MEMMEM Issue 5614 May 2018

MARINE ENGINEERS MESSENGER

ACO MARINE CALLS FOR GREY WATER RULESHGS TO UPGRADE DORIAN ENGINES FOR LPGCOMPAC SOLVES CCG VIBRATION PROBLEMINTELLIGENT STEERING GEAR DEVLOPEDSCRUBBERS NOT VIABLE FOR OLDER BULKERSDNV GL TO CLASS TWO NEW CMHI JACK-UPSMHI TO LIMIT CRUISE SHIPBUILDING

AND MORE...

TH RDON

3

Telegraph

MEMMARINE ENGINEERS MESSENGER

MEM Issue 5614 May 2018

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©2018 Seaborne Communications Ltd

In the two weeks since we published the last MEM pdf, our new dailynews site, www.mem-online.com, has really taken off, attractingmore than 1200 visitors, a number of whom have commented onsome of the news and issues we have reported.

The stories we have published since the site was launched on 27April and the 14th of May have been viewed 4981 times, withreaders spending an average of almost 4min reading our news,which is very encouraging indeed.

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Despite it being a fledgling site and with limited marketing, weare currently averaging about 140 visitors per day, but hope that theregular marine technical and engineering news we report on willcontinue to attract more followers and contributions from you, thereader.

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Hyundai Global Services (HGS) wasthis month contracted to upgrade themain engines of up to 10 Dorian LPG-operated gas carriers to burn LPG(liquefied petroleum gas) as fuel.

Dorian’s decision to upgrade theengines is to meet the upcoming 2020sulphur cap requirements.

Ki Sun Chung and Kwang Hean An,Co-CEO & President of HGS said: "Weare pleased to be partnering with afirst-class organisation with whom wehave a long-standing relationship.Both HGS and Dorian LPG arecommitted to the advancement oftechnology that provides the globalshipping industry alternatives toachieve compliance with importantenvironmental mandates."

This initiative follows theconclusion of a study announced inSeptember 2017 by Dorian LPG andthe American Bureau of Shipping toevaluate the use of LPG as marine fuelin advance of the InternationalMaritime Organisation's (IMO)mandate to reduce Sulphur emissionsby approximately 85% effectiveJanuary 1, 2020.

Dorian LPG believes as a fuelsource LPG has significantadvantages over LNG, methanol andmarine gas oil given the abundantavailability of the fuel from the shaleexploration boom and the existingglobal distribution network andonshore and floating storageinfrastructure for LPG. The shipoperator sees LPG as cost-effectivealternative fuel that is widelyavailable and inherently compliantwith the IMO mandate.

Dorian LPG Chairman and CEO,John Hadjipateras, said: "The cargo

transported by our vessels is anenergy source with well-documented environmental benefitsrelative to other fuels. We areundertaking this initiative with thedual goals of acting as a responsiblecorporate citizen and potentiallyachieving a significant competitiveadvantage that will benefit both ourcustomers and shareholders."

As part of its recent new buildingprogram, Dorian LPG includedenhancements to its VLGC vesselsdesign to allow for the option ofusing LPG as a marine fuel.

MAIN ENGINESHGS TO UPGRADE DORIAN ENGINES FOR LPG USE

Rolls-Royce has won an order to supply MTU enginesfor four new tugs for Aliança Navegação, a companyowned by the Hamburg Süd shipping line.

Aliança Navegação uses 16-cylinder MTU Series4000 propulsion systems throughout its Braziliantugboat fleet consisting of seven harbour tugs, two ofwhich are deployed in São Francisco in the north ofSanta Catarina.

The remaining five vessels are near completion atDetroit Brasil’s shipyard based in Itajai, Brazil. To

date, the yard has installed MTU engines in over30 vessel projects for customers such as SaamSmit Towing.

“The MTU engines used in [our] tug boats areconvincing in terms of maintenance and fuelconsumption, and some of these vessels havebeen in service for over seven years. We havefourteen 16V 4000M63 units in our fleet andsome of them have clocked up almost 30,000operating hours,” said Sergio Camiruaga,Executive Vice President of Detroit Brasil-Starnav.

Rolls-Royce has been supplying MTU-Series4000 engines to Detroit Brasil since 2010 for usein harbour tugs as well as in platform supplyvessels.

“Based on our previous experience in towageapplications, we had no reservations inrecommending Hamburg Süd to use MTU engines forits worldwide towage operations. We have enjoyedgood cooperation with MTU and will continue withthem in offering good service to the customer,” saidCamiruaga.

According to Rolls-Royce, MTU engines enjoy a30% share of the Brazilian offshore market.

MTU MARINE ENGINES POWER ROLLS-ROYCE GROWTH IN BRAZIL

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The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has again selectedThordon Bearings’ COMPAC water lubricatedpropeller shaft bearing system for two icebreakers,one of which has recently completed extensiveupgrade work at the Chantier Davie Canada shipyard,in Lévis, Québec.

CCG, a long-standing customer of ThordonBearings, decided to retrofit the award-winningCOMPAC system to the 6098gt DesGroseilliers following more than 17 years’ operationalexperience with the Thordon solution. The newCOMPAC bearings were supplied and machined byThordon distributor RMH Industries of Québec,Canada, and fitted by the Chantier Davie Canadashipyard.

Des Groseilliers’ 5910gt sister, CCGS PierreRadisson, is scheduled to have its existing dovetailstaves replaced with Thordon full form COMPACbearings later in 2018. These will again be suppliedand machined by RMH Industries, along with supply ofa Thordon Water Quality Package which maintains thecorrect seawater flow rate to the bearings, andremoves any abrasives in the seawater ensuring a longbearing wear life.

The Pierre Radisson was launched in 1978, whilethe 6098gt Des Groseilliers entered service four yearslater.

Both vessels are powered by a diesel-electric plantcomprising six Bombardier/Alco 251 engines eachdriving a GEC alternator. There are two DC electricpropulsion motors, each turning a fixed pitchpropeller, with a total power output of 10,100kW.

Jasmin Racicot, Technical Development Director ofRMH Industries, said: “The Thordon COMPAC bearingswere fitted to the Des Groseilliers to replace another

manufacturer’s dovetail staves. Wear and fatigue hadled to the dovetail staves becoming loose between thebronze separators, leading to high levels of vibration.Replacing dovetail staves with tube bearings was asignificant improvement in this situation.”

Thordon’s Scott Groves, Regional Manager for theAmericas, pointed out that for once the environmentaladvantages of water-lubricated bearings, particularlyfor vessels engaged in Arctic voyages, were not afactor, as this class of ship has always had seawaterlubricated screwshafts.

