POSSE/HECSALV Software Monitors Carrier Block Heavy Lifts

POSSE, the naval version of the HECSALV naval architecture software package from Herbert-ABS Software Solutions LLC, is being used by the UK MoD Salvage & Marine Operations Team for Heavy Lift to monitor these complex heavy lift operations and ensure the blocks arrive safely at the assembly yard. MoD and the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage have supported the development of new POSSE tools for drydocking and heavy lift analysis for a number of years, and the new features have proven their value on these complex block movements around the UK.

Lower Block 04 (LB04), a large aft block weighing 11,200 tonnes and measuring 86m x 38m x 23m, was rolled onto a barge in Govan, Glasgow using 498 SPMT (Self Propelled Modular Transporter) axles. A detailed POSSE model that included both the barge and the roll-on loads was used to evaluate the heavy lift plan and to monitor the on board operation every step of the way. This lift was in a tidal zone, so the timing of ballast operations, roll-on, and the tide were critical. MoD needed a tool to evaluate the lift if the planned timing could not be maintained because of tide prediction errors, SPMT problems, pump failures, and other unforeseen issues. As axles of the SPMTs came aboard during a rising tide the team quickly evaluated the current state of the operation by entering the current ballast, roll-on position, and observed drafts into the POSSE system to make sure the operation was on schedule and working within a safe zone. The MoD team also used POSSE’s recent time sequence tool enhancements to quickly look ahead to make sure the operation would be safe until completion.

The barge with the block fastened securely was then towed to the float-off site near the Rosyth assembly yard. The barge had to ballast down, ground the stern for stability, and fully submerge its deck to a draft deep enough to float the large block off. Stability becomes very critical in these operations as the heavy lift barge’s main deck submerges and the barge loses waterplane area. POSSE was used once again by the MoD team to evaluate and monitor the operation. The float off procedure was analyzed using POSSE’s new 2-body heavy lift tools using a model that included detailed LB04 geometry, detailed barge geometry, and a simplified model of the support blocks and the ground. The pumping sequences to ground the barge were pre-modeled, and the on-site team was able to rapidly rerun the sequence during all stages of the operation to evaluate any last minute changes to the plan and react to unforeseen problems.

Herbert-ABS sets the standard for leading edge stability, load management and emergency response software solutions for the marine and offshore industries. A joint venture between Herbert Engineering Corporation and the American Bureau of Shipping, Herbert-ABS supplies marine and offshore software products that include LMP-Offshore (offshore load management), CargoMax (shipboard trim, stability and loading) and HECSALV (salvage engineering and design). Herbert-ABS is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Glasgow, Shanghai, Singapore and Busan.

 

Big Data: Connecting and merging the dots

 

Yet, the requirements and demands put upon naval architects and shipyards can sometimes feel worlds away from the day-to-day operation of vessels. The challenge of crews having different priorities and needs from their shore-based counterparts has also been well documented. So what can be done to draw these different groups together?

Years of experience in providing both ship design software to yards and onboard performance monitoring solutions that report in real-time to shore based offices, gives NAPA an interesting umbrella perspective. We have seen how sometimes the day-to-day demands on each of these industry segments, and regulations they are working to, can pull them each in different directions. But we can also see that, on the whole, their end goal is fundamentally the same – safe, efficient and productive vessels that serve both their owner and the wider supply chain.

Increasing visibility and understanding between each of these vital functions and helping each to understand their own contribution to the whole, and how it impacts and relates to work in other sectors, will be increasingly vital as the industry evolves technologically and comes under greater environmental scrutiny. With the advent of big data, better tools to analyze it and improved systems to share it, this is quickly becoming more feasible.

Yards face increasing regulatory pressures that require internal validation as well as increased communication and data sharing with class societies. Tools and data interfaces are rapidly developing to make this a streamlined part of the vessel design process and deliver an easy shift from design terminals to construction plans for yards. But, by far the most interesting progress that data can help deliver is designing for real-world vessel performance. Until recently, yards designed vessels to meet the required sea-trial performance parameters – and sea-trial data confirming whether or not that aim was achieved was the only performance information they were provided with.

