Finnish owner orders first LNG-fueled handysize bulkers

ESL Shipping and Swedish steel company SSAB have signed a long-term frame agreement covering SSAB’s inbound raw material sea transports within the Baltic Sea and from the North Sea. The purpose of the agreement is to enable mutual, long-term gains in efficiency and to reduce overall logistics costs, while simultaneously making raw material logistics as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. At present, the aggregated sea transport volume covered by the agreement is estimated to be 6–7 million tons annually.

 

The two ice-class 1A ships being built as a result of the agreement will be the first LNG-fueled large bulk carriers in the world. CO2 emissions per ton of cargo transported will be reduced by more than 50% in comparison to present vessels.

“This new agreement is a solid example of SSAB’s sustainability strategy in action,” says Per Bondemark, Chief Procurement Officer at SSAB.

“ESL Shipping’s new customer agreement running for several years will secure growing freight volumes, and the new investments to be implemented will release old vessel stock for other transport needs. Besides their environmental benefits, the cost savings provided by the new technology will also allow better profitability,” says Aki Ojanen, Chairman of the Board of ESL Shipping and CEO of its parent Aspo Group.

The two new vessels will be built at the Qingshan Shipyard of Sinotrans & CSC SBICO in China and will start operating in the Baltic
in early 2018. The total value of the investment is approximately EUR 60 million. The investment cash flow will be divided progressively between 2015 and 2018.

ESL Shipping has worked in close cooperation with Finnish designer Deltamarin on the ship design and the ships have been tailored to customer needs with special attention given to the efficiency of cargo handling and cargo hold arrangements.

Deltamarin has performed the full concept and contract design of the ships for ESL and has a contract with the shipbuilder covering basic and detail design, procurement handling and site assistance for the two vessels based on Deltamarin’s B.Delta26LNG design.

The LNG-fueled B.Delta26LNG bulk carrier is equipped with both dual-fuel main and auxiliary machinery. The ship has a type C LNG tank of approximately 400 cu.m capacity.

The B.Delta26LNG also exhibits very efficient operation in ice class conditions, far surpassing any other similar ships trading in such conditions. Extensive model tests have been performed for both open water, at SSPA in Sweden, and Ice Class 1A operations, at Aker Arctic Technology in Finland.

The vessels will be classified according to DNV GL rules.

The B.Delta26LNG has a shallow draft of max. 10 m, length overall of 160 m, breadth of 26 m and maximum capacity of 25,600 tonnes deadweight.

Canadian shipbuilders in spat over interim oiler contract

NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — Canadian shipbuilders are embroiled in a spat over the Resolve-Class AOR interim fleet oiler being created by Chantier Davie Canada Inc. by converting a 183 m containership to

Metal Shark delivers multipurpose port security vessel

 

Based on Metal Shark’s Defiant-class monohull pilothouse design, the welded aluminum vessel is designed to support port security efforts and firefighting missions at the port district, located 20 miles south of New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

For this application, Metal Shark equipped the vessel with twin Cat C-18 diesel engines mated to Hamilton water jets. The 55 Defiant is also available with straight shaft inboards or pods.

To meet the customer’s fire fighting requirements, Metal Shark employed twin Darley fire pumps driven by PTO from the main engines. Water is pumped to an oversized main where it is distributed via electronic valves to three radio frequency-controlled monitors – one on the bow, and two mounted on the roof of the vessel. In this configuration, the 55 Defiant delivers water flow of up to 10,000 gallons per minute. Two 5″ hydrant outlet locations, an additional 2.5″ hydrant outlet, and a 300-gallon foam reservoir provide maximum flexibility across the widest possible range of tactical firefighting scenarios.

Metal Shark’s use of “pillarless” pilothouse glass gives the vessel’s roomy wheelhouse substantially increased visibility compared to pilothouses of conventional design.

With belowdecks quarters offering enclosed head, galley, and bunking capacity for a crew of four, the 55 Defiant is equipped to stay on station for extended periods and to accommodate crews during lengthy patrols.

A state of the art, positive-pressure Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) ventilation system provides crew protection in disaster response situations.