“The work on the Des Groseilliers and PierreRadisson mostly have to do with reduced maintenanceand limiting future expenditures,” said Groves. “DesGroseilliers was fitted with Thordon equipment in2001 and over the years the bearings have performedin exemplary fashion.

“Switching to Thordon COMPAC bearings andWater Quality Packages allows an extension in bearinglife, giving the Coast Guard reliable access to the asset,and ultimately savings to the Canadian taxpayer,thanks to greatly reduced maintenance costs.”

Groves added that it was COMPAC’s performanceand ease of maintenance that were most attractive tothe CCG, along with the recent class requirements forshaft condition monitoring (SCM).

A third CCG ship in the 1200-class is also scheduledfor COMPAC conversion. Commissioned in 1979 asthe Franklin (later Sir John Franklin), the vessel wasdeclared surplus to requirements anddecommissioned in 2000. It was subsequentlyconverted to an icebreaking Arctic scientific researchvessel, renamed Amundsen, and recommissioned in2003. The Amundsen is expected to be converted toThordon COMPAC bearings in 2019.The 10,000th

MARINE BEARINGSCOAST GUARD SOLVES VIBRATION PROBLEM WITH COMPAC BEARING

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The Hamburg Ship Model Basin(HSVA) is carrying out large scaletests to better understand theinteraction of unconventionalpropellers in ice.

HSVA, which is using an ice-feeding device to show how amodel Voith-Schneider Propeller(VSP) reacts with the ice aboveand below the water lines, hasproduced a slow-motion videoshowing the ice being fed into theVSP in a test configuration abovewater. The ice sample is made ofmodel ice from HSVA ice basin andhas a thickness of about 110mm.

In order to minimise scalingeffects, the VSP was manufacturedwith close to large scaledimensions. A further advantage ofthe scaling up is that the extensiveload measurements within theroot of the blades can be carriedout with high accuracy.

There were challenges,however. According to HSVA, thechallenges in scaling up the testsrelated to strength and preventingdisturbing vibrations during thedesign process of the ice feedingdevice, which can also be used fordifferent propulsion systems.

As the propeller is fed by icefloes of defined size, thickness andstrength, the results provide abasis for development or revisionof guidelines.

HSVA plans further tests with apodded propeller.

To view the videao, click here

Japanese shipbuilding and engineering firm Kawasaki Heavy Industries(KHI) is developing a new energy-saving steering gear that incorporatessensor and data capture technologies to improve reliability andperformance

KHI has partnered with Mitsui OSK Lines to jointly develop thesystem, which will pilot on the Japanese shipowner’s new VLCC,currently under construction by KHI.

The steering gear will incorporate sensors to monitor oil pressures,flow rates, temperatures and hydraulic oil consumption, while datacapture technology will provide ship operators with informationrelating to system performance, vessel speed, course, engine load andrudder angle, during a voyage. In-depth analysis of this data will lead toimprovements in vessel reliability and energy-saving operation.

The project is expected to complete by end of March 2021.MOL views the project as an important step in developing the future

"intelligence function equipped steering gear," which will contribute toimprovement of the vessel's reliability, improvement ofmanoeuvrability, and energy-saving operation more than ever.

This effort is a part of MOL's technological development initiative,the ISHIN NEXT - MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT.

MOL will leverage the knowledge and know-how gained through thedevelopment process for various ship types, as it takes a proactivestance in adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance safeoperation and reduce vessels' environmental impact, says theshipowner.

STEERING GEARINTELLIGENT STEERING GEAR DEVLOPED

PROPULSIONHSVA TESTING VSP FOR ICE

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Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) forKongsberg Maritime’s AutoChiefpropulsion control system tookplace at Kongsberg Maritime Koreain Busan on 27 April.

The AutoChief 600 systemtested will be installed on a newethylene carrier featuring a two-stroke MAN B&W engine beingbuilt at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard(Hull 8258), for owner SolvangASA. HHI-EMD, HMD and Solvangwere represented at the FATalongside experts from KongsbergMaritime in Norway and Korea.

From its original developmentand prototype installationaboard M/S Haugvik where it wasconnected to a Nordberg two-stroke engine in the early sixties,AutoChief has played a significantrole in changing the way that shipsare controlled. Since then,AutoChief has helped to pave theway for Kongsberg Maritime’ssuccess as an internationaltechnology developer for theshipping industry, opening thedoor for long-term partnershipsworldwide, including with themajor shipyards in South Koreaand later China.

Now on its sixth iteration, theAutoChief 600, the system isintended to provide a safe and cost-effective way to electronicallycontrol engines from the ship’sbridge. The development ofAutoChief has been supportedthrough partnerships includingboth HHI-EMD and MAN B&W,with significant technicalcontributions ensuring eachgeneration of AutoChief matchesthe progress made in engine designand ship operations. Today, about7500 ships operate with AutoChiefas their primary engine controlsystem.

“We have invested more thanUSD 1.7 billion in new ships since2008, giving us a very modern fleetof 27 vessel, with an average age ofabout 7 years,” said Tor ØyvindAsk, Fleet Director, Solvang ASA.“We build, own and manage ourfleet with a 20-25 year investment

horizon, so having reliabletechnology on board is importantto us. With AutoChief, we know weget a good and reliable system thatwill operate for a whole of avessel’s lifetime, which is alsobacked-up by an organisationcapable of providing full lifetimesupport.”

“AutoChief has retained itsground-breaking nature with everynew generation and we are pleasedto have been part of thesedevelopments for over 30years,” said Thomas S. Hansen,Senior Manager, Head of Promotionand Customer Support, MAN Diesel& Turbo. “Our engines poweraround 50% of world seabornetrade, with AutoChief serving asignificant portion of these engines.Reaching the 10,000th system FATin partnership with KONGSBERGand HHI-EMD is a significantmilestone for us.”

“As our primary supplier ofpropulsion control systems, wework very closely withKONGSBERG to ensure the smoothintegration of AutoChief on ournewbuild vessels and the engineswe build,” said Jang-Ho Kim, Headof two-stroke Engine Assembly andTest, HHI-EMD. “AutoChief has anoverwhelming market sharecompared to other availablesystems, which is due to it being auser friendly solution that offershigh performance, a competitive

price, and an excellent servicenetwork. It enables us to realisenew technology such as ME-GI &X-DF engines and so from atechnical development standpoint,it helps us to pioneer new marketsin merchant ships and marineengines.”