However, sea trial conditions rarely reflect those faced during real-world vessel transits and expected performance often doesn’t match with real experiences. Until now, that real world information never got back to the yard. The sea trial data was all they had to go on, so they were never able to identify these anomalies and correct them to deliver high-performance vessels for real conditions.

Performance monitoring tools have been in use for many years to collect this data for ship owners and operators. With an added layer of analysis it is now turned it into usable information for both shore-based offices and vessel crews to manage vessels in real time. More advanced performance monitoring and optimization tools like ClassNK-NAPA GREEN provide further big data analytics, combining weather, speed positioning and route data with measured vessel data to enable a true view of efficiency. It presents users with actionable information about each vessel and the fleet as a whole.

Our question was: Why could access to this data not be extended to the yard that designed and built the vessel? This is one of the things we have been trialling as we enhance and continue to build on the success of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN. With agreement from all parties, designers are being given access to efficiency data from the ships that are now in operation. This joined up approach to data sharing will help to drive the entire industry towards common goals.

That is just one example of how big data can change the way we work and how greater transparency could open up pathways for improvement across the industry. But big data—in fact any data—is only relevant when it responds to a businesses specific needs. This business intelligence can be anything a business needs to know to improve or develop its operations, but ultimately you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

Stena Line’s Energy Saving Program (ESP) has excellently demonstrated this ongoing management. Since 2005, it has been adjusting vessel operations as well as testing other efficiency solutions using data analytics to evaluate fuel-saving effectiveness and ROI. In that time Stena has adopted changes ranging from bulbous-bow removal to energy-conserving window films. With ClassNK-NAPA GREEN installed on 24 vessels for day-to-day performance optimization, the ESP has resulted in $17 million in savings to date.

Equally, even with measurement in place, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to manage if you don’t ask the right questions. That’s where ongoing storage for historical big data analysis can be incredibly beneficial. For example, one major cruise line had been collecting data with onboard performance management and optimization systems since 2006 but it was only fairly recently that they wanted to ascertain the cost-benefit relationship of waiting for late passengers.

After analysis on the waiting time and period of increased speed to the next destination held in the existing data it was discovered that the current policies were costing tens of millions of dollars every year. This resulted in a policy change across the cruise line’s business.

Sometimes it’s a combination of the two that results in the greatest benefit. Real-time measurement of current performance when compared against data benchmarks of normal vessel operation allows easy identification of underperforming systems. For example, after minutes reviewing the real-time analytics for a container vessel, Class NK-NAPA Green identified that the hull needed cleaning. Once actioned, this cleaning reduced the vessel’s monthly fuel expenditure by $60,000.

The common element to each of these examples and ways of working is big data and a willingness to share that data to reach a common goal. Whether it’s to give yards the knowledge they need to design for real-world efficiency or simply to manage vessel maintenance, effective implementation of the right questions and powerful tools that can help you answer them can have a real impact. Applied wisely, transparently and collectively, big data can better connect us and support us all in delivering a more productive, efficient and safer future for shipping.

Designs on Expansion

 

To mitigate the shipping industry’s contraction, Spanish engineering firm GHENOVA Ingeniería, Seville, Spain, has seized opportunities in the high-growth markets of Latin America. A key project enabling them to establish a strong foothold is the design of a fleet of LPG tankers for Transpetro, using AVEVA Marine.

According to Ignacio Grau, GHENOVA’s Head of Marketing and Communication, the naval sector has been GHENOVA’s core market since the company’s founding. However, several projects signed in Brazil, both for naval engineering and energy, are now expanding the company’s client base. As a Spanish company, GHENOVA has a head start.

“For us, expansion into Latin America was a natural choice,” says Julián Fontela, GHENOVA’s Manager of Business Development. “We have fewer linguistic or cultural barriers to entry than equivalent North American or other Anglophone companies.”

The depressed shipping market following the slump in 2008 especially impacted GHENOVA’s customer base in Europe and in the naval sector; the company recognized the need to pursue new opportunities in high-growth markets. “Our main office in Latin America is in Brazil, and from there we are orchestrating our expansion into the rest of Latin America,” explains Julián. “Projects executed from the Brazilian office are of strategic importance for us, because each one demonstrates both the high quality of our work and our long-term commitment to our customers in the region as a whole. This strategy really represents a key ingredient for the growth of the company.”