“Metal Shark has worked closely with fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and the military to develop what we feel are the most advanced and crew friendly fire rescue patrol vessels available today,” says Metal Shark’s president Chris Allard. “It was an honor to be selected by the Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District for this project and we are pleased to add them to the growing list of Metal Shark customers.”

A product of Metal Shark’s Franklin, LA, shipyard, the 55′ Defiant can be custom-configured to suit a wide range of mission profiles. Metal Shark offers the vessel with a wide range of power and propulsion systems to meet various performance requirements. Virtually every vessel feature can be adapted to suit the needs of individual customers and agencies.

In addition to port security and fire rescue, the 55 Defiant can be configured for dive support, law enforcement, defense, pilot operations, and numerous commercial markets.

Defiant-class vessels are available in a wide range of sizes for inshore, nearshore, and offshore patrol.
Established in 1986, Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, and its government/commercial boat entity Metal Shark Boats are leading suppliers of custom boats for defense, law enforcement, and commercial entities.

 

Stena Bulk orders three more IMOIIMAX MR tankers

The total value of the order is $200 million. The first delivery is planned for the end of 2017 after which the vessels will be delivered at three month intervals.

The vessels are of the same type as ten chemical and product tankers ordered by Stena Bulk in 2012 from the same shipyard, the first four of which were delivered earlier this year.

All the IMOIIMAX tankers will be deployed in Stena Weco’s global logistic system, which currently employs more than 60 vessels.

“We are very satisfied with the performance of the IMOIIMAX tankers and are thus adding to this part of our fleet still further,” says Erik Hånell, CEO of Stena Bulk. “With their greater efficiency as regards fuel consumption and cargo, these vessels are also environmentally superior compared to many other vessels in their class, which, of course, is a major advantage. Commercially, they are a good complement to our fleet.

Four of the ten vessels ordered earlier – the Stena Impression, Stena Image, Stena Imperial and Stena Important – were delivered this year and the remaining six vessels will be delivered by 2017. One is wholly owned by Stena Bulk, six are owned together with GAR (Golden Agri Resources), two are owned by the sister company Concordia Maritime and one is wholly owned by Stena Weco.

The IMOIIMAX concept is a further development of a well-established and successful concept offering extra high cargo flexibility and even lower fuel consumption. Stena Teknik, together with the shipyard, which was formerly GSI (Guangzhou Shipyard International),  was responsible for the technical development of the ships. The IMOIIMAX tankers have 18 tanks enabling them to transport both vegetable oils and chemicals such as petroleum products.

Donjon Shipbuilding makes major lighting upgrade

Located on the Lake Erie shore, the over 200,000 sq. ft. shipyard facility has a 92-foot ceiling height on the main floor, plus a 125-foot high ceiling over a portion of the massive graving dock, one of only two on the Great Lakes able to accommodate 1,000-foot self-unloading vessels for construction, repair, conversion, repowering and maintenance.

With conventional metal halide fixtures, lighting maintenance was a major headache. Even with no fewer than 266 metal halide fixtures in place, fewer than 60 of the 1,000 W lights were typically in operation at any given time.

In addition to the notoriously short life of the metal halide lamps, the damp, harsh, high-vibration environment inside the open air facility took a major toll on both bulbs and ballasts. And the exceptional ceiling height was a major obstacle to easily changing bulbs and fixtures.

Without proper lighting, the sheer size of Donjon’s facilities made them appear cavernous and dark even on the brightest, sunny days. The lackluster color rendering of the metal halides even contributed to visibility issues with their unnatural orange glow. And, when it came time to turn on the lights at the start of their 24-hour, 5 day-a-week operation, the metal halides took nearly 20 minutes to come up to full output.

“The lighting was not sufficient enough to fully light the facility. There were places in the building where we had to use a flashlight, even when we weren’t inside a ballast tank,” said Caleb Hoffman, Electrical Lead Man. “A flashlight was on everyone’s required tool list. It was difficult to read a tape measure without one, and accuracy in measurement is very important in our work.”

