Cammell Laird to build $307 million polar research ship

The decision follows a 12-month competitive tender process that involved bids from shipyards in the U.K., Spain, Norway, Singapore and South Korea.

The Birkenhead shipyard is expected to cut steel in autumn 2016 and deliver the next generation polar research vessel ready for operation by 2019.

Cammell Laird Chief Executive John Syvret said: “The new contract, which will be finalized later this year, is expected to secure 400 jobs at Cammell Laird and a further 100 jobs within the local supply chain. Cammell Laird has a very successful apprenticeship scheme and would plan to recruit 60 apprentices throughout the term of the contract. Being selected as the preferred bidder in a global tender to undertake such an exciting and major infrastructure project is fantastic news for our workforce, the local region and the U.K. We look forward to helping the U.K. explore the depths of the ocean and push the boundaries of U.K. science.”

The new polar research ship, which will operate in both Antarctica and the Arctic, will be able to endure up to 60 days in sea-ice to enable scientists to gather more observations and data.

It is expected to have ice-breaking capabilities that will allow it to break ice up to one meter thick when traveling at 3 knots and will be able to accommodate up to 60 researchers and technical support staff.

The ship will be the first British-built polar research vessel with a heli-deck to open up new locations for science and will be one of the most sophisticated floating research laboratories operating in the Polar Regions.

Funding for the new polar research ship was announced in April 2014 as part of the U.K. Government’s science capital program.

Cammell Laird has been selected by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through a full competitive procurement process.

NERC Chief Executive Professor Duncan Wingham said: “This new research ship, which is expected to become operational in 2019, will be equipped with onboard laboratory facilities and will be capable of deploying robotic technologies to monitor environmental changes to the polar oceans and will help U.K. scientists continue to lead the world in understanding our polar regions.

“Changes in both the Antarctic and Artic marine ecosystems affect the U.K.’s environment and economy, particularly in industries such as fishing and tourism. The Natural Environment Research Council funds polar research so that as a nation, we can develop policies to adapt to, mitigate or live with environmental change.

“This new polar ship will be a platform for a broad range of science, researching subjects from oceanography and marine ecology to geophysics.”

The new ice-strengthened ship will be operated by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), on behalf of NERC.

SIU creates fund for family of seafarers of El Faro

OCTOBER 12, 2015—The Seafarers International Union (SIU) has launched a voluntary fund to help the dependents of the seafarers who perished in the sinking of the U.S.-flag containership El Faro.  SIU Secretary-Treasurer

Deltamarin and Brevik launch gas carrier design

 

A new multigas carrier design uses the successful B. Delta bulk carrier hull from Finland’s Deltamarin to carry gas in new-generation cylindrical gas tanks developed by Vard affiliate Brevik Technology AS.

The design can be utilized for LNG, LPG, LEG and ethane carriers.

“Up to now gas carriers have been complex and expensive to design and construct. This is not the case anymore as Brevik Technology has developed cylindrical steel tanks, which are separate from the vessel hull,” says Brevik Technology’s Managing Director Øystein Kristoffersen Sæther.

Brevik Technology’s independent gas carrying method challenges the traditional and expensive way of building the vessel and the tanks as one entity. The patented containment design has already been approved by classification societies.

BrevikThe cylindrical tank design allows the tanks to expand in all directions without putting stress on the vessel hull. The independent containment system, which can be built into a vessel as is, results in better possibilities to utilize the existing well-proven ship design.

“This is where the shipowner can get significant benefits by choosing a readily available and highly efficient B.Delta hull design already proven in operation”, says Deltamarin’s Managing Director Mika Laurilehto.

The design based on the B.Delta is actually a bulk carrier design equipped with cylindrical tanks for the gas cargo.
“As a bulk carrier, the vessel is easier and cheaper to build compared to a traditional gas carrier, and there may be many new potential shipyards capable of constructing such a vessel,” says Mr. Laurilehto.

The new design is now available for the market for smaller-scale gas carriers of 31,000 cu.m, with similar designs for medium- and larger-scale vessels to follow.

The design will also be available for retrofit vessels, such as the conversion of a bulk carrier to gas carrier.