Adds Ignacio, “The focus on both Europe and Latin America has meant intensified activities and a resulting notable staff increment, which are cornerstones of a longer-term growth strategy: we want to reach EURO 50 million in annual revenue and significantly increase our workforce by 2018.”

LPG tanker engineering
In September 2011, a year after GHENOVA first entered Brazil, success came with the signing of a EURO 7 million contract with the STX Promar shipyard (now Vard, part of the Fincantieri group) to carry out the engineering of eight LPG tankers for Transpetro. A subsidiary of Petrobras, Transpetro is Brazil’s largest oil & gas distribution company. It stores and transports oil, ethanol, biofuels and natural gas, and has a network of more than 11,000 kilometers (7,000 miles) of pipelines.

“Our Brazil office is very strong on the marine side and the LPG project is a great reference case,” says Julián. “It clearly demonstrates our capabilities to neighboring countries who are also important oil & gas players on the global stage. We hope that this project will be a springboard for GHENOVA to foster relationships with other oil & gas producers in the region.”

The project consists of the detailed engineering and purchasing support for the prototypes of three LPG carrier designs. A design for four vessels with a pressurized capacity of 7,000 m3 has already been delivered. The first three are already in fabrication. The first vessel in the series has been christened Oscar Niemeyer and will be delivered in December 2014. A further vessel design for two LPGs with a smaller pressurized capacity of 4,000m3 is also complete; at the time of writing, both vessels are being constructed and will be delivered soon. GHENOVA is now working on a design for two semi-pressurized vessels that will each have a capacity of 12,000 m3. GHENOVA is responsible for all the detailed engineering of the structures, piping, equipment and outfitting, the electrical, instrumentation and electronics systems, and HVAC and accommodation. The Brazilian team are using AVEVA Hull, AVEVA Outfitting, and AVEVA Cable Design, collaborating with their colleagues at the Spanish headquarters with the help of AVEVA Global.

The business opportunity
This high-profile project provided an excellent opportunity for GHENOVA to establish a reputation with Petrobras. A link to Petrobras is an endorsement of GHENOVA’s capabilities and sends a strong message to other organizations in the region. Furthermore, GHENOVA has established a connection with this Brazilian oil & gas giant at a crucial time in Petrobras’s history. The offshore Santos Basin discovery means that Petrobras will invest in fleet expansion and renewal to support its future increase in E&P activities and, as a result, there will be opportunities for further projects.

Another key factor that will push forward growth in this market is the Certificado de Registro e Classificação Cadastral (CRCC) certificate, which is awarded by Petrobras to companies that meet all the requirements to become an approved services provider. The CRCC specifically certifies GHENOVA’s ability to carry out comprehensive shipbuilding and tanker-ship projects.

This document allows GHENOVA to tender and participate in bids for work from Petrobras and, combined with the LPG project, marks a significant step forward. GHENOVA describes it as its “passport” into the Brazilian market.

Selecting the right tool for the job
To make the most of this business opportunity, GHENOVA needed the best tool for the job. With previous experience with Tribon, GHENOVA had successfully adapted to AVEVA Marine several years ago and is very happy with the result; their designers and engineers were able to adjust quickly and smoothly to the new system. Their AVEVA deployment forms part of a suite of applications that enables GHENOVA to meet a wide range of client- and project-specific requirements. As a result, GHENOVA selects the design software on a case-by-case basis. “Our business is engineering, first and foremost,” says Julián. “Each of the different types of software that we use is one system within a diverse toolkit. Every client has different requirements and meeting those requirements is key. We don’t only design ships; among other things we also design thermal power plants, so our choice of software for any particular project is usually dictated by the nature of the project and the client’s requirements.”

As a result, AVEVA Marine was chosen specifically for this project because it best matched Transpetro’s needs and was consequently mandated by Vard Brazil. “This is an entirely new project for us, so it was essential to select a 3D engineering and design tool that could deliver true strategic value,” explains Francisco Cuervas, General Director of GHENOVA. “AVEVA Marine met all the requirements that the client set out, making it the ideal choice for such an important project. The integrated AVEVA Marine applications have helped us to save many hours during the design phase, allowing an efficient and accurate model to be delivered to our customer.”