AutoChief 600 is designed tomanage all control, safety andalarm functions necessary foroperating the main engine and allother accessories for propulsioncontrol from a single station on thebridge. It is based on a modularconcept that allows flexibility insystem architecture, covering arange from the most simplified tothe most sophisticated propulsioncontrol systems available. A keychange introduced in the currentgeneration is Touch Screenoperation for access to all functionsand data, in addition to a new‘GoGreen’ module, whichintroduces significantopportunities to optimise engineefficiency and reduce a vessel’senvironmental footprint.

“We’re delighted to reach the10,000th FAT milestone on theAutoChief family, especially incollaboration with MAN B&W andHHI-EMD as both have been keycontributors to the product familyover the years,” said Terje Dyhre,Product Manager – Propulsion,Kongsberg Maritime.“Time is fastrunning out” for implementation by

PROPULSION CONTROLTEN THOUSAND PROPULSION CONTROL SYSTEMS FROM KONGSBERG

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IMO Member States of the 0.5%global sulphur in fuel cap by 1January 2020, says Esben Poulsson,Chairman of the InternationalChamber of Shipping (ICS).

The IMO global sulphur cap formarine fuel is expected to seeshipping’s bunker prices increasesignificantly.

“While ICS fully supports theobjectives of the IMO cap, theovernight introduction of thisregulatory game-changer will haveenormous implications for shipoperations. It will be vital to get theimplementation right.”

“As well as concerns as towhether sufficient quantities ofcompliant low sulphur fuels will beavailable in every port, there are anumber of complex practical issueswhich IMO needs to urgentlyresolve within the next 18 monthsif the unfair treatment of ships is tobe avoided.”

In the absence of agreedstandards for new fuels, includingblends that will be compliant withthe 0.5% sulphur limit but whichmay differ in their compositionfrom port to port, ICS is veryconcerned this could lead to seriouscompatibility and mechanicalproblems.

While the industry is fullycommitted to immediate

implementation, there couldpossibly be an initial period of‘teething problems’ when suitablecompliant fuel might not always beavailable in every port until it canbe shipped in from elsewhere. Thisis more likely to be a significantproblem for ships in tramp tradeswhich call at diverse portdestinations which are not alwaysknown long in advance.

If 0.5% sulphur fuel is notavailable in every port worldwide,ICS notes that ships may stillbunker and use other compliantfuels, such as 0.1% distillate, butwarns this raises other seriousissues not least those relating tocompatibility.

Poulsson emphasised “It is vitalthat ship operators, charterers andfuel purchasers start making thenecessary preparations to be readyfor this major change. This alsomeans that oil refiners and bunkersuppliers will need to ensure thatcompliant fuels are actuallyavailable for ships to purchase wellin advance of January 2020.”

The ICS Chairman made thesecomments in his introduction to thenew ICS Annual Review, publishedin advance of the ICS AGM in HongKong.

The ICS Annual Review 2018 is acomprehensive overview of the

many regulatory and policy issuesconfronting ship operators, whichis being distributed by ICS membernational shipowners’ associationsand can be downloaded free ofcharge via the ICS website.

The ICS Annual Review isrequired reading for all shippingcompanies and government policymakers, containing in depthanalysis of issues such as theground breaking IMO agreement onreducing CO2 emissions, as well asthe many safety, legal and tradepolicy developments affectinginternational shipping in which ICSis engaged on behalf of the globalindustry.

ICS has published a briefing noteon the IMO sulphur cap which canbe accessed free of chargevia http://bit.ly/sulphurcapGreenh

EMISSIONSSULPHUR CAP: “TIME IS FAST RUNNING OUT” SAYS ICS CHAIRMAN

Scrubber retrofits are not the solution for meetingshipping’s low sulphur fuel cap, says PreciousShipping.

The Thailand-headquartered shipowner says in its1Q 2018 newsletter that “scrubbers, an out-datedtechnology, are being thrust on shipowners as a costlysolution when the option to burn low sulphur fuel oil ison the table”.

According to Precious, less than 0.30% of ships thatneed to comply with the 2020 ruling are fitted out witha scrubber. Even if scrubber-ready ships treble innumbers by the time the regulation enters into force, itwould account for only 1% of the fleet, about 950ships.

“With such a low number, we don’t think that any ofthe oil majors would continue to produce high sulphurfuel oil when the prospects for sales of the same aregoing to be so limited. Not only that, the oil majors

would then have to invest in dedicated pipelines,storage tanks and bunker delivery vehicles liketankers that would be solely dedicated/doing thedirty high sulphur fuel oil trade. This looks like aclassic case of too much investment for too little, andvery uncertain, returns,” says the shipowner.

Precious furthers that bulk carriers older than 15years are “ideal candidates for scrapping”, since thehigher cost of low sulphur fuel together with the costof retrofitting older engines to burn the cleaner fuelcould impact the commercial viability of thesevessels.

“Ships older than 15 years of age, comprisingabout 142Mdwt or 17% of the existing fleet wouldcome under maximum pressure and would becomeideal candidates for scrapping, as their older enginesare not really able to burn low sulphur fuel oil,” saysPrecious.

SCRUBBERS NOT VIABLE FOR OLDER BULKERS

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Greenhouse gas emissions and the challengeof meeting stringent global targets on sulphurand CO2 were centre stage during livelydiscussions as the Maritime Authority ofJamaica hosted the inaugural InternationalBunker Industry Association’s (IBIA) annualbunkering conference.

Welcoming international and Caribbeandelegates, MAJ Director General, Rear AdmiralPeter Brady, said: “Jamaica is fortunate tohost what could arguably be the first majorglobal maritime fuel event after the IMO’sMEPC meeting last week, which has imposedthe strict sulphur cap standards on maritimefuel. I dare say we may very well set not onlythe tone but also the spate of discussions onthis delicate but inescapable matter”

Entitled ‘Fuelling a New Era in theCaribbean’, the conference took place from April 17-19, 2018 at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel, Montego Bay,Jamaica. Its core aim was to highlight the growth anddevelopment of Jamaica’s bunkering industry amongglobal players. Located at the heart of the Caribbean,Jamaica is ideally positioned to provide maritime andlogistics services to the Americas.

A training workshop, which was over-subscribed,was held on the first day, delivered by IBIA Boardmember Nigel Draffin and attended by bunkersuppliers, operators, surveyors, and regulators, whichfocussed on technical and commercial issues includingbunker disputes and LNG bunkering. It alsoconsidered today’s technology requirements andexamined international practices. A tour of Jamaica’sPort of Montego Bay with its new LNG terminalconcluded the packed programme.

