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Azimuth thrusters change the way operators move cargo

Over the years, the use of azimuth thruster has changed the way operators do business. The increased maneuverability and efficiency gains allow tug operators to do more with the same installed power. Added maneuverability can also play a role in improving safety during certain operations.  With more than 50 years of developing and manufacturing azimuth thrusters, Rolls-Royce has learned a lot about the specific propulsion requirements of different types of ships and floating structures. Working close with the customers has been a key element of the success.

Steerable azimuth thrusters have come a long way since the first one went into service in 1965. With just 80 hp of thrust it was installed on a mud hopper barge in Finland to make it self-propelled. The first azimuth units specifically designed for inland waterway applications were delivered in 1976. They powered a series of three-river push boats built in Holland and are still operating today.

With the aid of modern computer-based design tools and a detailed understanding of hydrodynamics, Rolls-Royce is continuously developing and improving its thruster product range. The current product portfolio covers a power range of 300 to 14,000 hp.

The benefits of Azimuth thrusters on a towboat
With an azimuth thruster the full thrust can be applied in any direction through the full 360 degrees and significantly improve the maneuverability and braking force of the vessel. In performance tests it has been shown that the braking forces produced are nearly 1.5 times those of the conventional towboat, over the whole speed range. This increase in braking force reduces both the distance and the time needed to stop a barge train.

For shallow draft operations, the normal requirement is to fit 2 azimuth units, and it is not unusual to have towboat designs with a triple azimuth thruster propulsion arrangement.

Azimuth thrusters also significantly increase flanking forces, which help operators safely navigate through the most difficult bends of the river. On a conventional towboat, flanking rudders and reverse thrust are normally used to produce the necessary flanking forces. By using azimuth thrusters the transverse force can be maximized and is approximately twice the maximum side force produced by a conventional towboat at all measured speeds, plus there is the benefit of greater braking forces. Maximum flanking forces produced can be up to 4 times that of the conventional towboat with equal braking force.

How Azimuth thruster help in Brazil
Brazil is a country traversed by many rivers, the main one being the Amazon. There are 11 main inland waterways with a total length of some 39,000 miles although only approximately 8,000 miles are regularly used. These waterways are used to transport agricultural commodities such as grain and fertilizer, as well as mineral goods to the coast.

Amaggi Navegação a subsidiary of Amaggi Exportação e Importação Ltda. is one of the operators working in the region who has moved to azimuth thrusters to propel their vessels. They have been operating on these waterways for over 20 years and now have over 30 tugs equipped with azimuth thruster propulsion. Units in their fleet include a range of Rolls-Royce thrusters from our smaller US 105 model to our larger US 255’s.

Amaggi Navegacao operate on the Madeira and Amazones rivers where they are involved in the transportation of grain and soya to and from local processing plants. The move away from conventional towboat design has enabled them to increase the size of barge trains, which is due to increased turning and stopping capacity at full load.

Open propeProp2llers are used for the majority of these thruster applications due to the amount of debris in the rivers. The trend outside the Amazon is to fit azimuth thrusters with nozzles and thereby maximize thrust.

The future of Azimuth thrusters
Thruster technology continues to develop. The latest is the introduction of gearless electric drive through the application of permanent magnet (PM) rim drive technology, where the motor surrounds the propeller as a slim ring. The rotor is integral with the propeller and carries a series of permanent magnets. As the magnetic fields interact, the propeller turns. Tunnel thrusters and azimuth thrusters utilizing this technology are now available from Rolls-Royce. The compact and efficient tunnel thruster unit is easy to install and power output is increased by around 25% for the same propeller size. It is a good example of the possibilities that lie ahead.

This technology has now been applied to the azimuth thruster by Rolls-Royce, and the first PM development thrusters rated at 670 hp were installed on the research vessel R/V Gunnerus in March 2015. Nozzle shape can be selected to suit individual applications, but since Gunnerus requires pull for towing trawl and other gear, the nozzle is optimized for bollard pull and speed to match the vessel’s requirements. The installation is compact with only the slip ring unit and the variable frequency steering motors inside the hull.

Before the installation, the vessel had a conventional diesel electric propulsion system consisting of frequency converters, induction motors, gears and shaft with nozzle propeller. Testing to date has demonstrated an improvement in propulsive efficiency and bollard pull with a reduction of air and structure borne noise and vibration.

 

 

Damen Shipyards delivers first Shoalbuster 3512

MAY 20, 2016 —The first of Damen’s new Shoalbuster 3512 class multipurpose workboat, the Noordstrom, was recently handed over to Dutch marine services specialist Van Wijngaarden Marine Services B.V. in the port

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Getting into the Swing of Things

 

 

With the goal of improving the safety and capability of the marine research industry, Allied Marine Crane, a division of Allied Systems Company, has developed the A-Stern A-Frame. Hydraulically powered, the A-Frame is used to launch and recover trawls, dredges, and ROVs. Its crossbeam rotates freely as it deploys, ensuring that the load—the unit has a 30,000 to 40,000 lb dynamic load capacity—and lighting are properly oriented throughout the entire range of motion.

Last year, the innovative unit was successfully fitted onto the R/V Sikuliaq. The vessel, owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, conducts oceanographic and fisheries related research in polar and sub-polar regions.

Allied says, the A-30 Stern A-Frame’s maintenance position allows crew to access the crossbeam from the deck at a standing height furthering safety during setup and rigging.

The provider also supplied the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research vessels the 238 ft Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride with two sets of crane components. The Neil Armstrong is being operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, while the Sally Ride is currently operating for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.

Under the contract, the company designed and manufactured an identical set of handling equipment for each vessel. The units consisted of a davit; the Stern A-frame; a telescoping knuckle-boom crane; a starboard side handling system and a CTD handling system—both of which extend all the way to the waterline for more stability when loading; a portable telescoping knuckle-boom crane—among the first of its kind in the industry, the unit can be bolted down to a standard UNOLS mounting pattern anywhere on deck and can be removed when its not needed; and two hydraulic power units.

