NOVEMBER 25, 2015 — Crowley Maritime Corporation recently awarded Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) Cadet Michael Atwell a Thomas B. Crowley, Sr. Memorial Scholarship based on his strong academic record, leadership ability
NOVEMBER 25, 2015 — Rolls-Royce will showcase its latest marine power innovations, including several MTU commercial marine products and systems, at the upcoming International Workboat Show being held in New Orleans, December
When completed, the rebuilt ship will be used to accommodate and transfer service personnel working on offshore wind farms. The rebuild project is being carried out at the Fayard AS shipyard in Denmark and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2016. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in September.
Wärtsilä provided the original designs for the Viking II, then Veritas Viking II, which was delivered in 1999 to the original owners, Eidesvik of Norway. After the current conversion, the vessel will be named Wind Innovation.
After the conversion, the vessel will have accommodations and hotel facilities for 125 people and will feature a heave compensated gangway. It will fullfil the requirements for Special Purpose Ships.
“This is a fast delivery project and it was essential that our naval architects could respond to the owner’s needs quickly. This we are able to achieve and our design will result in a vessel capable of operating efficiently in challenging sea and weather conditions with a high level of passenger comfort,” says Ove H. Wilhelmsen, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway.
Wärtsilä has considerable experience in producing designs for the offshore wind turbine market, both for service vessels as well as for installation applications. Conversion projects are becoming of increasing interest for owners since there is a current over-supply of ships in many of the offshore application markets.
When completed, the rebuilt ship will be used to accommodate and transfer service personnel working on offshore wind farms. The rebuild project is being carried out at the Fayard AS shipyard in Denmark and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2016. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in September.
Wärtsilä provided the original designs for the Viking II, then Veritas Viking II, which was delivered in 1999 to the original owners, Eidesvik of Norway. After the current conversion, the vessel will be named Wind Innovation.
After the conversion, the vessel will have accommodations and hotel facilities for 125 people and will feature a heave compensated gangway. It will fullfil the requirements for Special Purpose Ships.
“This is a fast delivery project and it was essential that our naval architects could respond to the owner’s needs quickly. This we are able to achieve and our design will result in a vessel capable of operating efficiently in challenging sea and weather conditions with a high level of passenger comfort,” says Ove H. Wilhelmsen, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway.
Wärtsilä has considerable experience in producing designs for the offshore wind turbine market, both for service vessels as well as for installation applications. Conversion projects are becoming of increasing interest for owners since there is a current over-supply of ships in many of the offshore application markets.
The contract covers the retrofit of a total of 30 turbochargers aboard the four cruise ships – two operated by Royal Caribbean International, and two operated by Pullmantur, a wholly-owned RCCL subsidiary — along with attachment kits and technical support.
The vessels Grandeur of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas are each equipped with four 12V48/60 MAN engines and will be retrofitted with a total of sixteen TCA55 turbochargers.
The vessels Horizon and Zenith, each equipped with two 9L40/54B and five 6L40/54B engines, will be retrofitted with a total of four NA40/S and ten NA34/S turbochargers.
“This turbocharger upgrade will not only boost engine performance but also extend engine life and support the entire operation both from a technical and cost perspective,” said Wayne Jones, Senior Vice President and Head of MAN PrimeServ Diesel, speaking at RCCL headquarters in Miami, FL. “In the end it’s an investment in sustainability.”
Gregory Purdy, Senior Vice President, Marine Operations, Royal Caribbean International, said: “Our ships are the best and most innovative in the world. Thus we are always eager to explore new solutions to increase their performance. We put high expectations on this turbocharger upgrade.”
“Our fleet has an outstanding reputation; our customers always expect the best vacation experience. To meet and even exceed this expectation we need reliable partners with focus on sustainability” said William Baumgartner, SVP Global Marine Operations at RCCL.
“RCCL’s vision is exactly what we strive to achieve: to exceed our customer’s expectations and this is exactly what we hope for in this project,” said Wayne Jones.
Installation of the first retrofit will take place aboard Enchantment of the Seas in December 2015 during its regular sailing schedule between Florida and the Bahamas. Each installation will take approximately 10 days per engine.
The project is being handled from MAN PrimeServ Turbocharger HQ in Augsburg,Germany, in close collaboration with the local MAN PrimeServ Diesel team in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The total value of the order is $200 million. The first delivery is planned for the end of 2017 after which the vessels will be delivered at three month intervals.