Vibrant and informative debates consideredsubjects ranging from the future for bunkering in theAmericas and Caribbean to how to adapt to new rulesand new fuels – particularly topical in the light of theIMO’s recently adopted strategy to reduce greenhousegas emissions.

The conference was officially opened by Dr theHon. Andrew Wheatley, Jamaica’s Minister of Science,Energy and Technology and the Hon. Minister RobertMontague delivered the keynote address during theclosing gala dinner.

Captain Steven Spence, Director of Safety,Environment and Certification at the MAJ said: “Thiswas an excellent opportunity for Jamaica’s bunkeringsector to showcase its business to an internationalaudience, with varied networking opportunities andaccess to international expertise.”

Welcoming international and Caribbean delegates,MAJ Director General, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, said:“Jamaica is fortunate to host what could arguably bethe first major global maritime fuel event after theIMO’s MEPC meeting last week, which has imposed the

strict sulphur cap standards on maritime fuel. I daresay we may very well set not only the tone but alsothe spate of discussions on this delicate butinescapable matter.”

Entitled ‘Fuelling a New Era in the Caribbean’, theconference took place from April 17-19, 2018 at theHyatt Ziva Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Its core aimwas to highlight the growth and development ofJamaica’s bunkering industry among global players.Located at the heart of the Caribbean, Jamaica isideally positioned to provide maritime and logisticsservices to the Americas.

A training workshop, which was over-subscribed,was held on the first day, delivered by IBIA Boardmember Nigel Draffin and attended by bunkersuppliers, operators, surveyors, and regulators,which focussed on technical and commercial issuesincluding bunker disputes and LNG bunkering. Italso considered today’s technology requirements andexamined international practices. A tour of Jamaica’sPort of Montego Bay with its new LNG terminalconcluded the packed programme.

Vibrant and informative debates consideredsubjects ranging from the future for bunkering in theAmericas and Caribbean to how to adapt to newrules and new fuels – particularly topical in the lightof the IMO’s recently adopted strategy to reducegreenhouse gas emissions.

The conference was officially opened by Dr theHon. Andrew Wheatley, Jamaica’s Minister of Science,Energy and Technology and the Hon. Minister RobertMontague delivered the keynote address during theclosing gala dinner.

Captain Steven Spence, Director of Safety,Environment and Certification at the MAJ said: “Thiswas an excellent opportunity for Jamaica’s bunkeringsector to showcase its business to an internationalaudience, with varied networking opportunities andaccess to international expertise.”

INAUGURAL CARIBBEAN BUNKER WORKSHOP FUELS GREEN DISCUSSIONS

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The Norwegian Parliament isreported to have accepted aresolution to ban all ship’semissions in the country’s worldheritage designated fjords before2026, and in response to thesemoves, ferry operator Fjord1 hasordered several more all-electricvessels.

The effect of this ban would bethat certain fjords, includingGeirangerfjord and Næerøyfjord onthe West coast, could be crossedonly by electric ships. As well asferry services, these fjords arefrequented by cruise ships, so themove could well have a significantimpact on future cruise vesselpropulsion

The Parliamentary resolutioncalls for a ban on emissions in theseareas as soon as technicallypossible, but by 2026 at the latest.In preparation for a clean-up in thefjords, operator Fjord1, whichalready runs several electrically-

powered ferries, signed anagreement in March 2018 with theHavyard Group to build sevenbattery-powered ferries, tocommence service in 2020. Fivewill be built by Havyard’s Leirvikshipyard, and the other two inTurkey. Siemens and PBRS EnergyStorage are said to have beenworking on developing newbattery technology to power

these, and other all-electricvessels.

Although the proposed banaffects only a few areas – thosewith a world heritage designation– it is likely to add fuel to the firein Norway that is likely to lead tothe country taking a leading rolein cutting all transport-originatingemissions.

ZERO-EMISSIONS ZONE FOR NORWAY’S FJORDS

Wärtsilä is to design and equip one ofPSA Marine (Pte) Ltd’s newestharbour tugs. Operating on clean-burning LNG fuel and incorporatingfuel efficiency features, the harbourtug, which will be built by PaxOceanShipyard, is said to reflect themaritime industry’s increasingemphasis on environmental impact.

The order with Wärtsilä, bookedin March 2018, to build its first LNG-fuelled harbour tug is also in linewith PSA Marine’s efforts to reduceits carbon footprint as a leadingservice provider of marine services.

“We are honoured to have beenselected to provide both the shipdesign and an integrated propulsionsolution for this modern, efficient,and environmentally sustainableharbour tug. Being the one-stop-shop for this vessel, from the designto the engineering and machinerysupply, Wärtsilä can ensure a fullyintegrated and optimised harbourtug. This not only supports theentire project, but also eases theprocurement and supplierinterfacing processes for theshipyard,” commented Riku-Pekka

Hägg, Vice President of Ship Design,Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

Peter Chew, Managing Directorof PSA Marine, said, “Wärtsilä is arenowned brand that has a strongdual-fuel technology track record.As an owner and operator ofharbour tugs, we are on theconstant look-out for innovativeand cutting-edge solutions toachieve new milestones in the waywe operate our fleet. We are excitedabout this collaboration and lookforward to leveraging Wärtsilä’sexpertise in this area.”

The 28m long, 50t bollard pullharbour tug will operate with twoWärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel enginesrunning primarily on LNG fuel.

Wärtsilä will supply its LNGPacfuel storage and supply system aswell as steerable thrusters and theWärtsilä ProTouch control system.The equipment will be delivered tothe yard at the end of 2018 and theharbour tug is slated to commenceoperations in the port of Singaporearound mid-2019.

LNG FUELPSA AWARDS WÄRTSILÄ ITS FIRST LNG TUG CONTRACT

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South Korea’s Hyundai MipoDockyard has awarded BeckerMarine Systems a supply contractfor the rudder systems for a seriesof 1800TEU containerships.

The vessels, building forundisclosed Japanese owners, arebased on the shipbuilder’s Con-Green design, which originatesfrom a joint developmentprogramme with leadingequipment suppliers.

Becker will supply its crossoverrudder package, consisting of a

King Support Rudder with twistedleading edge and bulb as well as apropeller cap. The rudder profile isoptimised to the rotationalpropeller flow, resulting inreduced drag, less vibrations andcavitation and an improvedpropulsion efficiency.

Becker listed orders for fourshipsets in February as well asadditional two in March,amounting to a total number of sixvessels

CYBER SECURITYINSURERS WARN CYBER CRIME IS INTENSIFYING

Bulk carrier incidents resultantfrom main engine or othermachinery and technical failuresincreased last year, despite ageneral year-on-yearimprovement in bulk carriersafety.

