistics, and simplify the maintenance of all asset equipment and management of spare parts.

For Technip, asset management must span offshore and onshore operations, accounting for costs, inventory and purchasing in a way that is accurate, consistent and meaningful. Operating across the globe, Technip established very early on that the systems and communications that deliver this planning must be incredibly robust.

In addition to the central database, which holds all information, Infor EAM ensures that data on vessel-specific equipment, work orders and inventory resides only on the vessel to which it pertains.

Information on mobile units is communicated to all vessels as the units move from one to another. Vessel personnel simply enter a requisition request onto the system, which is automatically sent to an office in Aberdeen for fulfilment. Depending on the nature and urgency of the request, and location of the vessel, parts are immediately ordered and dispatched.

If a part is requested urgently, the system enables the vessel to assess whether the additional cost of procuring it from a local supplier on a one-off basis, rather than Technip’s warehouse in Aberdeen, is justified. To ensure neither speed nor robustness lead to excessive costs, EAM then empowers purchasing personnel to look at whether such incidences can be averted in the future, helping to reduce costs.

As vessel owners continue to strive for greater efficiencies, the popularity to hand over the crewing and operating management

(including asset management and maintenance) is on the rise. This again makes it vital to ensure the information from asset management systems can be quickly translated into actionable intelligence. Indeed, for a marine asset management business, the ability to identify the need to replace three or four of the same asset may quickly lead to discounts that run into thousands of pounds.

However, regardless of the arrangement of ownership of marine and shipping assets, it is clear that effective management of vessels, structures and machinery on this scale can quickly translate into savings of tens and hundreds of thousands of pounds. The demands of compliance and the ever-increasing threat of competition add to this to keep EAM practices front of mind for many shipping businesses. n

Kevin Price works 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. Infor provides flexible deployment options that give customers a choice to run their businesses in the cloud, on-premises, or both.

For further information visit: www.infor.com.

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Navigating the legalities of life at sea Nick Harrison considers the health and safety regulations intended to protect workers at sea and the issues that can arise when accidents occur

The dangers of working in the offshore industry are well documented and widely known. Employees work intensive shift patterns, deal with combustible materials, operate dangerous machinery and work in confined spaces. The aftermath of an incident can be frightening for those affected.

There have been large strides forward since the 1970s and 1980s, when disasters including the Piper Alpha disaster and commercial shipping accidents claimed hundreds of lives. Accident statistics over the past 15 years have wavered only a little, acting as a warning signal that risks remain.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics from 2012/2013 show there were 47 major injuries in the offshore sector compared to 36 the previous year. The major injury rate per 100,000 workers rose considerably – 147.8 workers per 100,000 suffered a major injury in 2012/2013, compared with 123.9 in 100,000 the year before.

Maintenance and construction workers suffered the highest number of all injuries in 2012/2013, followed by those in deck operations.

According to the HSE findings, slips, trips and falls, injuries from moving

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objects, falls from height and injuries from handling, lifting or carrying accounted for 90 per cent of all offshore injuries.

The legal framework All employers owe a ‘duty of care’ to ensure their employees are safe in the workplace. Clearly, some jobs are more dangerous than others.

Regulations exist to control the way in which employers put their workforce to task with a view to keeping down the risks of injury or death. To ignore or fall short in complying with such regulations can lead to criminal prosecution punishable by fines or even imprisonment.

Regulations relevant to the offshore sector include ‘The Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995’ and ‘The Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005’. The protections they afford, by way of examples, include: the need for effective emergency response arrangements in the event of a fire; providing well ventilated work areas and maintaining decks and platforms.

When it comes to shipping, the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997 are of particular

SAFETY AT SEA importance. The regulations cover the need for risk assessments and maintenance measures, for example.

But what happens when employers fail to adhere to such regulations?

Taking action In October 2012, I was instructed to represent a young man who fell from a platform on a vessel in the Southern North Sea – the vessel was at the time in UK territorial waters. His task was to paint a platform, which housed a lifeboat. He was working in a very confined space.

The platform edge was fenced off with a link-chain that was held either side of the platform by a Senhouse slip (a locking hook). The slip was brittle and fractured as my client edged past it. It appeared from photographs to have been ill maintained to the extreme. He was caused to fall some ten feet onto the deck below.

My client suffered a fractured wrist and collarbone as well as general bodily cuts and bruises. He was lucky not to have been more seriously injured. He was nevertheless unable to work for months as a result and lost income, which he, his wife and young children relied upon. I was successful in securing compensation in excess of £10,000, though the matter was hard fought initially.

Taking legal action for compensation in offshore accident cases is not at all straightforward. Important initial investigations need to be undertaken to ensure the case proceeds in the correct way and to recover fair compensation for the injured worker. In the abovementioned case, my client’s employer was based in England (and their vessel was UK registered). We were therefore able to sue in the English courts. English law also applied and so we were able to rely on the relevant work safety regulations, as aforementioned. The basis of assessment of my client’s compensation would also have been dealt with under English law (and ‘damages’ in the UK for injury claims are generally higher than in other European countries).

But what about the UK worker who is employed by an international company and is injured on a Belgian registered vessel whilst in Dutch waters? That is where matters can become tricky.

If an accident occurs on a moving vessel, the victim should do their best to ascertain where the vessel was positioned at the time they were injured. An accurate incident report should be made out and confirmed by the worker as soon as is possible. Other considerations include: the identity of the ‘employer’ and the country their business is based in (which might not be so clear where the company has business addresses in many countries); and details of the port the vessel was sailing from and to.

Speak to a specialist Anybody injured whilst working offshore, whether on a rig or a moving vessel, should seek legal advice as soon as they possibly can following the accident. Whether the matter is one which can be dealt with in the UK courts or not, speaking to a lawyer in the UK with international connections is advisable.

Injured workers are often anxious about taking legal action.

Whilst such anxieties are understandable, offshore industries must remember how important their workers are and must respect the importance of their safety. If offshore industries are to continue to thrive, then to do so with decreasing numbers of fatalities and injuries can only be a good thing. n Nick Harrison is a senior associate solicitor and an offshore and maritime injury specialist at Aequitas Legal, based in Manchester. Established in 2009 and based in Trafford, Manchester, Aequitas Legal has quickly become a highly respected personal injury claims firm, focused firmly on providing a first-rate customer service.

For further information, visit: www.aequitaslegal.co.uk.

Home and dry in the UK courts?

We have established that there are very specific health and safety regulations that apply to offshore workplaces. So, if an employer failed to comply, it would be fair to think a claim for injury would flow from that failure. But that is no longer a given. A layer of redress in the UK courts has been essentially removed by an Act of Parliament – the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. The current Government pushed the bill through for want of removing the shackles of businesses to enable them to prosper and profit without the fear of being sued by injured workers.

Before the Act, there was a presumption that ‘breach’ of a regulation would mean liability would attach to an employer, so allowing an injured worker to claim on that breach. The worker now has a much tougher task in proving the employer was negligent (i.e. that they failed in their duty of care to the worker and exposed them to a foreseeable risk of injury).

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London

calling

With the centre of gravity of the shipping industry moving toward the Pacific Rim and the port of Singapore, how will London maintain its place as the world’s top shipping hub asks Jonathan Moss

Lloyd’s of London was borne out of the Age of Discovery, in the seventeenth century, when Britain was developing into a maritime empire through colonisation and overseas trade. Its origins are synonymous with the British merchant tradition, not least the unrivalled capacity to support trade and industry virtually anywhere in the world. Around Lloyd’s, a sophisticated support structure has evolved in the UK with a network of accountants, lawyers, actuaries and tax advisers dedicated to servicing the shipping industry.

In contrast, Singapore only gained independence from Britain in 1963 but has since grown to become one of the world’s premier shipping hubs, but is it set to steal a march on London’s reputation as the centre of international marine insurance, and in turn maritime arbitration and maritime dispute resolution?

Singapore is the second busiest port in the world and has become the preferred choice of flag for many ship owners. Shipping companies such as Maersk Lines are choosing to register, construct vessels and establish or expand operations in the region, and some of the largest commodities traders have migrated their hubs to Singapore.

Attractive government incentives including tax exemptions and funding programmes have driven the dramatic rise of Singapore as a

Port of Singapore

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premier shipping and logistics hub. The city has become increasingly attractive for business and investment, especially with the backdrop of the global recession, where survival has depended on the ability of a business to reduce costs but maintain quality.

Singapore acts as a natural gateway for international firms to access Asia. Its subscription to all major International Maritime Organization conventions on ship safety and marine pollution prevention, plus a good safety record, have made it a popular base for the maritime industry.

A new shipping industry is being created around the port, as demand for the expertise of brokers, ship financing, marine engineering, chartering, maritime law and arbitration increases. As a result, insurers offering marine cover and other ancillary maritime service providers are now setting up in Singapore for the same reasons they chose London in the seventeenth century.

The maritime industry in Asia is adaptable and innovative. It is dynamic in nature and has the ability to identify growth areas and adjust quickly. In the area of insurance, for example, Asia is flexible in its approach, with less of a focus on traditional practices. It has been successful at interpreting London’s age old insurance processes and transforming them so they fit with the fast moving cultural, economic and social characteristics of the region.

Does that mean that London’s maritime sector has by comparison become mired in tradition, hampered by its slow evolution and

special feature

by a regulatory regime that inhibits initiative, business growth and creativity?

Not necessarily. Tradition is also the reason why London has been the home of the financial and legal infrastructure that has regulated the shipping industry for over 300 years. Singapore has yet to develop the necessary expertise to become a market leader, whereas London is home to a wealth of specialist knowledge.

Another unique feature of London is its proximity to other London based world-class professional bodies such as the Chartered Insurance Institute and the LMAA. Cultural differences also remain in the way that Asian business may be conducted, which may cause difficulties for European or North American businesses accustomed to western conventions.

There is also evidence that the problem of over-regulation is not unique to the UK. For instance, legislation such as The Singapore Insurance Act 1967 has not yet been fully tried and tested through the court system, which means that initially it is up to the Monetary Authority of Singapore to adjudicate. The stringent rules that are in place may curtail the choice of who is at liberty to broker insurance business in the region.

To maintain its place as the financial and legal home of the maritime industry, London must adapt and become more amenable. London needs to offer viable incentives to encourage business growth and creativity. It must also demonstrate its ability to support marine trade and industry anywhere in the world whilst maintaining its edge in expertise and keeping costs competitive.

For the maritime industry in the UK, the way forward is to embrace the opportunities afforded to it by Singapore’s growth and use it as a platform to showcase its skills. London has a large talent pool of maritime expertise and Asia’s developing professional markets are providing the Lloyd’s market with opportunities for expansion. Lloyd’s Asian hub has grown to enable underwriters to be closer to their clients and business capabilities and more directly in touch with risk, allowing for immediate contact and a quicker response and service within Lloyd’s in London. This means that London syndicates setting

up in Asia can use the region’s proximity to clients to inform their own capabilities in London. Lloyd’s wants to market more directly to the source and has set up service companies in Asia with syndicates to make that happen. This means that rather than losing its competitive edge, London may end up delegating some of its former specialisms to its Singapore based counterpart.

As the commodities tide turns from West to East, the UK will have to be innovative and learn to develop its traditions into effective modern tools if it wants to keep pace. The key to the UK’s success is its wealth of specialist knowledge, embodied in an unrivalled set of skilled maritime professionals and passed on to the next generation through specialist educational institutions, some of which have been around for hundreds of years. It is important that this talent is preserved, which means not losing sight of the building blocks which incentivise a skilled workforce including quality of life, continued education programmes and greater opportunities for job progression. n Jonathan Moss is partner and head of transport at DWF. DWF is an award-winning legal business with core strengths in insurance, corporate & banking, real estate and litigation, and in-depth industry expertise in six chosen sectors including central & local government; energy & industrials; financial services; retail, food & hospitality; technology; and transport.

For further information, visit: www.dwf.co.uk.

The financial district, London

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Filtering through

With ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention appearing to be around the corner, Libbie Hammond spoke to Tore Andersen about the BWM market

Tore Andersen

Ship owners may start to put ballast water treatment systems on their agenda due to upcoming regulations, but it mustn’t be forgotten that the issue behind the legislation represents a genuine environmental crisis. The UN considers the introduction of non-indigenous oceanic species to be one of the top four serious threats to the global environment, and according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the effects of the introduction of new species to different areas of the ocean have, in many areas of the world, been devastating.

phased in over a foreseeable period of time. Under the Convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast water management (BWM) plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book and an international ballast water management certificate.

Although this Convention is now ten years old, it still hasn’t entered into force. This will only happen 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35 per cent of world merchant shipping tonnage.

As of 17 October 2014, 43 countries representing a combined tonnage of 32.54 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet have ratified the convention, and according to Tore Andersen, CEO of Optimarin, a In fact, the past decade has seen a marked increase in the spread pioneer within the ballast water treatment industry, ‘ship owners now of species to areas where they do not naturally belong, and these realise there is no way back and it’s best to move forward.’ are being transported in the ballast tanks of ships as they travel “We are now very close to ratification,” he continued. “The US Coast the globe. Many times the invader has no natural predator and the Guard has set its requirements and while the market has waited for original species becomes extinct, with the result that entire marine a long time to take any action, it does now look as though there is a ecosystems are disrupted. This again has dramatic consequences for general feeling of ‘yes, we need to address this’.” biodiversity, even for industries such as fishing and aquaculture.