Rui Miguel de Sousa, GHENOVA Brazil’s Branch Director, says, “The AVEVA solution was subjected to a rigorous tender process and its integrated hull and outfitting design capability stood out against the competition. It will enable us to efficiently create clash-free, production-oriented design. We are confident this will help us achieve reduced rework and deliver the highest quality designs. With concurrent global project execution we can also ensure that all sites and users have access to the latest approved data, right down to attribute details.”

“We will continue to use AVEVA Marine as part of an overall service offering as we continue to seek out opportunities in both our European client base, and our expanding new client base in Latin America,” says Julián.

 

Building the Future

 

Over the past 18 months, fluctuations in oil prices have caused serious disruptions within the oil and gas marine sector. While some tanker operators received a boost earlier this year due to the fall in oil prices, other sectors are struggling to cover their operating costs, resulting in rigs standing idle and transport vessels being kept in dock.

But it’s not just in oil and gas. Whether it’s exploring deep waters offshore, sailing in a luxury cruise liner, or transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), marine operators are all seeking to lower their operating expenses. In this market, the two most important things for improving stability are strongly interlinked: minimizing costs and increasing efficiency.

In my view, there are six things that should be considered to unlock the cost savings and efficiency in the marine sector in the years ahead.

Reducing fuel consumption
According to the 2015 “The New Climate Economy” report, fuel represents 50 percent or more of a ship’s operating costs. Being able to drive down fuel consumption is important for reducing costs within the industry while also reducing the environmental impact.

Maintaining the position of a ship can be a fuel-hungry process. Many of today’s ships are the size of several football fields combined. To maintain a predetermined course or position, counteracting the effects of displacing forces such as wind, current, and wave action, is no easy task. Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems provide mariner-focused solutions to put operators back in control. They predict future motion and update a vessel’s thrust demands to prevent movement beyond the operator’s defined area. Among the various benefits of this technology is the ability to minimize fuel burn and machinery wear in situations where tight position holding isn’t essential through the use of a dedicated energy-efficient (EE) mode.

Energy efficiency is improved because fewer corrections are required as thrusters, propellers and rudders control the vessel position, delivering expected fuel savings of up to 10 percent, reducing NOx emissions by up to 20 percent and lowering equipment maintenance requirements. It helps to deliver additional operational savings while meeting increasingly rigorous environmental regulations.  

Upgrading propulsion systems for reduced footprint, increased space for cargo and reduced fuel requirements
Bigger is not always better. A recent GE study revealed that careful system design could reduce the installed power requirement in a ship by up to 25% compared to the baseline, meaning the vessel requires fewer or smaller engines, translating into CAPEX savings, reduced fuel costs and increased payload within the hull.

Gas turbine propulsion system solutions can also free up space to carry more revenue-generating cargo and meet current emissions limits. For offshore support vessels, modern electric propulsion systems can further generate fuel efficiency savings of 5 to 10 percent when compared to traditional mechanical systems. These fuel-flexible gas turbines range from 4.5 megawatts to 52 megawatts and are excellent prime movers for mechanical drive, hybrid or all electric propulsion systems, all the while reducing operational costs.

Electric propulsion systems have also been deployed in various merchant marine vessels. The first electrically propelled LNG carriers in China are being built with a dual-fuel, diesel-electric power plant. Set to be completed in 2016 and 2017, these vessels will benefit from using reliable and cost-efficient power and propulsion solutions combining induction-based technology with a Power pulse Width Modulation (PWM) converter.

As new and innovative technology continues to hit the market, improved propulsion systems are reducing costs, increasing space available for cargo or other commercial activity, and reducing fuel consumption.

Addressing the skills shortage through training and remote vessel monitoring
As with many other technology and engineering sectors, there is a feeling in the marine industry that a skill shortage is already upon us. There are two ways in which the sector is addressing this.