RappBREAKING INTO A NEW NICHE
Rapp Marine U.S. has taken a huge innovative step forward, developing, what its President Johann Sigurjonsson calls “an ideal tow winch for the market.” Having long been a developer and supplier of electric and hydraulic driven mooring winches, anchor windlasses, capstans, and cranes, Rapp Marine worked closely with Baydelta Navigation Ltd. to develop a towing winch that would be long lasting and dependable for the tug market.

Rapp Marine is supplying a unique, fully electric driven double drum tow winch for a new 110 ft x 40 ft tractor tug operated by Vessel Chartering LLC, a wholly owned division of Baydelta Navigation Ltd. The tug was designed by Seattle-based Jensen Maritime and will be built at JT Marine Shipyard, Vancouver, WA.

The winch, the first fully electric driven tow winch delivered by Rapp Marine, will be able to pull over 75 tons and use pneumatic cylinders in place of hydraulics—to keep fluid off the deck.

According to Rapp Marine, the winch will be driven by a single 100 hp electric motor with the ability to clutch in and out each winch drum. The clutches and brakes will be actuated remotely through either control panels or manually on the winch.

The winch will be primarily controlled in the wheelhouse using Rapp Marine’s Pentagon Tow Control System, which provides for a more efficient and safer operations for towing vessels. The system includes Auto Tensioning, automated haul-in and pay-out settings, in addition to touchscreen displays showing tension and wire length.

Rapp Marine says the winch can store up to 2,500 ft of 2.5 inches of Steel Wire Rope and 90 ft of 3 inch chain on the storage drum. The unit will also include a 10 HP electric “come home” drive. The drive can be used as a back up if the main motor should fail.

SELF-ALIGNING ESCORT WINCH
No stranger to innovation, the man behind the innovative training tug, the BRAtt, Captain Ron Burchett, and his company, Burchett Marine, recently delivered three new scale model tugs to Warsash Maritime Academy in Southampton, UK.

The 8,000 hp, 42m ASD tug models were equipped with the latest winch technology from JonRie InterTech—including a JonRie’s patented self-aligning escort winch.  

During testing of the winch at the Academy, the model was able to stop a 44 ft long containership model at a speed of 10 knots. Captain Burchett will return to the Academy later this summer for Round 3 of testing at the 12 to 15 knot range.

The winch, says JonRie, was redesigned to accommodate a new 3-speed Hagglunds motor—this would allow for faster retrieval speeds. The motor will have the capability to free wheel each individual cam ring which comes complete with JonRie’s Render Blocking enabling render speeds to exceed 120 m/min. The tug’s dynamic stability was further enhanced by the righting lever supplied by the winch.

The winch’s hydraulic braking system is rated for 300 tonnes.

Additionally, the winch, explains JonRie’s Brandon Durar, is bolted to its rotating foundation to help prevent distortion to the drive from welding. The winch also contains a load tension read out system and JonRie’s foot control for a hands-free operation.

MACGREGOR WINS CONTRACTS FOR ESL SHIPPING CARRIERS
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, recently won a contract to deliver hatch covers, cranes, deck machinery and steering gear to two 25,600 dwt dual-fueled handysize bulk carriers being built for Finland’s ESL Shipping at China’s Sinotrans & CSC Shipbuilding Industry Cooperation’s Quingshan shipyard.

As part of the deal, MacGregor will provide three K3030-4 mechanical grab cargo cranes with a safe working load of 30 tonnes at 30 m outreach. Additionally, the group will provide the design and key components package for multi folding-type hatch covers (6+6), electrically-driven Hatlapa deck machinery and Porsgrunn steering gear.

 

As Easy as Building ATBs

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders recently completed sea trials on the second of 10,000 hp oceangoing tugs for Kirby Offshore Marine, the coastal tug and barge arm of Kirby Corporation, Houston, TX. The 136 ft x 44 ft tug, Tina Pyne, will be connected to the 185,000 bbl ocean tank barge 185-02 built by Gunderson Marine, Portland, OR.

Kirby’s newbuild plan also includes two 155,000 bbl/6,000 hp Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) units under construction at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI, as well as two 120 ft x 35 ft, 4,894 hp tugs being built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. Each tug will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516C engines, each rated at 2,447 hp at 1,600 rev/min, with Reintjes reduction gears turning two Nautican fixed-pitched propellers with fixed nozzles. The Reintjes gears were supplied by Karl Senner, LLC, Kenner, LA. The tugs will also have two C7.1 Caterpillar generators for electrical service. Selected deck machinery includes one TESD-34 Markey tow winch, one CEW-60 Markey electric capstan, and one Smith Berger Tow Pin.

Kirby Offshore Marine is the largest U.S. operator of coastal tank barges that provide regional distribution of refined petroleum products, black oil and crude oil. Kirby grew its coastal marine transportation business through the acquisition of K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. back in 2011 in a transaction valued at about $604 million. At that time, Kirby acquired 58 tank barges (only 54 were double hull) with a capacity of 3.8 million barrels and 63 tugs.

Already the operator of the largest inland tank barges and towboats, Kirby Corporation will grow further with the purchase of Seacor Holdings Inc.’s inland tank barge fleet for about $88 million in cash.

Under the terms of the deal struck last month, Kirby will acquire 27 inland 30,000 bbl tank barges and 13 inland towboats, plus one 30,000 bbl tank barge and one towboat currently under construction. As part of the agreement, Kirby will transfer to Seacor the ownership of one Florida-based ship-docking tugboat.