This process was also helped by the latest Marine Environment A decade ago the IMO recognised that this issue needed to be Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in October 2014, where addressed, and in 2004 adopted the Ballast Water Management resolutions to assist in accelerating the entry into force and Convention, which aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic implementation of the Convention were adopted. These measures organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and address issues surrounding the type-approval of BWM systems and procedures for the management and control of ships’ ballast water guidance for port State control inspections. They have already been and sediments. heralded by the shipping industry as ‘significant progress’ on what had The ballast water management standards are expected to be been proving challenging topics to resolve, and the IMO anticipates

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ballast waste treatment

that the entry-into-force criteria will be met shortly ‘as a number of States have indicated they are making arrangements to deposit their instruments of accession very soon.’

This is great news for Optimarin, which has been creating ballast water systems since before the Convention was even suggested, and has been learning from experience since 1994. “We did our first commercial installation in 2000,” commented Tore. “Then the Convention arrived in 2004, the system we had at that time didn’t quite meet the IMO’s criteria, so we went back to the drawing board and changed some parts of the system. This evolved into an improved version which was Type Approved by DNV on behalf of The Norwegian Maritime Directorate in 2009. This is from principle still the system we are selling today.” The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) also has assured approval from a range for classification organisations, including Lloyd’s, Germanischer Lloyd, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, American Bureau of Shipping and AMS/USCG. The OBS is based on solid separation (filter) as pre-treatment and high doses of UV irradiation for killing/ inactivation of marine organisms, viruses and bacteria, without affecting the normal operation of the ship. “When it comes to the product itself, the biggest difference between us and the competition, is that there are no chemicals and no electrolysis, it works through filtration to 40 microns and then UV light,” said Tore. The MicroKill Filter removes larger organisms / particles and MicroKill UV kills or inactivates life when the ballast comes in, and when ballast goes out, it bypasses the filter, for a second UV treatment to kill remaining life, in order to ensure compliance.

“Since 2012 Optimarin is the only company to have a Type Approval for three different filter options, so clients can select the type of filter they want to use,” added Tore. “This can be dictated by issues such as the type of space they have in the engine room, or any other preferences.

“Having the ability to choose between three different suppliers will also give us an advantage on flexibility when the market really picks up.”

Tore continued: “We are always looking at ways of improving the OBS and in July 2014 we received an EX explosion rating on the system, which means we can install onto chemical and oil tankers.

Optimarin is now in the process of testing to achieve the US Coast Guard Type approval, and although it requires a high degree of investment, these Type approvals are essential to maintain into a leadership position.

“Having said, it does take a lot of hard work and investment but as ever, our overall aim is to have a really proven system that can be trusted on suitability by our customers for global use.”

The system is also supported by Optimarin’s experience, based on feedback gained from the 180 ship operators who have already installed the system: “That in particular has positioned us as one of the leaders when it comes to retrofit because we have already undertaken so many of these installations, that we know what works and what doesn’t. On top, we make good use of this knowledge in our effort for improvement,” said Tore. “As a result we have a really good and reliable system that can work all over the world under challenging water conditions.

‘‘

We are getting into more direct discussions with clients that want to have a frame agreement with us for their retrofit program, and so it looks like finally the market has turned a corner and looks quite optimistic

Our customers are quite loyal to us because they know that they can benefit from the fact Optimarin already has over 20 years experience and is still improving by learning.”

The customers Tore referred to include major names such as Farstad, The Royal Navy and Technip. “The biggest retrofit contract we have now is for Saga Shipholding in Norway which is 100 per cent owned by NYK Japan,” said Tore. “For this we have a contract of 24 big retrofits on board some very large vessels.

“We also have a new contract to be delivered in February 2015, which I can’t give too much detail on, suffice to say it is for retrofits on ten container ships. Both these contracts illustrate that big clients are starting to take ballast water treatment seriously.”

He added: “We expect that by the end of 2015 the ratification will be confirmed and we are working hard towards having the US Coast Guard Type approval by then too. As a result of these we are expecting 2016 to be a growth year for us. At the moment ship owners in general are still waiting for ratification, however there are also signals that some are now pushing through investigations, as they want it clarified rather than living in uncertainty. Bear in mind, once this Convention comes into force, it will mean that the ship owners will know what they have to do and when they have to invest.”

Another factor helping Optimarin to be ready for 2016 is a streamlining of operations that it undertook at the end of 2012. “We actually went through a tough period at that time, because for this year the market was expected to take off. We had increased our size to be ready and as a result, we had to make some big internal changes. We reviewed all our processes to make sure they operated smoothly and now we are really on track, also prepared for the growth.

“This time of streamlining taught us a lot about ‘what we are in tune with and what we are good at’.

“We are getting into more direct discussions with clients that want to have a frame agreement with us for their retrofit program, and so it looks like finally the market has turned a corner and looks quite optimistic,” concluded Tore. n www.optimarin.com

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Oceans of experience Almost three decades of experience in the transportation of vessels has positioned Sevenstar Yacht Transport as a world leader in its market

With offices all around the world, and a global network of destinations ranging from the familiar to the exotic, innovation has been the key to Sevenstar’s success. The company can move yachts via lift-on, lift-off up to 60 metres and beyond via float-on, float-off technique, and thanks to the development of new loading methods and adaptable shipping cradles, it has attracted a blue chip clientele and a reputation for reliability and high quality services.

Acquired by Dutch worldwide shipping company the Spliethoff Group in 2000, the business has enjoyed a level of expansion, as Sander Schuurman, marketing and communications manager at Sevenstar Yacht Transport highlights: “We are now the world’s leading provider of yacht transportation services on a lift-on/liftoff basis. Furthermore, through the acquisition of DYT Yacht Transport with its float-on, float-off service and expertise, we found the perfect match to complement our service.”

Sevenstar Yacht Transport is the world’s leading provider of yacht shipping services, with a global network of destinations and a fleet of over 100 independent carriers. The company is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and runs a worldwide network with offices in the United States, the UK, Monaco, Australia and Turkey, together with agents in Germany, Russia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Gibraltar and Caribbean. In October 2013 Sevenstar acquired DYT Yacht Transport which manages two semi-submersible vessels dedicated to float-on, float-off yacht

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transport, making it a perfect fit with Sevenstar’s specialism in lift-on, lift-off yacht transport.

Initially targeting the European market, Sevenstar expanded to become a worldwide network with offices in the United States, the UK, Monaco, Australia and Turkey, and agents in Germany, Russia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Gibraltar and Caribbean. Through its geographical presence it arranges the transport of around 1500 yachts annually and continues to grow within the expanding economies of Asia, South America and Africa. Building on 90 years of trading experience, the Spliethoff Group has developed a financial strength that provides Sevenstar with the capacity to grow, as well as access to over 100 carriers and two semi-submersibles, sailed under the Dutch flag. As a specialist in break bulk, yacht transport, project and heavy lift cargo, it has an extensive range of lifting capabilities, supported through utilisation of craneage ranging from 40 to 1800 MT in tandem.

A broad client base calls upon the skill of its loadmasters to deliver an overall smooth operation. From port handling with bespoke cradle systems to export/import and customs clearance, the advantages to using Sevenstar are clear. “Customers can explore new horizons whilst saving time and fuel crossing the ocean. Our fully insured, reliable and professional service eliminates the risk of transporting the yachts over vast distances,” says Sander. Sevenstar has a bespoke and professional engineering department for developing shipping solutions for exceptional craft from tugs, dredgers and barges to pontoons and marina docks. “As long as it floats, we can transport any craft anywhere in the world safely and hassle-free,” he highlights.

SEVENSTAR EXCEPTIONAL MARINE TRANSPORT

Sevenstar Exceptional Marine Transport (EMT) recently completed the transport of two 360-tonnes US Marine patrol crafts from Norfolk, Virginia, to the port of Bahrain on board of the 17,600 dwt semi submersible Super Servant 4. The two patrol boats, along with associated containerised equipment were floated on board in Norfolk.

John Kamp manager operations noted that this was a particularly special project for the company due to the high profile of the transport and the meticulous planning that preceded it. Once the boats were on board, the vessel refloated and the cargo was transported through the Suez Canal direction UAE. This is the first project of its type that Sevenstar has undertaken but the company has confidence that with this reference in more similar business in the future.

Sevenstar also recently announced the arrival of a new monthly service from Turkey, Italy and Gibraltar to the US East Coast, as Sander points out: “Although the service is relatively new we see a growing interest in light of its reliable frequency. We are also seeing interest from clients that want to get on board ‘along the way’ and appreciate that they have more options for loading around the Med. The market of yacht owners seeing the benefit of yacht transport is growing, and through globalisation we notice that the location of a yacht is getting less relevant in the buy and sell market place. A yacht can easily been transported towards the new owner.”

Sevenstar was present at several European boat shows during 2014, and has just concluded at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. “The shows have been a big success with lots of interest for yacht transport.

A growing market is that of the sport fishers and especially the ones that compete and join the sport fishing tournaments. Monaco is also a very good show for yacht transport as it’s one of the best for the super yacht industry, and the combined Sevenstar and DYT Yacht Transport stand at events has been very busy,” says Sander. To further enhance and spread out the co-operation and synergy between Sevenstar and DYT Yacht Transport, the focus is on delivering the strengths of their services to customers based on their needs. “It is also the case that special transport of exceptional craft will become a greater focus for our business in light of the companies’ vast resources in experience, equipment and knowledge opens new markets,” he indicates.

Another exciting opportunity lies with Spliethoff and the Port Authority in Cleveland, Ohio’s deal to start a combined container and general cargo shipping route between Cleveland and Northern Europe.

The route will be dubbed the ‘Cleveland-Europe Express’ (CEE), passing through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which is a system of locks, canals and channels that allows ocean vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, as Sander announces: “This partnership will mean that more European businesses can reach Midwestern US markets and vice versa, as well as transporting yachts from and to the Great Lakes.

“Our company is growing year-on-year, and it is our vision to keep right on track without losing the level of quality we offer our customers.

In the dynamic market of yacht transport we must remain flexible, and we expect to reach some exciting milestones in the next few years.” n www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com

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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-of-the-art technology, best practices and modern innovations are put into practice in the maritime sector.

red funnel karmsund Havnevesen huegli tech oesterreichisher lloyd seereederei (cyprus) griffon hoverwork scandlines rodne trafikk falmouth harbour commissoners (fhc) ahrenkiel steamship almi tankers nordhavn marine & offshore eltorque ultra fog load line marine macduff shipyards group stena line freight southern wind shipyard

Famous

ferries

W

ith a history dating as far back as 1861, Red Funnel was the first organisation to provide passenger services between the Isle of Wight and mainland UK. Since then, the famous ferry company has gained an excellent reputation for safety and quality, resulting in three million passengers and more than 750,000 vehicles being transported across the Solent annually.

Discussing the company’s core business activities, CEO Kevin George notes: “Red Funnel operates two types of service namely a Roll On, Roll Off (RoRo) vehicle ferry service from Southampton to East Cowes and a Hi Speed Catamaran passenger only service between Southampton and West Cowes. We operate three Raptor Class RoRo ferries and three Hi Speed catamarans.” Proud to deliver satisfaction to its broad range of clients, the company has made a number of key enhancements to its service over recent years to remain competitive in areas such as technical excellence, staff competence and customer service.

Appointed CEO in 2013, Kevin has continued the company’s strategy for improvement since taking up the

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position in January 2014. “My initial focus was to ensure that the safety management of the business was robust.

While I was satisfied that Red Funnel was doing a good job in safety management we have made some enhancements in this fundamental area of the business,” he states. “It was also important to me that we had the right management structure in place to effectively drive the business forward. The key changes were to appoint Directors with specific responsibility for Customer Services and for Fleet & Technical, both of whom are now in position.”

In addition to safety and management structure, Kevin has

Profile: Red Funnel

been committed to improving passenger experience, resulting in the £2 million interior refurbishment of the Red Falcon in 2014. “The fundamental driver for the refurbishment was customer feedback that there was insufficient seating on the ship. As a consequence we have added two additional lounges and completely changed the design of the main passenger deck in order to increase the seating by 55 per cent,” says Kevin. “In addition we upgraded the air conditioning, introduced a new pet lounge, improved the facilities for wheelchair users and enhanced the catering offer.

Customer reaction has been absolutely fantastic and we have seen a clear preference to book on Red Falcon by our regular customers.”

Beginning in February 2014, the Red Falcon project used the expertise of marine design agency

Burness Corlett Three Quays

For over 25 years, the Southampton based maritime consultants Burness Corlett Three Quays (BCTQ) have provided naval architecture, marine engineering and project management expertise across the Red Funnel fleet.

In the late 1980’s BCTQ conceived the high speed catamaran concept that replaced the original hydrofoil operation and the company helped oversee the design and build of vessels for today’s ‘Red Jet’ service.

Most recently BCTQ undertook the technical design to transform and modernise their original 94m ‘Raptor Class’ Ro-Ro vehicle ferry built in the early 1990’s. The major refurbishment project involved the construction of an additional tier of superstructure that has demonstrated the versatility and in-built margins of BCTQ’s original design.

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SMC Design and marine interior refit specialist Trimline; completed in time for the busy Easter break, the vessel’s new look has delighted passengers and is certain to play a key role in the company’s aim of becoming the ‘preferred choice’ for those wanting to travel to and from the Isle of Wight.

Following the Red Falcon’s transformation Red Funnel has witnessed a 15 per cent boost in traffic levels over the main summer holiday period in 2014; growth that has seen the firm’s Southampton-East Cowes route become the most popular cross-Solent route for vehicles.

Having set the standard for Cross-Solent travel, Red Funnel has discussed plans to further invest in Red Eagle and confirmed a £2.2 million refurbishment for Red Osprey in September 2014.

