horizons january 2014

January 2014 · Issue 39

Horizons

In this issue:Seeing the bigger pictureHow LR Consulting adds an extra dimension to our expertise Page 3

The quiet revolution:How alternative fuels are helping to shape today’s ferries Pages 20-26

Design of the timesLR enters 2014 with a brand new logo

Horizons is the journal for Lloyd’s Register Marine clients and employees, delivering news and analysis on our global activities.

The Horizons team are:

Editor: Christopher Browne E [email protected] T (0)2380 249604

Marine Communications Manager: Nick Brown

Design & production: Phil McAllister Design

Horizons is produced by Marine Communications. Care is taken to ensure the information it contains is accurate and up to date. However Lloyd’s Register accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies in, or changes to, such information.

Lloyd’s Register is a trading name of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates. For further details please see www.lr.org/entities

© Lloyd’s Register 2013

Lloyd’s Register EMEA T +44 (0)20 7709 9166 F +44 (0)20 7488 4796 E [email protected]

71 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BS, UK

Lloyd’s Register Asia T +852 2287 9333 F +852 2845 2616 E [email protected]

22nd Floor, Dah Sing Financial Centre, 108 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, SAR of PRC

Lloyd’s Register Americas, Inc T +1 (1)281 675 3100 F +1 (1)281 675 3139 E [email protected]

1330 Enclave Parkway, Suite 200, Houston, Texas 77077, USA

On the Cover:Cover photograph shows Lloyd’s Register Senior Surveyor, John Waters, from Southampton office, wearing the new LR logo and outfit on P&O Cruises’ Oriana in Southampton.

Lloyd’s Register’s new logo has a link to history

The big move

January 2014 · Issue 39

You can see the new LR logo and identity on all our products – from protective clothing to brochures, literature and exhibition displays.

Our new logo is minimalist in design and is based on the metal stamp or seal of approval we have used to brand our products since 1884.

Lloyd’s Register Marine is moving into brand-new purpose-built offices in Southampton in the summer. This exciting event will further reinforce our partnership with the University of Southampton and the activities of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI).

20-26The quiet revolution

How ferries have steadily evolved into some of the world’s most flexible and fuel-efficient vessels

27-28A reality check

State-of-the-art digital technology that could change the way architects and builders design tomorrow’s vessels

29 and foldoutPutting gas on the global map

A special LR map showing the latest events in the LNG as a fuel story07-13

News focus

All the latest global news and views – and awards won by LR

14-15 Formula for success

Ed Fort, Lloyd’s Register’s Head of Marine Engineering Services, extols the merits of diesel engines

16-17A force to be reckoned with

LR helps owners and operators combat high seas piracy with the aid of a new security standard

18-19Fast, feisty and fit-for-purpose

LR classes a series of high-speed workboats from an innovative Canadian designer

02 Comment

Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Director, Tom Boardley, looks ahead to some exciting changes in 2014

03Making a difference

How LR Consulting adds an extra dimension to LR’s business and assurance work for owners, operators and shipyards

04-05A giant of the deep

The story of Aegir, Heerema Marine Contractors’ Deepwater Construction Vessel (DPV), which can operate at depths of up to 3,500 metres

06Specialist treatment

A recently awarded LR contract for six innovative pipelaying vessels from The Netherlands’ specialists, IHC Merwede

Contents

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Contents

LR’s new Gas Technology Report http://.lr.org/gas

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Looking back, 2013 has been a year of surprises, and some positive developments.

In the arena of commercial shipping, what started as a trickle of newbuilding orders in January 2013 has turned into a mini boom as the year ends. Activity has spread to most vessel types, from bulk carriers and products tankers to large containerships and, most recently, to tankers.

The implications for Lloyd’s Register include a pressing requirement to increase our surveyor teams in the major shipbuilding nations, primarily in Asia but spreading to Europe and the Americas. We anticipate a steady increase in activity in shipyards during 2014, with levels peaking at much the same volumes as during the boom of 2010-2011.

The focus on fuel efficiency, together with alternative fuels and associated technologies, has kept our R&D staff busy, as we work on an increasing number of Joint Industry Projects (JIPs). There is no doubt the Eco-ships debate is maturing, as is the development of “LNG as a fuel” capability, both in terms of the numbers of vessels themselves, and bunkering infrastructure. We now see new opportunities appearing, some of which result from a big increase in ship to shore communications potential, leading to remote monitoring of operations and increased data gathering.

Inside Lloyd’s Register, the Marine division is well advanced in its plan to move its global management centre to a new office in Southampton. Many of our staff have already moved from the existing Marine office in 71 Fenchurch Street, London, and the new building and surrounding facilities will create a great opportunity for us to showcase our developing technological capabilities. The Lloyd’s Register Group will remain in London, and we will continue to host some events in the historical home of the “Register”.

The marine industry continues to pose challenges generated by an intensely competitive environment. We work tirelessly with regulators, flag states and other influencers to find ways to implement new conventions and regimes. We continue to find ways of balancing compliance with regulation with the need to find practical solutions; we must play our part in enabling the world merchant fleet to continue to trade with the minimum of disruption and administrative burden.

You can read about a number of these interesting topics in this issue of Horizons.

As the year closes, I would like to thank all our clients for their continuing support, and express my appreciation to all LR colleagues around the world for their unstinting commitment to improving our service to the global maritime community.

Tom Boardley Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Director2013

– a year of surprises and change

Horizons January 2014

We anticipate a steady increase in activity in shipyards during 2014, with levels peaking at much the same volumes as during the boom of 2010-2011

At LR Marine we pride ourselves on our expertise in all the key sectors and technologies of the shipping industry. However our clients aren’t always aware of the true breadth and depth of our experience and knowledge and our insight into topics they might not normally associate with a Class Society or regulatory body.

This is where LR Consulting comes in. After a marked shift in economic and trading conditions in the past five years, our client companies are clearly prepared to challenge the status quo and operate at a more strategic level than ever before.

In delivering our services to clients, we work in a collaborative manner with them to develop and support their business goals and to ensure that the best technology of today is suitable for the demands of the industry tomorrow and beyond.

So what exactly does our service offer? It involves taking an holistic approach to an individual client’s problem – seeing the bigger picture and then using our skills and resources to find a solution. It could be about improving the fuel efficiency of a vessel, alternative fuels, technology and the human interface or developing a commercial case for innovation and investment.

It’s assurance with a difference – an innovative approach to technology, engineering and delivering better performance.

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LR Consulting

www.lr.org/horizons

A new Lloyd’s Register service that offers clients an extra dimension to classification and risk assurance

Why LR Consulting makes the difference

DOUGLAS RAITT, Regional Consultancy Manager for Asia ([email protected]; +65 6891 7365). He says: “Asia has a diverse client base, ranging from shipowners and managers to shipbuilders, and each sector has different needs for our consultancy support. Owners generally tend to be interested in our well-known subscription

services, such as SERS and FOBAS. Shipbuilders are more interested in our bespoke consultancy services, such as noise and vibration and our technical investigation consultancy. Recently, more owners have been coming to us for help with environmental challenges, such as energy efficiency and ballast water treatment systems.”

TONY FIELD, Regional Consultancy Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa ([email protected]; +30 210 4580829). He says: “In LR Marine Consulting we partner our clients over the whole range of the maritime industry (owners, operators, shipyards, charterers) to allow them to compete effectively in today’s and, most important, the future economic climate. This is

made possible by utilising the extensive knowledge from across the LR Group, coupled with LR’s marine experience, to enable us to provide the right solution to the company that is both safe and economically sound.”

DAVE BRENNAN, Regional Consultancy Manager for the Americas ([email protected]; +1 (1)902 425 5101). He says: “The industry in Canada is gearing up for the renewal of the Canadian naval fleet. Lloyd’s Register is supporting both the Royal Canadian Navy and the broader marine industry with a wide array of marine consulting products and

services, which include training, engineering analysis and field services – to name just a few – highlighting how our services can span shipbuilders, owners and operators and across Naval and commercial sectors.”

Led by GWYNNE LEWIS, Global Head of Marine Consulting, the LR Consulting team has three regional managers…

Heerema Marine Contractors’ new DCV, Aegir, is named after the king of the sea creatures in Norse mythology. The 211-metre long vessel is certainly a modern-day ruler of the deep

Aegir, a Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) Deepwater Construction Vessel (DCV) capable of handling complex infrastructure and pipeline projects at depths of up to 3,500 metres, was named in Rotterdam recently.

A self-propelled monohull vessel, the Lloyd’s Register classed Aegir has a 48 MW power plant, two engine rooms and six 8 MW diesel generators and can accommodate up to 305 people onboard. Apart from her deepwater capabilities, the 211-metre long, 46-metre wide vessel’s offshore mast crane can lift loads of up to 4,000 tonnes and install platforms.

The Aegir has two bridges. The front bridge will be used for sea transport operations and the rear for survey, remotely operated vehicle (ROV), dynamic positioning and pipelaying activities.

