Search Results for: ferries

Ex-Hawaii ferry readies for role as The CAT

JUNE 1, 2016 —  Bay Ferries Limited reports that The CAT high-speed ferry was refloated May 25 following an extensive period of refit, upgrade, and repair at Detyens Shipyards, Charleston, SC, that

Irish Continental orders cruise ferry

MAY 31, 2016 — Dublin headquartered Irish Continental Group plc (ICG) is investing EUR 144 million to build a new cruise ferry for its Irish Ferries operation. To be built by German

U.S. ferry fleet carries 115 million passengers a year

MAY 27, 2016 —The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released Highlights of the 2014 National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO). Key findings indicate that 115.1 million passengers

Electrifying the Ferry Market

The first all-electric ferry built for operations in the United States may soon be coming to fruition in the Pacific Northwest. Bremerton, WA-based Art Anderson Associates with partner EESImarine has been developing concepts for the first all-electric battery-powered vehicle ferry to be produced and used in the United States. This zero emissions ferry will be the first of its kind putting the United States and more specifically, the Puget Sound region, on the map as a leader in green technology in the marine industry.

Art Anderson Associates is at the forefront of green technology within the marine community. Founded in 1957 as a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, the company has grown and diversified to employ architects, naval architects, planners, construction managers and civil, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers to create an interdisciplinary team. Art Anderson Associates has supported local and international ferry systems including Washington State Ferries and Alaska Marine Highway Systems for over 30 years.

New ferry for Guemes Island route
Art Anderson Associates and EESImarine are teaming up to generate funding for the potential implementation of the vehicle ferry concept for Skagit County’s Guemes Island-Anacortes passenger and car ferry replacement.

After an initial review of the Guemes Island Ferry route, Art Anderson Associates proposed to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners the all-electric ferry as a viable replacement for their aging ferry with additional benefits of reducing the lifecycle costs and environmental impacts that a traditional diesel ferry would have. The Skagit County Board of Commissioners signed a resolution on December 29, 2015 directing its Public Works Department to conduct an all-electric ferry propulsion and feasibility study with Art Anderson Associates.

The all-electric ferry being developed will be a practical alternative for operators of ferries throughout the world who want to accomplish zero emissions and achieve a reduction in overall costs of operations. It is projected that the all-electric ferry will reduce owner costs by up to $170,000 per year and will provide an overall breakeven cost after five years of operation when compared to a diesel engine driven vessel.

Two battery banks using low maintenance technology will provide the vessel’s propulsion and power. This clean energy storage uses vanadium flow batteries provided by UniEnergy Technologies (UET) of Mukilteo, WA. This revolutionary battery system combines chemicals in a reduction-oxidation reaction that yields electricity. UET’s batteries are economical, safe, environmentally responsible, and highly reliable. After the batteries have reached the end of their utility, UET handles the decommissioning process and recycles the batteries. This process supports the development of recyclable fuel and eliminates the waste conventional batteries leave at the end of their lifetime.

A key part of the design was building the battery and propulsion system in modular format to permit complete system construction and testing before shipment to the shipyard. “This effectively makes the main power & propulsion system plug-N-play and eliminates a major headache for many small and mid-size yards,” says Payne.

Payne, an expert in electric marine and hybrid propulsion systems, has been designing commercial marine electrical systems since 1993.

The electric ferry also demonstrates energy efficiency and energy conservation. With electric motors and the vanadium flow batteries, the propulsion system’s efficiency is approximately 73%, which is twice the efficiency of a traditional diesel-driven vessel. In addition, the electric ferry supports the conservation of energy by obtaining its power from the electric grid—which in Washington is largely supplied by renewable energy sources including solar, biomass, biodiesel, hydroelectric, and wind power.

The cost of energy for powering the ferry is 30-60% less than for the equivalent amount of diesel fuel required for a vessel of a similar size. This estimation can largely vary due to the fluctuation in oil prices but even on the low end offers significant savings both fiscally and environmentally. The electric ferry project also has the ability to further provide savings by supporting demand-side response and management by charging during the evening when the demand for electricity is low.

The vessel and power system design requires no exotic hull materials and can also be used to retrofit an existing vessel. New all-electric vessel construction costs are estimated at approximately 5% more than an engine-driven version.

“This design concept has the potential to be a true differentiator in the marine industry as an alternative form of vessel propulsion,” stated Eric Engelbrecht, Vice President at Art Anderson Associates. “With demonstrated performance and future advances in battery technology, this propulsion system can be scalable and ultimately contend with other means of propulsion for cost of construction and operation, and have zero environmental impact.”