According to INTERCARGO’slatest Bulk Carrier CasualtyReport, while casualty recordsfrom 1994 to the present dayindicate a gradual improvementin bulk carrier safety over theyears, the report points to anincrease in machinery andtechnical incidents, and mainengine failure.

Last year saw machinery andtechnical incidents rise by 12 onthe 63 incidents reported in 2016,while machinery failuresnumbered 74, up by nine on theprevious year.

However, cargo failure,including moisture related cargofailure mechanisms, remains thegreatest concern for the safecarriage of dry bulk and is thelikely cause of the loss of 101seafarers’ lives and 9 vessel lossesover the past ten years.

In March 2017, the sinkingof Stellar Daisy, carrying iron ore,resulted in the tragic loss of 22seafarers. And in October thesinking of Emerald Star, loadedwith nickel ore, claimed the livesof 10 seafarers.

The industry expects that thefull investigation reports willprovide answers and highlight thelessons to be learnt from theselosses, said the shipowners’association.

SHIP SAFETYENGINE FAILURES RISE

TT Club’s Andrew Huxley haswarned that cyber crime isintensifying across the maritimeindustry supply chains to suchextent that operations are beingaffected and commercially sensitivedata is at risk.

According to the specialistinsurer, the cyber problem is acute,with on average 4.2 new files ofmalware code were generatedevery second last year.

Huxley said: “Many in themarine supply chain business haveoperations characterised bywidespread office networks and areliance on multiple third-partysuppliers. Often IT systems are ofan in-house, legacy nature, whichmay be poorly protected bysecurity software.”

From a maritime supply chainperspective an example of seriousIT incursion in 2017 was thespoofing attack on over twentyships in Novorossiysk (Russia).Navigation experts claim thespoofing sent false signals andresulted in ship-board equipmentproviding false information as tothe location of the ships. There isspeculation that this incident couldhave been a state-sponsored attack.A second incident, the NotPetyastrike, impacted many in the supplychain, including AP Moller-Maersk,resulting in large scale disruptionand substantial costs for those

immediately impacted and theirpartners.

As to the extent of attacks,research that is available reveals aworrying situation. “A BIMCOsurvey in 2016 suggested thatmore than 20% of respondentsadmitted to cyber-attacks and lastyear a SeaIntel Maritime Analysisreport estimated that 44% of thetop 50 container carriers hadweak or inadequate cyber securitypolicies and processes,” statedHuxley.

The US Coast Guard,meanwhile, has drafted newguidelines for Addressing CyberRisks at Maritime TransportationSecurity Act (MTSA) RegulatedFacilities. The guidelines,currently under review, requiresincorporation of personneltraining, drills and exercises totest capabilities, securitymeasures for access control,handling cargo, delivery of stores,procedures for interfacing withships and security systems andequipment maintenance.

The TT Club and the UK P&IClub have, with external cybersecurity consultant NYA,published a paper entitled ‘RiskFocus: Cyber – ConsideringThreats in the Maritime SupplyChain’. This is available as a freedownload.

RUDDERSBECKER RUDDERS FOR HMD GREEN BOXERS

12

Type Approvedto IMO MEPC227 (64)

Mark Beavis - Managing DirectorNadrazni 72, CZ -15000 Praha 5,Czech RepublicTel: +420 724 011 775Email: mbeavis@acomarine.comWeb: www.acomarine.com

ACO Marine's new MARIPUR NF and CLARIMAR MF advancedwastewater management systems are the merchant, naval andmegayacht sectors most effective solutions for meetingstringent IMO MEPC 227(64)rules.Compact and economicalwith the lowest operatingcosts of any sewagetreatment plant, CLARIMARMF and MARIPUR NF areproven to reducecoliform bacteria, TSS,COD, nitrogen andphosphorous content tolevels significantly belowthe mandated requirements.

MARIPUR NFCLARIMAR MF

As the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO)maritime safety committee began discussions on its two-year review of the regulatory framework governing theoperation of autonomous ships, the Nautilus Seafarers’Union urged delegates to take note of the findings of asurvey of almost 1,000 maritime professionals carried outby the Nautilus Federation of more than 20 seafaringunions.

Nautilus International, the seafarers’ unions, warned,ahead of top-level talks that neglecting ‘human factors’ inthe drive towards autonomous shipping could pose bigthreats to safety and the environment,

The Nautilus study, presented to delegates attending thetalks on the IMO regulatory scoping exercise, revealed that84% of maritime professionals consider automation to be athreat to seafaring jobs and 85% believe unmannedremotely controlled ships pose a threat to safety at sea.

However, more than 60% of survey respondents saidthey felt automation has the potential to make the shippingindustry safety – provided it is introduced in a ‘hybrid’way, enhancing onboard operations, helping to cut fatigueand excessive workloads, minimising paperwork andbureaucracy, assisting with predictive and preventivemaintenance, providing additional support for decision-making, and reducing or even eliminating some dangerousor repetitive tasks.

Nautilus is backing two papers submitted to the meetingby the International Transport Workers’ Federation andthe International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations.These warn of the potential for confusion arising from thelack of an agreed definition of an autonomous ship andstress the need for more attention to be paid tohuman/machine interface issues, as well as the interactionbetween autonomous ships and conventional vesselsoperating in the same environment.

The papers also call for ‘a degree of caution to ensurethat an inappropriate regulatory framework is not hastilyput in place in a leap of faith by the IMO on the assurancesof technology suppliers’.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented:“It is absolutely vital that people are not forgotten in thescramble to bring smart ships onto the seas. The debate sofar has concentrated too much on technological andeconomic factors.

“Properly introduced, automation and digitaltechnologies could transform shipping in a positive way –making it safer and more efficient – but managed poorly,they could undermine safety and erode the essential baseof maritime skills, knowledge and expertise.

“We hope delegates at the IMO’s maritime safetycommittee will carefully consider the feedback gathered inthe Nautilus Federation survey,” he added. “There is nokneejerk opposition to technology, but rather a genuinedesire to see it used in a way that improves the safety andefficiency of the shipping industry and the working lives ofall within it.”

AUTOMATIONSEAFARERS REACT TO AUTONOMOUS SHIPS

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Hull of cruise ship after 5 years with Ecospeed coating with no replacement or major repair. This is the stateof the hull when the ship came out of the water, without any cleaning or touch-up in drydock.

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Most hull topcoats are designed to bereplaced once or twice every five years.The full hull coating scheme has to befully replaced every 10 - 15 years downto bare steel.

