DECEMBER 4, 2015—Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, WA, recently completed the 10,000 hp ATB tug M/V Nancy Peterkin, for Kirby Offshore Marine (Kirby), Houston, TX. Designed by Guarino & Cox, New Orleans,
The contract is to equip nine SPA80A Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessels to be designed and built by Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group and owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ESNAAD.
The vessels will be built at Sinopacific’s Zhejiang Shipyard and the first vessel is due for delivery in 2017.
Each ship will have a bollard pull of 80 metric tonnes will be equipped with Bergen diesel engines, main and tunnel thrusters, electrical power system and a deck machinery package from Rolls-Royce.
“The visit of Rolls-Royce senior executives to Sinopacific in 2013 reinforced the relationship between our two companies as did the provision of Rolls-Royce integrated equipment packages for Sinopacific’s in-house designed SPA150 AHTS series. This was a first for Rolls-Royce in the Chinese market,” said SinJiang Qiang, Chief Executive Officer of Sinopacific. “The Rolls-Royce Chinese team has provided us with great support by staying close, enhancing communications and giving us confidence for future cooperation. Sinopacific aims to work closely with our strategic partners, such as Rolls-Royce, presenting the best products and services for our ship owners while strengthening our leadership in the most demanding markets.”
“This is a significant contract. It demonstrates our market leading capabilities in a wide range of offshore marine products, and our ability to combine them in a way that creates real value for our customers,” said Richard Wang, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President Commercial – Marine. “We look forward to working with and continuing a profitable and long-lasting relationship with Sinopacific.”
They will power two new harbor tugs currently under construction at Diversified Marine Inc.’s Portland, OR, shipyard.
“Much of Harley Marine’s fleet is powered by Cat engines, and with the construction of these two new vessels, they’re adding our tug-specific propulsion solution as well,” said Emil Cerdier, sales manager for Cat Propulsion. “Getting a complete package from one supplier simplifies the design,installation, and service support, allowing Harley to rely on the Cat dealer network as a single point of contact for the entire powertrain system.”
Each Harley Marine harbor tug will feature a pair of 3516 engines, each delivering 2575 hp(1920 kW) @ 1600 rpm and two MTA 524-T thrusters with a 95.5″ inch (2,400mm) propeller diameter.
The MTA 524-T is a new version of a proven design, specifically optimized for the operation profile of a tug. Based on the standard MTA design, the “Tug” rated drives include features to maximize bollard pull, simplify installation and maintenance, and increase maneuverability.
The Harley Marine units will be delivered with custom-made fixed-pitch propellers and a PTO-powered steering and lubrication system.
Cat Propulsion’s complete package for tugs includes engines, high-speed shafting, clutches, and controls. The display consoles for the control system willalso control engine and thruster functionality.
“Our MTA-T units bring the twin advantages of performance excellence and economy to the tug market,” Mr. Cerdier said. “Customers like Harley Marine will benefit both in terms of bollard pull and from the reliability of a consolidated control-engine-thruster package with component parts optimized to work together.”
Cat dealer Peterson Power led the efforts on the project, helping refine the spec and eventually supporting the installation and service of the systems.
As part of the total Cat Solution, Cat Financial is providing complete vessel financing throughout the construction and term of both tugs.
The Cat engines and thrusters are expected to deliver in mid-2016, with vessel deliveries in early 2017.
Work by the shipyard will include general services for ship, clean and gas free tanks void and cofferdams and spaces, number seven port and starboard cargo tanks preservation, number two center cargo tank preservation, number ten center cargo tank preservation, close survey inspection, main deck overhead preservation, main house preservation, main engine exhaust insulation replacement, lifeboat repair and maintenance, reefer container installation and underwater hull preservation.
The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $9,788,394.
Work will be performed in Portland and is expected to be completed by March 2, 2016. If options are exercised, work will continue through March 12, 2016. Fiscal 2016 maintenance and repair contract funds in the amount of $8,931,411 are being obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received.
The team, led by Siemens Drilling and Marine, Dresser-Rand and Lloyd’s Register, aims to provide an end-to-end solution, encompassing the entire supply chain, that will remove obstacles that can hold back wide-spread adoption of natural gas as the marine fuel of choice.
“Our integrated solution, encompassing the entire supply chain of LNG including gas-fueled marine propulsion systems, will remove the chicken-and-egg hurdle from the LNG-equation,” says David Grucza, Siemens Drilling and Marine. “This is a disruptive concept for the maritime industry, and the technology exists for immediate adoption. This joint solution is not limited geographically, and we stand ready to support the marine industry globally, although our initial focus is on deploying U.S. shale gas.”