Seeking Funds
Funding is being sought through a variety of public and private sources. Skagit County has committed funds to conduct a propulsion study on the current ferry route and Art Anderson Associates is developing technical content for further funding outreach.

Currently, Art Anderson Associates is pursuing funding from Washington State’s Clean Energy Fund II, a state funded research, development and demonstration grant for technological advances in clean energy that bolsters the state’s clean tech sector. Funding of the Clean Energy Fund II supports development, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy technologies that save energy and reduce energy costs, reduce harmful air emissions, or otherwise increase energy independence for the state.  

If successful, this project would be the first all-electric, battery-powered vehicle ferry in North America. “We are extremely excited to be working with Art Anderson Associates to conduct a feasibility analysis for this innovative technology that can have so many positive impacts to the citizens of Skagit County, Washington state’s marine industry and the environment,” said Captain Rachel Rowe, Ferry Operations Division Manager for Skagit County.

Benefits of Going All-Electric
The vessel will have zero emissions, which eliminates approximately 650 tons of greenhouse gases annually. This does not include the reduced emissions from the elimination of the transportation and delivery of the 59,000 gallons of diesel utilized by the existing vessel each year.

An all-electric vehicle ferry means direct cost savings to taxpayers and zero-emissions benefits to all environments. This technology will accomplish local, federal and global initiatives to be a zero emission producer and lower our carbon footprint.

New Blood: U.S. Army set to order new vessels

 

Last year, the agency announced that it would order a new series of vessels—up to 37 in total for about $450 million— known as the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light), MSV(L) for its watercraft fleet. At print time, no RFP had been released, but it is expected to be issued in the next few weeks. The Army currently has a fleet of 132 vessels that perform a large percentage of the U.S. forces’ equipment and supply deliveries. Missions for the fleet are broken up into four categories: (1) Landing Craft; (2) Ship-to-Shore Enablers; (3) Towing and Terminal Support Operations; (4) Watercraft Operations Support.

The U.S. Army’s fleet is meant to be deployed worldwide, and can support operational movement and maneuver and force repositioning. Additionally, the agency says, the vessels perform a variety of roles.

Vessel type is broken up into two categories:

  1. (1) Lighters, which are used to conduct heavy sustainment lift; transport outsized equipment; Lighterage (cargo); and personnel between ships, from ship-to-shore, or from intra-theater transport. The Army says lighters are further classified into conventional displacement (landing craft) or modular causeway systems (powered ferry). Examples of lighters include: Logistic Support Vessel (LSV); Landing Craft, Utility (LCU); Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM); and Causeway Ferry.
  2. (2) Floating Utility Craft, which perform operations incidental to water terminal operations (except Lighterage service); this can include harbor and oceangoing tugs; floating cranes, floating causeways, roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities (RRDF), and modular/side-loadable warping tugs.

Details on the MSV(L)
The upcoming MSV(L) will replace the Landing Craft Mechanized 8 (LCM-8) (pictured above), which has been in service since 1967. The LCM-8 travels at 12 knots with no load and 8 knots or less with load. The LCM-8 is small in size, measuring just 74 ft x 21 ft, and can be used in confined areas. It has a range of 332 nautical miles unloaded and 271 nautical miles loaded. Designed for operations in rough waters, the LCM-8 can maneuver through sea state 3, breakers and can ground on a beach. Its bow ramp enables roll-on / roll-off (RO/RO) operations with wheeled and tracked vehicles.

The MSV(L) will feature an increased payload and speed over its predecessor, LCM-8.

The introduction of the MSV(L) into the fleet, says the Army, “will enable the agency to meet its movement, maneuver, and integrated expeditionary sustainment requirements with a more agile, versatile; and capable platform. The MSV(L) will conduct movement and maneuver of tactical force elements as well as traditional Army Watercraft System sustainment operations.”

The MSV(L) will also be able to operate in a variety bodies of waters including coastal waters, rivers and narrow waterways.

According to the agency, Col. Michael M. Russell Sr. Army G-8 FD Division Chief, called the MSV(L) program a lynchpin to the Army’s watercraft strategy. The landing craft will have the ability and capacity to carry a tank, a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), a Stryker armored fighting vehicle, troops, or supplies.

Russell added that the system would not be designed from scratch, and will likely be based on an existing design that will be “ruggedized” and made to fit the Army’s mission profile.