Kirby Inland Marine currently has 898 active inland tank barges and 243 towboats, with a total carrying capacity of 17.9 million barrels. The primary cargoes transported by this fleet are chemicals, petrochemical feedstocks, gasoline additives, refined petroleum products, liquid fertilizer, black oil and pressurized products.

Kirby President and CEO David Grzebinski, says “Operating primarily in the refined products trade, these assets will be complementary to our existing fleet and will allow us to continue to enhance customer service.”

TRIPLE-SCREW BOATS FOR MID-RIVER
Over the years, Rodriguez Shipbuilding, Inc.’s triple-screw towboats have won a following operating in the shallow waters where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. These Lugger-type vessels are designed with a distinctive aft-cabin.

Mid-River Terminals of Osceola, AR, recently took delivery of a new design towboat from Rodriguez Shipbuilding, Coden, AL. With a conventional forward-house pusher configuration, the new 70 ft x 30 ft MV/ Dianna Lynn uses the same propulsion as the Lugger tugs. This is composed of three in-line six-cylinder Cummins QSK 19 engines, each delivering 660 hp. Each engine turns a 66-inch stainless steel propeller through ZF gears with 6:1 reduction ratio. The combination gives the 1,980 hp towboat an eight-foot operating draft. 

Fitted with large windows, the wheelhouse has a full 360-degree view and is set atop two accommodation decks and a half deck that also serves for bridge electronics support. This gives the towboat a 31-foot high eye-level, with full tanks, for working high barges.

Steering and flanking rudders are controlled by wheelhouse levers with mechanical shafts through the houses and connected to the hydraulic actuator valves in the upper engine room.

A set of push knees and deck winches with cheek blocks facilitates barge work. A pair of 55 kW gensets meets the boat’s electrical requirements.

Zero discharge tanks, built integral to the hull, provide storage for treated sewage and all drains. A separate tank handles waste oil.

The M/V Dianna Lynn is the fourth boat in the Mid-River Terminal fleet, all of which are Cummins powered. Owner Rick Ellis said, “We wanted the three engines for redundancy so that even if we loose an engine we still have over 1,200 horsepower.”

The new boat will be primarily involved in fleeting and harbor work, “Rodriguez did a great job and it is a great handling boat,” Ellis added.

BOUCHARD, MORAN EXPANDING FLEETS
As we highlighted last month, Bouchard Transportation’s multi-million-dollar newbuild program is winding down. The Melville, NY, owner is completing the construction of two new 6,000 hp, 310 ft x 38 ft Intercon tugs at VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, MS. The tugs Morton S. Bouchard Jr. and Fredrick E. Bouchard will be connected to the B. No. 210 and B. No. 220. The two tank barges were the first double hull tank barges built by Bouchard,. Both were built as wire barges, but following their conversion and stretch at Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., both will be Intercon, flat deck double hulls capable of carrying 110,000 bbl of oil.

Moran Towing, New Canaan, CT, expects to take delivery shortly of a 5,300 hp/110,000 bbl ATB unit from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. The Sturgeon Bay, WI, has another 8,000hp/155,000 bbl ATB unit under construction for Plains All American Pipeline, with an option for a second unit, and signed a hotly contested order for another 8,000 hp/185,000 for another earlier last month. That contract includes an option for another.

The new barge will have a capacity of 185,000-barrels with dimensions of 578 feet by 78 feet. The tug will be an 8.000-HP unit equipped with Tier 4 engines—believed to be GE Marine—to meet the latest EPA emission standards.

When complete, the ATB will operate on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity,” said Francesco Valente, FMG President and CEO. “This new contract marks an additional expansion of our product portfolio, confirms our ability to win business with new customers in a very competitive market and further consolidates our presence and reach in the U.S. market.”

“This award increases our pipeline of new construction to 10 vessels and provides additional stability to our business,” said FBS Vice-President and General Manager, Todd Thayse. “We are grateful for the confidence that our customers continue to place in our reputation for quality and the strong shipbuilding skills of our workforce.”

Conrad Shipyards, Morgan City, LA, meanwhile, is building the 80,000 bbl ATB unit for John W. Stone, as well as two ATB tugs for Harley Marine Services, Seattle, WA. Conrad Orange Shipyard in Orange, TX, recently delivered the 35,000 bbl Double Skin 315 to Vane Brothers Company. That barge was towed to New York by the Elizabeth Anne, the first in a series of eight 4,200 hp tugs being built by St. Johns Ship Building, Palatka, FL.

Designed by Frank Basile, P.E. of Entech Designs, LLC, the Elizabeth Anne Class tugboat is a close cousin to Vane’s Basile-designed Patapsco Class tugboats, 15 of which were produced between 2004 and 2009. Measuring 100 feet long and 34 feet wide, with a hull depth of 15 feet, the model-bow Elizabeth Anne utilizes two Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines, each generating 2,100 hhp at 1,600 rev/min. Two John Deere PowerTech 4045, 99 kW generators deliver service power to the boat, while a third John Deere 4045 teamed with an Allison transmission drives the chain-driven INTERCON DD200 towing winch.

VectraROBERT ALLAN’S LATEST
Over the years, world renowned naval architectural and marine engineering firm Robert Allan Ltd. Has successfully teamed with shipyards around the world to bring new innovative tug designs to the market. Its latest is the VectRA 3000 Class Tug, a high performance VSP Tractor tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd in close collaboration with Turkish ship builder Sanmar and Voith Turbo Propulsion. The tug is designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of towing, harbor ship-handling and escorting of large ships. Performance has been verified with extensive model tests at the commencement of the design cycle. The unique propulsion arrangement features high-speed diesel engines connected to the Voith units via reduction gearboxes with integral clutches. With a bollard pull of 70 tonnes, the VectRA 3000 form can generate escort steering forces in excess of 100 tonnes. Additionally, the design has fire-fighting and oil recovery capabilities and is fully MLC compliant.