Using the same specification as Red Falcon, the company has chosen Trimline as the lead contractor once again. “Based on feedback from our customers and staff there will be a few extra enhancements on Red Osprey which will get retrofitted to Red Falcon in due course. Meanwhile, Red Eagle is a slightly different design in that it already has a higher seating capacity than our other ferries and so we are determining the optimum upgrade for this ship at the moment,” explains Kevin.

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Profile: Red Funnel

On top of vessel upgrades, the ISO 9001 accredited company has also invested in the improvement of customer service to boost sales from a growing customer base that has seen the Isle of Wight repositioned as a year-round destination of choice for active couples and families. This focus on customer service has earned it a 2014 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and played a part in the company’s ongoing growth, as Kevin notes: “We obviously have an extensive training programme to maintain all our operating crews mandatory requirements.

However this year we have launched a training programme for all staff called ‘ Think like a customer’. As the name implies it is designed to help our staff see things as if they were the customer and then deliver service accordingly. We have seen our market share consistently grow throughout 2014 and I am delighted that the statistics support the fact that Red Funnel is becoming the customer’s preferred choice.”

With a record-breaking summer behind it and strategic plans in place to continue improving services, Red Funnel is certain to flourish, as Kevin concludes: “I feel fortunate to have joined Red Funnel at such an exciting time in its history. We are refurbishing our ferries, planning to move terminals in Southampton in the next two years, planning the relocation and expansion of our East Cowes terminal and upgrading one of our Redjet Hi Speed catamarans. Add to that a revolutionary programme in customer service improvements and a new catering and retail offer. There’s plenty to focus on next year!” l

Red Funnel

www.redfunnel.co.uk • The Isle of Wight’s original ferry service • Enjoyed record breaking summer in 2014 • Major investments in products and services

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Karmsund main traffic harbour. Photo: Tor Inge Vormedal

Cruising towards

success

S

ituated in south western Norway, Karmsund is the first entrance to Norway from the North Sea. The importance of the location is as strong today as it was in 800AD when it was said that a King who ruled Karmsund, ruled Norway. The port today focuses on offshore services, the cruise industry, as well as container and break bulk services.

“The demand from the cruise industry is growing for us, and having been involved in it for only two years, we are extremely pleased with our performance,” says Leiv Sverre Leknes, maritime chief. Whilst most port authorities in Norway have felt a decline in the number of cruise vessels entering its ports, Karmsund Havnevesen has experienced unprecedented growth.

“Already for 2015 we have 20 large vessels scheduled to arrive,

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and the same again for 2016, with more to follow,” he adds.

These unexpected figures represent over a two fold annual increase. The quay and berthing facilities have been significantly upgraded in the past two years, and the mooring bollards are capable of holding 150 tonnes. With a quay measuring 297m in length, the region is able to welcome vessels in all classes.

“We have a very good port, confirmed by the reports of first class berthing in sheltered waters from all that have used the facilities, which has gone some way to adding to that growth. We are essentially still beginners in the cruise sector so we try to give the operators of the vessels and the passengers a new experience by retaining a personal touch. Every time that we have a cruise vessel arrive into our port we make special efforts to welcome

Profile: Karmsund Havnevesen MV North Sea Giant at Killingøy Offshore & Subsea base.

Photo: Øyvind Sætre

MV Maersk Flensburg (Mærsk) at the Karmsund Container Terminal 1.

Photo: Øyvind Sætre

our guests,” explains Leiv. With impressive road links stemming from the island to the mainland, opportunities to experience the natural beauty of the country is vast. From mountains to waterfalls and fjords, Karmsund Havnevesen has, through maintaining high quality facilities promoted itself as the port of choice for operators.

Beyond tourism, an important aspect of the business targets subsea activity from the base situated at Killingøy. As one of the world’s leading subsea centres, major players such as Technip Norge, DeepOcean, Olufsen Skipsreparsjon, Reach Subsea and Meara can be found there, as well as Statoil who runs its North Sea pipeline repair system (PRS) from the site. Furthermore, with modern RORO, container and break-bulk facilities, its

commercial services located at Husøy encompass a sector that has demonstrated significant growth each year. “We have seen this growth particularly in the short sea business, which brings cargo from the road to the sea, and as such attracts the leading operators to our facilities,” points out Leiv. With its unique position at the centre of the main north-south shipping lane along Norway's western seaboard, the business time and again delivers its service against strong competition. With the likes of Euro Container Lines (ECL), Sea-Cargo, North Sea Container Line and NorLines frequenting the port, it is clear that the future of the Karmsund Havnevesen is well supported.

“We have several businesses in operation within our port area too, which adds additional operations to the service. We connect the factories of big users of bulk commodities to the sea, with direct routes to ship out from the port. Clients based at our port take clear benefit from this, utilising the reliability of the services,” explains Leiv. As a result of the demand for bulk commodities, Karmsund Havnevesen is in the process of building a brand new bulk terminal that includes warehouse facilities as well as a new quay for the vessels. The site will be situated at Husøy, with direct links to the existing port areas specialising in container and RORO traffic. www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 29

Profile: Karmsund Havnevesen

Above: Killingøy Offshore & Subsea base. Photo: Tor Inge Vormedal

With engineering, planning, and preparation of tender documents complete, the process is now subject to final approval by the authorities and construction will commence in April 2015, with a tight schedule that will complete by November the same year. Commenting on the development, Leiv highlights: “The first stage will involve the building of a terminal of approximately 12,000 sqm, with 8000 sqm totally covered and 4000 sqm that is covered by the overhanging roof. The multi-purpose terminal with have a capacity of about 40,000 tonnes, divided into 20

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cells. The lease for the completed first stage of the terminal has now been granted but there is huge interest within Norway so we will swiftly move on to the second stage.”

Over the next year, the significant contract works within the development of the port will put a significant level of pressure on the authority as it works to meet the deadlines. In November 2014, Karmsund Havnevesen signed a contract with the Norwegian Subsea operator DeepOcean, as well as confirming the construction of a combined storage, maintenance and office block at the offshore terminal. At the moment there is also a project for the creation of 8000sqm of new land through reclaiming land through landfill, which will be completed in 2015. This means that the total size of the subsea & offshore base will be 80,000sqm. “The huge investment into projects will inevitably stretch our resources in the period ahead. We also still have a lot of area that can be developed and as population continues to grow, volumes of ships will of course increase.

We are in a very positive drive,” concludes Leiv. l

Karmsund Havnevesen

www.karmsund-havn.no • Historic south-west Norwegian port • Naturally sheltered area • Continuous expansion of facilities

Profile: Huegli Tech

The best

F

ormerly trading as HÜGLI & CO, Huegli Tech AG was founded in 1929 to provide effective products and services for gas and diesel combustion engines, generator sets, industrial vehicles, and other industrial applications. The company has been in operation for over 85 years and first changed its name to Huegli Tech in 1998. Today the business is headquartered in Switzerland, where it operates from three buildings totalling 2500 square metres. These include offices, training rooms, workshop, laboratory, test facilities and stores, which are supported by branch offices in Australia, Czech Republic, England, India, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam. In all Huegli Tech manages 67 dedicated staff worldwide that ensure that the company is always on hand with the right solution to address its clients’ requirements.

Since the 1950s, Huegli Tech has accompanied, embossed and supported the hydraulic business, honing its abilities in designing and supplying cutting-edge, innovative products such as its range of hydraulic engine starting systems. The company was last featured in Shipping and Marine magazine during March 2014 and over the course of the past nine months has continued to develop its product line, as well as the business as a whole. This includes new products, such as burst disc solutions, pressure test inspection reporting, brand new hydraulic interlock device, and a shock proof system that is able to resist a shock stress of 16g in all directions. That was tested from an accredited inspection company and hydraulic starter with ATEX certification, and development of its current range of hydraulic engine starting systems has also continued. These offer clients significant

start

advantages including an efficiency rating of over 90 per cent, which remains consistent down to temperatures as low as 40 degrees centigrade, as well as being capable of black start and offering spark free ignition.

“We have been very busy since March 2014,” says vicepresident Hanspeter Egli. “All of our divisions have made big steps forward. For example, with our new SCADA System to control GenSets, extended product range in the field of our gas management systems, and governing system,the demand for Huegli Tech’s hydraulic starting solution (HSS) for combustion engines has increased and we were able to extend production again this year.”

Indeed continued product development and support has increased the effectiveness of the company’s hydraulic engine starting system making it an even more attractive solution for its clients. “We are continually extending our product range to meet new demands,” says product manager starting solution, Massimo Lucchini. “The development of our brand new interlock system is a good example of this, as an innovative solution which prevents accidentally engaging a hydraulic starter when the engine is running and can be added to an existing hydraulic system without difficulty. This was developed for a customer who had actually experienced damage to starters and engines resulting in costly downtime, while waiting for spares. Other customers within the oil and gas industry also look to this system as an additional level of safety.

“Since Huegli Tech was last featured in Shipping and Marine magazine we have registered a significant increase in product www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 31

development. Huegli Tech was always very customer-orientated, but has matured from a well-known supplier to a competent allin-one provider of hydraulic starting systems. Today we offer a full solution from design to manufacture, including development, prototyping, training and after-sales service. We have also undertaken some personnel development to strengthen our experienced engineering and production team.”

As Huegli Tech has continued to expand and grow its product range, the company has attended several important trade shows including, Power-Gen Asia 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, where it has previewed some of the new technologies that it is bringing to market. Furthermore, at the time of writing Huegli Tech is preparing to attend Bauma China 2014, where it will offer a live demonstration of its brand new HED Wi-Fi module CL-T04.

“The CL-T04 Wi-Fi module is a solid state microprocessor-based system, designed to provide simplified wireless access to critical machine-information via the existing CANbus system,” explains technical director, Urs Roggwiller. “Using any device that has Wi-Fi capacity and a web broawser, including smart-phones, tablets or laptops, service personnel and owners have access to a broad array of data for monitoring, trouble-shooting and so on. This means the elimination of hassle with cables and dongles as well as the cost effective customisation of pages via HTML programming.”

Such events are a useful hub for showcasing new product

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developments and services, which allow Huegli Tech to increase customer awareness as well at its global footprint. Commenting on the success of Power-Gen Asia 2014, Hanspeter says: “There was a lot of interest in our products and Power-Gen was interesting for both our clients and Huegli Tech. We made many new contacts and leads and we had the opportunity to present our entire product range. Asia is also a good place for products

Profile: Huegli Tech

like HSS and we perceive a lot of potential business in this area.

Customers like that our starting solutions are built in Switzerland because they trust in our build quality.”

Huegli Tech is dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of quality and on building long-lasting relationships with its clients and with trusted industry partners. It has developed an efficient collaboration with Kocsis Technologies Inc (KTI), which has supplied Huegli with products for over 50 years. “Our systems are both designed and built with fine workmanship and attention to detail,” reveals design-development engineer, David Hedinger.

“Such details include the use of a spring washer instead of a serrated lock washer when components are mounted on an offshore platform that will prevent damage to the tough but brittle marine paint. Such details are not obvious from a distance but make a real difference in quality and long-term durability.

This workmanship is based on years of experience in building starting systems and in using KTI products and components.”

Over the coming years Huegli Tech will seek to continue to develop its service offering with a growing product portfolio and further collaboration with its clients and close partners like KTI. Furthermore the company will look to expand its global reach with further investment into its main gas, governing, automation systems and starting solutions divisions, especially in air starting and hydraulic starting systems, to deliver rapid and effective solutions to wherever they are needed. Commenting on the

strategic vision for Huegli Tech over the next three to five years Hanspeter says: “Let me give you the short answer, our strategic vision is to be the most reliable manufacturer globally of starting solutions!” l

Huegli Tech AG

www.huegli-tech.com • Engine governing system specialist • Growing product portfolio • Global reach

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Flying the

flag

S

ince its original foundation as a shipping company in 1836, family-owned Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd (OL) has remained adaptable to the challenges of an evolving global shipping industry with its re-inception as a ship owning firm in 1951 and the establishment of a ship management subsidiary in 1991.

Developed to serve both in-house and third party vessels trading from Limassol in Cyprus, the subsidiary operated in this manner until July 2008, when OL undertook a strategic conversion of its operations; a move that resulted in the withdrawal of its services as a third party manager and a core focus on ship ownership. It was at this key point in the company’s history that it changed its name from Österreichischer Lloyd to Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei and all shares of the company were transferred to Captain Eberhard Koch’s holding.

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Strictly adhering to IMO and ISM regulations for safety, quality and environment, OL is continuously striving for higher safety and enhanced quality standards. Firm in its belief that quality management demands a qualified and competent crew, the company exclusively recruits from its part owned organisation, MED CREW Ltd, Malta; a policy that leaves both OL and its clients secure in the knowledge that all officers and ratings are highly experienced, well trained and possess all required national and international licenses and certificates. As such, careful consideration goes into crew selection, with the majority of staff boasting long and loyal service records.

Previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in April 2014, Chairman, CEO and Managing Partner Captain Eberhard Koch discusses how OL has progressed with plans to seek long-term strategic partnerships and has transferred the Class of one of its MPP vessels to RINA over the last seven

Profile: Öesterreichisher Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus)

months: “We are currently in the last stages of finalising our short term strategic business partnership plan to strengthen our business.

