Brazil

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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.

 

 

IHI sheds stake in Brazilian shipyard EAS

MARCH 15, 2015 —Japan’s IHI Corporation reports that its majority owned Brazilian subsidiary JEI is to transfer its entire equity interest in shipbuilder Estaleiro Atlântico Sul S.A (EAS) to the other shareholders

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Plans for giant Brazil ship repair yard move ahead

Dave Saginaw, Commercial Director of McQuilling Services, LLC in New York and the project Director of the Brasil Basin Drydock Company (BBDC) project said today that the project has progressed into the next phase of implementation.

Additional early stage investment funds have been received and applications for environmental licenses have been submitted toauthorities in Brazil.

“We are extremely excited about the advancement of activities in the development of the new ship repair facility in the northeast of Brazil” said Mr. Saginaw, “We are receiving strong support from both our new investors and from state and local authorities in Paraíba and the municipality of Lucena. We couldn’t be more pleased with our current progress, in the midst of quite a challenging investment climate.”

Celso P. Souza, project manager for the BBDC project said from Rio de Janeiro, “The implementation of the new facility is on schedule. With the filing for the environmental permits and the creation of the environmental impact analysis underway, we are now moving forward with the next stage of facility design and engineering. We envision start of construction by late 2016/early 2017 with first repair operations commencing early in 2019.”

The BBDC shipyard in the Brazilian state of Paraíba will carry the name Empresa de Docagens Pedra do Ingá (EDPI). It will be located inside the harbor near the Port of Cabedelo in the municipality of Lucena and is positioned close to major shipping lanes in the Atlantic basin. The 600,000 square meter facility will be purpose-built for ship repairs, and its two graving docks and hydrolift facilities will be capable of drydocking any ship in the world merchant fleet.

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Designs on Expansion

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Vard issues a profit warning

Vard cited disclosures made in its first and second quarter reports regarding the operational challenges at its Brazilian shipyards of the group and what it called “the negative trend in the Brazilian economic and political environment/”It said third quarter and full year results “will be materially negatively affected.”

The details will be disclosed on November 11 when Vard announces its unaudited third quarter financial results. In the meantime, the Board is advising its shareholders and investors to exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the company.

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Brazilian yard building Incat Crowther dive duo

JULY 17, 2015 — A pair of 43 m Incat Crowther design monohull dive support vessels currently under construction at Brazil’s Arpoadar Engenharia shipyard have been ordered by Oceanica Offshore for service

Accommodation vessel ready for Brazil

JANUARY 22, 2014—Marine Assets Corporation, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, recently handed over the Compact Semi-Submersible (CSS) Olympia, a DP-3 Accommodation Vessel, to Brazil’s Gran Energia. The accommodation vessel will go to work

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