The VectRA 3000 has been designed exclusively for Sanmar to offer as one of its highly successful stable of progressive tugboats for the world market.

The first vessel in the series, the M/T Ares, built for Italian tugowner Tripmare SpA, was successfully launched at Sanmar’s new Altinova advanced shipbuilding facility this past February.

The tug has an overall length of 30.25 m, beam of 13m, depth of 5.1m, and design draft of 6.1m.

The vessels are built and classed to the following ABS notation: ✠ A1 Towing Vessel, Escort Vessel, ✠ AMS, Unrestricted Service, UWILD, HAB (WB), ABCU Fire-Fighting Vessel Class 1 Oil Spill Recovery – Capability Class 2 (>60° C) (OSR – C2).

Rather uniquely for a VSP installation, the propulsion drivetrain comprises two Cat 3516C high-speed diesel engines, each rated 2,525 kW at 1,800 rev/min, and driving Voith 32R5EC/265-2 cycloidal propellers. The engines are connected to the Voith drives through a pair of Reintjes WAF 863 gearboxes and Vulkan composite shafts, rather than using the more traditional turbo coupling. This combination is smaller, lighter and less costly than the traditional medium speed drive system. The electrical plant consists of two identical diesel gensets, each with a rated output of 86 ekW.

Crew accommodations are all located on the main deck level for optimal crew comfort. There are 4 single crew cabins plus 1 double crew cabin, each with an en-suite bathroom. A comfortable lounge/mess area and galley facilities are also in the deckhouse, with galley stores and laundry room located below the main deck forward.

All towing, ship handling, and escort work is performed using a double drum escort winch and escort rated staple fitted on the aft deck. One drum can store 710 meters of steel wire line, while the other stores 150 meters of synthetic towline. For increased operational flexibility radial type tow hooks are installed on the main deck forward and aft.

As in a traditional tractor configuration, the stern is the working end of the tug, and as such features heavy-duty cylindrical fendering with a course of ‘W’ fenders below. Hollow ‘D’ fenders protect the sheer lines and tie neatly into the ‘W’ fenders at the bow.

The wheelhouse is designed for excellent 360-degree visibility and includes overhead windows. The split type console is biased aft to ensure unobstructed visibility of the working deck (including the winch, staple, bulwarks and fenders) during operations.

CARGILL’s PUSHBOATS FOR THE AMAZON
In Brazil, the construction of a fleet of Robert Allan Ltd.-designed pushboats and barges for Cargill Transportation is nearing completion. To be used for transporting grain products on the Amazon River system, the fleet includes two shallow-draft RApide 2800-Z2 class pushboats built at INACE in Fortaleza, Brazil and 20 hopper barges built at Rio Maguari in Belem, Brazil.

Each of the two new RApide 2800-Z2 Class pushboats are 28m x 10.5m, with a minimum operating draft of 2.2m and normal operating draft of 2.5m. The two sister vessels, the Cargill Cachara and Cargill Tucunare, are designed to push barge convoys on the Amazon River system.

During the early phases of design, extensive CFD simulations were undertaken to optimize the pushboat’s hull shape to minimize total convoy resistance.

This work was completed in conjunction with extensive logistics modeling of the transportation system to optimize the selection of vessels for the desired route and to analyze operational drafts and cargo throughput at various river levels.

The pushboats were designed to ABS and Brazilian NORMAM-02 requirements and are outfitted to the highest standards.

The wheelhouse is designed for maximum all-round visibility with a split forward control station providing maximum visibility to the foredeck working area of the tug as well as to the convoy of barges ahead. Accommodation for up to 13 people is provided onboard and a large galley and mess is provided on the main deck.

The deckhouse extends aft over the main propulsion components, which comprise a pair of Caterpillar 3512B diesel engines, driving Schottel SRP 550 Z-drive units. The drives are fitted in tunnels designed to optimize flow while reducing draft. Two identical Caterpillar diesel gensets are provided in the vessel’s auxiliary machinery space located below the main deck.

The corresponding 61m x 15m box and rake barges were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. to ABS River Rule requirements. Additional extensive FEA analysis of the structure was performed in order to optimize the design for minimum steel weight while ensuring long service life during river operations. Sliding aluminum hatch covers have been supplied to ensure the cargo stays dry at all times.

Plenty of Work, Despite Oil’s Dip

OPEC’s December decision to maintain oil output may not be doing any favors for U.S. shale producers, but continuing investment by national oil companies around the Arabian Gulf is underpinning a wide range of offshore-related projects and creating opportunities for regional shipyards.

There has, of course, been a sharp downturn in charter rates—the world’s largest energy firm Saudi Aramco, for example, told suppliers including Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) operators earlier in the year that it expected cuts in rates of 20-30%. Many regional OSV owners are under serious pressure.

But while shipyard prices are also sharply constrained, there is no shortage of work. Oil producing countries are geared to pumping as much oil as possible and making the most of the opportunity to grow their market share. Both Saudi Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have revealed that they have no plans to cut back on exploration and production although, to be fair, the Saudi energy company has stopped exploring in the Red Sea for the moment.

Both oil companies have huge capex programs, however. ADNOC has plans to raise oil output by a quarter, to 3.5 million b/d by 2018. The company plans to spend close to $100 billion over the next four years, it revealed last May. More than $60 billion will be spend over the next two years. A significant proportion of the money will be channelled offshore in vast oil fields that lie in shallow water. The oil-rich Emirate is developing some of its offshore reserves by creating artificial islands that provide a cheaper means of production for long-life fields than chartering jack-ups.

With relatively low production costs, Middle East oil producers are less vulnerable to low prices than almost everyone else. The continuing drive to explore and develop more reserves has been a major catalyst in the drive by regional shipyards to target the offshore sector. Heavyweight repair yards including ASRY in Bahrain, Drydocks World Dubai and N-KOM in Qatar have all developed substantial revenue streams from the offshore sector in recent years.