First, better training and availability of engineering experts already in the industry. Training gives us confidence in handling whatever challenges are thrown at us. We have been extending the scope of our Marine Services Training Centers at locations around the world. Strategically placed global training centers are a requirement for building a strong knowledge base around vessel operators, and provide local support wherever it is needed. Indeed, drives, automation services and DP training take place worldwide to ensure that vessel operators are able to run equipment at the optimum level irrespective of the level of deep technical knowledge available across a fleet.

Second, new Industrial-Internet powered predictive systems on board vessels can anticipate system failures, limiting the need for emergency maintenance as systems can be repaired before an issue emerges. Modern ships are designed to empower operators and give them a comprehensive performance measurement of individual assets, fleets or the business as a whole. Analytics and insight delivered via a single, unified portal makes remote machine and systems information available for live status and productivity support, saving time and cost, and are importantly reducing the need for on-board specialists as onshore teams are able to predict issues before they arise and deploy specialists only when necessary.

Meeting the requirements of more stringent environmental regulations
While dealing with fluctuations in oil prices, operators have also had to tackle increasingly stringent environmental regulations and reduced emissions targets.

The context of environmental regulations is increasingly stringent: we are seeing Emission Control Area (ECA) zones emerge with very strict requirements for emissions. These regulations are increasingly widespread and are part of the “new normal” for the marine sector.

As such, a whole range of innovations is needed here. For example, new engine technology eliminates the need for a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) for exhaust gas after-treatment and for storing or using urea aboard a vessel. As a result it preserves valuable cargo and tank space and reduces emissions by an estimated 70 percent.  

A new application of a proven gas turbine-based power and propulsion system that’s been used in cruise ships—the Combined Gas turbine Electric and Steam (COGES) system—addresses the same issues of environmental regulatory compliance. This compact, lightweight combined cycle power plant provides power for electric drive propulsion systems, leaves more room for cargo, and meets IMO Tier III and US EPA Tier 4 regulations today, with no exhaust treatment or methane slip. While methane slip is not regulated today, many operators are concerned that it will be in the future, since methane is 21 times as damaging as CO2 from a greenhouse gas perspective.

As increasing efficiencies becomes more important in today’s volatile market, vessel operators must look at every aspect of their operating model to ensure these are met to drive long term profitability.

A new approach to financing that will enable projects and strengthen operators’ financial capabilities
Instead of taking on the full risk of vessel design and development costs themselves at the beginning of a project, operators are partnering with strategic suppliers to share the capital outlays needed to construct ships. To support vessel operators in this volatile market, a similar approach can also be taken beyond the initial construction of the ship to ensure that vessel operators have cash flexibility for operating costs and strengthened long-term financial capability beyond construction. This new approach to financing, both at the initial construction phase and later during operations, will enable the project, as well as strengthen operators’ financial capabilities, to help deliver a more cost-effective future.

Increasing innovative manufacturing techniques, cutting downtime in manufacturing docks
It is not just system design that can reduce costs; the actual implementation time of a new system is also critical. For example, many modular offshore systems are now pre-assembled at the factory to reduce installation time when deployed in dock or at sea. In one case, everything, including all electronics, controls and other auxiliary skids come pre-assembled and tested, increasing installation speed by up to 30 percent. This means less time in dock for shipbuilding or upgrade, which helps cut costs further.

Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these six areas for driving cost savings and efficiency are crucial to the future of the marine industry. More efficient and effective propulsion, power and positioning systems are driving down costs and driving up productivity.

The emergence of multi-fuel, low-emission vessels are giving operators flexibility, cost-control and helping them achieve compliance with environmental regulations. At the same time, data analytics and vessel management software is giving operators better reliability and control over maintenance costs at sea and in dock, even as more sophisticated systems are reducing the environmental strain caused by the sector.

What’s really important however is to realize that these issues can’t be solved in isolation: a whole-vessel strategy is necessary to compete and thrive in today’s global marine space.

Royston completes engine overhaul on North Sea FPSO

NOVEMBER 11, 2015 — U.K. based diesel power specialist Royston Limited has completed a major engine overhaul on the Bluewater-owned Haewene Brim offshore floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The 252

Vard: One new order, a lot more red ink

First the good news: It’s an order for an offshore vessel of undisclosed type or size, for an undisclosed owner, at an undisclosed price. Designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway, the vessel’s hull will come from the Vard Braila shipyard in Romania, with outfitting and delivery scheduled from Vard Langsten in Norway in 2017.