The vessel, which is named after the king of the sea creatures in Norse mythology, is a customised version of the Ulstein Sea of Solutions SOC 5000 design, and features a class three dynamic positioning system (DP AAA). The monohull of the vessel has been specifically designed to provide a high transit speed in excess of 12 knots.

Aegir DCV can handle pipeline projects at a depth of 3,500 feet

giant

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Operators using the vessel will have the advantage of having just one ship for field development work instead of two or more. The Aegir is the first vessel in the world to use a portable reel system. The reels are delivered on site, which avoids having to sail back and forth to the spoolbase on shore, thus saving valuable vessel time. The vessel can also rapidly switch from reel-laying to J-laying activities.

“Among the key tasks the vessel will be able to perform are the carrying and installing of platforms, heavy lifting, deep sea operations, mooring line deployment and tension-leg platform (TLP) installations.”

Piet Mast, Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Area Manager for Nordic and Western Europe, added: “It all began with supporting Heerema Marine Contractors and its designer, Ulstein Sea of Solutions, during the concept design phase. Final approval in principle, through approval of basic classification and statutory plans and documentation during the basic engineering phase, was followed by survey during construction, together with the plan appraisal of the detailed design with the DSME yard in South Korea.

“LR also supported Heerema’s main contractor for the mission equipment, Huisman Equipment of the Netherlands, during the design and construction for the pipe/reel-lay equipment and the 4,000 tonnes SWL heavy lift crane. This resulted in a co-operative project during the installation of that equipment in the Netherlands, with final extensive testing, commissioning and trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

“LR is proud to be Heerema’s key classification society for this, and their future complex newbuilding projects, and is looking forward to continuing to support Heerema’s asset management team with this additional asset to their fleet, through a highly qualified team of surveyors from the Rotterdam Offshore Services team, supported by global colleagues.”

After her final deepwater trials in the Gulf of Mexico, Aegir’s first project will be the installation of risers at a depth of 2,000 metres for Anadarko in the Lucius Field in the Gulf of Mexico. She will then be deployed to carry out installation and construction, working at depths of up to 250 metres, as part of the Inpex Ichthys LNG project off the Western Australia coast.

During the construction phase, four projects were running in parallel. While the vessel was being built at the DSME yard in Okpo, South Korea, the Huisman Equipment yard in China fabricated the mast crane; ReMaCut in Italy built the multi-jointing and pipe-handling equipment and Huisman Equipment in the Netherlands constructed the dual-purpose pipelay tower. It took 55,000 tonnes of steel, 1,500 kilometres of welding and 1,300 kilometers of electric wiring in total to build the vessel.

HMC’s Asset Manager, Alex Cofino, said: “The great merit of the Aegir is her versatility and ability to switch operational modes.

The great merit of the Aegir is her versatility and ability to switch operational modes. Operators using the vessel will have the advantage of having just one ship for field development instead of two or more

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Aegir

www.lr.org/horizons

Lloyd’s Register wins IHC Merwede pipelaying vessels contractLloyd’s Register recently won a significant contract with IHC Merwede’s Netherlands shipbuilding facilities for the classification and certification of six pipelaying vessels.

The vessels will be delivered to Subsea 7 and Seabras Sapura, the partnership between SapuraKencana and Seadrill, and will bring the total of LR classed pipelaying vessels at Merwede’s facilities to 12. The vessels will be delivered between the first half of 2015 and the second half of 2016.

With an overall length of 146 metres, a beam of 30 metres and class dynamic positioning AA systems, these vessels will be equipped for carrying and installing flexible flowlines and umbilicals in water depths of up to 3,000 metres.

As well as classifying and certifying these ships, LR will also certify the associated pipelaying spreads in separate contracts with crane manufacturers and subcontractors. These include a twin-tensioner tilting lay tower, two below-deck baskets and support equipment for the loading, spooling and routing of products.

Ronald van Son, Product Director at IHC Offshore & Marine, said: “Pipelaying is one of our specialist markets and pipelaying equipment one of our specialist products. We are delivering the whole range of products, from pipelay equipment, related automation and control systems and vessels to the fully integrated products.

“We have a track record and capability in delivering high-tech equipment and vessels on spec and in time and we fully expect a sustainable business for IHC Merwede in the coming years in this market. We have a good longstanding relationship with Lloyd’s Register with these vessels and for vessels ordered earlier, which are now being constructed and commissioned. The challenge

for both companies will be to meet the demanding schedule for these vessels, which are being constructed partly in parallel.”

Piet Mast, Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Area Manager for Nordic and Western Europe, said: “Pipelaying vessels are in a highly sophisticated sector, in which LR has huge experience and is able to provide owners and yards with the best possible solutions to these complex ships, as well as their mission equipment, in order to enable future, efficient, safe and reliable operations.

“We are very pleased that IHC Merwede has chosen Lloyd’s Register for the pipelaying vessels and are looking forward to a continued long-term co-operation with them.”

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IHC Merwede’s Ronald van Son

An IHC Merwede pipelaying vessel

7www.lr.org/horizons

NewsLR wins first VLOC contract in ChinaLloyd’s Register has won a contract to class four Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs), to be built by Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI). LR will also provide its new construction supervision, helping to maximise safety and operational performance for the ships when delivered. The four 250,000 dwt vessels will be the largest dry cargo ships built to LR class in China.

The classification contract signing ceremony for the VLOCs was held in Hong Kong and led by Han Guang-de, GSI’s General Manager, and LR’s Nick Brown, when he was Area General Manager and Marine Manager, Greater China.

Speaking at the event, Guang-de said: “GSI and LR have been working closely as partners since the 1980s. This new VLOC contract re-affirms our confidence in LR’s outstanding technical expertise and professional consultancy services.”

LR supported the designers, SDARI, the owner and the yard in optimising the efficiency of the design, including deadweight capacity increases and hull form optimisation with LR Consulting’s computational fluid

Ships’ main particulars:Length: 327mBeam: 57mDwt: 250,000Flag: Isle of Man

The ships will be entered into Lloyd’s Register’s Ship Emergency Response Service (SERS) and certified for MLC (2006) compliance.

Front row: GSI’s Han Guang-de (left) and LR’s Nick Brown (right). Back row (l-r) Chen Shizhou, Vice President for Marine Business, Southern China & Hong Kong, Lloyd’s Register Asia; Chen Li Ping, Chief Accountant & Company Secretary of Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd; Sun Yunfei, Vice President of China State Shipbuilding Corporation; Alan Sharp, Area Manager, South China, Lloyd’s Register Classification Society (China) Co Ltd; and Xia Longdeng, Secretary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation

Coastal eco-cities was the theme of a two-month Research Collegium run by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) at the University of Southampton recently.

A total of 24 scholars from 22 countries took part in the Collegium, the third in a current series.

“The high concentration of people in

coastal regions has produced many economic benefits, including improved transportation links, industrial and urban development, revenue from tourism and food production,” said Michael Franklin, LRF’s Grants Director.

“But the effects of booming population, combined with those of probable sea level rises owing to climate change, are

threatening the ecosystems that provide these economic benefits – indeed the very survival of many communities.

“Today, approximately three billion people live within 200 kilometres of a coast and by 2025, that figure is likely to double, which is why we wanted this year’s Collegium to tackle this major issue,” Franklin added.

Population explosion

dynamics (CFD) modelling at full scale and design review by LR’s Shanghai Technical Support Office. The ships will be entered into LR’s Ship Emergency Response Service (SERS) and certified for MLC (2006) compliance.

Brown added: “We are very pleased to be supporting both the owners and builders in this exciting project, which marks a key milestone for VLOC construction in China and further expands our classification footprint in China. As well as our strong and long-term relationship with GSI, LR’s technical expertise also played a significant part in securing this contract and our focus

is on ensuring that we help support the construction of ships that meet quality and performance requirements.

“Providing the full-scale CFD support at the design stage gives owners confidence that they are making the best commercial decisions based on the best technical advice to secure the most effective design. Additionally, our pioneering work in assessing single-pass-loading (SPL) helps reduce load times without compromising safety of structural integrity. SPL requires advanced technical requirements in assessing individual ships to address the significant loads involved.”

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Cammell Laird hosts naming ceremony for LR ferries

A naming ceremony was held at the UK’s Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead for two LR classed ferries, MV Sound of Soay and MV Sound of Seil. Built for the Scottish ferry operator, Western Ferries Ltd, these are the first complete ships constructed by Cammell Laird in 20 years.

At the ceremony were Derek Liddle, Senior Surveyor at LR’s Liverpool office, who oversaw both projects, Phylis Conroy, Marine Client Manager, Eddie Graham, Senior Surveyor-in-Charge, Glasgow, and from Liverpool, Dave Lloyd, Global Marine Client Training Manager, David Gaskell, Senior Surveyor, and Chris Southward, Senior Surveyor-in-Charge, along with more than 200 guests.