“In other news, we were proud to announce the transfer of Class of one of our younger ‘ladies’ during her drydocking at Klaipeda in July 2014 to RINA. We felt that working with RINA meant being part of an international group, which was in line with the company’s mentality and values, with the competencies of its people being the primary asset onboard and ashore. OL and RINA have many similarities including investment and continuous training and development opportunities. All of our vessels are classed by IACS members though; we have five MPC’s with China Classification Society, one MPP with Germanischer Lloyd and of course, the final vessel with RINA.” Operating under the reputable European White flag of Cyprus and single leadership of Capt. Koch, the fleet of seven modern multipurpose and container vessels benefits from its location in a bustling shipping hub that is connected to three continents and is recognised as a European Union and European Monetary Union Member State. “Cyprus for me, is the most attractive global maritime centre; strategically located, super tonnage tax system and numerous tax treaties with other shipping hubs.

It is also the largest management centre in Europe and in the top five worldwide,” highlights Capt. Koch. “She has double tax treaties with 45 countries and Bilateral Agreements in

23 countries for merchant shipping, including major labour supplying countries from where we supply crew onboard our vessels, and is a signatory to numerous international maritime conventions.

“Ship registration costs are more than competitive than other destinations and let’s not forget the special taxation for shipping companies otherwise referred to as TTS: Shipowners, charterers and ship managers participating in the Cyprus Tonnage Tax System, where we are exempt from income tax and any other tax or levy on dividends paid to shareholders, on interest earned on working capital and on any profit made from the sale of a qualifying ship as opposed to CIT on actual profits and which is completely regulated by the Department and not the Tax Authorities. Even non TTS qualifying income is only subject to 12.5 per cent with several exemptions available. VAT for ship management companies, although compulsory registration is necessary, it is zero rated so, basically, no VAT on income with the right to reclaim input VAT,” he adds.

Despite the obvious benefits of its flag choice, Capt. Koch notes that OL faces ongoing challenges due to Turkey’s continued embargo on ships flying the Cyprus flag: “As a registered Cyprus/German Owner, this issue remains the biggest obstacle faced by the Cyprus shipping community, limiting the potential for further expansion of the sector given the inherent problems it raises for companies that have significant commercial relationships with Turkey.” However, it is hoped this issue will be rectified in the near future, particularly with President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades highlighting the importance of the shipping sector as a source for growth in the region.

Five of the company’s vessels participate in a specialised pool of similar ships, which ensures ongoing employment and a number of other advantages such as the exclusion of competition between similar vessels, spreading the risk of employment, the facilitation of a common marketing and chartering strategy and the distribution of revenue across the pool, which generates long term revenue security for vessels that may be idle or had to be repositioned. “Having participation in the esteemed Mini Container Pool ‘MCP Pool’ unites a group of comparable geared multipurpose containerships with www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 35

Profile: Öesterreichisher Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus)

capacity of 618 TEU. It further offers 16 similar sister ships suitable for project, container, general and bulk cargoes, and serves both the feeder and intercontinental trade,” explains Capt. Koch.

Having witnessed a steady increase in trade for its MPPs and all vessels that are chartered via the MCP Pool, Inter-Asia, from Australia and New Zealand and within East Africa, OL has secured a number of lengthy charters and anticipates further growth within the container markets as the global economy continues to recover. To stay ahead of the competition in these growing markets, Capt. Koch notes the company’s commitment to finding cost-effective e-platform solutions, which will ensure efficient productivity and minimise operational burdens to its seafarers: “We stay in tune with various market sources including the Cyprus Shipping Chamber’s E-navigation Working Group, Nautical Institute on Navigational Competence, prevention of Marine Accidents/ Incidents. The recent Nautical Institute Command Seminar that took place in Limassol on 7th November 2014 clearly identified that E-Nav is moving forward quickly. Our industry needs to embrace it, get involved and start working in detail on its implementation. 2015 could further see in-house technological changes in terms of computer and software upgrades for our shore based teams, thereby enhancing efficiency and time management.”

On top of potential technological advancements, the company aims to continue its cultivation of a proactive approach via a ‘can do’ attitude, which will achieve the right structure, the right focus, and ultimately the right result. Moreover, OL anticipates an increase in charter rates as the economy continues to recover, as Capt. Koch states: “We believe that the supply and demand aspect of our fragmented sector is expected to see overall TEU capacity growth for containerships between 0-999 TEU being forecasted to fall by approx. 7.1 per cent in 2015. Such a slow down should lead to a rise in demand for smaller tonnage over the next few years as the supply / demand dynamics will further support an increase in charter rates as the sector bounces back from all time lows.”

With a positive future ahead, the company is now focusing on raising awareness and generate interest in the shipping industry in advance of a potential drought in resources over the coming years, as Capt. Koch concludes: “It is our responsibility to raise awareness amongst the younger generation with regard to the marine and maritime industry, including oil and gas, to ensure they have the knowledge in exploring the abundant opportunities of a sea or shore based career.” l Captain Eberhard Koch

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Österreichischer Lloyd Seereederei (Cyprus) Ltd

www.oelsm.com • Strong and solid multi-purpose fleet • Average age of fleet is six years • All vessels are classed by IACS members

Profile: Griffon Hoverwork

Expanding

footprint

L

eading the way in enabling customers to access inaccessible areas for over 40 years, Southampton based Griffon Hoverwork has specialist experience in developing and manufacturing hovercrafts for customers operating in diverse and challenging locations across the globe. From the tropical jungles of South America, to the harsh seas of the Baltic and Arctic, Griffon Hoverwork offers access to areas where conventional craft can’t reach.

With four decades of experience in the development of craft that support light, medium and heavy payload requirements, Griffon Hoverwork has created a successful business that delivers a complete support solution. Indeed, once the company has assisted customers in assessing the considered routes and applications that require such a craft, wholly competent and knowledgeable personnel provide professional

advice on the most appropriate design and type for each contract. Moreover, the company provides comprehensive updates throughout the design and build phases as well as incountry commissioning, pilot and engineer training. Proud of the services it offers, Griffon Hoverwork’s support contracts are professionally managed and audited against the principles of the high speed craft code.

Previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in April 2014, the company has remained in demand and enjoyed ongoing success; a notable example of this being the completion of its three year, £32 million contract with the Indian Coast Guard, which was marked by a final acceptance ceremony in Panambur, India, on 10th November 2014. Used to prevent terror activities and threats to the Indian coast line, the order of 12 8000 TD hovercraft brings the Indian Coast www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

Guard’s total fleet to 18, all of which will operate over India’s coastline on a multitude of missions, ranging from search and rescue, assisting small boats in distress and surveillance. “We have a very strong market in India and have just delivered the last of our 12 large hovercraft to the Indian Coast Guard and are now in the process of working on a large bid with the Indian Army alongside Goa Shipyard,” says managing director of Griffon Hoverwork, Adrian Went.

Despite its strong order book and a healthy number of prospects, the company is keen to remain one step ahead of a turbulent shipping industry through innovation and strategic alliances. This commitment to the continued enhancement of its portfolio resulted in Griffon Hoverwork teaming up with the Southampton based powerboat specialist Cougar Marine in October 2014. Joining forces to construct ultra-high speed naval and coastguard craft, the partnership will enable Griffon Hoverwork to enter the fast boat market, notes Adrian: “Our partnership with Cougar was driven by the market presence we have across the globe; because our product is unique we have access to coastguards, marine forces, border forces, navies and armies, which means we have a strong network and presence in this market. Although we have a strong order book, the governments in the world are driven by budgets and the boat building business is cyclical by nature; the diversification of our service not only strengthens Griffon Hoverwork financially,

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but also means we have a more comprehensive fleet to offer our potential customers.”

Adrian continues: “In other news, we are bringing two new products to the market, the first of which is a hovercraft that is to be used for the Hovertravel service between Southsea and the Isle of Wight; for this development we are working closely with our sister company, Hovertravel to ensure the craft is much more efficient in terms of fuel, engines and maintenance as well as boarding. The second of our new products is the 995ED, a small craft that was constructed in a modular fashion thanks to the thought process of Lotus, which uses glue instead of heat for its building process.”

In other areas of the business, Griffon Hoverwork has gained recognition for its commitment to providing opportunities to young people, as Adrian highlights: “In November 2014 we won the UK Apprentice Employer of the Year for Medium Sized Businesses; I am very proud of this because, from my perspective, apprentices benefit us in a multitude of arenas. For example, a few months after hiring an apprentice you have a highly productive member of staff; this makes economic sense when compared to the option of hiring contractors who are expensive and generally less productive.

“Our apprentices that are taken on as employees have all

Profile: Griffon Hoverwork

stayed with us, which has resulted in a team of people who we have moulded into optimum members of staff who truly understand what we are aiming for as a business. We have also taken on a large number of women through our apprenticeship programme, which has rebalanced a workforce that is conventionally all male.”

Having strengthened its work force and product portfolio, the innovative firm is looking to retain its foothold in locations such as Peru, India, Korea and Canada while searching for upcoming opportunities in burgeoning oil and gas areas such as Africa and Brazil. “As already mentioned, we have a large bid in India coming up, as well as a few bids in the Far East;

however, we are also looking to expand our footprint in a number of areas, particularly Africa. Nigeria is a big focus area for us over the next few years,” concludes Adrian. l

Griffon Hoverwork

www.griffonhoverwork.com • Global leading commercial hovercraft manufacturer • Joined forces with Cougar Powerboats in 2014 • Recognised as a Top 100 apprenticeship employer

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 39

Profile: Scandlines Helsingborg, Sweden

A successful

system

F

ounded in July 1998 from the merger of former shipping line partners DFO and Scandlines AS, Scandlines AG brought together a new and fully united joint enterprise to the ferry market in Germany and Denmark. Since then, the company has been through a number of strategic conversions and acquisitions before it was taken over by sole shareholder 3i in December 2013.

Today it is one of Europe’s largest ferry companies, with 12 ferries operating on three short distance routes between Denmark, Germany and Sweden. Focusing on high frequency and large capacity, Scandlines AS is proud to deliver reliable, cost-effective and efficient transportation services to both passengers and freight customers.

Operating three ferry routes between six harbours within the Southern area of the Baltic Sea, the company’s routes include Puttgarden-Rodby, Rostock-Gedser and HelsingorHelsingborg. Operations within these routes are characterised by loading and unloading in less than 15 minutes, fluent integration to land based infrastructure at destinations,

G+H Marine

G+H Marine Hamburg GmbH offers worldwide service in insulation, interior and hvac-systems aboard ferries, cruise liners, yachts and offshore platforms. Its core competence is the professional project management of turnkey projects, especially when individual tailor-made solutions are needed. For Scandlines it performs do the complete interior including insulation and in parts lighting. In order to reduce the yet too heavy weight of the ships it keeps an eye on light materials and innovative solutions of the given designs to meet Scandlines demands and also ensures all necessary security and official regulations compatibility.

price competitive transportation, highly automated port infrastructure and services and catchment areas with large populations and good hinterland infrastructure. Moreover, customers are offered a broad range of onboard catering and retail services, on top of land-based retail shops, known as BorderShops, in Puttgarden and Rostock. The Puttgarden Bordershop, at 8000 m2, is one of the largest of its kind in the world and serves over 700,000 customers annually.

Following a successful and stable year in 2013, in which Scandlines AG transported 11 million passengers, 2.5 million cars and 0.7 million freight units, the company realised its core strategic objectives: enhanced customer focus, a satisfying financial performance, optimisation of the land based business segment and a renewed commitment to its core services. Despite these positive developments, Scandlines is not a company to rest on its laurels, and as such is continuing its goal of further strengthening its Rostock-Gedser route with cutting edge vessels that boast high capacity and unique experiences for customers on board. In line with this aim, the company announced a contract with P+S WERFTEN in Stralsund, Germany, for the acquisition of two vessels, for which it took over the hulls in March 2014 after P+S’s bankruptcy. The two vessels have since been transferred to Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg for extensive preengineering work before moving onto FAYARD A/S in Munkebo, Denmark, for completion. Originally designed for the Rostock-Gedser route, these ferries are anticipated to be in service in the first quarter of 2015. The two ferries will replace MV Kronprins Frederik and MV Prins Joachim and will offer www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 41

Profile: Scandlines

Puttgarden, Denmark

capacity for 1300 passengers and 480 cars or 96 trucks.

With a core objective to lead environmental improvements in the Baltic Sea, Scandlines fitted the MV Schleswig-Holstein with a scrubber in November 2013; by installing scrubbers on all four vessels in operation on the Puttgarden-Rodby route, Scandlines has ensured it can fully comply with the upcoming sulphur regulations that come into effect as of 1st January 2015.

Although scrubbers are an efficient solution to these regulations, perhaps the most important development for the company is its ambitious goal of growing the world’s largest fleet of hybrid ferries; a vision that began with Siemens installing a hybrid drive system on the MF Princess Benedikte in 2013. Operating on the ‘Vogelflugline’ Bird Flight Line between Puttgarden, Germany, and Rodby, Denmark, the 142 metre ferry became the world’s largest hybrid ferry when it was installed with a 2.7MWh Energy Storage System (ESS), which consists of Corvus Energy AT6500 advanced lithium polymer batteries that have been integrated with Siemens drive systems. Not only does the hybrid ferry MF Princess Benedikte provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, it also decreases operating expenses through enhanced maintenance costs and improved engine performance.

Following its successful installation, the MF Princess Benedikte was put to the test in the first quarter of 2014 when a number of senior Scandlines executives, Lloyds Register

engineers, Denmark government officials and Corvus Energy executive staff came on board. During the crossing, the diesel generators were taken offline; however, the Corvus Energy ESS instantly sprang into action, seamlessly filling the gap of the diesel generators and providing full power immediately.