Over that time period, the coatingdegrades and becomes rougher until it’sno longer worth trying to patch it up.

And it costs you a fortune in fuel tocompensate for the additional hullfriction.

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SAVE MILLIONS IN DRYDOCKCOSTS AND OFF-HIRE TIME

The deck machinery aboard twelve Siem Offshore anchor handlers will be maintained by Rolls-Royce,following the signing of a long-term service agreement

The five-year Maintenance Inspection Programme (MIP) is the formalisation of a cooperation agreementbetween the two companies following the delivery of ten new AHTS vessels in 2010, and two additional AHTSvessels that Siem Offshore took over ship management of in 2017.

Jon August Houge, Operations Manager, Siem Offshore, said: “We have had a long-term relationship withRolls-Royce Marine, as supplier of both propulsion and deck machinery. In our experience, a long-term deallike this provides both parties with predictability and, most importantly, ensures operational stability for ourfleet.”

Jan Tore Varga, Head of Customer support – Deck Machinery and Steering Gear, Rolls-Royce, said: “Rolls-Royce has provided Siem Offshore with maintenance and inspections services ever since these vessels weredelivered. That we can now formalise the arrangement is a solid confirmation that Siem sees the commercialand technical benefits of our long-term maintenance planning solutions.”

Under the agreement, Rolls-Roycewill provide the Norwegian operatorwith a single point of contact for itsfleet. For each vessel, a bespokeroutine maintenance and inspectionplan for all the Rolls-Royce deckmachinery installed will be drawnup. This includes 12 low-pressurewinch systems, shark jaws andtowing pins, stern rollers, as well as24 steering gears and rudders.

The agreement also includesprovision for Siem to increase itscrew’s knowledge of the systems andfunctionalities with in-situ trainingfrom Rolls-Royce service engineerswhen working onboard the vessels.

The Siem Offshore MIP will alsobe the first offered with a Rolls-Royce mobile app, which allows thecrew to log inspections and tests, andcommunicate the results to Rolls-Royce for evaluation. TheMaintenance Inspection Programmecan be tailor-made for any type ofdeck machinery configuration.

Jan Tore Varga, said: “Supportedby our service team, Siem Offshorecrews will be able to work closelytogether with Rolls-Royce on theirmaintenance planning.

“The benefits of running regularmaintenance inspections andcommunicating them are clear: it willreduce the risk of a systembreakdown, allow customers to runpredictable operations, minimise avessel’s downtime, and provideexpected lower life-cycle costs. ForRolls-Royce there’s added valuebecause it allows us to track workonboard each vessel moreeffectively, recommending spareparts, upgrades and overhauls.”

DECK & CARGOROLLS-ROYCE TO MAINTAIN SIEM ANCHOR HANDLERS

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The first Damen fast crew supply(FCS) vessel to be fitted with anAmpelmann L-type motion-compensated gangway systemhas begun operations in the Gulfof Guinea.

An L-type Ampelmannmotion-compensated gangwaysystem has been fitted to a 50mDamen FCS 5009 that wasalready in operation withNigerian offshore servicescompany LATC Marine and itsclient ExxonMobil Nigeria. Theinstallation took place atDamen’s Nigerian service hub atPort Harcourt with Damen andAmpelmann working together toensure a smooth integration.

Gbolahan Shaba, COO at LATCMarine commented: “We areproud to have partnered withDamen and Ampelmann indelivering one of the mostinnovative solutions in theNigerian upstream industry inrecent years. We are especiallypleased to see ExxonMobil as thefirst to embrace this in theNigerian market after agreeingto trial the gangway on severalof their platforms. Today, theAmpelmann system is fastbecoming the company’spreferred mode of personneltransfer and we look forward to

delivering additional units tothem before the end of 2018.”

He continues, “LATC Marinehas long been at the forefront ofinnovative marine serviceofferings, partnering with highlyreputable organisationsincluding Damen Shipyards andClarksons Platou to deploy someof the most technologicallyadvanced vessels to supportseveral deep offshore drillingcampaigns off Nigeria. With thisfirst Ampelmann L-type systemnow in operation in Nigeria, thecountry’s upstream oil andgas industry is clearly trendingin the right direction and wehope to continue to be a part ofthis. We remain committed tochampioning the campaign forsafer offshore personnel transferpractices in Nigeria and lookforward to deepening ourpartnership with Ampelmannand Damen in achieving this. Ourdesire is to see other upstreamplayers in the country embracethis technology as well.”

David Inman, BusinessDevelopment Manager Europe &Africa for Ampelmann, added:“Ampelmann is also proud to bepart of the team delivering safeand efficient marine basedaccess in Nigeria. This service-based delivery is a first for

Nigeria and is part of ourstrategy to revolutionise the waywe get our offshore workerswhere they make the difference. This couldn’t have been possiblewithout having likemindedcompanies in LATC Marine andDamen who both shareAmpelmann’s vision to makeoffshore access ‘as easy ascrossing the street’.”

“At Damen, we are delightedto see the integrated Damen /Ampelmann marine accesssolution commerciallyoperational for the first time,”observed David Stibbe, BusinessDevelopment Manager. “We areespecially pleased that thelaunch customers are a top-tieroil major in the form ofExxonMobil and an experiencedoperator such as LATC Marine. Itwas the ability of all fourstakeholders to work togethereffectively that has made thisproject a success. It represents amajor step change away fromthe traditional swing ropingtransfer technique used in thisarea, and we hope marks thestart of a wider move towardssafer and more efficienttransfers in the region.”

Around 40 FCS 5009s arecurrently in operation aroundthe world and this developmentopens up the possibility ofothers choosing to upgrade in asimilar fashion. The new FCS5009s that Damen holds in stockready for outfitting and rapiddelivery can now also be offeredwith Ampelmann’s L-typegangway as a proven option.

Damen’s new 70m FCS 7011is additionally likely to benefitfrom the proof-of-concept effect.The 7011 has been designed tooperate with the Ampelmann S-type motion-compensatedgangway, and this news can onlyincrease confidence in its futuresuccess in cost-effective, long-distance marine access.

FCS WITH MOTION-COMPENSATED GANGWAY ENTERS SERVICE

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UK-headquartered NewportShipping Group has appointed anew executive team and refocusedits business proposition to providecomprehensive drydocking, repairservices and financing to the globalshipping industry.

A key element of the company’snew service portfolio is a uniqueship repair financing proposition,whereby shipowners opting torepair their ships at one of NewportShipping’s 13 drydocks can stagger60% of their drydocking paymentsinto 12 or more equal monthlyinstalments.