The ferries were christened with bottles of champagne broken over their bows by Glenis Coles and Maria Chittick, wives of two longstanding Western Ferries’ staff, Captain Robin Coles and Neil Chittick.

Both vessels, which were built to LR’s IWW rules, will be completing sea trials shortly and will then start operating on the Western Ferries route between Dunoon and Gourock.

LR China and COSCO sign JIPNantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co (NACKS) and Lloyd’s Register China have agreed a JIP for an LNG-fuelled 28K DWT Type Motor General Cargo Ship design that will meet current and future environmental targets. The vessel will be dual-fuelled and built to LR Class requirements.

The agreement was signed by Nikolas Skaribas, LR’s Greater China Marine Operations Manager, and NACKS President, Han Chengming, at NACKS’ offices. The design is a retrofit of the existing 28K MPV design with SHI-supplied Gas Supply System, MAN Diesel ME-GI dual fuel engine, as well as the necessary update

Nikolas Skaribas, LR’s Greater China Marine Operations Manager (left), and NACKS President, Han Chengming, sign the JIP

(l-r) Eddie Graham, LR Surveyor-in-Charge, Glasgow, David Gaskell, LR Senior Surveyor, Liverpool, Phyllis Conroy, LR Marine Client Manager, Glasgow, and Derek Liddle, LR Senior Surveyor, Liverpool

to accommodate a dual fuel power system. LR will be applying its risk methodology for novel technology

processes, which provides a pathway through the complexity of the technical risk assessment, and will eventually

aim to issue an Approval in Principle for the new MPV design incorporating an LNG-as-fuel system.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal named a new Royal Research Ship, RRS Discovery, at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton in October.

Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and operated by the NOC, the LR-classed Discovery will carry out deep ocean research in the remotest and least hospitable parts of the globe – from tropical seas to polar regions.

The 100-metre long vessel will be operated by a crew of 24 and has accommodation for 28 scientists and technicians. She is equipped with laboratories, handling systems and sensors, enabling her to do research in a wide range of ocean issues that impact on

society, including climate change, ocean acidification and the effects of human activity on delicate ecosystems.

Discovery will also be part of a £10.5 million research programme into shelf sea

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The most famous Discovery launched in Dundee in 1901 and commanded by the ubiquitous polar explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott during the Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904. In 1925, she became a royal research ship and led investigations into the behaviour of the great whale in the Southern Ocean.

RRS Discovery named by Princess Royal

The Princess Royal names RRS Discovery.

Credit: National Oceanography Centre

biogeochemistry and her first cruise will leave Southampton in March this year.

One of her scientists, Dr Martin Solan, said: “Our research programme was designed around the new capabilities that Discovery affords us, allowing over 60 scientists from a variety of scientific fields to work together to address globally important issues. This is a game changer – what we can now do simultaneously at sea was not possible a year ago, and means that we are continuing to contribute to science at the highest possible level.”

Discovery is the latest in an illustrious line of vessels with the same name, dating back to 1602, when the East India Company commissioned the first recorded vessel to explore the Hudson Strait in the relentless search for the North-West Passage.

In the 20th century, a new Discovery was commissioned for the 1901-1904 British National Antarctic Expedition and commanded by the ubiquitous explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

The next Discovery, which made some significant marine science discoveries of her own, ended a 50-year career in 2012.

LR-classed Discovery will carry out deep ocean research in the remotest and least hospitable parts of the globe – from tropical seas to polar regions

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First steel cut for Scotland’s new Stornoway-Ullapool ferryThe first steel was cut recently for MV Loch Seaforth, the replacement ferry on Scotland’s Stornoway-Ullapool route, at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg, Germany, where the ship is being built.

Andy Robertson and Nick Johnson from Lloyds Banking Group joined Guy Platten, CEO of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), and Andrew Duncan, CMAL’s

Director of Vessels, to push the button to start the steel cutting machine. The ship is being financed by Lloyds Banking Group and will be leased to CMAL.

The new 116-metre long, ro-pax ferry will be able to operate 24/7 with a capacity for 700 passengers, 143 cars and 20 commercial vehicles. The vessel will be operated by CalMac Ferries. “The new ferry will provide a lifeline ferry service

for communities between the Western Isles and the mainland. We look forward to seeing the ferry going into service in 2014,” said Platten.

MV Loch Seaforth was named by the public in a competition, with the name winning 40 per cent of the votes. Seaforth is a loch between the islands of Lewis and Harris.

(l-r) Guy Platten MD of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), Andrew Duncan CMAL’s Director of Vessels and Nick Johnson and Andy Robertson from Lloyds Banking Group start the steel cutting machine for MV Loch Seaforth

LR hosts speakers’ dinner at London International Shipping Week

Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Director, Tom Boardley (right), speaking at the London International Shipping Week Speakers’ Dinner hosted by LR at London’s 71 Fenchurch Street. Also at the dinner were LR Chairman, Thomas Thune Andersen, Koji Sekimizu, Secretary General of IMO, Jens Martin Jensen, CEO of Frontline, and Roger Janson, Head of Cargill Ocean Transportation.


Lloyd’s Register CEO Richard Sadler wins major industry recognitionRichard Sadler, CEO of Lloyd’s Register Group Ltd, has been awarded the Coales Medal for Transport, one of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Achievement Awards.

The awards, which recognise some of the world’s top engineering talent, acknowledge individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of science, engineering and technology in any sector – either through research and development in their respective technical field or through their leadership of an enterprise.

Nigel Fine, Chief Executive of the IET, said: “The Institution of Engineering and Technology Achievement Awards recognise individuals who have made a truly outstanding contribution to engineering, from talented young professionals through to individuals who are at the pinnacle of their careers. The IET is passionate about promoting engineering excellence and the Achievement Awards truly showcase some of the very best engineering talent from around the world. The winners should be extremely proud of their achievements.”

The winners, who were selected from a line-up of leading engineers by a panel of expert judges, collected their awards at a prestigious awards ceremony on 20 November.

On Richard’s award, the IET said: “Appointed CEO in 2007, Richard Sadler possesses strategic and operational expertise in transportation and energy risk and safety management. He has expanded the company’s scope and positioned it firmly as the world leader in its field. He has also devoted significant personal time to promoting engineering as a profession to young people and led the formation of the new Lloyd’s Register Global Technology Centres in Southampton and Singapore. He is an influential advocate to government on how to build UK engineering capability.”

For more information visit http://www.theiet.org/

LR makes history and wins Korea’s Uam PrizeThe prestigious Uam Prize was presented to Lloyd’s Register’s CEO, Richard Sadler, at the Society of Naval Architecture (SNAK) of Korea’s annual meeting at Ulsan University, South Korea, in November.

The award was made in appreciation of the pivotal role LR has played in the development of the Korean shipbuilding industry. It is the first time the award has been made to an organisation rather than an individual, and the Society recognised LR’s 50-year support of local universities and our ongoing efforts to advertise Korean shipbuilding to the world.

The Uam Prize was established to commemorate Professor Jae-Keun Kim, a pioneering scholar in the field of naval architecture and an honourable member of SNAK. The award is usually made to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of Korea’s shipbuilding industry.

Richard commented: “To be the first foreign company to be honoured in this way for our contribution and support to the energy and marine industry is a great achievement. I could not be prouder of our Korean and global teams.”

Lloyd’s Register CEO, Richard Sadler, with the Coales Medal for Transport and certificate at the IET Achievement Awards

Sang-Rai Cho, President of The Society of Naval Architecture, Korea (left) presents the Uam Prize to Lloyd’s Register CEO, Richard Sadler

News

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Pioneering bulk carrier Wuchang delivered to CNCo

China Navigation Company (CNCo) recently took delivery of MV Wuchang the first in a series of Deltamarin-designed B.Delta37 bulk carriers built under Lloyd’s Register approval and survey at Chengxi Shipyard in China.

The B.Delta37 design has attracted significant attention in the industry, due to its best in class (handysize segment) performance and such factors as low fuel oil consumption, low emissions, EEDI, deadweight intake and lightweight particulars. The 39,000 dwt vessel has excellent manoeuvrability

Tom Boardley speaks at Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance Lloyd’s Register’s Marine Director, Tom Boardley, spoke recently at The Costas Grammenos Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance’s seventh biennial meeting at the IMO in London.

The meeting, which was postponed for a year to coincide with the Centre’s 30th anniversary, covered four main themes – world economy, banking and finance, energy and shipping and the environment. The speakers and chairmen were leading personalities from their sectors and included graduates of the Centre who had distinguished themselves internationally.

Tom was congratulated on his “interesting and thought-provoking presentation” by the Centre’s Chairman, Professor Costas Th. Grammenos.

LR Marine Director Tom Boardley addresses Costas Grammenos Centre delegates

CNCo’s Wuchang bulk carrier Picture credit: CNCo

and performance in heavy seas, as demonstrated during its sea trials.