Now, several new yards are targeting the offshore market. The family-owned Zamil Group officially commissioned a new shipyard built on reclaimed land last April. The 2.5 million ft2 facility has been designed not only to build and repair the group’s own vessels—it has a fleet of 76 vessels, mostly OSVs—but also to work on other ship- and offshore-building projects for third parties.

A few miles down the coast, Dammam Ship Repair Yard is also gearing up to take on more business in the offshore sector. The yard has already undergone a significant upgrading under ownership of the Al Blagha group, with two floating docks of 22,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes lifting capacity refurbished and brought back into class. Buildings, workshops and yard infrastructure has also been overhauled and upgraded.

Now though, yard management is targeting international offshore operators working in Saudi waters. Mobile repair teams from the shipyard have been deployed on rigs offshore, carrying out a range of projects. Meanwhile contractors including Ensco, Rowan, Noble and Seadrill all carried out jack-up rig repairs, upgrades and modifications during 2015.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Damen Shipyards Sharjah is also eyeing the offshore sector. The new facility, which is a joint venture between the global shipyard group and locally owned Albwardy Marine Engineering, is a newbuilding and repair yard capable of handling offshore support vessels, tugs and workboats of various types. Its facilities include a Rolls-Royce ship lift capable of handling vessels up to 394 feet, 4,000 feet of quay for alongside repairs, and eight dry repair berths.

grandweld1BUSY AT GRANDWELD
This past year, Grandweld completed the construction of 17 vessels. The shipyard’s latest projects include advanced crew boats, dive maintenance and support vessels, and work crane boats for a who’s who of Middle East energy firms and offshore contractors.

Grandweld, which has been operating from its Dubai base since 1984, specializes in vessels custom built to conduct complex operations in the region’s challenging offshore environment.

These range from three recently delivered work crane boats for Kuwait Oil Company – optimized for duties such as heavy lifting, oil-pollution control, SPM hose handling, and supply to remote areas – to two modified 42-meter-long crew boats (FNSA-3 and FNSA-4) for Fujairah National Shipping Agency. The latter vessels are capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots and customized to execute operations such as security duties, fast transportation of offshore personal and cargo, and the rapid supply of fuel and freshwater.

“The Middle East is a unique environment, with unique challenges and opportunities,” says Jamal Abki, General Manager Grandweld Shipyards. “We have a history of producing vessels that excel here. We use that understanding to continually enhance our offering, while building new relationships with international clients who can benefit from our expertise when it comes to meeting their own exacting requirements.

“Our integrated proposition is efficient, flexible and modern, while our in-house engineers and project managers are world class. In addition, we invest heavily in research and development to enhance our own designs, as well as using respected external designers when desired. This ensures our vessels are leading the way in operational efficiency, reliability and performance – something the industry clearly appreciates.”

Further noteworthy deliveries over the last months include three 34.3m aluminum crew boats to Jana Marine Services, a 50m Dive Maintenance & Support Vessel to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and the 42m crew boats Stanford Volga and Stanford Niger, which are capable of carrying 83 people at speeds of 25 knots.

“It’s an exciting time for the business, and our customers,” concludes Jamal Abki. “As the offshore trend points towards more optimized, complex vessels, our knowledge and experience allows us to respond with advanced newbuilds that deliver added performance and competitiveness for our clients.

“We’re now looking forward to building on our leading market position over the space of the next 12 months, and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Gulf ship repairers are all cautiously optimistic on potential business from Iran. However, legal experts specializing in sanctions are urging the utmost caution. The latest diplomatic fall-out between Saudi Arabia and Iran will certainly not have helped.

NEW DESIGN FROM ROLLS-ROYCE TARGETS U.S., TOO
Offshore operators in the Gulf of Mexico are among those being targeted by Rolls-Royce as it introduces the first in a series of new mid-range offshore vessel designs specifically developed to meet the requirements of companies working in a low capex era. The UT 7217 is a DP2 anchor handling tug supply ship with a bollard pull of 100 tonnes which can be raised to 130 tonnes without any fundamental design changes.

Jan Emblemsvåg is Senior Vice President of Ship Design at Rolls-Royce. He says that the company’s analysis has revealed that there are already more than 600 vessels in this range which are more than 25 years old. This could be the first sector of the offshore market to generate new demand, he believes. There will inevitably be a replacement requirement at some point, he says, and the UT 7217 has been designed with operators’ likely future requirements specifically in mind.

Although the design has been developed to incorporate as much flexibility as possible and will be capable of worldwide deployment, specific offshore markets which Rolls-Royce has identified besides the Gulf of Mexico include the Middle East and the South China Sea. Vessel price will of course depend on region and shipyard, but Emblemsvåg reveals that initial indications from some Far Eastern yards lie in the $17 million to $18 million range.

The design has been developed to compete effectively with existing ships in the sector. Bollard pull is greater than the typical 70-80 tonnes, for example, and deck area – at 500 square meters – is more than the usual 450-460 square meters. There is more cargo capacity than is usual and the vessel has a launch and recovery system.

With cost constraints in mind, Rolls-Royce designers have chosen a diesel mechanical propulsion system which comprises two medium-speed C25:33L9P CD diesels of 3,000kW each, driving two US305 controllable pitch azimuth thrusters with 3.2 meter diameter propellers in nozzles. Each engine drives a shaft generator and fire pump for fire-fighting duties. There are two independent 400kW generating sets providing electrical power and two 590kW bow thrusters.  

Operating flexibility will be aided by the SPS notation which will enable the vessel to carry up to 12 additional personnel besides the crew. There are 29 cabins giving a maximum of 40 on board. This means that the ship can be deployed in a wide range of tasks, including cargo supply, anchor handling, ROV operations, safety standby and maintenance and repair.