Industry Players Express Interest
One of the designs expected to be in the running is Constructions Industrielles de la Méditerranée’s (CNIM) L-Cat design.

Last December it was announced the CNIM would team up with Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), the U.S. subsidiary of Fincantieri, Oshkosh Defense, LLC, and Watercraft Logistics Services (WLS) to pursue the contract.

The L-Cat (Landing Catamaran Craft) is an innovative and rapid amphibious ship with a RO/RO design that integrates a mobile loading platform in a catamaran hull. This enables for personnel, armored vehicles and equipment to be unloaded in areas where there are no port facilities and shallow waters.

Intended for shore-to-shore applications, the L-Cat is already successfully used by the French National Navy, under the name EDA-R.

CNIM says that “during amphibious operations, it (the L-Cat) guarantees optimal transit speed, rapid loading and unloading of the deck.” This helps reduce threat during exposure time and offers a high degree of autonomy, with the vessel able to operate in a rage of 500 to 700 nautical miles, depending on the load.

Measuring 30 m x 12.6 m, the L-Cat has a maximum payload capacity of 100 tonnes, can reach speeds of up to 30 knots when empty and 18 knots when loaded to maximum payload.

The design’s proven track record, along with its own successful history of building vessels for the Army, Coast Guard and Navy, makes the group the optimal choice for the MSV(L) build program, according to Francesco G. Valente, President and CEO of FMG. “We believe that our world-class team and proven design represent the lowest risk and lowest total life-cycle cost to the U.S. Army,” said Valente.

Valente notes that FMG shipyards—Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri Ace Marine—have experience in building these types of landing craft, having built the LCM-6, LCM-8 and LCU landing craft in Marinette. The shipbuilder has also had the distinction of building 562 landing craft for the Army and Navy over a period of 23-years. And Marinette Marine was also half of the RB-M team (Kvichak Industries the other half) that built the Response Boat-Medium for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Meeting Production Needs, Who Wants In?
According to the Army’s MSV(L) DRAFT-Production Schedule, it is expected that one prototype will be built and tested by FY19, four will be built during Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) between FY 21 and FY 22; and, should the program reach full scale production, 32 will be produced during a four-year period between FY23 through FY27.

Kvichak, formerly known as Kvichak Marine Industries, now part of the Vigor group of companies, could also be a contender should it choose to pursue the contract.

The boat builder is listed on the Army’s list of Interested Prime Contractors along with Bollinger Shipyards, Conrad Shipyards, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Derecktor, Sterling Shipyard, Swiftships, LLC, and United States Marine, Inc.—the list is a prime example of the variety of yards interested in the contract, as well as the agency’s willingness to open up the contract pursuit to all shipyard types.

Kvichak is no stranger to producing vessels for government agencies in a full-scale production cycle, having long been a builder of pilot and patrol boats. Most notably, Kvichak was the other half of Team RB-M. The team built and delivered 174 RB-Ms for the Coast Guard, on time and on budget, completing the program in 2015.

The other builders on the list also have diverse portfolios, making each a feasible choice for the MSV(L) program.

Bollinger has long been a builder of patrol vessels for both the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. Most recently delivering the 17th Fast Response Cutter to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Conrad has, perhaps, the most diverse portfolio, with experience in the construction, conversion and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminum marine vessels across its shipyards for both commercial and government customers—Conrad’s Orange shipyard has produced a number of vessels for the army. Conrad, as most are aware, is currently building the first LNG bunker barge for operation in U.S.

Derecktor could put itself back in the shipbuilding game big time, should it win this contract. The yard has seen its share of trouble over the last decade, having filed for bankruptcy in Connecticut and losing its Bridgeport facility in the process, but Derecktor is putting in the work to get itself to the level it once was. The builder has experience building a variety of innovative vessel types both in the commercial and private yacht sector, including ferries, security vessels, patrol crafts, research vessels and workboats.

Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, has an extensive history with both the Coast Guard and Navy. Ingalls is currently building vessel 6 through 8 in the National Security Cutter Program for the Coast Guard’s fleet at its Pascagoula, MS shipyard. Under the program, eight vessels will be built to replace the aging 378-ft high endurance cutters. The shipbuilder also recently announced that the U.S. Navy’s 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, John P. Murtha (LPD 26), successfully completed acceptance trials. Under its contract with the Navy, Ingalls has built and delivered nine ships in the San Antonio Class. LPD 26 will be delivered in May. The 11th LPD, Portland (LPD 27) will be christened later this month. The yard has also received advanced procurement funding for long-lead-time material for the 12th ship in the series, the LPD 28.