The Solution: Dialight 60,000 Lumen LED

Aiming to end its lighting woes with an upgrade, Donjon began looking at vendor proposals. It didn’t take long to realize that LED was the way to go and Donjon opted to replace the metal halide fixtures with  60,000 lumen Vigilant High Bay LED fixtures from Dialight plc, an international market leader in LED lighting with North American headquarters in Farmingdale, NJ.

“We assumed LED is the latest and greatest technology, giving us the best bang for the buck,” Mr. Hoffman said. “We chose Dialight because it best suited our application, and the warranty was a huge factor.”

Dialight’s 60,000 lumen Vigilant High Bay is the first LED fixture of its kind to offer a true one-to-one replacement for conventional 1,000W high output fixtures. Delivering 115 lumens per Watt with the 480 V top hat transformer at half the power consumption of the existing metal halides, the high-output Vigilant provided more than enough light to meet Donjon’s needs, while also drastically reducing per-fixture electricity costs.

The new Vigilants are so bright thar Donjon was able to eliminate two-thirds of the fixtures in the facility, replacing 266 metal halides with  79 Dialight 60,000 lumen Vigilants.

At roughly half the weight of conventional fixtures, the Dialight Vigilants were easy for Donjon’s in-house electrical crew to install on the existing circuits. With an ambient temperature rating of -40°F to + 149°F and high-durability fixture design, the new Vigilants can easily tolerate the harsh Lake Erie weather.

The entire fixture is backed by Dialight’s 10-year, full-performance warranty, so Donjon is now guaranteed to have ample lighting with zero maintenance for a decade or more.

The clear, bright white output of the Dialight LEDs makes a difference in visibility that is like “night and day” compared to the old fixtures, according to Donjon staff. Flashlights are no longer required on the shop floor, even in the graving dock where the lights are 125-feet off the ground. The high-performance optics deliver directional light exactly where it’s needed, with no dark spots or harsh glare.

“We compared three different manufacturers, and Dialight was hands-down the best fit for our application,” Mr. Hoffman said. “One other company promised more hours on the fixtures, but couldn’t back it with a warranty. The 10-year warranty, ease of installation and energy efficiency―Dialight offered the whole package that was better for our situation.”

One-of-a-kind Harley celebrates LCS 5 commissioning

The motorcycle will be on display during USS Milwaukee Commissioning Week, followed by appearances at U.S. Navy, industry and STEM events over the next year, culminating with its sale at a charity auction to support the National Military Family Association (NMFA).

“We wanted to do something special for the occasion and support the families of our military men and women who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms,” said Stephanie C. Hill, Lockheed Martin vice president of Ship & Aviation Systems. “We’re excited to collaborate with Milwaukee’s own Harley-Davidson, a company that has been fulfilling dreams of personal freedom for over 100 years.”

“We are honored to be a part of this one-of-a-kind endeavor,” said NMFA Executive Director, Joyce Wessel Raezer. “Both Lockheed Martin and Harley-Davidson have been such wonderful supporters of the military and their families, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of this commemoration.”

Harley-Davidson Chief Stylist Ray Drea designed the motorcycle, drawing inspiration from touring Fincantieri Marine Group’s Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, WI, where the Lockheed Martin-led industry team builds the Freedom-variant LCS. The design also honors historic WWII-era Harley-Davidson motorcycles to model some of the authentic Navy and military custom details.

Following commissioning, USS Milwaukee will transit to its homeport in San Diego, CA, where it will be integrated into the fleet and the industry-Navy team will conduct additional program testing and crew training before the vessel begins its first deployment.

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Criminal charges filed in West Delta 32 platform fire case

According to the indictment, the defendants were involved in different capacities while construction work was being done of the West Delta 32 platform when it exploded.

Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC and Grand Isle Shipyards Inc. are charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of failing to follow proper safety practices under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and one count of violating the Clean Water Act. Wood Group PSN Inc., Moss, Dantin and Srubar are charged with felony violations of OCSLA and the Clean Water Act.

