Search Results for: Maritime Partners

VIDEO: Crowley’s LNG fueled ConRo now 25% complete

 

First steel for the ship was cut in October 2014 and it is now 25 percent complete.

“Week by week, we have watched the pair of Commitment Class ships begin to take shape,” said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico/Caribbean liner services. “It’s been incredible to watch. Once fully constructed, these new vessels will embody superior technology and construction and, while we are anxious to get them into service for our partners in Puerto Rico, we are thrilled that they are coming together on schedule.”

“The entire team at VT Halter Marine is pleased and proud to be partnered with Crowley in the construction of these magnificent ships,” said VT Halter Marine President and CEO Jack Prendergast. “It is a pleasure to see the hard work of the Crowley/Halter team come to fruition.”

The ships will be 219.5 meters long, 32.3 meters wide (beam), have a deep draft of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tons.Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units), with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Roll-on/Roll-off garage.

Each ship will be powered by an MAN B&W 8S70ME-GI8.2 main engine and three MAN 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines fueled by LNG.

The ship design is provided by Wärtsilä Ship Design in conjunction with Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, a leading Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm.

The Commitment Class, Jones Act ships will replace Crowley’s towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the trade continuously and with distinction since the early 1970s. These new ships will offer customers fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company’s diverse equipment selection and cargo handling flexibility. El Coquí and Taíno are scheduled for delivery second and fourth quarter 2017 respectively.

Designing, building and operating LNG-powered vessels is in line with Crowley’s overall EcoStewardship positioning and growth strategy. The company formed an LNG services group earlier this year to bring together the company’s extensive resources to provide LNG vessel design and construction management; transportation; product sales and distribution, and full-scale, project management solutions.

Five paths to greener coastal shipping

The program was launched by DNV GL and now also involves 25 partners from the Norwegian maritime industry and the Norwegian authorities.

The pilot projects include several different ship types, and infrastructure with an emphasis on alternative fuel concepts.

“When we launched the Green Coastal Shipping Programme, we said we wanted to make Norway a world showcase for green coastal shipping. With these five pioneering pilot projects we are well on our way,” says Program Director Narve Mjøs.

CargoFerry plug-in hybrid: Shipping company Nor Lines will lead the first pilot project, CargoFerry Plug-in Hybrid, which aims to develop a cost-effective and profitable short-sea containership powered by a plug-in hybrid LNG/battery propulsion system. It is a short-sea containership concept with a zero-emission solution during port sailing and operations. After developing the technical concept, the project partners will calculate the vessel’s environmental footprint and carry out a cost/benefit analysis.

Next-generation green shuttle tanker: Teekay Tankers will lead the second pilot project, which will investigate technical solutions for utilizing batteries and VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) in a shuttle tanker. Battery technology has not been used on this vessel type yet and the project will explore how it could potentially help to optimize operations and reduce the need for installed power. The project partners will also look at the possible use of batteries as a “spinning reserve.”

After assessing the economic and regulatory feasibility of battery-powered shuttle tankers, the project will review new technological solutions for utilizing VOC (volatile organic compounds) produced on board by capturing and condensing the recoverable gases produced during offshore loading. Using the liquid VOC for onboard power generation could reduce total fuel consumption and the environmental impact of the vessel. As VOC are generated during offshore loading, using them as an energy source could offer an additional environmental benefit to reduction in total demand for fuel.

Hybrid ocean farming vessel: The third pilot project, by ABB and the Cargo Freighters’ Association, aims to define an optimized hybrid propulsion system for more energy efficient operations with greater redundancy.

Conversion of cargo carrier into battery-hybrid LNG carrier: This project aims to develop a cost-efficient LNG distribution concept with a hybrid LNG/battery propulsion solution and zero-emission port operations. Converting an existing vessel may provide a cost-effective option for small LNG carriers. The project owners Øytank Bunkerservice and the Norwegian Gas Association will lead the way in developing the technical concept, calculating the environmental footprint and carrying out a cost/benefit analysis.

Pioneering green port project: The fifth pilot project has the objective of developing a low-energy-consumption port with a minimal carbon footprint. Some of the technologies being employed to achieve this include electric heavy-duty vehicles and cranes. The green port will also be equipped with smart gates, offer cold ironing services and charging stations for plug-in hybrid ships.

Risavika Harbor in Stavanger will take the lead in the green port project, developing the technical concept, undertaking a cost/benefit analysis, calculating the environmental footprint and presenting a plan for further development of the concept.

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Inmarsat joins autonomous ship project

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 — Inmarsat is participating in the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) recently launched by Rolls-Royce (see earlier story). The project, funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology

Kvichak builds fourth RB-M C for NYPD

AUGUST 19, 2015 — Kvichak Marine Industries, Seattle, WA, is currently constructing a fourth 44.5 ft Response Boat Medium – C (RB-M C) for the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. Delivery

USCG releases towing vessel safety data

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Who’s the top valued LNG shipping company?

AUGUST 17, 2015—What company has the Highest Value Whole Gas (either LNG or LPG) shipping fleet? According to VesselsValue.com, that honor belongs to Teekay LNG Partners, with 37 vessels and a capacity

Red and White Fleet eyes fuel cell powered ferry

JULY 28, 2015 — Sandia National Laboratories and San Francisco’s Red and White Fleet are partnering to develop a high-speed, hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered passenger ferry and refueling station. “Everyone is talking about reducing emissions

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Viking Ocean floats out its second ship at Fincantieri

JUNE 27, 2015—Viking Ocean Cruises’ second ship—the 930-passenger Viking Sea—was “floated out” at traditional ceremony on June 25, at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy—little more than a month after the new ocean