The competitive price indications are based on a Rolls-Royce equipment package including the main two-drum hydraulic winch with 200-tonne heave and 250-tonne brake rating. They also assume the diesel mechanical propulsion system. However, Emblemsvåg is well aware that some OSV operators may wish to specify other equipment and possible alternative propulsion arrangements such as a diesel-electric set-up. These, he says, can be accommodated but will obviously have an impact on price.

Other mid-range offshore vessel designs are currently being worked on by Rolls-Royce naval architects. They include a larger 150-tonne anchor handler likely to be introduced later this year. A mid-range subsea construction vessel design is also on the drawing board, intended for waters where breakeven production costs are relatively low and where energy companies will be focusing whilst the oil price stays down.

Rodriquez delivers towboat to Mid-River Terminals

MARCH 26, 2016—Over the years, Rodriguez Shipbuilding, Inc.’s triple-screw towboats have won a following operating in the shallow waters where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. These Lugger-type vessels are

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Nordic Technology Incubator

Tucked away in southwestern Finland is Salo, a town of about 50,000, where 40 percent of all the doors for large cruise ships are produced. Antti Marine’s production facility in Salo has produced a quarter of a million doors for 300 cruise ships in just over 20 years. It takes about 10 weeks to produce a typical order of 3,000 doors. They are supplied over a period of six months, as and when the ship’s cabins are built

“We are devoted to lean thinking,” says Commercial Director Markko Takkinen. “The production time of the doors is short, as we do not want them remain in storage here.”

Antti Marine specializes in what it calls ‘“tailored mass production”—necessary because on one cruise ship there may be 150 different types of doors.

Antti Marine is not the only Finnish marine company that benefits from many of the world’s large cruise ship fleet being built in Finland.

Cruise ships also have a lot of toilets and a need for a lot of waste management systems. Finnish headquartered Evac Group has just received its biggest cruise vessel contract ever: total waste management systems for four large cruise ships plus an option to outfit an additional six vessels. The initial four-vessel contract is valued at about EURO 30 million.

 Each ship will have an Evac Cleansea wastewater treatment plan, allowing operation in Environmentally Sensitive Sea Areas (ESSAs) and Special Areas (SAs), dry and wet waste treatment systems, a bio sludge treatment unit, plus vacuum collecting systems and some 3,000 vacuum toilets.

Evac also supplies its products to a wide range of users ashore and afloat. So, too, does fire protection specialist Marioff Corporation Oy, but its roots are in the marine market and it last year launched a new generation Hi-Fog 3000 sprinkler series for marine applications that replaces earlier Hi-Fog 1000 and Hi-Fog 2000 sprinkler series.

“With the launch of this new generation of Hi-Fog 3000 sprinklers, we are offering to our marine customers enhanced Hi-Fog systems with faster activation, more efficient suppression and improved passenger and crew safety,” says John Hemgård, Director of Marine Business, Marioff Corporation Oy.

The Hi-Fog 3000 sprinkler series is designed, tested and type approved according to IMO Res.A800(19) as amended in IMO Res.MSC.265(84).

Another Finnish product that really took off after its widespread adoption is ABB’s Azipod. It’s become the propulsor of choice for cruise ships and ABB is currently delivering the complete electrical power plant and propulsion systems for two new 3,300 passenger cruise ships building at Germany’s Meyer Werft. The 20.5 MW Azipod XO propulsion unit for the first of the ships recently left the ABB factory in Helsinki.

ABB has delivered, or has on order, Azipod propulsion units for about 200 vessels

Each Azipod propulsion unit takes about two months for technicians to assemble at ABB’s Vuosaari plant. Across town at ABB’s Helsinki motors, generators and drives factory, the powerful synchronous motors at the system’s core take shape over six months.

COOPERATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS
The major driver for marine engine designers is bringing engines into compliance with emissions requirements while keeping fuel consumption and maintenance costs under control.

 A new pressurized EGR (exhaust gas recovery) economizer from Alfa Laval shows how Scandinavian maritime innovation often results from a cooperation between suppliers, university departments and shipowners. It also illustrates that, for some ships, EGR may be a better means of coming into compliance with new NOx limits than the better known SCR (selective catalytic reduction).

In a project supported by the Danish Energy-Technological Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP) and developed in cooperation with Aalborg University, the EGR economizer has been rigorously tested aboard the containership Maersk Cardiff.

 “As a front-runner in the pursuit of green technologies, we were keen to see what the Aalborg EGR-HPE could do,” says Ole Christensen, Senior Machinery Specialist at A.P. Moller-Maersk. “But while we were enthusiastic about the boiler’s potential, we were also somewhat uncertain as how it would handle the physical realities of EGR. The temperatures are twice as high as those of traditional waste heat recovery, and the gas pressures are far greater.”

Those concerns disappeared when the boiler was brought online with the Maersk Cardiff’s two-stroke MAN B&W 6S80ME-C9 engine in November 2014. “Not only did the boiler survive,” says Christensen, “[but also] the results we have seen during testing are very promising.”

“EGR provides Tier III NOx compliance with a very compact footprint, but compliance itself is only part of the full potential,” says John Pedersen, Business Manager, Boilers, Combustion & Heaters at Alfa Laval. “Working closely with MAN Diesel & Turbo to optimize the EGR technology, we saw additional opportunities through our expertise in marine boilers.”

In the EGR process, around 30% of the exhaust gas is directed back into the engine, which reduces the combustion temperature and thus the production of NOx. Since only the remaining 70% of the gas reaches the traditional exhaust gas boiler after the turbocharger, waste heat recovery is reduced by 30% as well.

The Aalborg EGR-HPE is a revolutionary new economizer enclosed in a pressure casing that is placed in-line ahead of the pre-scrubber sprayers in the EGR circuit.