This is achieved through a very optimised and energy-efficient design, with particular focus on optimal hydrodynamic performance and lowest possible lightweight, without compromising either the cargo intake or the hull structural integrity. Detailed structural finite element analysis and fatigue design assessments, in accordance with IACS Common Structural Rules, have been used to verify the hull structural integrity.

The estimated lightweight particulars (weight and centre of gravity) are confirmed to be within the acceptable limits of the actual lightweight details, derived from the inclining experiment. This was in accordance with the contracted cargo capacity, which has also been validated.

Although Wuchang was contracted prior to the EEDI requirement coming into force on 1 January 2013, CNCo and Deltamarin requested EEDI verification on a voluntary basis from Lloyd’s Register. Accordingly, the EEDI value has been calculated and verified, based on model testing and during sea trials, and the derived EEDI value is confirmed to be over 20% below the applicable baseline for bulk carriers.

Lloyd’s Register and Deltamarin enjoy mutually beneficial co-operation on many joint newbuild projects for various ship types and designs, and this newbuild project for CNCo has further strengthened the collaboration between the two organisations, as well as with CNCo and Chengxi Shipyard.

Wuchang has newbuilding number CX0341 from Chengxi Shipyard and is the first in a series of 16 ships of this optimised B.Delta37 design from Deltamarin, ordered by CNCo to Lloyd’s Register class at Chengxi Shipyard and followed by another four at Ouhua Shipyard. So far, 53 B.Delta37s have been contracted in five different Chinese shipyards.


Duke of Edinburgh renames world’s oldest surviving clipperThe Duke of Edinburgh was guest of honour at the renaming of the world’s oldest surviving clipper, City of Adelaide, at a Thames-side gathering of mariners, leading shipping companies, sponsors and invited guests at London’s Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, on 18 October.

The vessel, which is four years older than its globally-famous sister ship, Cutty Sark, has been classed by Lloyd’s Register since she was built in Sunderland, UK, in 1864. One of the fastest ships of her day, she made 23 round trips between England and Australia, carrying vital supplies for the colonies and turning the Australian dream into reality for thousands of British migrants.

Early in the 20th century, City of Adelaide was sold to the Royal Navy and served as a training ship for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Her name was changed to HMS Carrick to avoid confusion with another ship called Adelaide.

However, her story has not all been plain sailing. After being used as a floating club for members of the RNVR on the River Clyde in Scotland, the clipper’s deck got

trapped under the wharf where she was moored and the vessel flooded. She then mysteriously sank. A group of Scottish maritime organisations raised £500,000 to salvage the beleaguered clipper and she was towed to the River Irvine.

Although she was listed as a Category A listed building, the funds needed to continue her existence dried up and the clipper was threatened with demolition – twice. After an international outcry from preservation societies in the UK, Australia and several other interested countries, she was reprieved. In 2010, the Scottish government accepted a bid from Australia’s City of Adelaide Preservation Trust to preserve the ship’s future.

The 75-metre long ship was carried to Greenwich on a barge for the renaming ceremony, though now in the guise of a black wooden shell instead of a majestic-looking clipper with sails, rudder and fittings.

Renaming the clipper, the Duke of Edinburgh, a former Royal Navy Commander, said: “I declare that this ship is now going to be called City of

Adelaide. I hope she has a long and successful career in her reincarnation.”

The ship, which has the distinction of being the first composite clipper made out of wood on a wrought iron frame, will make her final voyage to South Australia on the deck of a heavy-lift ship. She is due to arrive at Port Adelaide between February and April this year, ready to be fully restored and to join her sister ship, Cutty Sark, as a piece of maritime history.

The Duke of Edinburgh renames the City of Adelaide

The City of Adelaide lies dormant in the Thames at Greenwich

News

Why diesel is a trusted formula

The marine slow-speed diesel engine has been the industry’s workhorse for a generation or more. Its inherent simplicity masks an underlying engineering ingenuity that is capable of converting the leftovers of today’s industrial economy – the oil refining industry’s residue – into highly reliable propulsion power, and doing so more efficiently than any other internal combustion engine currently operating today.

Rigorous environmental legislation and ever-increasing fuel costs have posed something of a dilemma for today’s marine engineers – the diesel dilemma. With this highly optimised generation of slow-speed diesels, any attempt to reduce NOx emissions leads to an increase in fuel consumption, and with it a corresponding increase in CO2.

Technologies, such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and exhaust gas after treatment, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR), offer potential solutions, but our simple, reliable and highly efficient workhorse is beginning to look like a very different animal now; one that is much more temperamental and demanding.

The focus on emissions and rising fuel costs has resulted in wider competition for the traditional oil fuelled slow-speed diesel. Offering reductions in SOx, CO2 and, when combined with lean burn engine technologies, NOx emissions, low flashpoint fuels, if safely managed, could have a significant role to play in helping the industry to meet the challenge of sustainable shipping.

In addition to what are fast becoming ‘established’ marine power generators, such as the Rolls-Royce Bergen B series and C series, spark-ignited, 4-stroke Otto cycle engines operating on low pressure natural gas and the Wartsila DF series, pilot

Despite environmental influences and a growing range of alternative power options, the traditional diesel engine will continue to be the industry mainstay for many years to come, says Ed Fort, Lloyd’s Register’s Head of Marine Engineering Services

fuel ignited, 4-stroke Otto and Diesel cycle engines capable of operation on both low pressure natural gas and conventional fuel oils (HFO and MDO), a number of other engines – and with them fuel options – will soon be available.

Wartsila DF engines are already approved, installed and in-service onboard Lloyd’s Register classed vessels. Meanwhile, in a developing relationship, Lloyd’s Register is currently working with Rolls-Royce in analysing the design of the B and C series gas engines, with the aim of demonstrating equivalent reliability to that provided by conventional oil-fuelled engines.

LNG uptakeAs regards new engines, with the order book growing, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s ME-GI series, low speed, 2-stroke diesel cycle engines, operating on both high pressure natural gas and conventional fuel oils, will undoubtedly increase the uptake of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a bunker fuel both for environmentally sensitive areas and, with reducing global sulphur limits, worldwide trades too.

Lloyd’s Register granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for the ME-GI engine in 2012. The uptake of LNG will only continue to grow with the introduction of Wartsila’s first RT-flex DF and X DF series, low speed, 2-stroke Otto and Diesel cycle engine operating on both low pressure natural gas and conventional fuels.

Beyond natural gas, both MAN and Wartsila are actively considering other alternative low carbon fuels. Wartsila, in co-operation with shipowner/operator Stena and Lloyd’s Register, is currently engaged in the conversion of existing diesel engines onboard the Stena Germanica to allow operation on methanol

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(MeOH), a potentially sustainable low carbon fuel, when operating in the diesel cycle and using a pilot fuel for ignition.

MAN has also recently announced the introduction of its ME-LGI (liquid gas injection) engine and, in doing so, increased the fuel options still further. ME-LGI conversions to their existing 2-stroke ME series engines will, in addition to methanol, permit operation on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dimethylether (DME) and ethanol. Lloyd’s Register granted AIP for the ME-LGI operating on LPG early in 2013 and has recently granted AIP for operation on ethane.

In the longer term, hydrogen, the ultimate clean fuel, offers the prospect of true zero emission power generation. While the operation of internal combustion engines on hydrogen is possible – and indeed has been demonstrated – it is unlikely that the evolution of internal combustion engine technology will extend to operation on hydrogen.

Instead, should hydrogen become a viable marine fuel in terms of cost and availability, it may be expected that fuel cell technology – not constrained by the efficiency limits of the Otto and Diesel thermodynamic cycles and offering significantly higher efficiencies from what are effectively solid state, silent and vibration free devices – would be the choice for the power generators of the future.

Automotive sectorLloyd’s Register has significant experience with marine fuel cell technology and is currently engaged in a number of development projects, including the evaluation of both onboard hydrogen generation and low temperature hydrogen fuel cell technology.

So does this wider range of options spell the end for the traditional oil fuelled slow speed marine diesels, burdened with the weight of emissions after-treatment technologies struggling to trade off emissions against efficiency? Most definitely not.

Led by the automotive sector, engineers worldwide are investigating advanced combustion technologies, in order to develop an in-cylinder approach to meeting emissions standards and thus avoiding the need for additional after-treatment systems or, at the very least, reducing the performance demands of the after-treatment systems, thus reducing their cost and complexity.

The European Commission (EC) funded HERCULES R&D programme aims to reduce fuel consumption of marine diesel engines by 10%; improve efficiency of marine diesel propulsion systems to more than 60%, with a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions; reduce NOx by 70% and particulate matter (PM) by 50% by 2020. In order to meet such aims, the programme will equip the marine industry with the tools necessary to model and validate in-cylinder combustion processes for various arrangements and advanced low temperature combustion (LTC) concepts.