The initial end-to-end solution offered to the North American inland and coastal waterways community comprises the following elements
It has been designed and engineered by Waller Marine Inc. (WMI) and the Shearer Group Inc. (TSGI), respectively, and will be constructed by Conrad Industries shipyard in Texas.
“Together, the team brings a holistic answer to the LNG marine fuel question of what comes first – the bunkering station or the engine?” says David Waller, President, Waller Marine, Inc. “The innovative solution to this industry hurdle includes the entire supply chain from liquefaction, LNG bunkering and design, all while meeting EPA and USCG compliance and providing smart, sustainable, lower greenhouse gas alternative fuels to operators.”
“Lloyd’s Register is well placed to support a new fleet of gas-fueled ships – and help them to operate safely and efficiently,” says Mark Darley, Americas Regional Marine Manager and President of Lloyd’s Register North America (LRNA). “Our expertise and leadership in gas technology and operations – from gas carriers to LNG bunkering and gas as a marine fuel – helps lead to the best decisions based on the best, independent, technical insight.”
Lloyd’s Register has established clear standards describing different levels of readiness to use natural gas as a marine fuel. Lloyd’s Register also provides training on the key practical aspects of modern LNG carriage by sea and risk management services to support safe LNG bunkering.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of gas and steam turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions.
Dresser-Rand, a Siemens Business, is among the largest suppliers of rotating equipment solutions to the worldwide oil, gas, petrochemical, and process industries.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) is the leading classification society in the gas carrier market – both for LNG and LPG – and is also taking a leadership role in the international development of gas as a marine fuel.
Waller Marine, Inc. is a global leader in the design of Floating Gas to Liquids (GTL), Floating Power Generation and Floating Liquefaction (LNG) and is is a licensed engineering firm with EPC capabilities.
Conrad Industries Inc. specializes in the construction, conversion and repair of a wide variety of marine vessels for commercial and governmental customers and the fabrication of modular components of offshore drilling rigs and floating, production, storage and offloading vessels.It has been awarded a contract to build a 2,200 cu.m. LNG bunkering barge — the first in the U.S.
The Shearer Group, Inc., founded in 2010, provides naval architecture, marine engineering, marine surveying and professional engineer services to clients in the inland and offshore marine industries.
The vessel will be engaged in a 20-year free-on-board (FOB) off-take of approximately 800,000 tons per year of LNG, sourced from U.S.Gulf liquefaction projects, including the planned terminal near Freeport, Texas.
The official contract for the vessel between MOL and DSME was signed in February 2015 and the decision to adopt WinGD X-DF engines was taken in August. The first engine is due for delivery to the shipyard in June 2017.About WinGD low-pressure DF
The low-pressure gas admission system used by WinGD on its X-DF engines draws on Wärtsilä’s long experience with what has become a well-proven industry standard technology on medium-speed dual-fuel engines. In contrast to high-pressure gas injection engines that operate on the Diesel cycle, WinGD’s low-pressure DF system works on the lean burn Otto cycle – i.e. ignition of a compressed lean air-gas mixture by injection of a small amount of liquid fuel.
Results from the X-DF technology demonstrator engine that WinGD operates jointly with licensee Diesel United at its Aioi, Japan, factory show that the WinGD low-pressure gas admission is characterized by stable combustion, inherently low NOx emissions and high overall system efficiencies. In terms of NOx, WinGD X-DF engines undercut IMO Tier III limits for Emission Control Areas (ECAs) by considerable margins without any additional measures, such as EGR or SCR.
With low-pressure gas admission the gas fueling system on X-DF engines does not require a high-pressure electrically-driven compressor, reducing equipment costs, onboard energy consumption and maintenance.
“With the imminent implementation of the IMO Tier III regulations in Emission Control Areas for new vessels, we are registering an increasing interest in our X-DF series from markets worldwide, especially for the propulsion of LNG carriers,” says Rolf Stiefel, Vice President Sales and Marketing at WinGD.
DECEMBER 3, 2015—Privately held Blessey Marine, Harahan, LA, moves liquid bulk cargoes on the U.S. inland waterways using a fleet of 10,000 to 30,000 double-hull tank barges. It transports everything from residual
The vessel is being built for Saga LNG Shipping Pte. Ltd., a new LNG player backed by Shanghai based Landmark Capital, at China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Haimen based shipyard in China’s Eastern Jiangsu province.
Originally, plans were to build the ship at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry, but, for undisclosed reasons, the project was delayed and to meet strict deadlines with potential end-users, the project was moved to another shipyard.
Now set to be delivered in early 2018, the vessel will be the to utilize the LNT A-BOX containment system (see earlier story), licensed and designed by another company backed by Landmark Capital, LNG New Technologies (LNT).
Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the complete cargo handling system including the fuel system, as well as the main propulsion system.