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and federal regulations govern welding and activities that generate heat or sparks, known as “hot work,” on oil production platforms in U.S. waters. Because this work can be hazardous and cause explosions, regulations mandate specific precautions that must be taken before the work can commence. For instance, before hot work can be performed, pipes and tanks that had contained hydrocarbons must be isolated from the work or purged of hydrocarbons. Gas detectors and devices used to prevent gas from traveling through pipes must be used. According to the Indictment, these safety precautions were not followed and an explosion causing the deaths of three men and a spill resulted

“Workers lives can depend on their employer’s faithfulness to the law, not least of all those working in oil and gas production where safety must be a paramount concern,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the nation’s bedrock environmental laws that protect the environment, and the health and safety of all Americans.”

“The energy sector represents a vital industry in this region, but its work must be performed responsibly,” state U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s indictment underscores that we will hold accountable all parties – both businesses and individuals – whose criminality jeopardizes our environment or risks the loss of life.”
“Developing domestic sources of energy must be done responsibly and safely,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dan Pflaster of EPA’s Criminal Enforcement Program in Louisiana. “EPA will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold companies fully accountable for illegal conduct and to assure compliance with laws that protect the public and the delicate Gulf Coast ecosystem from harm.”

The Department of Justice notes that “an indictment is only an allegation of wrongdoing and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty at trial.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General and EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division. The case is being prosecuted by Emily Greenfield of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and by Kenneth E. Nelson of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice.

Polish shipyard to build fishing trawler

NOVEMBER 19, 2015—Poland’s Nauta Ship Repair Yard recently signed a contract to build an 87m x 18m fishing trawler for a Scottish owner. Nauta Shiprepair Yard CEO Krzysztof Juchniewicz says the contract

Good news, bad news from Sembcorp Marine

The good news is that subsidiary Sembcorp Marine Rigs and Floaters Pte. Ltd. has secured a contract to design and build a new floating, storage and offloading (FSO) vessel for MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (MOPS), a subsidiary of MODEC, Inc.

The bad news is Marco Polo Marine Ltd yesterday canceled a $214 million contract placed by subsidiary MP Drilling at Sembcorp Marine’s PPL Shipyard for the construction of a high-spec Pacific Class 400 jack-up.

“In arriving at this decision to terminate the rig construction contract,” said Marco Polo, it had taken into account “various factors including cracks found on all three legs of the New Rig during two rounds of tests, notwithstanding repair works carried out by PPL after the first round of tests.”It said it would not be taking delivery of the rig and would be seeking return of its initial $21.4 million payment, plus interest.

Today, Sembcorp Marine said that PPL Shipyard had not received any notice of termination of the construction contract at the time it learnt of the announcement.

“PPL Shipyard disagrees with the allegations in the announcement and will regard this as repudiatory breach of the contract, and will terminate the Contract and claim amounts due under the Contract against MP Drilling and its guarantor Marco Polo Marine,” said Sembcorp Marine. “PPL Shipyard will take the necessary steps to enforce its rights.

MODEC FSO

Scheduled for delivery in first quarter 2018, the new floating, storage and offloading (FSO) vessel ordered by MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.(MOPS) will be Sembcorp Marine’s first FSO newbuilding secured on a full turnkey project basis including Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC). MODEC will supply the internal turret and topside modules (vapor recovery unit and metering skid) which Sembcorp Marine will install and integrate.

Mr. William Gu Wei Guang, Head of Sembcorp Marine Rigs & Floaters, said: “This is our 24th project working with MODEC and the first newbuild FSO for SCM Rigs & Floaters. The FSO will be built using our facilities at Tuas Boulevard Yard. We thank MODEC for placing their confidence and trust in us.”

When completed, the FSO will be deployed at Maersk Oil’s Culzean field, the largest new oil and gas field to have been discovered in the North Sea for a decade, and recently approved by the UK Oil & Gas Authority for development.

Powerful new fast supply/crew boat for SEACOR Marine

NOVEMBER 18, 2015—Aluminum boatbuilder Gulf Craft, LLC, Franklin, LA, has long been known as a leader in building high-speed fast supply boats and crewboats. Its latest delivery is the 206 ft x

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