The use of LTC concepts has been shown to reduce NOx and PM emissions to between 1-10% of current emissions. LTC concepts will likely necessitate the use of advanced fuel injection systems, providing injection pressures as high as 3000 bar and multi-stage turbo chargers to achieve the necessary boost pressures. Lloyd’s Register, a member of the programme’s External Advisory Group, is a partner in the Hercules programme.

Led by the automotive sector, engineers worldwide are investigating advanced combustion technologies, in order to develop an in-cylinder approach to meeting emissions standards and thus avoiding the need for additional after-treatment systems

A MAN Diesel & Turbo’s ME-GI series engine

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Diesel engines

www.lr.org/horizons

A new security standard supported by Lloyd’s Register (LR) will help ensure companies that supply armed guards for ships are compliant, safe and effective

High seas piracy continues to threaten shipowners and operators as hijacks and attacks grow ever-bolder and more random and the security net widens into previously incident-free areas.

In the fight to combat this disturbing toll, rising numbers of private security companies have emerged to help safeguard ships, their crews, cargoes and passengers with teams of onboard armed security guards.

Some of the service levels of these operators have been variable and, in response to growing concern by the shipping industry and issues raised by the IMO, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) marine technical committee instigated a project group, which it asked Lloyd’s Register to lead.

The new standard, known as ISO/PAS 28007, requires private maritime security companies (PMSCs) to identify and demonstrate compliance with all the legal requirements

Lloyd’s Register joins the battle against piracy

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As Horizons went to press, UKAS was still finalising the accreditation process. A decision is expected very soon, after which LRQA and the other two pilot bodies aim to issue accredited certification, which will be backdated for companies that have been successful in the pilot scheme.

needed to provide armed security guards onboard vessels. “The standard has been driven by the IMO, developed by maritime security experts brought together by the ISO with the support of the shipping community,” explained Ron Bishop, Project Lead with Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA).

ISO/PAS 28007 has been developed as part of the supply chain standard, ISO 28000, first introduced in 2007. The new standard will save shipowners, operators and managers the time, effort and resources needed to vet any individual security companies they decide to use to help repel piracy and high seas attacks.

A US Navy patrol approaches a pirate skiff and mother ship in the Gulf of Aden

In the UK, LRQA has certified Ambrey Risk and Solace Global under the ISO/PAS 28007 pilot scheme.

Chris Charnley, MD of Ambrey Risk, said: “Ambrey is committed to the very highest levels of compliance and standards, and it is very rewarding to have had our systems and processes so comprehensively scrutinised whilst achieving what we have. It should help continue to build on the message to our current and future clients that you can choose security providers who offer integrity, the very highest standards of compliance, and therefore peace of mind, at attractive commercial terms.”

David Peach, CEO of Solace Global, said: “We are delighted to be one of the first PMSCs certified to ISO/PAS 28007, having been instrumental in developing this standard and in helping to support our industry. It takes time, money and resources to put effective quality, health and safety and environmental management systems in place that continually strive to improve a business.

“The introduction of ISO/PAS 28007 specifies the requirements for a security management system and will, in turn, raise the bar for PMSCs and potentially make the selection process less time-consuming for clients.”

Who supports ISO/PAS 28007?The new standard has had very wide-ranging support. Two of the world’s largest shipowner representative bodies, ICS and BIMCO, as official liaisons to ISO, were extremely active in the development of ISO/PAS 28007 – indeed it was officially their draft which was the base document, and they were keenly supported by SAMI (the principle PMSC body) and the Marshall Islands. An initial development meeting was held at INTERPOL, which was, of course, very interested in information and evidential concerns. After this meeting, which was attended by European Commission (EC) representatives, ISO was offered a further meeting to be held in Brussels, hosted by the EC.

Countries active in development included Germany, France, Cyprus, Japan, China, Korea, the USA, Singapore, Argentina and many others, including Panama, who as chair of the IMO working group on piracy, called for ISO to deliver the standard.

The UK is fortunate to have, by a considerable margin, the largest number of PMSCs based in the country and so, from the first day, the UK paid great interest; not least since David Cameron himself made a speech allowing PMSCs and armed guards. The development was thus keenly followed and assisted by SCEG (Security in Complex Environment Group), whose partnership with the UK government provides a unique and sustained dialogue between an industry body and the UK government.

The success of the development of ISO/PAS 28007 was dependent on these wide-ranging organisations; the success of its implementation, and the demand for its use, will likewise depend on their support.

Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance is part of the Lloyd’s Register Group of Companies and is the oldest established system management company operating in this sector.

The role of LRQAIt is basing its ISO/PAS 28007 standard certification service in four key centres – the UK, Singapore, Dubai and Piraeus in Greece. “This geographical mix means that, in practice, LRQA is able to provide fully qualified management system assessors with the expertise and knowledge of the sector to offer support and resources for a truly global reach,” said Bishop.

Robin Townsend, LR Lead Specialist and Project Leader of the ISO/PAS 28007 Committee, said: “The UK government is sponsoring the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) to oversee the certification bodies offering this service, which is a vital way to help instill confidence in the process. It means the shipping community can have the assurance that robust and rigorous assessment of PSMCs will be undertaken by fully competent and trained staff.”

For more information, please visit www.lrqa.co.uk/28007 or contact [email protected].

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Piracy compliance

www.lr.org/horizons

Robin Townsend, LR Lead Specialist

Ron Bishop, LRQA Project Lead

Piracy compliance presentation: l-r Kevin Smith, LRQA; John Simmonds and James Moreton of Solace Global; David Derrick, LRQA; Guy Winter, Ambrey Risk and Mike Richards, LRQA

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Weathertight, self-righting and ultra-robust. These are the reassuringly safe features of two high-speed workboats designed and built by the Vancouver-based workboat and yacht design company, Ivan Erdevicki Naval Architecture & Yacht Design Inc. Another stand-out characteristic is the vessel’s self-righting capability after 180° rollover in extreme weather conditions.

The two vessels – an 11-metre long SAR power-boat and a 9-metre long RHIB – are driven by twin diesel/waterjets and twin outboard motors, 500 bhp and 250 bhp respectively. They can reach speeds of more than 45 knots. The workboats are custom-built for inshore and offshore operations. “They meet the stringent Lloyd’s Register standards for Special Service Craft – categories G3 to G5 depending on loading and performance conditions. They also fully comply with ISO standards – design categories B and C,” said Erdevicki’s owner Ivan Erdevicki.

The vessels’ self-righting ability is based on trials and tests with 3D computerised models. “We used the models to run 180° stability studies for different loading conditions, which allowed us to analyse the stability curves of our new designs and compare them with already proven designs,” continued Erdevicki.

The two workboats have all-aluminium hulls designed to LR’s SSC-G5 classification – with deep V sections for dynamic stability. The forefoot of their keels and hulls is reinforced for strength and abrasion resistance when they are beaching. “The hull bottom structure is optimised to lower the vertical centre of gravity (VCG) and, at the same time, optimise the superstructure for the best longitudinal centre of gravity (LCG), in order to achieve a more efficient self-righting ability,” added the Canadian designer.

State-of the-art design and cutting-edge technology are second nature to award-winning superyacht designers, Ivan Erdevicki. However the Vancouver-based company is gaining a growing portfolio of clients for its tough, sturdy workboats

Fast, feisty and fit for purpose

Ivan Erdevicki workboat designer

Falkins II during trials in Sidney Channel, Vancouver

Weathertight, self-righting and ultra-robust

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Lloyd’s Register’s roleDragan Basekic, Senior Plan Approval Surveyor at LR’s Toronto Design Support Office, said of the project:

“We assessed compliance of one of the Erdevicki designs with our Rules and at the end of the process, the design met the very stringent requirements of our Special Service Craft Rules. For such a small and fast craft that was always an extra challenge for the designer.

“There is an element of an ‘out of the box’ approach here as the Rules, in principal, are not developed with such small vessels in mind. For example, when you are doing design assessment of the midsize and low speed commercial ship with compartments greater than the entire length of the average high speed police craft, from a Rules perspective, you are not anticipating any major appraisal issues. I am not saying it’s easy, but pretty much everything is straightforward.

“However, doing design assessment of small workboats or small high speed patrol craft is a different story. You have quite a few watertight compartments compressed into 10 to 12 metres of the craft’s overall length. Under the ‘hood’, you very often have waterjets and powerful twin engines associated with the huge deck openings (compared to the size of the craft) to fit them in.

“With this particular design, the entire vessel, including deckhouse, is designed to be watertight because of the craft’s rollover capabilities. Into the equation comes the general requirements from the navy or police to run this platform at very high speed (more than 35 knots) on not so calm a sea. In order to achieve this, the designer needs to make a craft very light, which means that every single plate, bracket and flat bar is sized to a bare minimum.

“Our role is to help the designer produce a cost-effective design, but also one which meets the requirements of our Rules. As a plan appraisal surveyor, you really have to start to think ‘out of the box’ to achieve both.”