The vessels are of the same type as ten chemical and product tankers ordered by Stena Bulk in 2012 from the same shipyard, the first four of which were delivered earlier this year.
All the IMOIIMAX tankers will be deployed in Stena Weco’s global logistic system, which currently employs more than 60 vessels.
“We are very satisfied with the performance of the IMOIIMAX tankers and are thus adding to this part of our fleet still further,” says Erik Hånell, CEO of Stena Bulk. “With their greater efficiency as regards fuel consumption and cargo, these vessels are also environmentally superior compared to many other vessels in their class, which, of course, is a major advantage. Commercially, they are a good complement to our fleet.
Four of the ten vessels ordered earlier – the Stena Impression, Stena Image, Stena Imperial and Stena Important – were delivered this year and the remaining six vessels will be delivered by 2017. One is wholly owned by Stena Bulk, six are owned together with GAR (Golden Agri Resources), two are owned by the sister company Concordia Maritime and one is wholly owned by Stena Weco.
The IMOIIMAX concept is a further development of a well-established and successful concept offering extra high cargo flexibility and even lower fuel consumption. Stena Teknik, together with the shipyard, which was formerly GSI (Guangzhou Shipyard International), was responsible for the technical development of the ships. The IMOIIMAX tankers have 18 tanks enabling them to transport both vegetable oils and chemicals such as petroleum products.
The two vessels are under construction at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), with options for another three, for Luxembourg-based CLdN (Cobelfret).
The 235 m long and 35 m wide vessels will be the world’s largest commercial RO/RO carriers. They have been ordered as part of CLdN’s fleet expansion and modernization program.They are expected to enter service in 2017 for deployment on CLdN’s regular service in Northern Europe.
The MacGregor RO/RO access equipment package for each ship will comprise a stern ramp, internal ramps, bulkhead doors and four levels of hoistable electrically-operated car decks. The gross weight of the equipment is about 2,200 tonnes per ship.
“We have a proven record of reliable deliveries and excellent support during the construction process,” says Karl-Axel Persson, Senior Sales Manager, MacGregor RO/RO. “In addition, our ability to give support during the project stage was a major factor in winning this important contract.
“MacGregor has a long and successful customer relationship with HMD. Following the delivery, MacGregor will continue to support CLdN, working with the owner to deliver the best possible lifecycle profitability,” he added.
Notably, the buy of advanced Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be cut to eight ships from the previously announced 13.
The Type 36 ships are intended to replace the Royal Navy’s current Type 23 frigates in their anti-submarine role and the cuts to the program aren’t going down well in Scottish shipbuilding circles.
Overall, though, the plan adds to the number of ships in the fleet.
“We will maintain our fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers,” says the review. “We will also launch a concept study and then design and build a new class of lighter, flexible general purpose frigates so that by the 2030s we can further increase the total number of frigates and destroyers. These general purpose frigates are also likely to offer increased export potential. We will buy two further new offshore patrol vessels, increasing the Royal Navy’s ability to defend U.K. interests at home and abroad.”
The two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, that will enter service from 2018, will also get added punch with an increase the number of F35 Lightning aircraft being bought. And one of the two carriers will be enhanced to support the amphibious capabilities of Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade.
Three new logistic ships will be built to support the fleet, in addition to four tankers that will enter service from 2016.
BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBS WILL COST MORE
Not too surprisingly, Britain’s 20 year plan to replace the Vanguard Class of nuclear-armed submarines with a new class of four submarines, currently known as Successor, is starting to look a lot more expensive, going up from a previously estimated ›£25 billion to £31 billion, with a further £10 billion being budgeted for contingency.”The revised cost and schedule reflect the greater understanding we now have about the detailed design of the submarines and their manufacture,” says the review.
Download the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defense and Security Review HERE
The letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Al Franken (MN), Bob Casey (PA), Joe Donnelly (IN) and Sherrod Brown (OH).
Heavy ice cover seen in recent winters has seriously impaired commercial shipping and economic activity in the Great Lakes. Last winter, cargo shipping decreased by 3.2 million tons, costing $355 million in lost revenue and nearly 2,000 jobs.
“Heavy ice cover disrupts shipping and commerce on the Great Lakes, resulting in a severe loss of economic activity, revenue and jobs that depresses both the regional and national economy,” wrote the Senators in the letter. “It is essential that Congress provides the men and women of the Coast Guard with the resources they need to keep open shipping lanes in the Great Lakes and to conduct search and rescue missions to keep ships and their crews safe during winter’s cruelest months.”