“By moving the break point for waste heat recovery from a medium engine load down to a low load, the Aalborg EGR-HPE enables even slower steaming,” says Pedersen. “That means fuel savings that quickly pay back the economizer, offset the EGR investment and lower CO2 emissions on top of the NOx reduction.”

aalborg egr hpe man enginePositioned ahead of the pre-scrubber spray jets, the Aalborg EGR-HPE has access to much higher temperatures than traditional exhaust gas boilers. It is integrated with the conventional waste heat recovery after the turbocharger by its steam drum, which is shared with the traditional exhaust gas boiler. With the output of the traditional economizer feeding into the shared drum, the Aalborg EGR-HPE produces extremely high-quality steam with a temperature of just above 400°C, bringing the waste heat recovery system to a much higher level of efficiency.

Using the Aalborg EGR-HPE in an integrated system allows waste heat recovery to occur at lower main engine loads than possible with a traditional waste heat recovery system in Tier III operation. This creates the possibility of even slower steaming.

“The EGR economizer makes waste heat recovery beneficial at far lower engine loads, down to around 30%” says Pedersen. “This means that vessels can steam even slower, with huge fuel savings as a result.”

DUAL FUEL
B&W in MAN-B&W stands for Burmeister & Wain and the Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen built the Selandia, the world’s first successful diesel-powered oceangoing ship. That was in 1912.

More than a century later MAN Diesel & Turbo in Copenhagen is still on the cutting edge of diesel innovation.

One beneficiary of this is TOTE Maritime which opted for MAN Diesel & Turbo dual fuel technology for its two new Marlin Class, Jones Act containerships. Both of these ships have been delivered for operation between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, burning LNG as fuel and thereby meeting all U.S. SECA emissions requirement. Each is powered by the world’s first dual-fuel slow-speed engine, an MAN-B&W 8L70ME-GI, built in Korea by licensee Doosan Engine.

The technology in the ME-GI engines wasn’t just pulled out of a hat. It is a natural development of the MAN B&W low speed electronically controlled ME family of engines. The first testing of the GI principles was carried out in 1987 and MAN Diesel

& Turbo introduced its first two-stroke ME-GI dual fuel engine series in 2011, adding the ME-LGI engine series (which can burn liquid fuels such as methanol and ethanol) in 2013.

In theory, any ME engine can be converted into an ME-GI engine, but to be recognized by a classification society as “LNG ready” an ME engine equipped newbuild will have to be designed with provision for such things as the necessary LNG fuel tanks, piping and other ancillaries.

MEDIUM SPEEDS, TOO
LNG fueling has also proved an attraction for many operators of vessels with medium speed diesels who have to operate in emissions control area.

That trend sees Wärtsilä set to deliver the 100th Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel marine engine from the factory in early 2016. It is part of an order for three new large escort tugs under construction for Norwegian operator Østensjø Rederi by Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondan. The tugs will operate at Statoil’s Melkøya terminal near Hammerfest in Norway.

“These 100 engines do not include those delivered for land-based energy generation applications,” says Lars Anderson, Vice President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

“Within its power range, the Wärtsilä 34DF has become the workhorse of the marine industry, thanks to its superior reliability and lower operating costs. It is a highly efficient engine that is also making a notable contribution to environmental compliance,”

The Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engine was upgraded in 2013 with a higher MCR (maximum continuous rating) and better efficiency than its earlier version, the first of which was delivered in 2010. The upgraded version has a power output range from 3,000 to 10,000 kW at 500 kW per cylinder.

ELIMINATE THE ENGINE?
Of course, if you can eliminate the engine and switch to battery power, that gets rid of emissions issues entirely. One area where this could be possible is in certain short range ferry operations and we have already noted the E-ferry way project under way in Denmark at Søby Værft AS.

Wartsila ferryConceptWärtsilä, too, is eyeing this niche. In January it launched a concept for a series of zero or low emission shuttle ferries. The concept has been developed in line with new Norwegian environmental regulations for ferries, and Wärtsilä says this regulatory trend is also evident in other countries.

The ferries are designed to run entirely on batteries or in a battery-engine hybrid configuration where the fuel options are liquefied natural gas (LNG) or biofuel.

In plug-in operation, the fuel consumption is reduced by 100 percent compared to conventional installations, and all local emissions are completely eliminated. With the plug-in hybrid configuration, emissions are reduced by up to 50 percent.

The concept features Wärtsilä’s new wireless inductive charging system, which offers major benefits for typical shuttle ferry operations involving 20,000 or more departures a year because of its time and energy savings. The system eliminates physical cable connections, thus reducing wear and tear and enabling charging to begin immediately when the vessel arrives at quay.

Wärtsilä has now signed an agreement with Cavotec SA to jointly develop a combined induction charging and automatic mooring concept. It would incorporate Wärtsilä’s wireless induction power transfer into a vacuum-based automated mooring technology in which remote controlled vacuum pads recessed into, or mounted on the quayside, moor and release vessels in seconds.

FILTER PROMISES TO CUT NOX
The Exilator, an environmental filter for smaller ships, able to reduce both sulfur, carbon monoxide, NOx and noise, has been successfully tested on a Danish Maritime Authority ship. The technology has been testing over a 12-month project phase followed by a three-month practical test of the concept on the Danish Maritime Authority’s ship Poul Løwenørn. The filter’s performance has been documented by the Danish Technological Institute, and the installation and mounting of the filter has been approved by LR.

The filter has been designed for ships with engines of up to 6 MW. Current regulations don’t require the cleaning of exhaust gas from smaller ships if they already sail on marine diesel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1%. Still, developer Exilator ApS

believes that there is already a market for the filter, as it reduces soot pollution and NOx on the ship itself and also cuts engine noise considerably — particularly attractive in the yachting sector, or expedition vessels sailing in very sensitive nature areas.