 

Norwegian to customize newbuild for China market

Originally, the second Breakaway Plus ship was to be called “Norwegian Bliss,” a name chosen from a long list of suggestions from Facebook fans. Today, though, Norwegian said that the ship’s name, homeport, accommodations, dining and entertainment  “will be shared in the coming months.”

Accommodations, cuisine and onboard experiences will cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests.

“Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility,” said Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio, who made the announcement today at the CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai.  

“With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivaled level of customization for the Chinese consumer,” said Mr. Del Rio. “It will perfectly suit what modern Chinese travelers value from an upscale cruise experience.”

The cruise line says that the 4,200 guest ship “will provide the same sense of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with experiences and amenities designed specifically with Chinese guest in mind” and that “the level of customization will go beyond the physical design of the ship.”

 

To support its expansion efforts in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Hong Kong (Quarry Bay) and today opened its Shanghai office in Xintiandi.

The offices support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

MAN Diesel & Turbo nets another fisheries segment order

OCTOBER 9, 2015 — Voyager Fishing Company, Ltd., based in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, has ordered an 86.4 m trawler/purse seiner from Danish shipbuilder Karstensens Skibsværft. To be named Voyager, the vessel is

Wartsila engines for new Russian icebreaker

OCTOBER 9, 2015—This past September, Wärtsilä signed an order to supply its new medium-speed Wärtsilä 31 engine for a new generation icebreaker currently under construction at the PJSC Vyborg Shipyard in Russia.

Navy to begin search for El Faro in coming weeks

OCTOBER 9, 2015—Over the next several weeks, the U.S. Navy will begin searching for the 790 ft containership El Faro, which is believed to have sunk near the Crooked Islands in the

Carnival expands cruise activities in Cozumel with new berth

OCTOBER 9, 2015—Carnival Corporation & plc recently officially opened a third berth to the company’s pier at Puerta Maya in Cozumel, Mexico. With an investment of more than $20 million, the all-new “arm”

Boskalis to sea trial “drop in” bio-fuels

“We strongly believe in the need for sustainable ‘drop in’ marine bio-fuels and their potential as part of the long term fuel mix, as we see them as an important means of improving the sustainability of the industry,” said Theo Baartmans, COO of Boskalis. “Participating in this pilot and making our vessels available is in line with Boskalis’ approach to seeking innovations that work hand in hand with sustainability.”

Drop in bio-fuels are liquid hydrocarbons that are functionally equivalent to petroleum derived fuels, meaning that they can be effectively interchanged with conventional fuels. Minimal engine modifications may be necessary in some cases.

Boskalis says that right now bio-fuels “are not part of the marine fuel mix that operators and owners can choose from” and that this means that shipping is missing an opportunity to utilize what should be a price competitive, environmentally friendly fuel option.

Boskalis and its partners believe that bio-fuels will play a viable role in reducing emissions that no other fuel can currently achieve, without a capital-intensive fleet renewal or retrofitting.

The three companies will test several next generation bio-fuels at the Wärtsilä laboratory in Vaasa, Finland before carrying out sea trials in various Boskalis’ global fleet.

The pilot program will focus on delivering and analyzing a sustainable feedstock, securing industry certification, and preparing the building blocks for large-scale production. Additionally, the consortium will initiate a global scalability study involving leading shipowners, universities, NGOs, ports, biofuel companies and other industry stakeholders. The aim will be to identify tangible opportunities for scaling supply to the world’s commercial shipping fleet.

Netherlands-based GoodFuels Marine, which has been developed by a team with track record in commercializing sustainable bio-fuels for the aviation industry, has also created a “sustainability advisory board,” consisting of leading NGOs and academics. Its role is to ensure that fuels are 100% sustainable, and that GoodFuels Marine complies with standards and principles set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)

“Wärtsilä, together with its customers, is highly committed to continuously finding better, more sustainable marine engine solutions,” says Roger Holm, Senior Vice President, Engines, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “This is another great example of that commitment, whereby we support pioneering innovations that provide ship operators with greater flexibility and choice about how they can reduce emissions.”

Volvo Penta extends commercial diesel service intervals

OCTOBER 8, 2015  – Volvo Penta has announced a new extended service interval for its commercial marine diesel engines. “We recognize that minimizing downtime is a critical requirement for commercial marine operators,”

LOAD MORE