The U.S. Coast Guard currently operates nine icebreaking-capable cutters on the Great Lakes, some of which date back to the 1970s.
With only one heavy icebreaker in the Great Lakes fleet, the USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30), the Coast Guard has struggled to combat near record-breaking ice cover on the Great Lakes in recent winters. As a member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, Peters is focused on ensuring the Coast Guard has the resources it needs to maintain shipping lanes and conduct its law enforcement, port security, safety duties, and other vital services. He also called for the inclusion of a heavy icebreaker in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015.
Senator Stabenow is Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, which is a bipartisan working group that advocates for the protection of the Great Lakes. Earlier this year, Senator Stabenow called for Congress to support a new Great Lakes icebreaker.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
The Honorable John Hoeven
Chairman
Senate Committee on Appropriations,
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
135 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations,
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
125 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Hoeven and Ranking Member Shaheen:
As your Committee develops appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2016 (FY 2016), we urge you to provide the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) with robust funding for the design and construction of a new heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes region.
The USCG currently operates an aging fleet on the Great Lakes that includes only nine icebreaking-capable cutters, some of which date back to the 1970s. In 2006 the USCG added a heavy icebreaker called the USCG MACKINAW, but despite its addition, the USCG continues to struggle to combat the near record-breaking levels of ice coverage that have plagued the region in recent winters. Heavy ice cover disrupts shipping and commerce on the Great Lakes, resulting in a severe loss of economic activity, revenue and jobs that depresses both the regional and national economy.
During the 2013/2014 winter, U.S. flag cargo movements on the Great Lakes dropped by nearly 7 million tons, causing at least two steelmakers to reduce production, several power plants to nearly exhaust their supply of coal, and a total estimated cost of nearly 4,000 jobs and $700 million in lost business revenue. This past winter resulted in an estimated decrease in cargo of 3.2 million tons, costing the economy $355 million in lost revenue and nearly 2,000 jobs.
During this Congress, the importance of Great Lakes icebreaking has received bipartisan and bicameral recognition, including by your Committee, which, in its report to accompany the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for FY 2016, expresses concern, “that the Coast Guard does not possess adequate capacity to meet its statutorily required mission on the Great Lakes, with negative consequences to the regional and national economy as well as to the safety of local communities[1].”
We share your concern and appreciate the report’s requirement for an updated mission analysis. Furthermore, on May 18, 2015, the House unanimously passed by voice vote H.R. 1987, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, which authorizes funding in FY 2016 and FY 2017 for the design and construction of a new USCG icebreaker for the Great Lakes. As the leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure work toward a final bill, we support the retention of the House-passed authorizing language.
It is essential that Congress provides the men and women of the Coast Guard with the resources they need to keep open shipping lanes in the Great Lakes and to conduct search and rescue missions to keep ships and their crews safe during winter’s cruelest months. We look forward to working with you on this important matter.
The ship has been ordered from French shipbuilder Chantiers Piriou, based on a concept design issued by Marine Assistance (France) and is scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2017.
The 72 m polar logistics and patrol icebreaker vessel will carry out its first supply mission to the Dumont d’Urville station in Antarctica in winter 2018.
The ship will have accommodations for 60 persons, a cargo capacity of 1200 metric tons, and will be fitted with a helideck large enough to accommodate two helicopters.
Wärtsilä’s experience and strong track record in providing solutions for icebreakers and arctic research and support vessels were prime considerations in the award of the propulsion contract.
The full scope of supply comprises four in-line Wärtsilä 20 main engines, two Wärtsilä stainless steel CPP propellers and shaft lines, two Wärtsilä reduction gears, four Wärtsilä NOR (NOx reduction) emissions after treatment systems that will enable the ship to comply with IMO Tier III emission regulations, and one Wärtsilä tunnel thruster.
The stainless steel propellers conform to the Bureau Veritas (BV) icebreaker 5 ice class rules.
“For this type of vessel that will be operating in the most challenging ice and weather conditions, reliability and efficient performance are essential. Wärtsilä has a strong reference list indicating our ability to fulfil these requirements and we are extremely pleased to be cooperating with Chantiers Piriou in this project,” says Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
The Wärtsilä equipment is planned for delivery in mid-2016.