The Wärtsilä cargo handling system for LNG carriers has an integrated fuel system utilizing both compressors and forced vaporizing. The automation and safety control systems are state-of-the-art, while the Wärtsilä cargo pumps include the EFP pump series, the latest development for LNG fuel and spray.
The total solution package comprising the cargo and propulsion systems is designed to attain maximum overall efficiency for the vessel, thereby producing notable savings in operating costs. Furthermore, the total solution concept minimizes interfacing and system design risk during the vessel building process.
“This will be a very modern and highly efficient LNG Carrier and we were selected because our technologies in both the propulsion equipment and cargo handling are world leading,” says Timo Koponen, Vice President, Flow and Gas Solutions, Wärtsilä. “The new ship has been designed for worldwide trade of LNG, but with special consideration given to the reloading of cargoes and local and regional trading. Therefore, the cargo handling system and the fuel efficiency of the engine have to be the most efficient possible. Our unmatched track record with proven LNG technologies and dual-fuel solutions was a key factor in the award of this valuable contract.”
Wärtsilä’s scope of supply includes a comprehensive propulsion package comprising a 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel main engine, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel generating sets, a Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller (CPP), a Wärtsilä Energopac efficiency rudder, a Wärtsilä gearbox, and a Wärtsilä tunnel thruster.
Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment to the shipyard will commence in late 2016.
Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the complete cargo handling system including the fuel system, as well as the main propulsion system.
The vessel is being built for Saga LNG Shipping Pte. Ltd., a new LNG player backed by Shanghai based Landmark Capital, at China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Haimen based shipyard in China’s Eastern Jiangsu province.
Originally, plans were to build the ship at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry, but, for undisclosed reasons, the project was delayed and to meet strict deadlines with potential end-users, the project was moved to another shipyard.
Now set to be delivered in early 2018, the vessel will be the to utilize the LNT A-BOX containment system (see earlier story), licensed and designed by another company backed by Landmark Capital, LNG New Technologies (LNT).
The Wärtsilä cargo handling system for LNG carriers has an integrated fuel system utilizing both compressors and forced vaporizing. The automation and safety control systems are state-of-the-art, while the Wärtsilä cargo pumps include the EFP pump series, the latest development for LNG fuel and spray.
The total solution package comprising the cargo and propulsion systems is designed to attain maximum overall efficiency for the vessel, thereby producing notable savings in operating costs. Furthermore, the total solution concept minimizes interfacing and system design risk during the vessel building process.
“This will be a very modern and highly efficient LNG Carrier and we were selected because our technologies in both the propulsion equipment and cargo handling are world leading,” says Timo Koponen, Vice President, Flow and Gas Solutions, Wärtsilä. “The new ship has been designed for worldwide trade of LNG, but with special consideration given to the reloading of cargoes and local and regional trading. Therefore, the cargo handling system and the fuel efficiency of the engine have to be the most efficient possible. Our unmatched track record with proven LNG technologies and dual-fuel solutions was a key factor in the award of this valuable contract.”
Wärtsilä’s scope of supply includes a comprehensive propulsion package comprising a 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel main engine, 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel generating sets, a Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller (CPP), a Wärtsilä Energopac efficiency rudder, a Wärtsilä gearbox, and a Wärtsilä tunnel thruster.
Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment to the shipyard will commence in late 2016.
Today, Algoma said that contracts for two ships had been made effective with the delivery of refund guarantees by the shipyard, China’s Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
“Our search for a shipyard in China to replace the now-bankrupt Nantong Mingde Heavy Industries (“Mingde”) led us to Yangzijiang,” said Ken Bloch Soerensen, President and CEO of Algoma. “We have been pleased with the professionalism and enthusiasm the yard has shown for our project and the quality that they have shown on work done for other shipowners.”
The announcement of the two ship order at Yangzijiang follows a November 25 announcement that contracts for three Equinox newbuilds with Uljanik d.d. of Croatia had become effective with delivery by the yard of security for the contractually required construction installments.
Algoma now has five Equinox Class ships under construction at the Uljanik Group’s 3Maj shipyard in Rijeka.All the vessels will have an overall length of 225.55 metres (740 feet) and a beam of 23.77 metres (78 feet), qualifying as Seaway Max size ships. The vessels will carry 29,300 tonnes at maximum Seaway draft.
The two most recently ordered at Uljanik will feature a boom-forward configuration designed to provide greater flexibility in certain delivery situations. The others will feature a standard rear boom.
The new Equinox vessels will have all of the features of the existing Equinox design, including the exhaust gas scrubber technology pioneered by Algoma on the Great Lakes in its first Equinox Class gearless bulk carriers.
With seven ships now under construction, Algoma expects to invest approximately $450 million in this phase of its fleet renewal program. It is also reviewing its fleet plan and considering the retirement of certain older vessels.