Texas-based Sterling Shipyard, started by Harry Murdock and Brad Taylor, formerly of Orange Shipbuilding, has built a number of tank barges and towboats.

Swiftships specializes in the construction of small to medium-sized vessels made with steel, aluminum and fiberglass. It has delivered boats to the U.S. military, both commercial and private companies and 52 foreign countries.

United States Marine, Inc., Gulfport, MS, a designer and builder of fast patrol and special operations craft for the U.S. and foreign militaries, has predominately been a builder of military, patrol and special warfare boats in the 21 ft to 90 ft range. In its 30 plus years in business it has delivered over 500 craft to the U.S. Navy, USSCOCOM, NAVSEA and foreign militaries.

Pioneering New Technologies

Soon, noon-day reporting from fallible human beings will be a thing of the past. From cradle to grave, a whole new approach to ship efficiency has been made possible by recent advances in IT and data processing. Now, a step change in “always-on” ship connectivity will allow maritime assets to be monitored and managed remotely right round the clock.

As we reported in “Shipping’s Space Age Future” (ML April 2016, p. 37), perhaps the most ambitious project on the go in Europe is the Rolls-Royce-led Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWAI) in which other maritime firms including DNV GL, Inmarsat, Deltamarin and NAPA are also involved. Other participants include top academics from various Finnish universities.

At a project update meeting recently in Helsinki, Rolls-Royce President – Marine, Mikael Makinen declared: “Autonomous shipping is the future of the maritime industry. As disruptive as the smart phone, the smart ship will revolutionize the landscape of ship design and operations.”

Delegates heard that the sensor technology is now sufficiently sound and commercially available so that algorithms required for robust decision-making—the vessel’s virtual captain—are not far away. Now the arrays of sensors are to be tested over the coming months on board Finferries’ 65-meter-long double-ended ferry, Stella.

“Some of the distinct goals of this project are to make a difference in marine safety and energy efficiency,” Päivi Haikkola, Manager, R&D, Deltamarin Ltd., told Marine Log. “We want to mitigate human error.”

Finferries and dry bulk shipping company ESL Shipping Oy are the first ship operators to join the project, which aims to explore ways in which to combine existing communication technologies as effectively as possible for autonomous ship control. Inmarsat’s involvement is key.

The London-listed communications company recently began the roll-out of its new Fleet Xpress service, seen by many as truly a light-bulb moment. Preparing the ground for rapid advances in smart ship operation and crew welfare, the new service now provides always-on high-speed broadband communication between maritime and offshore assets at sea, and shore-based managers. It is the first time that such a service has been available from a single operator.

Fleet Xpress will also facilitate cloud-based applications from third parties with smart systems to raise ship operating efficiency and improve the life-quality of seafarers. For the first time, big data can be used to improve asset management and maintenance.

IT advances have also facilitated a new approach to ship design. Model basins and testing tanks still have their place, of course, but thousands of relatively high-speed computational iterations can measure the relative benefits of small design changes in a way that has not been possible before.

Take the Finnish company Foreship, for example. Its capabilities in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the super-efficient hull forms which it has developed have propelled the company into a position as one of the top ship design consultants to global cruise lines, advising both on newbuilding plans, conversions and retrofits.

In a couple of months, the first of two 4,700 dwt “EcoCoaster” cargo ships is due for delivery to Finland’s Meriaura Group from the Royal Bodewes yard in the Netherlands. Foreship carried out extensive hull optimization work and, as a result, these vessels will burn only about half of the fuel compared to an existing vessel of similar size and class.

Foreship worked with both the owner and Aker Arctic Technology on the ships which will be able to run on biofuel or marine gasoil. Meriaura plans to have at least half of its fleet – currently about 20 ships – based on EcoCoaster designs by 2020. Since ordering the 4,700 dwt units, work has been carried out on larger designs.

Also hailing from Finland is progressive ship design firm Deltamarin. Now a subsidiary of Singapore-listed AVIC International Maritime Holdings Limited and ultimate Chinese ownership, the company’s range of super-efficient B.delta bulk carriers spanning a size range from 28,000 dwt to 210,000 dwt has caught the attention of long-established dry bulk owners including heavyweights such as Algoma, Canada Steamship, Cosco, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Oldendorff.