With only 40% of totalmaintenance costs due upon thevessel returning to service, thecompany’s financing solution is anundeniably attractive proposition toshipowners and shipyards alike, asNewport Shipping's newlyappointed Chief Executive OfficerErol Sarikaya (pictured) explained.

“We offer a comprehensive shiprepair service enabling shipownersto minimise working capital outlaysand take advantage of our globalnetwork across the Pacific andAtlantic trading zones. The benefitsare clear as 60% of total drydockingand associated maintenance costsare paid through subsequent vesseloperations."

Traditionally, when a vesseldrydocks, up to 50% of drydockingcosts are paid over a two or three-month period. Sometimes,shipyards may require alldrydocking costs be paid before thevessel returns to service, whilespare parts suppliers andequipment manufacturers areusually unable to extend such creditterms.

Roy Yap, Newport Shipping’sChief Operating Officer, said: “Ourcredit payment system covers allmaintenance costs in addition todrydocking costs, such as 1) spareparts, 2) paint, 3) specialist works,and 4) equipment retrofits such as aballast water treatment systems(BWTS) or scrubbers, which can insome cases comprise the majority ofa vessel’s total maintenance budget.

Newport has a unique offering inthe repair market.”

For example, a typicalSupramax vessel may have totalmaintenance costs of US$600,000,but Newport Shipping’s systemfrees about $360,000 of thisexpense through subsequentmonthly installments of $1,000/dover 12 months.

“It is important to highlighthere that we also arrange for thetimely delivery of equipment andspares to the yard,” added Yap.“Since any delays in the supplychain increases drydocking time,resulting in increased costs for theowner, we provide shipownerswith an effective, cost-efficient andreliable approach. By procuringthe delivery of spare parts prior tovessel arrival, we help shipownerseliminate unnecessary off-hire orunbudgeted cost variations.”

Newport Shipping’s Chief RiskOfficer, Colin Manchester, said: “Isee our product having excellentvalue for our customers across allshipping segments. By deferringthe majority of ship repair costs,we reduce cost pressures thatoften limit otherwise neededrepair works during weak freight-rate environments, preservingliquidity for other needs.

“Unlike other yards thattypically provide 90-day credit onjust their drydock works, weprovide credit terms beginning at12 months, and based on ashipowner’s underlyingdrydocking and ship maintenancerequirements. This allows for theshipowner’s operationalexpenditure to be spread out overa given period, which can then bebetter covered by charter hireearnings.”

Sarikaya added: “Yes, there isan element of industry disruptionin all of this, but a change to theway in which ship repair andretrofit projects are executed islong overdue. It is NewportShipping’s mission to provideshipowners and ship repair yardswith a comprehensive service thatallows them to benefit in whatremains a difficult and competitivemarket.”

SHIPREPAIRNEWPORT SHIPPING SHIFTS FOCUS WITH SHIP REPAIR GAME-CHANGER

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Huntington Ingalls Industries’Newport News Shipbuildingdivision has partnered with 3DSystems to develop additivemanufacturing technologies toaccelerate the adoption ofmetal 3-D printing in theshipbuilding industry.

The joint effort is expectedto support future qualificationand certification programmesnecessary to implement thisadvanced manufacturingtechnology for the U.S. Navyand further revolutionise howshipbuilders build the nextgeneration of ships. Thedevelopment also forms partof a significant technologicaltransformation underway atNewport News calledintegrated Digital Shipbuilding(iDS).

“This is a game-changingand disruptive technology forour industry,” said CharlesSouthall, Newport News’ vicepresident of engineering anddesign. “In addition to ourongoing digital shipbuildingefforts, 3-D printing could transform our designstandards, and this technology has the potential to beone of the most significant manufacturing innovationsin our industry since we began building nuclear-powered ships in the 1950s.”

As part of the joint development agreement, 3DSystems delivered and installed the ProX DMP 320high-performance metal additive manufacturingsystem at Newport News. The state-of-the-artmachine is capable of making three-dimensional,marine-based, alloy parts for castings or otherfabricated parts, such as valves, housins and brackets.

“3D Systems is pleasedto play an integral role intransforming the navalshipbuilding industry,” saidKevin McAlea, executivevice president and generalmanager, metals andhealthcare, at 3D Systems.“The ProX DMP 320 printersystem, combined with ourteam’s expertise in metal3-D printing technology,will bring new digitallyenhanced geometries toNewport NewsShipbuilding, enablinghigher performing warshipcomponents and ultimatelymore efficient cost-effectiveparts delivery to the U.S.Navy.”

The partnershiprepresents a significant stepforward in the fabricationof components and materialfor future warships.Compared to traditionalmanufacturing methodsthat involve the conversionof raw materials into a

finished product through subtractive processes, suchas cutting or grinding metal, additive manufacturinginvolves the layer-by-layer fabrication of rawmaterials into a finished product.

“One of our goals is to provide leadership to oursupplier base that will help accelerate the adoption ofadditive manufacturing within our industry, whichmay improve efficiencies and quality,” Southall said.“We look forward to working with key technologyleaders, such as 3D Systems, to help to break downtechnology adoption barriers and advance additivemanufacturing in our industry and supply chain.”

SHIPBUILDINGNEWPORT NEWS TO USE 3D PRINT TECHNOLOGY IN SHIPBUILDING

NEWBUILDS & DELIVERIESDSME TO BUILD VLCC SERIES FOR HUNTER GROUPSouth Korean shipbuilder DaewooShipbuilding Marine Engineering(DSME) has secured a contract tobuild four VLCCs for Norway’sHunter Group, with optionsamounting to a total of ten vessels.

Each of the US$82.5m vesselsare the latest Daewoo design andwill be outfitted with an exhaust

gas cleaning system costing andadditional $2.7m.

The investment company hasalso exercised options for thebuilding of three additionalvessels, at the same price, whileoptions are available for a furtherthree sisterships. These newoptions are each priced at $92m,including scrubber, and with

delivery in the first half of 2021.These new options will expire on15 August 2018.

Estimated delivery times forthe first three vessels are May,June and August 2020, whiledelivery schedules for the optionvessels will be finalised afterDSME and Hunter have inked thedeal.

17

The first of six LNG-fuelled crude oil tankers forRussia’s Sovcomflot has completed building at theHyundai Samho Heavy Industries yard in SouthKorea.

The 114,000dwt, 25m long Aframax will undergoseatrials before delivery in July. The remaining fiveships are expected to be delivered by the first half ofnext year, reports Pulse, Business News Korea.