The groundbreaking project meant Scandlines became the first ferry operator across the globe to use an on-board hybrid system, which stores excess power in batteries, on a largescale. This significant milestone was recognised by the industry in October 2014, when Corvus Energy and Scandlines announced their win of Fathom’s Ship Efficiency Award for 2014. Moreover, the vessel was also awarded the status of ‘highly commended’ by the Lloyds List Innovation Awards in September 2014.

Proving itself as highly effective in optimising fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent, the decision was made to install the hybrid system onto a further three passenger ferries at a cost of more than 25 million euros. Known as the MV Deutchland, MV Schleswig-Holstein and MV Prins Richard, the three ferries operate alongside MF Princess Benedikte on the Puttgarden and Rodby route and are a vital economic link between Denmark and Germany. In addition, the two vessels currently under construction at FAYARD AS will also be installed with the hybrid propulsion system as well as a scrubber before beginning operations on the Rostock-Gedser route.

By 2015 Scandlines will have invested more than 40 million euros in sustainable technologies on its Puttgarden-Rodby and Rostock-Gedser routes, a move that will mean its entire fleet will meet new IMO emission requirements when they come into effect on 1st January 2015. Supporting these environmental initiatives is the European Commission, who have invested 6.5 million euros to the company via the TEN-T programme. Strongly positioned to take on difficult market conditions and environmental regulations, Scandlines has a clear strategy in place to capture opportunities and further strengthen its position as a customer-focused ferry operator. l

Scandlines AG

www.scandlines.com • One of Europe’s largest ferry companies • Operates a fleet of 12 ferries on three routes • Developed a hybrid ferry concept with Corvus Energy and Siemens

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Profile: Rodne Trafikk

Swift service H

eadquartered in Sjernaroy in the Finnoy rural district, family owned organisation Rodne Trafikk AS was established in 1956 to carry out local transportation services for schoolchildren. Since then, the company has adapted to industry and market demands to become one of Norway’s largest shipping firms to be operating small fast going boats, as managing director Lars Rodne begins: “At the time of our inception we had one boat, however several more have been added over the years; this was particularly the case in the 1980s when a number of oil platforms were built in Stavanger, which resulted in Rodne Trafikk providing transportation for crew. Following our expansion into serving the oil and gas market, we began to further diversify our service to the point that today we operate 16 vessels in three business segments; out of these 16 boats, 11 are fast going vessels.

“The first division operates three ambulance boats for emergencies in Stavanger and Bergen, as well as large regions of the West coast; we also operate our commuter routes in Rogaland county and Hordaland county, for which we have six or seven vessels on contract with the

authorities. The final division is for tourist and charter activity, for which we have our sales office, Rødne Fjord Cruise; this business segment focuses on taking passengers on a Lysefjord sightseeing tour or a Pulpit Rock cruise and hike from Stavanger as well as fjord or harbour cruises from Bergen. This diversification gives us security from the ups and downs in the market.”

The main product for Rodne Trafikk since 1974 has been sightseeing tours on the Lysefjord, with the Pulpit Rock as the main attraction. Departing from Skagenkaien in Stavanger, the

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 43

Profile: Rodne Trafikk

year round sightseeing tour takes three hours and is supported by waterfalls, majestic scenery and idyllic islands; departures in 2015 will run daily from 15th May to 15th September, the company operates daily with departures at 10 am and 2 pm. Extra sailings will be available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

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at midday throughout July and August. With tourism naturally higher in the summer months, the company has come up with a number of interesting excursions and packages to draw customers over the quieter winter months. For example, RFC is offering a Christmas party to companies at Lysefjord-Helleren and a day service to Sauda from Stavanger.

Elaborating on the company’s diverse customer base, Lars states: “There has been an increased demand in tourists over the last several years, especially on the west coast of Norway following publicity of the Pulpit Rock. The city of Bergen has also generated an increase in interest over recent years, so we are looking into interesting areas for customers to visit. We get a large number of cruise vessels in Stavanger, and when they arrive we take the passengers to see the Pulpit Rock. Next year there will be approximately 150 cruise vessels coming into Stavanger, with many interested in this sightseeing tour. We also have many tourist operators from Spain, England and Germany who are coming into Stavanger and Bergen; something they like to see when here are the fjords and waterfalls, so this is a big business opportunity for us also. On top of this, there are big corporations

in Stavanger and Bergen who are interested in setting up company trips in addition to major oil companies in the area that we provide crew transportation. There is a lot of activity within Rodne Trafikk because we have flexible vessels that are able to operate in a broad range of operations.”

Indeed, key to the company’s success is its highly versatile fleet

of 14 modern vessels, as Lars continues: “It is important to invest in new technology and new boats, which we have been doing since the 1970s. However, it has been over the last ten to 12 years that we have constructed a lot of new boats here in Norway, with the 21st currently under construction. Ten of our vessels are carbon fibre, which is due to our commitment in the investment of new and enhanced environmentally friendly equipment that lowers fuel costs and improves customer experience.”

He adds: “We also have six of the ten first carbon fibre built boats by Brødrene Aa (www.braa.no). The boat being constructed now (TBN279) is the 18th boat directly ordered from Brødrene Aa since 1970, which I think tells something about our relationship.”

The decision for a 15th vessel stemmed from a major tender win that was awarded to the company in 2013. Due for delivery in 2015, the 35 million NOK boat will serve the public in Rogaland county, while meeting the capacity needs of its newly awarded contract. “2013 was a very positive year for us, with awarded contracts amounting to almost half a billion pounds; one of these contracts was with the Rogaland and Hordaland counties and will last between five to ten years. This contract, which begins 1st January 2015, gives us strong financial security for the future and ensures the jobs of our personnel are safe for many years.” l

Rodne Trafikk AS

www.rodne.no • Leading shipping firm in the small fast boat market • New vessel under construction • Recently awarded major contracts for public transportation

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Falmouth Harbour

A diverse

service

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Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

R

enowned as the third largest natural harbour in the world, Falmouth Harbour, including Carrick Roads, is managed by Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC); the organisation is not only dedicated to the ongoing prosperity and viability of the port but also the southern part of the Carrick Roads, the Penryn River up to Boyers Cellars and a large part of Falmouth Bay. In addition, FHC provides small craft facilities for both residents and visitors, as well as 24-hour pilotage services to aid in controlling the navigation of large vessels operating within the port.

Responsible for managing the harbour with the best possible interests of its stakeholders in mind, FHC unveiled a new strategic plan in January 2014; this business strategy included the launch of a new dedicated leisure service that would operate under the separate ‘Falmouth Haven’ brand. Officially launched at the end of January, Falmouth Haven not only offers harbour users an improved experience, but also allowed FHC to focus on the day-to-day management and regulation

Falmouth Pilot Services: (From L – R): Chairman of FHC Dave Ellis, Chief Executive and Harbour Master of FHC Captain Mark Sansom, Deputy Harbour Master and General Manager of Falmouth Pilot Services Duncan Paul and David Pickston of Falmouth Pilots LLP.

Triskel Marine

Triskel Marine Ltd (TML) is known for its wide range of data management and communications products specifically designed for the demanding marine environment. Falmouth Harbour Commissioners are an important client for TML and have built a comprehensive network of TML’s integrated sensors which are deployed across Falmouth harbour. From tidal current measurement through to environmental monitoring and isolated weather stations, TML’s products provide their clients with real time data streaming directly to customised private and public web sites.

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Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta 2014. Photo: Fitz Marine and Visit Cornwall

service provides safe and well-organised guidance of vessels 24/7, 365 days a year, within the Falmouth Pilotage area.

Set up with the aim of providing customers with a more efficient and accessible service, Falmouth Pilot Services also benefits from a dedicated website that gives users complete pilotage information and a cost calculator. “We realised as FHC that the sheer breadth of the mission we are trying to undertake really took away from the opportunity of looking into the detailed management of some of our enterprises. Falmouth Haven provided us with a strong focus on what we were trying to do in terms of engaging with customers and tailoring our products to meet their needs; it

GPS Marine

In 2012 GPS Marine was pleased to be able to assist with Falmouth Harbour Commissioners’ trial relocation of Maerl. Maerl was dredged from closely defined locations at fine depth tolerances and relocated in precise positions clear of the dredge area. GPS Marine is delighted that the success of the trial has helped to facilitate approval for the proposed capital campaign to come.

GPS Marine has formed an alliance with Open Water Dredging AB whereby the two businesses can supply a complete backhoe dredging package. This alliance looks forward to opportunities to develop their existing relationship with Falmouth Harbour.

Falmouth pilot services

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was a positive early experience for us. Falmouth Pilot Service is slightly different to Falmouth Haven, but is essentially a business arm that we have to meet the requirements of shipowners and shipmasters for pilots and getting them to where they need to be and back off again in a timely manner.

Because this is a business service that we charge for, we wanted to make sure it was being managed with the same focus as Falmouth Haven, and thus make it as cost-effective as possible,” says Mark.

On top of the reorganisation of its operational service arms, FHC has been involved in a number of consultations to ensure a healthy balance is maintained between the conservation and optimisation of the harbour. For example, in February 2014, Falmouth residents were given the opportunity to provide feedback on the potential development of a Special Protection Area (pSPA) for three important species of birds that are attracted to Falmouth Bay in the winter months.

Working closely with Natural England, FHC has been encouraged by news that current port activities pose a low risk to the birds, as Mark states: “Of course there is a target for designations of statutory protection areas and the consultation process we contributed to, as well as many other bodies within Falmouth, expressed concerns on the impact a pSPA may have in terms of development. We have had a number of meetings

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with Natural England to look at these concerns and have entered into a working agreement with them that is really looking into how to minimise any impact on operations.”

The organisation also invited feedback from Falmouth

Oil Spill Response Conference with European research partners: Speakers at Falmouth Harbour Commissioners’ Oil Spill Response Conference, including European partners from SPRES and ISDAMP projects, join Captain Mark Sansom (centre). From L – R front: Anabela Oliveira, Florence Poncet, Sonia Castanedo, Daphne Skinnard, Felipe Lourenço and back (L-R): Glyn Humphries, Mark Sansom, Rodrigo Fernandes.

Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

Following a highly productive and transitional year, FHC is now looking to consolidate on some of the developments it has made throughout 2014 while continuing with ongoing projects such as the dredging programme and the Falmouth Bay Test Site (FaB Test). By remaining vigilant to the market changes and focusing on customer service as well as port development, FHC has successfully laid the foundations for ongoing prosperity and sustainability. l

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

www.falmouthport.co.uk • Responsible for 17 square miles of area including the inner harbour at Falmouth • Creating operational service arms • Developed and launched leisure division ‘Falmouth Haven’

Harbour users as part of its application for Powers of General Direction, which, if successfully granted, will allow FHC to make directions for ships navigating in the harbour. Although FHC currently has powers to make bye-laws and issue special directions to ships in the harbour, the General Direction will enable it to provide a more flexible approach to managing the harbour.

Moreover, FHC hosted a European oil spill conference on May 27th 2014 to share best practice and findings from recent research on oil pollution. As the only UK port to be involved in these research projects for oil spill research, FHC took part in a training exercise based on a simulated oil pollution incident in the same month. Using a clearly visible orange 280 metre inflatable boom, the organisation laid the oil-collecting device in the shape of a ‘V’ and then monitored it throughout deployment, as Mark highlights: “This particular project was specifically based on laying an oil pollution boom and keeping it in place for a sustained period of time.

We kept the boom in its moorings for nine days and, although the project was technically challenging, we are very happy with the way it performed and the information we were able to gain through observations.”

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Profile: Ahrenkiel Steamship

Steaming

C

ahead

reated in April 2014 through the merging of Christian F Ahrenkiel Group with a joint venture established by the MPC Group, Ahrenkiel Steamship is a newly formed shipping group that boasts the expertise and history of three integrated organisations – MPC Steamship, Thien & Heyenga and Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement. Operating under the traditional Ahrenkiel banner, the group pools the fleet of the three companies and its focal activities include ship management and ownership of maritime assets, for which each of the companies has decades of maritime experience.

“We are essentially three streams of history merged together under one roof; the name Ahrenkiel was chosen because it is a well regarded and international, while MPC and Thien & Heyenga are more German players. However, in order to also reflect the ‘new coating’ of the structure, we added Steamship because it is the history of the MPC Group, who were the driver throughout the merger. Although we are a brand new organisation we have the long term expertise of all three wholly independent companies, which we aim to combine not only to our benefit, but to the benefit of a challenging and demanding market,” begins Constantin Baack, managing director of Ahrenkiel Steamship GmbH & Co. KG. “MPC Group began as a trading house in the 19th century, however, in the late 1990s, the group established its own ship management entity to fuel the requirements of the German markets in terms of KG capital. This was the driver for MPC Steamship, which means that quite a number of ships that

were financed through capital raised by MPC Capital and the German banks have been subsequently managed by MPC Steamship. Meanwhile, Thien & Heyenga was established in 1977 and has decades of experience in managing vessels, mainly container vessels, but also reefers and Ro-Ro vessels. In the early 2000s the company had a fleet of 40 to 50 vessels under management, while MPC Steamship had approximately 30 vessels under management. Beginning with the economic crisis in 2008 until today all ship management companies lost some ships; it was then that MPC Steamship and Thien & Heyenga began to pool certain activities in order to not only gain some

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Profile: Ahrenkiel Steamship

synergies, but also meet tougher market requirements such as increased cost pressure, quality pressure and innovation.”