According to the test from the Danish Technological Institute, the filter reduces soot particle emissions by 99,1%, carbon monoxide by 98% and NOx by 11%. Though those tests didn’t cover the filter’s noise reduction properties but the company expects a noise reduction up to 35 dB, including low frequency noise.

Financing for development and testing was secured through the Danish Growth Fund and investment & development company CapNova.

The filter works by catalytically incinerated the soot in the exhaust as soon the ship’s engines reach exhaust temperatures above 325 degrees C. Ash is accumulated in the filter, which means that the filters must be cleaned after about 5,000 operational hours, as part of the recycling process.

The filter requires that the ship uses marine gas oil with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1%. According the test, the filter improves the ship’s fuel consumption by around 1%.

The exhaust gas, after passing through the turbo charger, goes to a muffler that removes the deep resonance. Then comes the particle filter, which also serves as an oxidation catalyst, where the soot is captured and burned – and finally the gas is led through a reducing catalyst, which minimizes NOx and NO2, before being emitted into the atmosphere.

Development is now underway in a collaboration with DTU, the Technological Institute and an engine manufacturer aimed at increasing the filter’s NOx reduction from 11% to 40% in phase 1, and to 80% in the subsequent phase 2. When this is achieved, the filter will enable compliance with IMO Tier III NOx limits.

SCRUBBERS
Shipowners face no shortage of options if they decide to use exhaust gas scrubbers to cut sulfur emissions. Recent customers for Alfa Laval’s PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems include Buss Shipping, which is retrofitting hybrid PureSOx systems on two 1,025 TEU container feeder ships that operate exclusively in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Since they frequent the low-alkalinity waters between Rotterdam and St. Petersburg, as well as ports like Hamburg with zero-discharge requirements, a scrubber with closed-loop mode was a necessity.

Each ship will receive a hybrid PureSOx system with multiple inlets, connecting the main engine and two auxiliary engines to one U-design scrubber. In contrast to earlier systems with multiple inlets, the inlets will now lead into a single scrubber jet section – an advance in construction that will make the scrubber even more compact.

“The PureSOx solution was well engineered and allowed a sophisticated integration of the scrubber system into our container feeder ships,” says Christoph Meier, Project Manager, Buss Shipping. “The custom construction let us avoid major modifications inside the vessel, which together with the pre-outfitting gave us a short installation time. All those factors contributed to a competitive price.”

Though there’s no doubt that scrubbers work, they also involve a substantial investment. That led Finland’s family-owned Langh Ship to develop a scrubber of its own, the decision was made a little easier by the fact that another family-owned company has 40 years’ experience in cleaning washing waters.

The resulting product was successfully tested over an extended period on one of Langth’s own ships, the M/S Laura, and received final class approval from GL in August 2014. All of Langh’s five vessels have now been fitted with the scrubber and last year a hybrid version was installed on Bore Shipping’s M/V Bore Song.

“It has lived up to our expectations: minimum sludge handling, very clean outgoing water and in that respect minimum impact on the environment,” said Jörgen Mansnerus, VP, Marine Management at Bore Ltd.

Scrubbers could become less expensive as the result of a pilot project developed by Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) researchers Carlos Dorao and Maria Fernandino.

Called the Lynx Separator, the technology now being examined for possible use in marine exhaust gas scrubbers was originally developed for use in the natural gas industry and involves using a steel sponge along with centrifugal force to remove the fluid from a gas stream, offering a brand new solution for the gas industry.

In the Lynx Separator, wet gas flows through the separator. A tubular metal sponge spins rapidly so the liquid is separated from the gas and thrown to the side and down, allowing dry gas to stream up to where it’s needed.

The Research Council of Norway’s Innovation Program MAROFF (Maritime activities and offshore operations) has now funded a pilot project to examine the possibility of applying the separator technology to cleaning ships’ exhaust emissions from ships andetheoretical calculations and testing show promising results

BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Another major focus of compliance concern for shipowners is, of course, ballast water management. Needless to say, most of the major players in the Scandinavian marine equipment sectors have horses in this race. It’s just to soon to pick any winners given the fact that no system has yet gained full U.S. Type Approval.

As this was written, Norway’s Optimarin was claiming to be on the brink of the coveted approval and was pleased when the U.S. Coast Guard told manufacturers of ultraviolet (UV) based BWMS that it will not accept the Most Probable Number (MPN) testing method in its approval process. The MPN methodology evaluates organisms on the basis of “viable/unviable,” with most UV systems depositing “unviable” organisms back into the water – meaning they are still alive but cannot reproduce. The USCG said that the FDA/CMFDA test, which judges life forms as “living/dead,” must be the standard for approval.

Optimarin says the decision is good news.

The Coast Guard has told UV system manufacturers that it will not accept the Most Probable Number (MPN) testing method in its approval process. The MPN methodology evaluates organisms on the basis of “viable/unviable,” with most UV systems depositing “unviable” organisms back into the water – meaning they are still alive but cannot reproduce.

“This is a clear indication to the industry that USCG wants absolute certainty with regard to standards – they do not want living organisms deposited in their territory,” comments Tore Andersen, Optimarin’s CEO. “MPN is acceptable for IMO, but that won’t be any consolation to shipowners with global fleets that want the flexibility of sailing in and out of U.S. waters.”

He says that Optimarin, which has over 20 years of industry experience and installed the world’s first commercial BWT system in 2000, is the only UV manufacturer that is currently within “touching distance” of USCG approval.

Its technology successfully satisied the FDA/CFMDA criteria during testing last year. Further tests in other water salinities are scheduled for spring 2016, after which point approval is expected later this year.

Andersen says the system’s power is the key to its efficacy. “Each of our system lamps has a 35 kW capacity, which is huge for a UV system. That power instantly kills invasive organisms and that’s exactly what USCG wants to see,” he says