Now to the mounting losses. Vard recorded a net loss of NOK 845 million ($1($98.4 million) and NOK 1.1 ($128 million) for 3Q2015 and 9M2015, against a loss of NOK 160 million ($18.6 million) and profit of NOK 30 million ($3.5 million) respectively in the corresponding 2014 periods. The third quarter loss attributable to equity holders came at NOK 486 million ($56.5 million), as compared to a loss of NOK 37 million ($3.4 million) in 3Q2014.

Over the first nine months of the year, cash holdings declined from NOK 2.0 billion ($232 million) to NOK 906 million ($105 million) as at 30 September 2015 on the back of capital-intensive projects requiring a significant amount of working capital, and the cash impact of losses in Brazil. However, cash holdings remained stable in the third quarter compared to the balance of NOK 904 million at the end of 2Q2015.

Although orders picked up in the third quarter, with four new vessel contracts secured, total order book value at September 30 was NOK 14.01 billion ($1.6 billion) — a 30% decrease from the third quarter 2014 figure.

Currently, Vard has an order book of 31 vessels, of which 18, or 58%, will be of its own design.

Vard is winning some work outside of its traditional North Sea market and in non-offshore related specialized vessels. Still, that’s not been enough to offset the impact of continuing offshore weakness in its European shipyards and of lower utilization and cost overruns at its Brazilian shipyards, where “additional loss provisions were required to account for unsatisfactory progress.”

“In particular,” says the company, “the scope and complexity of the series of LPG carriers under construction at [50.5% owned subsidiary] Vard Promar exceeds original assumptions, while the efficiency and operational stability at the new yard is still lower than anticipated.”

Downsizing continues at Vard’s Niterói Brazil yard in line with a declining workload.

Activity levels at Vard’s shipyards in Romania and Norway continue to decline on the back of a shortfall of sizeable new orders and postponement of deliveries in the current order book.

In Vard Tulcea, the larger of its two shipyards in Romania, a restructuring process is underway and a number of engineering resources have been subcontracted to Vard’s parent group Fincantieri in order to retain highly skilled staff in the organization. Vard Tulcea has also delivered first steel sections to Fincantieri cruise shipbuilding projects, and opportunities are being evaluated how the yard can carry out a larger share of such project.

In Norway, temporary layoffs are being imposed.

Operations and yard utilization at the Vietnam shipyard, Vard Vung Tau, are said to “remain robust.”

Vard says that work is underway on a comprehensive strategy overhaul and development of a new business plan which it will unveil when it releases its full year figures.

It says a key element of that plan will likely be a diversification of production, with synergies with the Fincantieri parent group expected to play a major role.

Vard says its “exposure to the Brazilian market is under review.”

Waldner named new Group CFO of Lloyd’s Register

NOVEMBER 11, 2015—Global engineering, technical and business services organization, Lloyd’s Register (LR), has announced the appointment of Mary Waldner as Group CFO. Waldner is currently Group Finance Director at FTSE 250 listed

Klaveness unloads its self-unloaders

Under the terms of the agreement, affiliates of Algoma and CSL will each acquire two vessels and Marbulk Shipping Limited, a company jointly owned by both Algoma and CSL, will acquire one vessel.

The transaction values the five vessels at $190 million in total.

The agreement is subject to technical due diligence on each vessel.

The subjects are likely to be lifted in December 2015, with a completion of the transaction in first quarter 2016.

The transaction will lead to an estimated accounting gain of approximately $30 million for KSH.

Klaveness CEO Torvald Lasse Kristoffersen says the deal “will free up significant investment capacity that we can use to realize projects we have been working on.”

The five vessels are the 49,463 dwt, 2002 built, MV Barkald; the 48,184 dwt, 2002 built MV Balder; the 75,569 dwt,1981 built MV Baldock; and the 71,900 dwt, 2013 built MV Balto and MV Balchen

Crowley establishes two new business units

Now standalone business segments, they were previously embedded in other company business units.

Leading the new business units are industry veterans Mike Golonka, vice president, government services, and Wendy MacDonald, vice president, global ship management.