Other safety features include the windows at the front of the pilothouse, sides and aft of the vessels with mechanical bolt-on installations to prevent water ingress. The main entry doors on the vertical aft bulkheads comply with LR and SOLAS rules and are watertight for rollover situations. “All the hatches, including large door-type versions that allow access for stretchers carrying the injured on the bow or deck, are also sturdily built and watertight,” said Erdevicki.

Engine technology is another design priority. The two vessels’ engines are SOLAS approved and have sufficient durability to withstand free fall from three metres [in the case of lifeboats] and to withstand a lateral impact of 3.5 m/s without affecting the functionality of their systems.

Erdevicki’s key clients are the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (SAR), the Canadian Coastguard Auxiliary, the US Coastguard and the US Navy. Captain Jeff Engholm, a station leader with the Canadian Royal Marines, commented: “The design of the vessels allows us to control, for the first time, the vessels at speed and in difficult sea states while keeping the crew safely seated and secure… In previous designs, we were required to ride standing up. This has been…. hard on crews, as we are required to respond to marine emergencies at all hours of the day and night and in all weather and sea states.”

One variation on the Erdevicki workboat theme is yacht tenders. The company designed two tenders based on the SAR concept for the expedition yacht Andiamo. The ship’s master, Captain Raymond Heer said: “I enjoyed these tenders very much and still do. They are bulletproof and got us anywhere and everywhere. They were definitely the workhorses of our programme. They allowed us to see and experience many more things than we would have been able to do with lesser tenders.”

There are plans to extend the Erdevicki portfolio still further. “We are ready to expand into larger commercial ship design, if and when the opportunity arises. To date, we have designed several commercial ships, including a 135-foot long heavy duty, self-propelled steel barge and some small tug-boats and similar vessels. Recently, we prepared an offer for the design of a 120-metre long trimaran ferry,” concluded Erdevicki.

Lloyd’s Register Toronto has been located in the city of Toronto and its environs since the early 1960s. It was established as a Port Office soon after the opening of the St Lawrence Seaway in 1959, which led to a significant increase in shipborne trade through the Great Lakes and River St Lawrence corridor.

In the mid-1990s, a limited plan appraisal capability was added to LR’s Toronto Port Office to provide our Great Lakes clients with basic technical support. Since then, the office has steadily grown, with the most recent expansion occurring in October 2012. Currently, LR Toronto is made up of a Port Office and a Technical Support Office (TSO) and a team of 31.

Consistent with its origins, the Toronto Port Office primarily continues to deliver Classification and Statutory Services to Great Lakes clients. The Laker business is being revitalised with the construction of approximately 20 new vessels for two key LR clients – Algoma Central Corporation and Canada Steamship Lines. All the vessels either are, or are intended to be, classed with LR at this time.

The TSO currently provides multi-disciplined technical support to clients across the Americas region for a wide variety of specialised ship types. Two key drivers of this growth have been the Laker revitalisation and the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), which is a

$35 billion (£22.8 billion) programme to build large and small ships for the Canadian Coastguard and the Royal Canadian Navy.

Lloyd’s Register Canada Limited’s (LRCL) Marine Operations Manager, Henk VanStaalduinen, and Marine Technical Manager, David Lloyd, both work out of the Toronto office. LRCL’s Business Development Manager and Client Support Manager, Barry Shepherd, is also based in Toronto.

Lloyd’s Register Toronto

For more information, please contactDavid LloydMarine Technical Manager Lloyd’s Register Canada Ltd, E [email protected] T +1 (1)905 631 9420

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Workboats

www.lr.org/horizons

The quiet revolutionAs the shipping industry adapts to changing market forces and new methods of saving fuel and cutting costs, one of its smaller and more diverse sectors, ferries and ferry travel, has been boldly going where others seldom dare to tread

Ferries are some of the smallest and most compact vessels in the global fleet, but it is their relatively slight stature and economies of scale that make them ideal candidates for experiment and change.

Interestingly, history shows that ferries have often been the pioneers of state-of-the-art ways to drive ships. Roman literature tells us that a pair of oxen used a water-wheel to drive a ship in the fourth century, while in the 12th century, monks from a Benedictine Priory in the UK’s Birkenhead charged a small fee for rowing passengers across the River Mersey.

It is the ferry that created the idea of horsepower too. In the early 1800s, eight horses used a treadmill to turn a screw propeller on the aptly-named The Experiment and carry a “group of gentlemen” at four knots between two towns in the USA’s Rhode Island. Although the vessel later perished on some mud flats, it had set a trend. Horse-powered ferries were one of the most popular modes of transport on the USA’s eastern seaboard for the next 50 years.

Another factor that makes ferries such ideal sources of experiment and power is their consistency – daily routes that are almost all contained and regular. This gives designers and engineers greater scope as they seek alternatives to heavy fuel oil (HFO), especially when high prices and scarcity of oil are at their most critical.

Moving on to the 20th century and new technology, in 1956, Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the Hovercraft. This small hybrid craft, which travels on a cushion of air, first carried passengers and cars across the English Channel. Since then, modified, remodelled and upgraded versions have been used in disaster relief projects, military, coastguard and surveying operations and for inland racing and pleasure cruising. Cockerell’s moment of ingenuity seemed to spawn a flurry of new designs, including double-ended ferries, high-speed hydrofoils, car-carrying catamarans, ro-ros and ro-paxes.

In the past decade, a cleaner, safer and more fuel-efficient shipping industry has emerged and fostered a new approach to ferry design – alternative fuels instead of alternative concepts. Each design is literally moulded to the vessel that will use it,

Viking Grace bunkering in Stockholm

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Scrubbers and ferries

LR’s Jane Jenkins:“a dramatic step change.”

Not since the transition from coal to fuel oil has technology for the marine industry made such a dramatic step change.

The link between scrubbers and ferries is almost like a love-hate relationship. Ferries operating in ECAs will see a dramatic increase in fuel costs from 2015 (40% in today’s prices), and using exhaust gas scrubbers that enable them to continue using heavy fuel oil is a promising solution, writes Dimitris

Argyros, LR Senior Environmental Specialist, Marine.

Acknowledging the critical role that scrubbers and other abatement technologies will play in meeting the emissions compliance challenges, LR has developed a new chapter of Rules specifically for this area. We are also heavily involved in a number of projects at various stages of technical maturity.

In cases we have evaluated for our clients, we’ve seen that the economics of fitting a scrubber inside an ECA is often compelling. At the same time, ferries are presented with the highest technical challenges for a scrubber retrofit compared to any other type of ship (except, perhaps, for cruise ships).

Assuming that a ferry has plenty of life left, space restrictions, limited spare deadweight, stability restrictions and multiple engine installations can often make a retrofit a challenge at best – and impossible at worst. Scrubber technology providers, on the other hand, see ferries as the biggest potential market between now and 2020 and, in many cases, the key to their survival. Having heavily invested in R&D, orders need to start flowing soon, as a company cannot survive for long without income.

Ferries need scrubbers and scrubbers need ferries, but what does the future hold for this relationship?

The quiet revolution

taking into account its range, capacity, speed requirements, carrying needs and daily water conditions.

For instance, fuel cell and battery technology is ideally suited to small ferries but, because of its limited power capacity, not to large ones. Another option is Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which can be used to power both the large and the small. One of the most exciting events of 2013 was the maiden voyage of the world’s largest ferry, Viking Grace, a 280-passenger ro-pax driven by LNG and diesel and approved and classed by LR.

One of the great merits of this dual-fuel option is that it helps give ferries a compliant future. Vessels like Viking Grace will be able to operate freely in SECAs (sulphur emission control areas) and NECAs (nitrogen emission control areas) when the IMO’s emissions rules take effect in 2015 and 2020 respectively. “Not since the transition from coal to fuel oil has technology for the marine industry made such a dramatic step change,” said Jane Jenkins, Senior Specialist at LR’s Passenger Ship Support Centre.

Yes, the evolution of ferries has turned into a quiet revolution.

Another factor that makes ferries such ideal sources of experiment and power is their consistency – daily routes that are almost all contained and regular. This gives designers and engineers greater scope as they seek alternatives to heavy fuel oil (HFO), especially when high prices and scarcity of oil are at their most critical

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Fuel?It’s all a matter of priority...

Is LNG the future of marine fuel or a future marine fuel? That is the billion-dollar question. Lloyd’s Register has invested heavily in supporting the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and believes it has a bright future as a marine fuel. However, it is worth stepping back and looking beyond the media headlines.

The number of LNG-fuelled ships being ordered is a small proportion of the total and, in terms of the existing fleet, statistically insignificant. LNG headlines have obscured other alternative fuels and inferred that oil is dying. For LNG to supplant oil it needs a fuel supply infrastructure to be in place, requiring significant investment. North American wholesale LNG prices are quoted to promote LNG as a cheap fuel, but these are not representative of LNG bunker prices.