Of course the catalyst for taking a fresh look at the hull forms which had not changed for decades was the spike in bunker prices. But although the oil price collapse means today’s fuels cost only a fraction of prices two or three years ago, the search for improved economy has developed a momentum of its own, and nowhere is this more obvious than amongst leading propulsion companies, many of which are to be found in Europe.

While big low-speed diesel manufacturers like MAN Diesel & Turbo and Wärtsilä have made huge strides in raising the fuel efficiency of large engines, it is among some of the smaller niche machinery providers where true design innovation is to be found. Electrical power, energy storage and the growing popularity of azimuth thrusters are fiercely fought-after markets. ABB, Rolls-Royce, Steerprop, and Wärtsilä all feature in a market popular with operators of cruise ships, workboats, offshore support vessels and dynamically positioned offshore units of various types.

ABB, for example, recently won a European Marine Engineering Award for its Azipod D electric propulsion system with a power range from 1.6MW to 7MW. Launched last year, the latest Azipod was designed to allow its use on a wider range of ship types. It incorporates various innovative features including a new hybrid cooling system which contributes to a requirement for 25% less installed power and similar fuel savings.

The first cruise ship with Azipod D will be the 16,800 gt Scenic Eclipse being built by Uljanik shipyard in Croatia. The Scenic Eclipse (pictured above) is being built to Polar Class 6 and will operate in the summer waters of the Polar regions when it is delivered in 2018. The 228-passenger ship will have two 3MW Azipods installed.

Meanwhile, ABB recently announced a deal to supply a new electrical power system based on its Onboard DC Grid system for a hybrid car ferry in Norway. Initially the vessel, for Torghatten Trafikkselskap will operate as a hybrid with two battery packs contributing to peak demand. However, the 60-car, 250-passenger vessel can be easily modified to become fully electric in due course by adding 16 battery packs and a shore connection.

For the cruise ship and offshore vessel markets, Wärtsilä recently unveiled the Wärtsilä WTT-40 transverse thruster, which features a 4,000 kW power level and a 3,400 mm diameter controllable pitch propeller. The thruster complies with the U.S. EPA’s latest VGP2013 regulations. It also features integrated hydraulics to save machinery room space and installation and commissioning time in the shipyard.

Meanwhile, last year Steerprop Ltd. landed orders for a total of ten SP25D units to serve as main propulsion for three inland towboats being built for SCF Marine at C&C Marine & Repair, Belle Chasse, LA. The propulsors will be delivered this summer to the shipyard by Karl Senner, LLC., Kenner, LA, the North American distributor for Steerprop. These will be the largest and highest horsepower inland towboats equipped with Z-drives built in North America to date, according to Chris Senner of Karl Senner, LLC.  He adds, “It is imperative to consider the harsh conditions of the inland waterways and select a unit suited for the environment, which is why we propose the equivalent of an ice-class rated unit.”

A new generation of much more fuel and operationally efficient newbuilds, however, does nothing for the tens of thousands of existing vessels built before the new wave of design innovation began. But there are a range of initiatives in progress focused on enhancing existing ship efficiency.

Becker Mewis DuctGermany’s Becker Marine Systems is a leading light in energy-efficient retrofits and appendages. The company recently signed a deal with Abu Dhabi’s Adnatco to fit some 20 vessels with Becker Mewis Ducts (pictured at right). Rudder modifications and Becker Twisted Fins are also generating a steady pipeline of sales.

Walter Bauer, Sales Director, concedes that sales volume has reduced. But he says that this is partly a result of the dire state of the bulk carrier market. Tanker business, he says, is holding up well.

But what to do with almost-obsolete panamax container ships? Owing to beam constraints, they are generally long and relatively thin, and were mostly built in an era of cheap fuel and fast sailing speeds. They are not particularly efficient from a box-carrying point of view, but are in dire straits today, competing with larger ships and lower slot costs. There are more than 800 such vessels in the world fleet today and well over half are less than 10 years old. They are likely to prove increasingly unpopular with charterers.

Cargo access specialist MacGregor is one of several companies which offers capacity increasing conversions for container ships. By slicing a vessel in half lengthways, a newly constructed midship section can be inserted and stack heights raised by lifting the navigation bridge.

In a similar project, the capacity of the 4,860 TEU MSC Geneva, owned by Reederei NSB, was increased to 6,300 TEU. The five-month widening project, undertaken in close cooperation with Hamburg’s Technology GmbH, was completed at Huaran Dadong Dockyard in China. Through its subsidiary NSB Marine Solutions, Reederei NSB is now offering to assist in similar projects for third parties.