The commercial activities of Thien & Heyenga and MPC Steamship were put together under the roof of Contchart Hamburg/Leer GmbH & Co KG, a German commercial shipping management entity that was founded by Thien & Heyenga in March 2012. Established with the aim of gaining a stronger market position, Contchart’s goal of boosting its global presence and enhancing efficiency was strengthened further when MPC took a 50 per cent share of the company in October 2012. Subsequently, GB Shipping & Chartering GmbH & Co KG became a new partner of the joint venture in November 2012, with all three partners as equal shareholders.

“In 2012 MPC Steamship and Christian F Ahrenkiel agreed to jointly market their vessels through Contchart; however, by then the Ahrenkiel Group was already in a severe financial situation. A substantial restructuring was required, so we at MPC, along with Thien & Heyenga took part in that process as well as a bidding process that involved up to six parties. In the end we were the successful party because of our restructuring plan for the Ahrenkiel Group and the strategy to consolidate all three entities under one roof, not only on the commercial side, but also the technical management side. This strategic development has thus created a player that overall has in excess of 60 ships under technical management and through Contchart about 120 ships under commercial management. Moreover, this new ship management group is completely free of any contingent liabilities or big

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debts as a shipping entity; we see this as a unique selling point, particularly in the German market, but also the global market following the economic crisis,” highlights Constantin Baack.

The acquisition of Ahrenkiel Group has not only resulted in the pooling of Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement, MPC Steamship and Thien & Heyenga’s fleets, but also led to creation of a new, financially stable shipping group that ranks among the top 15 managing owners in the global container sector. Furthermore, the merger will integrate long-term shipping experience and leverage economies of scale, which will boost the group’s competitiveness in a challenging market and safeguard jobs in Hamburg.

“The establishment of Ahrenkiel Steamship means we have the opportunity to start with a blank sheet so we can set up a structure that matches the challenging market requirements of today. So far the integration process has progressed beyond expectations,” says Constantin Baack. “For example, we have

a large sized fleet that gives us good negotiating powers with suppliers who have supported us as separate entities so far and will navigate through the difficult markets with us in the future by offering competitive prices so we, in turn, can be cost competitive moving forward. In addition to this, we also are specifically focused on asset quality and asset value; since 2008 ship managers have managed their ships with the aim of offering cost savings, but this can really run down a ship in five years.”

One way the group aims to be cost effective is to focus on fuel efficiency through measuring the consumption on board its ships; so far a third of its vessels have onboard measurement fuel systems installed, with the rest being upgraded with enhanced fuel efficiency in 2015. Another way the group aims to strengthen its service is through the implementation of DNV GL’s ShipManager software, which will be installed on its entire fleet of 60 plus vessels. Following an in-depth tendering process, DNV GL’s ShipManager software was selected as it will enable the group to streamline systems and benefit from industry best practice. Moreover, it will enable to company to consolidate its legacy systems with a common, centralised, cutting edge ship management solution that fulfils all technical, procurement, crewing and QHSE requirements.

Moving forward, Ahrenkiel Steamship faces a challenging yet positive future as it establishes a quality focused and cost efficient organisation that meets the changed requirements of a slowly recovering market. “We have more than 80 highly qualified employees ashore and around 1200 crew members at sea, who are all having to follow a new set of rules and procedures; this is something we are working on keenly because this is not just an issue in Germany, but in fact spreads globally to all ships we have under management,” says Constantin Baack. “Overall our growth outlook is very positive – we have already executed new projects and together with investment partners seek to expand our fleet. Further acquisitions are in progress, and we are looking forward to developing further.” l

Ahrenkiel Steamship

www.ahrenkiel-steamship.com • Asset owner and leading provider of ship management • Established in 2014 from a merger between three shipping firms • Aims to meet specific requirements in challenging market

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Grand

voyager A

t a time when businesses globally were distracted by hardships not witnessed for decades, the newly established Almi Tankers S.A launched into the oil tanker industry. In its adolescent history, 2009 will be remembered not as a struggle, but as the start of thriving success. Operating as a management company, the business is committed to providing a world-class service, which continually meets safety, environmental and quality

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requirements set by regulatory organisations and clients alike.

Through striving for excellence in these fields, it nurtures the belief that oil tankers can be operated to achieve the goal of zero spills and zero accidents, and works closely with customers, and competitors to extend that benefit to the entire industry.

Immediately gaining recognition as a high quality oil tanker operator, from the outset, the business had established plans for considerable fleet expansion. In addition to managing two high quality double-hulled Aframax LR2 vessels, it initiated a Suezmax newbuilding project that saw ten 158,000dwt vessels, as well as two 320,000dwt VLCCs delivered in a period of just 26 months. Today the company is operating a fleet of 13 vessels. All newbuildings, built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd, were designed to meet the highest standards, latest regulations and industry requirements, reflecting the needs of the company’s clients and Almi Tankers’ environmental commitment.

Demonstrating its commitment to environmental issues, Almi Tankers has invested heavily to ensure that the expanding fleet goes well beyond simply meeting standards,

Profile: Almi Tankers

including those for Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS), laid out by the IMO. Whilst ballast water is essential for safe and efficient shipping operations, it poses serious and irreversible environmental damage, depositing several marine species and micro-organisms in the five billion tonnes of ballast water that is moved internationally each year.

Operationally active on a global scale, the business has installed both Hyde Marine’s filtration and UV radiation technology, and OceanSaver’s filtration and electrodialysis technology, depending on vessel type, ensuring the vessels comfortably meet the elements of the standard.

In January 2014, the business took delivery of another ecofriendly vessel, designed to complement the responsibility of safeguarding the environment. Equipped with top of the line technologies, it enhances safety and ensures the best possible protection of the environment. Among the technologies on board is Hyde Marine's Filtration and UV Radiation BWTS. Its latest vessel, the Hercules Voyager, is among the most eco-friendly ships worldwide, and was delivered in November 2014, marking the successful completion of the company’s newbuilding project, which started in 2011. Offering significant fuel savings, it produces fewer emissions than engines with the same output, resulting in the classification as one of the most environmentally efficient propulsion systems.

All vessel specifications reflect Almi Tankers' aim of ensuring reliable and efficient operation throughout the life of the fleet. Furthermore, in 2014 Almi Tankers was granted the ‘Green Flag’ environmental achievement award by the Port of Long Beach, US, due to its fleet's excellent performance and compliance with the ‘Green Flag programme’ that prevents more than 1000 tonnes a year of air pollution and reduces carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions in coastal areas.

Trusted to deliver a reliable and safe service, operational integrity is at the heart of all activities undertaken, and forms the company’s guiding principles. Captain Stylianos Dimouleas, CEO, states on the company website: “I believe that the key to our success remains our dedication to our core value of operational integrity,” and this commitment is reflected in the business’ attitude towards the ongoing development of the fleet. That determination is a key factor www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 57

Profile: Almi Tankers

in becoming the preferred partner of oil majors and traders, based on the excellent operational record that ensures profitability of the fleet and long-term sustainability. The award winning business has established a global network of long-lasting relationships, focused on clients who share that

V Ships

V.Ships Catering Ltd is a leading marine catering provider specialising primarily in commercial and offshore catering. Its in-house state-of-the-art training facility in Manila provides shore-side training to all levels of galley and hotel staff ranging from basic fundamentals to ethnic cuisine courses, healthy cooking, food safety & hygiene, etc.

V.Ships Catering Ltd is proud to be working closely with Almi Tankers S.A in ensuring that the nutritional needs of its multicultural crew are fully met and in assisting in the continuous improvement of the catering crew abilities to meet the increasing challenges in today’s life onboard.

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same commitment to risk management standards. In return, they are provided with superior service and vessel quality when undertaking business with Almi Tankers.

Although the organisation is relatively new, the combined experience of employees working within the industry is over 80 years, and the team of young and motivated individuals is both well qualified and competent. Such characteristics of the team are particularly valuable, allowing the business to look at tasks in a fresh and innovative way. Each individual within the business, both ashore and aboard, benefits from an ongoing investment into their training, as it excels in the spirit of continuous improvement, complemented by progressive expansion. This reflects the importance of being able to run and maintain vessels at the highest operational and safety standards, and in addition has led to recognition according to the Investors in People standard, which aims to unlock the full potential of individuals, and subsequently the team, and inevitably the business. In July 2014 it was announced that the business had again retained recognition of that standard, and as the company further optimises its position, the philosophy of continuous improvement plays a vital role. l

Almi Tankers S.A

www.almitankers.gr • Fleet of 13 eco-friendly vessels • Offering economical advantages to clients • Ongoing investment into fleet

Profile: Nordhavn Marine & Offshore

‘N

A generation

game

ordhavn is a strong and reliable partner’ It’s a phrase that has long resounded in the corner of the shipping industry that relies upon the generation of power. Whether its clients need a large, complex total solution or a quick repair, as an expert on diesel engines and generator systems, Nordhavn Marine and Offshore is well versed in executing such activities. The business goes beyond just supplying systems with a capacity to deliver products, concepts and associated services for practically any diesel engine installation. In a long history, the business has established capability to develop practically any type of solution from single components to complete systems and from standard products to tailor made specialised solutions.

Sixty years of experience with diesel engines and generator systems for maritime and industrial purposes means the business performs just as successfully on land as it does at sea, with that success attributed to availability, know-how, versatility and quality. Active all over the world, Nordhavn is represented in Scandinavia, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Asia. The business has one of the largest, most recognised test centres in Denmark, and is approved by all relevant organisations to perform classification and certification. From this site, all installations are tested and delivered with certificates according to requirements from the classification society. The product lines for maritime purposes cover the entire spectrum of products and services for all types

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Profile: Nordhavn Marine & Offshore

of ships from small fishing boats to large super tankers. From diesel engines and generator systems to complete propulsion packages for the marine segment, high quality is always reflected.

By complying with all current emission regulations and ISO 9001 certification the company is able to consistently deliver the same high quality time and time again. Its products are based on well-known brands and within Denmark the business is an exclusive distributor of Twin Disc marine transmissions and electronic control systems for diesel engines and transmissions for the market. The company is characterised by a consistently high quality, expected from a business that places so much emphasis on keeping up with the latest technological advances. Technology however, has very little use without the support of a workforce that not only understands the business, but uses that knowledge to power the company forward at both land and sea. As such, its employees are well-educated, very service minded and have many years of experience working with an array of diesel engines and generator systems for maritime purposes.

The result is that its clients are assured that every request, whether for a propulsion or generator solution, or to overcome a specific challenge, is handled by employees with extensive experience and specialised knowledge in the relevant field. The engineering and construction department, where engineers and technicians offer specialised and detailed consultancy services, provides the business with a strength that many have come to

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rely upon. Offering a worldwide start-up and service support, Nordhavn’s service department displays practical competency, always ready to respond to calls from locations around the world, at sea or on land, and has become known for solving the problem every time.

Calling upon the many years of experience as a supplier of applications for diesel engines, generator and emergency power systems, the company uses knowledge to continually strive to deliver the best possible solution for its customers’ specific needs. Many of the world’s largest super tankers are equipped with Nordhavn’s reliable diesel generator systems, which are based on engines from Scania, Agco/ Sisu and Cummins with outputs that range from 20kW up to 1800kW, and are configured to operate as auxiliary engines, emergency generators or combined harbour and emergency set-up. Any system produced by the business is EIAPP certified, complying with all important emission legislation and meeting NOx emission rules with documented low fuel consumption. Such factors have ensured that Nordhavn is often found on the maker’s lists of Danish and international ship owners for newbuilding projects.

Strong links between the marine sector and the offshore industry has ultimately resulted in the company strengthening its generator and emergency power systems interests for offshore purposes. Nordhavn is able to deliver complete generator systems for main and emergency power in offshore wind turbines, complying with the specific regulations

appropriate to the sector. Through its capability of operating in harsh environments, Nordhavn has developed a broad understanding of safety and environment, and its parts reflect the fact that the turbines are located at sea and can be difficult to access for long periods of time. Nordhavn has invented a system to prolong the intervals between service checks, allowing for better operational reliability and reduced costs for visits to the turbines. Customised solutions are often required with regards to size and shape, as there is only limited space available in turbines. Working to such tight criteria, its engineering and design department makes sure the business is at the leading edge, ready to find the solution to any challenge.

During 2013 and 2014, Nordhavn delivered six propulsion engines to the shipping company World Marine Offshore via West-Marine A/S in Esbjerg. The first four deliveries for the Windserver 25 vessels consisted of four Scania DI13 engines, installed with twin in – single out transmission solutions on the propeller system with variable pitch. The last two deliveries for the Windserver 30 vessels consisted of four Scania DI16 engines installed with the same transmission solution. That solution, with two engines on the same transmission connected to a propeller system with variable pitch has resulted in large savings on the fuel consumption and allows for optimal reliability, because the vessels can operate on one engine per transmission without problems. When the vessels are being serviced at the wind farms, there is no need for full effect and

it is possible to run on one engine only per transmission. This, combined with the unique fuel economy of the Scania engine at both maximum and medium load, ensures an optimal fuel economy on the ships. To ensure that the business is able to continue serving its customers with such passion and ingenuity seen throughout its history, it remains focused on developing its core competencies whilst maintaining flexibility to react to its clients needs. l

Nordhavn Marine and Offshore A/S

www.nordhavn.dk • Specialist supplier of generators • 60 years operational experience worldwide • Test, classification and certification facility

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In

control C

elebrating its 20th anniversary in 2014, Eltorque AS has been focused on the invention, development, manufacture and marketing of electromechanical machines for positioning and controlled rotational movement since 1994. Indeed, it was the year of its inception that the company first invented and developed an electric motor design that was based on permanent magnet (PM) technology and was suitable for high torque, low rpm purposes. Following this major development, the company introduced the 500Nm Eltorque actuator to the shipping industry in June 1999; suitable for quarter turn valves, 40 units were installed on the trawler Smaragd. Proving itself as a product that can handle the harsh conditions of the North Sea, 15 years on this high performance valve control system is still in operation.