What are the alternatives? We need to ask what society demands of future fuels. If we consider this, we will answer the question of what the future of fuel might look like.

Interest in alternative marine fuels has been driven to some extent by changes to NOX and SOX emissions limits. LNG is low in sulphur and gas engines have lower NOX emissions than oil engines. The ferry sector in particular is embracing alternative fuels. The economics are particularly attractive for ferries operating in emission control areas. LR has already provided risk management and classification services for the LNG-fuelled ferry Viking Grace and is working with Stena to support conversion of the Stena Britannica to methanol.

Outside shipping, the emissions debate is dominated by carbon dioxide. Shipping will be expected to reduce its carbon intensity as society demands affordable, secure low carbon energy; the ideal clean, readily available fuel is hardly attractive if it is too expensive. There are three objectives for future fuels:

Cleaner, safer, more affordable and easier to obtain – as the variety and interest in new marine fuels grows, owners and operators are more likely to opt for the prosaic than the exotic, says John Bradshaw, LR Marine’s Lead Project Engineer for Machinery

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www.lr.org/horizons

The triangle right demonstrates a dilemma facing not just shipping, but society as a whole. Society wants unlimited, cheap and clean energy. We have yet to find a fuel satisfying all three demands and are unlikely to reach this energy nirvana soon. The objectives pull in different directions and any two of them can be achieved relatively easily. There is cheap and readily available fuel if environmental impact is considered unimportant, and clean, fully renewable fuels if affordability is irrelevant. Yet while compromise is often used as a pejorative expression, achieving an optimum energy compromise is an aspiration, not a failure.

To misquote Mark Twain, rumours of the death of oil are greatly exaggerated. Oil remains the dominant marine fuel and, with clean emissions technology, will continue to compete against the newer fuels entering shipping

Fact or fiction?When considering energy security there is increasing angst that fuel is about to run out. Is this view based on fact or fiction? Reliable sources show known oil and gas reserves have steadily increased by approximately 60% since 1992. Demand is also growing, but there is no reason to panic about oil or gas and it is generally not understood that elemental carbon and hydrogen can be reformed into almost any synthesised hydro-carbon fuel using existing technology.

The economics of synthesised fuels, such as coal to liquid processes, are not attractive. However 20 years ago, this was also true of extracting shale oil and gas. Other hydro-carbon fossil fuels, including ethane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), can be utilised as fuel relatively easily.

Few things look as old fashioned as yesterday’s vision of today and we should remember that assumptions of future energy trends are just that – assumptions. Assumptions can change. Two extreme future scenarios are a write-down of fossil fuel reserves to combat global warming, or synthetic photo synthesis making carbon dioxide yesterday’s problem. Neither scenario is impossible, demonstrating just how energy assumptions might change in some alternative scenarios.

So we shouldn’t lose too much sleep worrying about the world’s supply of fuel going dry. But what about the environmental impact? Carbon intensity of fuel depends upon how the energy system is defined. Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) carbon factors are based on stack emissions, but society increasingly expects a more holistic view, considering extraction, refining and supply. This could fundamentally change the carbon intensity of marine fuels.

Natural gas is cleaner than oil, but is it greener than combusting a waste product when emissions can be cleaned? Arguing that combusting residual fuel oil is environmentally responsible may seem flippant, but it is certainly possible to support such an argument, thus challenging accepted wisdom. Exhaust gas cleaning is a mature industrial technology and some exciting systems designed for the marine market are now available. Ships equipped with these systems can combust high sulphur residual oil in emission control areas.

To misquote Mark Twain, rumours of the death of oil are greatly exaggerated. Oil remains the dominant marine fuel and, with clean emissions, technology will continue to compete against the newer fuels entering shipping.

See “Why diesel is a trusted formula” on pages 14-15

So what are the alternatives?• Biofuel use is increasing; fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) bio-diesel is widely available, but increasing societal resistance against FAME will make next-generation algae derived bio-oils much more attractive.

• Methanol is generally derived from natural gas feedstocks, but with renewable feedstock being available it has great potential as a clean fuel. Although toxic and flammable, fuel handling and risk management is simpler than for LNG, since it is not a cryogenic liquid.

• Hydrogen has traditionally been energy intensive to produce in large quantities and risk management is challenging, however it is potentially both clean and abundant. If efforts to reduce the cost of generating hydrogen reach fruition, then it could potentially become the holy grail of energy; cheap, clean and abundant fuel.

• Nuclear energy is mature, clean and reliable, but acceptance of nuclear energy faces significant political, regulatory and societal challenges.

• Renewable energy, such as wind and solar, will augment fuels, such as gas or oil, but are unlikely to replace them.

Interest in alternative fuels is stimulating curiosity in alternative energy conversion technologies, such as gas turbines, batteries and fuel cells; it is difficult to overstate the profundity of the changes facing shipping. Few have the gift of prescience and there is some uncertainty over future fuel trends. Market fragmentation with operators selecting solutions fitting their own needs is likely, perhaps resulting in multiple fuel policies within an operator’s fleet.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ best solution. LR expects to see continued strong growth in the LNG fuel market, with oil retaining a large market share. Alternatives, such as methanol, bio-diesel and hydro-carbon gases including LPG, will gain traction, while more radical alternatives, such as hydrogen and nuclear, should not be discounted.


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John Bradshaw, LR Marine’s Lead Project Engineer for Machinery



The events and influences behind a Canadian marine company’s decision to adopt LNG-as-fuel for three newbuild ferries. Nick Brown, LR’s Marine Communications Manager, reports

The Quebec-owned ferry company, STQ has taken the bold step of building three LNG-fuelled vessels to add to its fleet of 17 ferries. The company, Société des traversiers du Quebec (STQ), is owned and operated by the people of Quebec. Its network of ferries, many of which are free, cuts down the need for long, costly and environmentally damaging road detours around the city of Quebec.

What prompted the company to build the LNG-driven ferries is the city’s recent expansion programme and the need for new transport links to service it. Another factor was the provincial government’s plan to reduce the environmental impact of the city’s growing transport infrastructure.

STQ already owns and operates a diesel-battery hybrid ferry serving Quebec’s L’Isle Verte (Green Island) on the St Lawrence River. Of the LNG trio, two 92-metre long ferries are being built at the Davie Shipyard in the city of Levis on the south side of the St Lawrence opposite Quebec City, while a third 130-metre long vessel is being built at Fincantieri’s shipyard at Castellammare di Stabia in Italy and is the first STQ vessel to be built outside Quebec.

The locally-built ferries will serve the important Tadoussac to Baie-Sainte-Catherine route across the mouth of the Saguenay River, a free, 10-minute service that eliminates the need for a 250-kilometre journey by road. The larger ferry will operate out of the city on a longer V-shaped route across the St Lawrence, connecting alternately with Godbout and Baie-Comeau on the northern side of the river.

Benoit Cormier, STQ’s Project Management Office Director, said: “We will operate these vessels for many years

Canada’s STQ converts to LNG

An STQ ferry crossing the St Lawrence River

Nick Brown, LR’s Marine

Communications Manager

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Being first to use gas in shipping in Canada is a big, big pressure. We had a lot of people to convince and I am not so sure that we could have done this if we had been a private company – although many other private shipowners are now asking us, ‘how can we do it too?’

“We had to work out the risks involved and then decide how to address them. Then we had to decide what came first – the ships or the infrastructure? The answer for us was to choose the ships and then address the infrastructure needs,” explained STQ’s Benoit Cormier.

The company did a full risk assessment. One of the early decisions was whether STQ should opt for LNG only or dual fuel engines. STQ chose dual fuel engines for flexibility. “We can always find diesel if we need it if, for whatever reason, we can’t bunker liquefied natural gas (LNG). These ships need to support a wider government contingency response, for example, and we may need to operate them in other, more remote areas,” he added.

The ships will be built with Wartsila 20DF engines of varying sizes in arrangements that provide total redundancy under Safe Return to Port requirements. Other factors include ice protection with special attention given to podded propulsion units. “We need these ships to be reliable and to last. The winter conditions here are very harsh. The pods will be ice class 1AS while the hulls need to be 1A,” clarified Cormier.

Once the design of the ship had been agreed, the infrastructure issues needed to be decided. Again, a full risk

assessment was undertaken, weighing up the pros and cons of different bunkering and LNG delivery options. The solution was to truck the liquefied natural gas in from the energy utility Gaz Métro’s facility in Montreal and bunker direct from the quayside from a hose straight to the ferry manifold.

Throughout the project, LR played an active role in helping to develop risk management approaches and provide clarity to help with the regulatory process. Specialist training to ensure crews and shore staff are equipped to deal with LNG is another of the key steps the company is taking.

“We have three levels of LNG competency… The basic level is that which is required of everybody in the company, from… the senior management to people selling tickets and facing the public. Then we have an intermediate level, so that people from technical managers to emergency responders, including local fire crews, are able to make informed decisions if necessary.