The Government Services provides bundled vessel management solutions for the United States Maritime Administration, Military Sealift Command, and other agencies; custodial services for vessels seized by U.S. Government agencies; naval architecture and marine engineering services; project management and salvage and dive operations; and many other services. The team combines the technical and professional capabilities of the company’s owned and managed fleets, under the direction of a team of tenured professionals, many of whom are mariners, to bring together best-in-class operations, engineering and contracting personnel.

The Global Ship Management group – which includes international partnership Crowley Accord and Seattle-based subsidiary Maritime Management Services, Inc. (MMS) – provides technical services and crew management as well as a broad range of back-office services to a variety of conventional vessel types such as tankers, container and general cargo, and Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) vessels; along with specialized vessels such as deep-water pipe-layers, geotechnical and seismic research vessels; and offshore construction support vessels. With offices in the U.S., Mumbai, Goa, Hong Kong and Amsterdam, Crowley’s global ship management group, including Crowley Accord, manages over 60 vessels in the U.S. domestic and international markets. The company has developed longstanding working relationships with vendors, suppliers and major foreign and domestic labor organizations, allowing them to provide professional management services, with an emphasis on Crowley’s No. 1 core value, safety. The policies and procedures reflected in every aspect of Crowley’s management system are based on recognized ISO and ISM standards to ensure regulatory compliance.

“Establishing these two new business groups will help Crowley focus its services for its distinct customer bases,” said Crowley’s Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “Crowley offers both industries extensive experience, a reputation for working safely and honestly, and relationships that matter. Customers can expect all of that to continue, with the added benefit of more targeted and improved customer service.”

Leading the Government Services group is Mike Golonka, who previously served as vice president, ship management. He will continue reporting to Mr. Busch, and remain based in the company’s headquarters in Jacksonville, FL. He and his team will develop and synchronize government services offerings across the Crowley portfolio and will further align the group with government contracting requirements, including time keeping, cost accounting and compliance with Federal Acquisition Requirement (FAR) clauses.

“Mike did a great job building the ship management business and establishing Crowley as a serious competitor for government contracts,” said Mr. Busch. “He has shown the commitment to the business and represents the company as a respected professional. This is represented in the recent award of the TAGOS / TAGM and ROCON contracts from Military Sealift Command, both very important contracts from the U.S. Government.”

Mr. Golonka, who graduated from Calhoon MEBA Engineering School and holds an unlimited chief engineer license, joined Crowley in 1987 and has served as senior port engineer, manager of ship operations, director of engineering and director of contract operations prior to his appointment to general manager in 2009. In that role, he coordinated all sales, marketing and operations activities for Crowley’s ship management group and its growing number of customers and vessels served. In 2011, he was awarded the company’s highest honor, the Thomas Crowley trophy, given to employees who have aligned themselves closely with Crowley’s values and displayed outstanding performance along with dedication, leadership, initiative and productivity. .

Ms. MacDonald, now leading the Global Ship Management group, is the former vice president of procurement. She remains based in Jacksonville and also reports to Mr. Busch. She is responsible for all sales, marketing, engineering and operations activities for Crowley’s commercial ship management group and its growing number of customers and vessels. She will also oversee the activities for Marine Management Services and Crowley-Accord Ship Management, based in India.

“Wendy’s operational experience, organizational skills and management will be a great benefit to the ship management group,” Mr. Busch said. “She has done an excellent job building teams, and partnering with our vendors. Wendy has supported the business for several years, so she understands much of the business needs and the customer expectations. In her 20-plus years with the company, she has shown a drive and passion for the maritime industry, which has led to her successes.”

Ms.MacDonald, who has a California Maritime Academy bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on marine transportation and intermodalism, joined Crowley in 1992 as a management trainee and has held various positions of increasing responsibility within the company’s container shipping organization, including manager of freight services for the Puerto Rico/Caribbean services group, manager of pricing for the Latin America services group, director of inland operations and most recently vice president of procurement.

TOTE pushes back Orca Class LNG conversions

NOVEMBER 9, 2015— The tragic October 1 loss of the El Faro means that TOTE Maritime is having to delay the planned conversion of the first of two “built for Alaska” 839

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