Since its early days as the manufacturer of the Eltorque actuator, the innovative firm has expanded its portfolio to develop the Eltorque series, which includes a range of actuators for quarter turn valves from DN50 to DN600 and multi-turn actuators for multi-turn bilge and crossover valve manifolds from DN50 to DN150. Boasting a compact design and intelligent solution, the products within the series have been tweaked to deliver optimum solutions. For example, the majority of quarter turn valves within the company’s core business area are served by the QT series, while the Eltorque series of electrical actuators benefit from high torque at low rpm.

Today Eltorque offers its customers a 100 per cent maintenance free actuator, which is specifically designed for

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ship and offshore installations; offering a high level of precision in valve control, the company also offers superior controlling options, as well as minimal installation and operation costs.

Proving itself as the producer of the world’s best mass-produced electrical actuator, the company has installed its product on more than 300 vessels, with some ships installing up to 350 units. Moreover, factors such as torque and closing time are easily configured by the customer in accordance with valve specification or a performance request by the operator.

The largest quarter turn actuator within Eltorque’s portfolio is the QT2500; suitable for butterfly and ball valves, it is a highly efficient green solution with a maximum operating torque of 800-2500Nm and a valve range of DN400 to DN600.

Furthermore, the type approved, cost effective QT2500 offers on/off positioning, a configurable torque, full valve control with positioning on IAS and low power consumption. Alongside this high quality product is the QT800, with an operating torque of 250-800Nm, and the QT250, with an operating torque ranging from 50-250Nm. Meanwhile, the MT Series of electrical multi-turn actuators are suitable for new installation and retrofit contracts on Rolls-Royce and Ulstein valve manifolds. Features of this series include multi-turn valve positioning and control, connection to multi-turn valves with rising stem, corrosion protected aluminium material, control interfaces, savings on installation, low power consumption, high efficiency and easy retro-fit on manual valves.

In addition to its Eltorque series, the company offers control

Profile: Eltorque

and six of which were live fish carriers, 123 offshore vessels, 34 merchant ships, four navy vessels, 14 onshore locations and one yacht.

Looking ahead, the number of successfully completed projects is certain to continue growing for the company, as it looks to expand its presence into America over the coming years. With a well-reputed range of proven high quality products and a team of dedicated personnel that are focused on ongoing research and product development, the company has the foundations in place to meet the needs of a new geographical market with confidence. l

Eltorque AS

www.eltorque.no • Innovative approach to products • Developed the Eltorque series • Also offers the Eltorque Flow Control System

CTM Lyng AS

CTM Lyng AS is Norway’s leading manufacturer and supplier of electric installation equipment for all types of building and management of power saving systems, known under the brands Microsafe and Centrol.

It offers everything from the development of the product to production and distribution. Its production facility in Vanvikan has, as of today, one of Scandinavia’s most modern machine parks. Its head office is located in Vanvikan, close to Eltorque, which secures a close cooperation with high quality as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for Eltorque.

interfaces, Eltorque flow control systems and valve chest manifolds. The Eltorque Flow Control System allows complete control of the valve position and running of pumps, which can include the monitoring of tank level, temperatures, draft and manifold pressure. Using a serial line, Eltorque can also offer interface to other suppliers. Within its control interfaces portfolio, the company has three options for customers; these include the QT Digital Interface, which allows the simple open and close operation of valves and provides feedback when the valve is fully opened or closed. Actuators with digital interface have the option of being controlled directly from a conventional panel or from a PLC with digital inputs and outputs.

The QT Analogue Interface enables control of regulating valves that have been positioned; providing continuous feedback of the valves position, the analogue also compares the desired and actual position through positioning and feedback signals via analogue four-20 mA. The third and final option in the series is the Fieldbus Interface, an industrial computer network for real-time control of a range of devices. Actuators controlled by Fieldbus, positioning, commands, feedback and configuration functionality is extended through enhanced control possibilities.

With three sites in Norway, one in China and one in Singapore, the company has developed a strong foothold in Northern Europe where its actuators, interfaces and valve chest manifolds are predominantly used by customers in the maritime industry. In fact, Eltorque has so far provided its services to 83 fishing vessels, three of which were Seiners, 74 were trawlers www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 63

Out of the

F

mist

rom its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, Ultra Fog AB specialises in the delivery of high pressure water mist sprinkler systems. Product development, manufacturing, and assembly are carried out at this facility as the business responds to industry demands through the supply of effective and safe solutions for fire fighting. For use across a wide range of marine applications, the ‘Ultra Fog’ system is designed to meet the existing worldwide marine safety regulations and as such, upon fire detection, water is sprayed through special nozzles at high pressure, creating tiny water mist micro droplets.

These are converted into vapour by the fire, greatly reducing oxygen and creating an over-pressure, suffocating the fire, whilst the water mist itself provides extremely effective cooling of the area.

Providing highly efficient, fast release fire protection, with optimised use of water, the high pressure water mist system is particularly suited to offshore applications. Using only water, it may be safely discharged without the need to evacuate passengers and crew, promoting not only safety for personnel but is also less draining on the environment. The company offers custom solutions engineered specifically for offshore environments, with the design incorporating stainless steel pipes and fittings, explosion-proof components, and reduced system weight and dimensions. All Ultra Fog’s systems have been rigorously tested and are type-approved to many internationally recognised standards, including FM and IMO. Building upon a long tradition of supplying the marine industry with fire protection, the brand leader is constantly optimising and tailoring its design to meet customer requirements. Ultra Fog uses only a fraction of the water needed for low or medium pressure systems, which means clean up or expensive downtime post-fire is reduced to a minimum. Such advantages are complemented by the light weight installation, reduction in the amount of reserve water required, optimised power usage and small piping dimensions, which significantly reduces the overall system weight. With all passenger and long distance cargo vessels, whether they be cruise ships, ferries, or riverboats, the top priority is the safety of passengers and crew on board.

Promoting the reliable, fast acting extinguishing system, it is highlighted that it can be integrated with on board monitoring and detection systems to maximise the ability to detect and control a fire incident on board. Using a reduced quantity of water over an unlimited discharge time, the vessel can cope effectively with the most serious fire event.

The business has recently tested and gained IMO and class approval for a new high performing nozzle, which can protect up to 48sqm with a single nozzle. This wider spacing passes

on a huge saving to the customer and has emerged as ‘best-inclass’ in terms of price, quality and water/power consumption requirements, yet despite operating as a fully automated system, the innovative solution actually reduces space requirements.

Extinguishing fires with water mist is a method superior to most alternatives through its efficiency and cleanness. Different systems are implemented depending on the application in which the system is used and with all options, products and components are developed and manufactured by the business. The unique sprinkler nozzle in the Ultra Fog sprinkler system is used to create water mist from pressurized water. In most water mist nozzles the water is pressed through small holes, which will create small droplets. In the Ultra Fog nozzle the water is pressed through small ditches in a washer, which will create even smaller droplets and provide more effective fire extinguishing.

A pump unit is used to supply the sprinkler system with water at high pressure. There are different kinds of pump unit: the smallest pump station is the P35 with one pump, the compact design micro pump station with one to three pumps, and the flexible master pump station, the biggest one, the use of which depends on the size of the sprinkler system.

The master pump station can be equipped with extension units that consists of two high pressure pumps driven by electrical motors attached to a water tank, designed to increase the pump capacity for larger systems, and if required, more extension pump units can be added. The pump unit is activated by external sensors or detectors or by the internal flow sensor, and when activated, the fire alarm will start as well as the first high pressure pump. If a single pump can’t provide enough water for the system at the correct pressure the next pump will start. The internal water tank guarantees that the high pressure pumps are always supplied with water, and if the water level in the tank is too low the pumps will automatically stop. The water tank is supplied with water from a larger fresh water tank and

Ultra Fog pump station P35

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Profile: Ultra Fog Ultra Fog micro pump station

the incoming water is filtered through a 25 μm filter. At sea, seawater can be used as a backup for the system if the level in the fresh water tank is too low.

The complete package provided includes project design, class approvals, technical assistance and international warranties.

Beyond the initial installation, Ultra Fog AB provides a global aftersales and maintenance service that reflects the complexity of the system and the large number of components that have to work at all times in a harsh operating environment. Through trained engineers, and education for its clients, the forecast for Ultra Fog AB is clear and bright. l

Ultra Fog AB

www.ultrafog.com • Develops water fog sprinkler systems • Newly developed technology • Improved design offering personnel safety

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MV Delta

bulk Best of

MV Delta

Copenship Eco

T

he two founders of Load Line Marine, George Souravlas and Costis Calfoglou, combined their extensive experience in the areas of ship and project management in 2009. Their overall aim was to deliver the best service in dry bulk ship management and operation, and in the years since its foundation Load Line Marine has proven itself to be an expansive and dynamic player.

As Load Line Marine continues to develop, it is committed to expand its fleet of modern, eco efficient and technologically advanced vessels – indeed its fleet of very modern ships is a source of pride to the company, with two new additions being made as recently as early 2014.

With the company having doubled its fleet in less than six months, as well as the number of employees, relocation was a necessity that had to follow. From beginning of October 2014, Load Line Marine is operating from its new premises that were designed by A.K. Praxis with a view to enhance internal communication and promote the company’s vision.

From its foundation the company decided to focus on newbuilding ecotype geared bulk carriers from Handysize to Ultramax equipped with greener and economic engines and an innovative design. The company focuses on these kinds of bulk

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carriers as they are capable of carrying a wide variety of cargoes and are most suitable for a continuous changing economic environment.

Load Line Marine started managing its first vessel in January 2010 and as of December 2014 its fleet included the Charlie, the Delta, the Copenship Eco, the Foxtrot, the Golf and the Horizon.

One of the most notable ships in the fleet is the Ultramax M/V Copenship Eco, which was added in October 2013. This vessel’s fuel-efficient and eco design offers huge benefits, carrying 15 per cent more cargo and consuming 17 per cent less fuel compared to an average Supramax vessel. That means a combined advantage of 25 per cent of reduction of fuel costs is gained per tonne.

This will be of particular significance when new European Union environmental legislation takes effect in January 2015.

This regulation aims at ensuring a substantial reduction in marine sulphur emissions over a large geographic area extending from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea, termed as the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

The EU legislation means that vessels operating in the ECA from the 1st January 2015 will be allowed a maximum sulphur content in their fuel of 0.1 per cent compared to the previous limit of 1.0 per cent. Alternatively, the use of an exhaust gas cleaning unit can be used to obtain an equivalent reduction.

While this shift to low sulphur fuel will raise costs for all companies in the sector, Load Line’s dedication to new and

Profile: Load Line Marine

Offices of Load Line Marine

at very low levels for over three years, even though there was hope for recovery in the fourth quarter of 2014. The Chinese, European, Japanese, South American economies have not expanded as envisaged and consequently the freight demand has remained slack. On the other hand, the vessels that were contracted during the booming years have entered the market, and this oversupply has resulted to the very low rates that are experienced today.

Load Line Marine’s antidote to the present crisis is to provide a first class service to its charterers, with top quality, modern, tonnage that meets the most demanding port state control requirements, while offering great versatility of cargoes that can be carried on board the company’s vessels. Furthermore, the state-of-art cargo gear systems available on board, in way of both cranes and grabs, offer specific commercial advantages in accessing markets where port infrastructure is limited.

Finally, according to Load Line’s CEO, the only way forward during these difficult times is to forge strong relations with first class charterers, such as Bunge, Norden, Copenship, Ultrabulk, Oldendorff, AEC, Noble etc, based on mutual trust, professionalism and top quality service. l

Load Line Marine

www.loadlinemarine.com • Specialise in operating and managing dry bulk vessels • Two new vessels added to fleet in 2014 • Excellent performance in Q4 of 2013

efficient vessels should stand it in good stead going forward.

The legislation discussed above originates from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global standardsetting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. These three tenets are equally important to Load Line, and covered under its policies.

The Quality, Safety and Environmental Protection policy is designed (alongside other relevant areas) to avoid incidents that could cause human injury, loss of life or damage to the environment, or the property and assets under its management; and to protect the environment by implementing safe and pollution free operations.

This is a new challenge for the shipping industry, as all vessels entering the ECAs (both in Northern Europe and North America) will have to burn bunkers with low (0.1 per cent) sulphur content. There are technical issues related to the lubricity and extremely low viscosity of the low sulphur bunkers that may not be suitable to be consumed by all types of engines. It is also unknown if the fuel refineries will be able to cope with the additional volume of demand.

Load Line Marine, being proactive on these regulatory developments has ensured that all vessels’ equipment comply and are able to consume even the lowest viscosity bunkers available in the market.

The current dry cargo freight market levels have remained www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 67

Building success T

oday the Macduff Shipyards Group comprises Macduff Shipyards, Macduff Profilers, Macduff Crane Hire and Macduff Precision Engineering.

Now a European leader for the construction of high quality commercial vessels, the organisation has been through several changes and acquisitions to get where it stands today.

It began life in 1940 as John Watt and Sons, building a large range of clinker lifeboats and motorboats in Gardenstown before moving into building larger carvel boats. Fifteen years after it was established John Watts acquired the yard of Stephen's of Banff and after a transitional year of building both large and small boats, it decided to concentrate on building 55/65' fishing vessels.