“Then we have the advanced level for the ships’ deck and engineering officers who will be managing the bunkering, as well as the operations,” said Louis Guimond-Mongrain, STQ’s Technical Co-ordinator of Ship Maintenance.

Computerised image of the new LNG-fuelled ferry


– perhaps 35 to 40 – so we wanted to try and find the most modern technology and to meet the requirement for cleaner solutions. For us, gas was like hitting the bulls-eye in meeting these needs.”

But opting for gas was not the easiest choice. “Being first to use gas in shipping in Canada is a big, big pressure. We had a lot of people to convince and I am not so sure that we could have done this if we had been a private company – although many other private shipowners are now asking us, ‘how can we do it too?’.”

You can read a longer version of this article in LR’s latest Gas Technology Report http://www.lr.org/gas

So how did STQ do it?

Things are not always what they seem

You may not be familiar with the phrase “augmented reality”, but it could turn out to be a radical new way to design, repair and improve the performance of ships when the results of a new project headed by Finland’s University of Turku and a group of partners, including Nokia, Lloyd’s Register and STX Finland Oy among others, are published.

The MARIN (Mobile Augmented Reality Tool for Marine Industry) project, as it is known, aims to create a tool showing the virtual content of a vessel drawn over the actual camera image of it on a smart phone or tablet. Sensors will be able to add layers of information, such as photographs, videos and sounds, to the object of scrutiny. Using the same process, parts and equipment

that have not yet been installed on a vessel are shown, so that their planned locations can be visualised.

Another method the MARIN team is studying is to show the virtual content on data glasses, where the image literally floats over the vessel.

“An AR system can be a tool for communicating different kinds of requests during construction. For example, if a hole needs to be made in a ship’s hull for inserting specific tubes and wires, the request can be made using mobile AR equipment. It would then be transmitted to the relevant engineers, who would check and make the modification to a computerised model.

A device that can spot features which are hidden or not immediately obvious to the naked eye could turn out to be an invaluable tool for designing and building ships

Two shipyard foremen use a mobile phone to check the AR view of pipework on a partly-built vessel

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Augmented reality

www.lr.org/horizons

The exact specification would then be sent to the installation team,” explained Seppo Helle, Systems Specialist at the University of Turku.

Hidden talents “AR is good for visualising items that are invisible to the naked eye, or in fact don’t exist in reality. For example, parts not yet installed in a ship can be displayed virtually in their actual locations, which makes it much easier to interpret, compared to reading a 2D plan with a lot of crossing and overlapping lines. Plus, AR applications are typically interactive, so users immediately see the effects of some actions,” added Helle.

“It could also help with all kinds of inspections, such as those carried out by classification societies like Lloyd’s Register during the service life of a vessel. Interestingly, one sector that currently benefits from AR is the machine industry – which is not dissimilar to the shipbuilding sector – as it can provide assembly instructions, as well as help with the maintenance of machines,” he concluded.

The MARIN team is currently building a prototype AR system, or demonstrator model of an AR system, that should eventually be robust and light enough to carry around on a construction site. The aim then is to continue to develop the prototype model towards a complete system.

Pekka Puranen, Design Tool Development Manager at STX Finland Oy, added: “The real value of the MARIN project is that it is focused exclusively on the marine industry and shipbuilding. Many other AR products are focused only on the consumer market.”

AR could prove an invaluable aid for classification society work, as Chris Ridgewell, Lloyd’s Register’s Client Manager for Finland and LR’s MARIN representative, explained: “When a Lloyd’s Register surveyor inspects or surveys large industrial assets, such as ships, the accurate transfer of information is a large part of

the work. For example, on site we typically carry with us plans that describe the approved design, plans used to record the progress of our survey work and records of comments that have been made.

“This information needs to be shared with other surveyors in the site team, as well as other parties, such as the shipyard and flag administration. It’s easy to imagine how important these records become as the project progresses and more information is gathered.

“It’s also pretty uncomfortable for the surveyor to lug these around and protect them from rain and dirt. Placing all that information onto a single tool that could be easily carried would yield multiple benefits in terms of safety, reliability of information, security of records and efficient collaboration with stakeholders.

Allocate resources“For example, the shipyard would instantly be notified of the surveyors’ observations and issues and where they are located in the 3D model and could thus quickly allocate resources to address concerns. This could be done at an early stage outside scheduled survey hold points, thus minimising any schedule or cost impacts,” added Ridgewell.

The two-year project is due to finish at the end of May this year. The aim then is to continue to develop the prototype model towards a complete AR system and, eventually, to produce commercial products.

The MARIN partners are: Nokia, STX Finland, Cadmatic, Premode, Kovilta, BA Group, Lloyd’s Register, Nextfour Group, Wallius Welding Machines, Microsoft, Yrityssalo, and Marine Technology Centre, Turku. The main funding source is Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, with contributions from the University of Turku and partner companies.

The real value of the MARIN project is that it is focused exclusively on the marine industry and shipbuilding. Many other AR products are focused only on the consumer marketPekka Puranen of STX Finland Oy

Computerised image of an augmented reality view of a ship. The exclamation mark is a virtual note showing a key area of concern

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Putting gas on the global map

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Latest �gures for existing LNG carriers – by classi�cation society

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Read the latest news and views about LNG as a fuel in Lloyd’s Register’s new Gas Technology Report

http://www.lr.org/gasFigures from IHS Fairplay (September 2013)

How LR is translating its leadership in the gas carrier market into innovation in gas as a marine fuel

Seaborne LNG transportation has an enviable track record – and that’s an understatement. In more than 50 years of LNG carriage only 40 cu.m of cargo has been lost. Lloyd’s Register’s goal is to help ensure that the use of gas as a marine fuel is just as safe. This is vital. It is vital for the exciting future of clean fuelled shipping. Any loss of confidence by regulators, operators, ports and the public in gas-fuelled safety will undermine the prospects for LNG as marine bunkers.

Today, Lloyd’s Register has the broad capability to address LNG and other alternative fuel options. Right now the regulatory world is trying to catch up with demand. LR has the proven ability to address the risk concerns of both operators and regulators – this becomes particularly complex when international trading is required.

Great Lakes March 2013: Shell announces plans to fuel Great Lakes shipping with LNG from Sarnia facility – plans also exist for supply in Geismar, Louisiana.

Quebec Davie to build LR classed STQ 92m ferries.

North America LR taking the lead in developing gas as a marine fuel.

British Columbia Canadian Marine Liquefied Natural Gas Supply Chain Joint Industry Project – report publication end 2013.

Vancouver Island “BC Ferries intends to acquire LNG-fuelled vessels”: July 2013 announcement that capital expenditure plans for three new ferries have been approved.

Florida Tote announces LNG- fuelled containership developments.

Hawaii November 2013: Matson announces LNG -fuelled ‘Aloha’ class containership plans.

Quebec LR classes new STQ ferries.

Finland Dec 2012: LR’s Tom Boardley visits STX Turku where the LR classed, LNG-fuelled Viking Grace had just returned from first sea trials. Viking Grace enters service Jan 2013.

Trieste Wartsila engine plant, where dual fuel engines for LR classed Viking Grace were constructed.

Netherlands Shell’s Greenstream, the world’s first inland waterway ship using only LNG to drive an electric propulsion system.

LNG around the world

Gothenberg LR working with Stena on methanol as fuel.

Castellammare di Stabia STQ 130m Matane ferry being built at Fincantieri.

Nantong, China November 2013: Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) and LR China announce joint development of an LNG-fuelled 28K dwt type General Cargo Ship – a ‘new’ ship design to incorporate dual-fuelled propulsion to be built to LR’s class requirements.

Singapore October 2013: LR completes LNG bunkering report for MPA Singapore.

Netherlands Argonon, Deen Shipping’s LNG-fuelled inland waterway tanker.

Stockholm Viking Grace bunkers LNG 5–6 times every week in Stockholm.

Shanghai 2012: ‘Clean Sky’ design approved by LR in JIP with COSCO Shipyard Group and Golden Union.

Trieste Wartsila engine plant, where dual fuel engines for LR classed Viking Grace were constructed.

Netherlands Shell’s Greenstream, the world’s first inland waterway ship using only LNG to drive an electric propulsion system.

A specially produced Lloyd’s Register map - from Hawaii to Nantong in China - showing the latest events in the LNG as a marine fuel story

Future performance depends on today’s decisionsWe help you make the decisions that ensure your ships are designed and operated to perform better in every way, from the fuel they consume to the technologies and procedures they employ.

Whatever technologies or solutions you’re exploring, we’re here to help you make the best and safest decisions.

Discover more at www.lr.org/performance

Working togetherfor a safer world

Lloyd’s Register and variants of it are trading names of Lloyd’s Register Group Limited, its subsidiaries and affiliates. Copyright © Lloyd’s Register Group Services Limited. [2013] A member of the Lloyd’s Register group.

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