Another evolution occurred after the purchase of the building yard and the engineering facilities of Macduff Engineering Co in 1966, on the retirement of the owner Mr Paterson. This move enabled the yard to build vessels up to 80' in timber. The name of the yard was changed again – this time to Macduff Boatbuilding & Engineering Co. The company was incorporated in 1985 to create Macduff Shipyards Limited, and due to increasing demand for steel vessels the directors decided to construct a building shed for steel ships. In 1987 the first steel boat was turned out, the Heather Sprig for John Smith & Partners, Buckie.

Now almost in its 30th year, Macduff Shipyards Group is

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no longer family owned, but is owned by the four directors who all work in the yard, and who share 160 years experience in shipbuilding and repair. The company has also expanded its offering – in the early days of its operation, it was almost exclusively employed within the fishing industry, building and repairing fishing vessels. “Although the fishing industry is still a major part of our customer base, we now also build other types of craft, such as commercial vessels, fish farm vessels, and vessels for the oil industry,” explained Bill Farquhar, technical director. “We can now handle diverse projects including new builds, conversions, modernisations and repairs as well as the design, manufacture and installation of complete deck machinery packages for all types and sizes of vessels. We also offer stern gear and seals, thanks to our acquisition of the trading assets, stock and equipment of Henry Fleetwood & Sons Ltd in Lossiemouth.”

Macduff Shipyards also refits oil related vessels and ferries providing full service docking, painting, engineering, fabrication and fitting out. The most recent vessels it completed were trawlers for local owners and a tug for a repeat customer in Northern Ireland. Currently under construction are a 27m workboat built to class for a repeat customer, a scallop trawler for the Western isles, and fish farm feed barges and workboats for the salmon farming industry.

Bill gave some more details about how the company is

Profile: Macduff Shipyards Group

North east of Scotland and Aberdeen. Macduff Profilers was established in 1999 originally to assist Macduff Shipyards with its ongoing projects. It produces CNC profiled carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium for many manufacturers including a full cutting service for ship kits. Finally, Macduff Precision Engineering was established in 2011, and offers comprehensive machining facilities at competitive prices and a quick turn around. All three of these divisions continue to develop and Bill noted that future enquiries are encouraging in all areas.

Moving into 2015, Bill is very positive about the future of the company. It is committed to further developing its offering, as well as its staff, and continues to roll out an apprenticeship programme on a yearly basis. All of its divisions share a deep commitment to quality and customer satisfaction and this creates a firm foundation on which to build further success. l

Macduff Shipyards Group

www.macduffshipyards.com • Recently completed a number of important UK projects • Very positive for the future • Reputation throughout Europe for quality

organised: “Macduff in Aberdeenshire is our main base where we have our office facilities and slipway. We currently employ 170 people at this location, and we also have repair facilities in Fraserburgh,” he said.

Fraserburgh harbour is operated by Fraserburgh Harbour Trustees and has facilities for larger vessels with a modern dry dock providing a working area of 66m long x 14m wide, a new ship lift system capable of storing six vessels up to 33m long and weighing up to 900T, and a deep water harbour where it's possible for vessels of 95m long x 16m beam x 6.5m draught to sit afloat at all times. “In addition we recently built a new shed right next to the ship lift and have 24hr access to vessels situated there,” he added.

In addition to Fraserburgh, Macduff also recently took over part of the Buckie Shipyards facilities, and Bill highlighted the benefits of this: “We have invested in developing the fabrication capacity in Buckie where presently a fish farm feed barge is under construction. Our workforce is flexible in that we can move labour between Macduff, Fraserburgh and Buckie as work dictates.”

The experience and facilities that Macduff has developed over the years have also been channelled into some specialist divisions - precision engineering, profiling and crane hire.

Macduff Crane Hire offers full crane hire and cargo handling services to a wide-ranging customer base throughout the www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 69

Freight

expectations A

s one of the world’s largest ferry operators, international transport and travel service provider Stena Line Group has Europe’s most comprehensive route network and significant market shares in all of its market sectors. With 39 vessels operating on its 23 ferry routes in Scandinavia, the UK and the Baltics, the company has connections between ten countries and around 5600 employees to ensure operations run smoothly. In 2013 alone 14.6 million passengers chose Stena Line, while three million cars and two million freight units were transported.

A division of Stena Line Group, Stena Line Freight maintains the group’s vision of becoming Europe’s leading low cost freight and ferry company; a strategy that has become increasingly more focused upon the freight segment of the business since Carl Johan Hagman became CEO in 2012, says Richard Horswill, head of freight for the UK and Republic of Ireland: “There has been a noticeable shift in strategy towards freight over the last two years, with integrated freight activities becoming a core part of Stena Line’s strategic long-term thinking.” In line with this strategy, a vast amount has been spent on new ships, ports and upgrades to enhance service reliability, with £200 million alone invested in a new state-of-the-art Loch Ryan Port at Cairnryan and two of the largest ferries to ever sail between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“We operate up to six daily return sailings between Cairnyan-Belfast and the investment in the port and refurbishment of our Superfast vessels brought this service up to an exceptional standard; these vessels can provide

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unrivalled service reliability and enhanced punctuality to our customers,” says Richard. “Moreover, there was of course the investment in the Stena Hollandica and its sister vessel Stena Britannica, which are operating on the North Sea. Introduced in 2010, these are the largest super ferries in the world, around 5500 lane metres each, and have provided virtually 100 per cent reliability.”

On top of these major investments, Stena Line Freight has focused on further improving services for customers through strategic acquisitions and the establishment of new direct links. Notably, in February 2014 the company acquired the Irish-owned Celtic Link ferry service, which sails from Rosslare-Cherbourg three times weekly with its Mv Celtic Horizon ro-ro/passenger ship. Able to accommodate 1000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight units, the 28,000 tonne, 186.54 metre x 25.6 metre Mv Celtic Horizon has been renamed Stena Horizon and is the fastest ferry travelling on this route. “We have made some branding changes onboard the vessel to ensure it has a Stena Line feel to it and have also improved onboard services and the quality of food, which has had a positive response from our customers. They see these developments from Stena Line as a commitment to a stable long-term platform for the route and a greater commitment towards Rosslare, for which there are opportunities developing as the roads continue to improve towards the port.”

Profile: Stena Line Freight

The group also announced a new co-operation between Stena Ro-Ro and Mann Lines in November 2014, which is due to begin in the first quarter of 2015. “As part of this arrangement we have agreed to take a stop charter on the Stena Foreteller , which will provide Stena Line with a link between the UK and Estonia and the UK and Finland. This is a new development for us and will add further strength to our freight network,” says Richard. “We are excited to offer our Irish customers the opportunity to landbridge through to Harwich and then get their goods out into eastern Europe to Estonia or even Russia and to Turku in Finland; this is an excellent opportunity for UK exporters to reach these countries.

“Another major development for us is the addition of a new freight service with the Stena Scotia operating between Rotterdam Euroports and Killingholme, which is a result of the UK freight volumes recovering from the recession and a clear need for increased capacity. This means Stena Line now has four routes out of the Rotterdam area - two of which are from the Hook of Holland and two from Rotterdam Europort linking to UK via Harwich and Killingholme,” adds Richard.

Moving forward, Stena Line Freight has massively enhanced its routes and vessels to ensure customers benefit from a high quality, flexible and extensive range of services. Despite these major developments, it is not going to rest on its laurels and is now planning to take advantage of the upcoming SECA regulations by integrating rail connections into its future freight strategy. “We now have six trains a week travelling for Rotterdam Europort to Posnan, Poland; these trains carry either intermodal containers or Huckepack road trailers and are a great way for us to complement our freight customer operations. We will be adjusting our rates to account for the sulphur surcharge and over a period of time think there will be a modal shift as a result of this major change in the ferry industry. It will affect routes and the deployment of ships; change is afoot but we hope the strength of our network and the level of service we offer our freight customers will ensure we continue to meet the needs of our clients in the long-term,” concludes Richard. l

Stena Line Freight

www.stenaline.com • One of Europe’s largest freight route networks • Completed five-year investment programme • Provides excellent facilities to freight drivers

Scanjet

Scanjet is the experienced and well established supplier of tank management equipment including tank level gauging and is well known for being the worlds leading producer of tank cleaning equipment and anti-pirate water cannons. Recently also innovative and VOC saving Scanvent high velocity pressure / vacuum valves have been included in the product range. The company is thankful that Stena Bulk again choose Scanjet as supplier of tank cleaning equipment for the nb:s at GSI Shipyard in China.

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 71

Main photo: W 82 Feelin’ Good and SW 100 RS Cape Arrow, Inset: SW 94 Windfall

Yards

ahead

F

ounded in 1991 by Italian entrepreneur and previous customer of the shipyard Willy Persico, Southern Wind Shipyard (SWS) specialises in the production of high performance cruiser and racer cruiser composite yachts from 24 to 35 metres. Using his experience as an owner of such vessels, Willy has raised the Cape Town based shipyard from its ashes to create a highly successful and wellreputed market leader in yacht construction. “After years of cruising and racing as an owner, in 1990 I decided to have my own boat built. In one of many business trips, I was advised

by Ron Holland to visit Cenmarine, a small yard in Cape Town, which was specialised in building custom yachts of very

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good craftsmanship. I decided to have my boat built by them: the 72 feet Aga Jari and also a friend’s boat, an innovative 72 feet projected by Farr Yacht Design, which was destined to have a great success,” begins Willy.

“A few months later, as the boats build was under way, the yard’s owner was forced to shut down the yard due to personal problems. I decided to seize the opportunity and bought an industrial area to be converted in a shipyard, selected the best craftsmen and founded a new reality: Southern Wind Shipyard.”

Operating within the industrial zone of Cape Town, the 17,000 square metre yard grew to develop new models up

Profile: Southern Wind Shipyard Top left: Three mould hull, top right: Carbon work detail, bottom: Universal camber

to 78 foot, 93 foot and 95 foot before it went on to produce the SW100 miniseries. With market demand leaning towards larger yachts, the company felt the need to expand its lamination area in 2010, a strategic investment that resulted in a wide new structure that enabled expansion of production capacity in addition to a more streamlined production process.

As one of the few shipyards that is able to carry out the majority of construction in-house, SWS has 14,000 square metres under roof and is divided into three main departments – lamination, carpentry and outfitting. “In the lamination department the hull, the deck, and structures of the yachts are produced, while all the interiors are produced in carpentry;

the outfitting of systems machinery and furniture is the last phase of the process. The high quality of our yachts is granted by the most innovative technologies used in the crucial phases of the production process,” says Willy.

Committed to delivering exceptional quality, SWS continuously invests in new features that further enhance its product offering. For example, over the last two years a powerful travel lift was purchased to carry out the movements of hulls and decks within the shipyard’s several sheds as well as move the finished yacht to the courtyard for loading. “Another precious piece of equipment is the CN milling machine; it allows us to produce the different parts of the moulds (all hull and deck moulds are built in house) as well as yacht components of the structures and furniture with a very accurate size and in the shape respect,” says Willy.

With a yacht being built on average every five months at the shipyard, SWS is currently focusing on the production of a new 94 foot yacht; the third unit of the SW 94 miniseries.

Designed by Reichel Pugh and Nauta Design, the yacht will be ideal for sailing and cruising, and boasts some innovative features, as Willy notes: “The interior layout of SW 94#03 has been customised, as in our semi-custom production philosophy, in accordance with the owner’s desire to make the yacht ideal for cruising with his family: for the first time ever, the owner’s cabin afore presents two separate double bunks and some extra stowage lockers, while a fourth double guest www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 73

Profile: Southern Wind Shipyard cabin, complemented with a Pullman bunk, will replace the TV lounge in the saloon.”

On top of this, the company is focusing on the SW 115 project, a design that merges the classical elegance and performance of Farr Yacht Design with the modern hull and innovative features of a Nauta Design. “Yachts of this size were once considered to be ponderous creatures; difficult to sail and handle. The SW 115 is one of the new breed of large yachts that are nimble and highly maneuverable.

It delivers a hugely satisfying sailing experience for the helmsman, guests and crew throughout the complete range of wind and weather,” highlights Willy.

Southern Wind Shipyard and its yachts enjoy a very good reputation on the market thanks to their strong reliability.

The yacht reliability is immediately confirmed by the fact that, since they are delivered to their owners, they undertake a maiden voyage of about 7500 nautical miles from Cape Town to the Mediterranean. To allow this, the yachts are

SW 102 Farfalla

deeply tested in order to have everything properly prepared for such a demanding crossing.

Proud to have impressive leadership continuity at the shipyard, with the same managing director since 1991, same general manager and technical manager since 1994 and the same CFO since 1999, SWS has used this strength to build long lasting and faithful relationships with owners. “We can count indeed on a loyal 30 per cent of repeating owners, who have built with us two or even three yachts,” says Willy. However, as the nautical market becomes increasingly more demanding in terms of quality and prices, the shipyard’s marketing and customer care representative, Pegaso Srl, for which Willy is founder and director, is looking to attract new clients from new geographical markets through the wide range of service it can offer: an efficient Customer Care service, brokerage management, charter yacht management, fiscal, financial and administrative advice as well as the brand new Southern Wind Sailing Academy. “This unique initiative is an ideal vehicle for widening the market by attracting owners coming from the motor yacht market.We give them a smooth and enjoyable opportunity to taste the sailing world,” concludes Willy. l Southern Wind Shipyard sheds

Southern Wind Shipyard

www.southernwindshipyard.com • Specialist in high spec yachts from 82 to 120 ft • Production rate of two to three boats annually • Launching 94 ft and 102 ft yachts in 2015

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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