"We expect to secure more orders for cleanenergy ships as environmental regulationsstrengthen and demand for reduced emissionsexpand,” Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries told theKorean news website.

The new Sovcomflot vessels are designed areclaimed to be the world’s first large tankers tooperate dual-fuel engines and run on LNG.

FIRST OF SIX SOVCOMFLOT AFRAMAXES COMPLETE

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) and DNV GLhave signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for theclassification of two multi-activity jack-up units

Ordered by OOS Energy, which is affiliated withNetherlands-based Overdulve Offshore Services(OOS) International, these 96 m long units will bepurpose-built for the decommissioning market.Construction is scheduled to start later this year.

The two identical 4-legged, self-elevating multi-activity units (MAUs) will be used indecommissioning operations. The units feature twocranes, one with a maximum hook height of 92m andone with a maximum hook height of 122m abovedeck and a combined lifting capacity of 2,400t,working in tandem to dismantle decommissionedoffshore structures.

The units are also equipped to install nextgeneration wind turbines.

Capable of operating in water depths of 55m, theMAUs will be able to operate in 55m water depths in

harsh conditions and in 80m water depths in morefavourable conditions.

The units will be self-propelled by four steerablethrusters and are equipped with a dynamicpositioning system (DP2 system), ensuring safepositioning near the platform.

Fourdual fuelmaingenerators,located intwoseparateenginerooms,provide powerfor propulsion,cranes, the drillingpackage and allauxiliary functions.

DNV GL TO CLASS TWO NEW CMHI JACK-UPS

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The industry must limit plasticpollution from grey water wastestreams with the same regulatorycontrol it has in place for sewage,says ACO Marine

Grey water, that is to saydomestic waste other than sewage,is largely unregulated. Yet it canform the larger percentage of waterdischarged overboard by ships. Onthe other hand, sewage, which isarguably less environmentallyharmful, is subject to very stringentregulatory control.

Grey water is defined as wastewater from domestic orcommercial sources that has notcome into contactwith toilet waste –typical sources ofgrey water arebathrooms, kitchensand laundryoperations. Blackwater – sewage – istightly regulated, byIMO and other bodies.But there are no

international regulations for greywater discharge, and this is seenby many as a significant omissionfrom the MARPOL convention.

There is a point of view thatgrey water is potentially moreenvironmentally harmful thansewage. Black water, after all, isbasically organic. But grey watercan contain oils, fats, detergents,chemicals and greases, not tomention plastics.

Mark Beavis, ManagingDirector of ACO Marine,(pictured) is mindful of thepresent outcry about plasticwaste in the oceans, resulting

from DavidAttenborough’saward-winningBlue Planetdocumentariesand othershockingdepictions in themedia of seacreaturesrendered

helpless by floating plastic andthe ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’– a floating island of plastic wastereputed to be twice the size ofFrance.

“Scientific research has shownthat even supposedly clean watercontains significant amounts ofmicroplastics and nanoplastics.Much of this results from thebreakdown of larger plastic items.A lot has its origin in cleaningliquids and pastes, facial scrubs,toothpaste, shampoos and similarproducts. This is a relatively newphenomenon, but there is a moveto ban the use of plastics in suchproducts. Several countries,including the UK, have alreadyprohibited the manufacture oftoiletries and cleaning productscontaining plastic particles,” saysBeavis.

“However, the fact remainsthat there is no internationallegislation to prevent thedischarge of grey water waste intothe oceans. Black water is

FEATURED ARTICLEACO MARINE CALLS FOR RETHINK ON GREY WATER RULES

19

regulated, but grey water is not.Some special areas – like the Baltic- have rules dealing with all typesof waste from ships, but these aremarket-driven, not regulatory, assuch.”

Beavis explains that the existingregulation, MEPC 227(64),although entering into force asrecently as January 2016,effectively deals only with sewageeffluent standards and treatment,and is itself based on outdated1970s legislation.

“Even the revisions over theyears have failed to address theissue of grey water,” he says. “Weneed to get up to date. The onlyway we can limit these harmfuldischarges from ships is bylegislation, and this can only beintroduced by the IMO with thesupport of manufacturers.”

He adds that this is not just acommercial initiative by ACOMarine: “All responsiblemanufacturers of water and wastetreatment systems are singing thesame song.”

The current media focus is onplastic pollution, but grey waterfrom ships and other sourcescontains many other elementswhich can cause untold harm to themarine environment, and whichneed to be dealt with effectivelybefore the waste water can bedischarged. Laundry waste, forexamples, contains fibres, whichshould be filtered out. But anotherone of oceans greatest enemies,according to Beavis, is grease.

“While MEPC 227(64) lays downrequirements to limit the dischargeof oils, there are no IMO standardsfor the separation of grease fromgalley water,” he says. “To my mindthis is an oversight. The industryneeds performance standards towork to, so that shipboardwastewater treatment systems canbe optimised for effective greaseseparation.”

Earlier thinking was that simplegrease traps would be sufficient.These are traditionally small in-lineentrapment boxes with a weir tohold back floating grease and oils.Although they may work in land-

based systems, they are stilllimited in dealing withneutrally buoyantsubstances, or densersolids which can passunder the discharge barrier. And,despite standards existing forland-based grease separators,there are none applicable tothe more challengingapplication of a movingship.

“In the current absenceof any performancestandards, responsiblemanufacturers need, as aminimum, to match orexceed the land-basedstandards,” says Beavis. “Theseare covered in DIN V4040-2/99,and rated at EN1825, or betterstill at EN1825+. These ratingsdefine limits for lipoid content ofany discharge from theseparator.”

But such grease traps requireopening, emptying and cleaning,often on a daily basis, a task whichis often not undertaken frequentlyenough, if at all. “The only viablesolution is to fit fully-enclosedself-cleaning grease separationtechnology which can bemaintained by ships’ engineers inthe same manner as othermachinery,” adds Beavis.

Any ship has the potential toproduce a large amount of harmfulgrey water which can, legally, bedischarged overboard. In the caseof cruise ships, the problem ismagnified many times over. It isnot merely influenced by thenumber of persons onboard –water temperature, operationalperiods of galleys and laundryrooms, density of galley water,detergent content and severalother factors all need to be takeninto consideration when specifyinga complete wastewater treatmentsystem.

“Of all the wastewatertreatment streams, fats oils andgreases are one of the most difficultto manage and treat effectively, aswell as being the single biggestcontributing factor to wastewatertreatment failure,” says Beavis. “In

the absence of any performancestandards, ACO Marine advises shipoperators to carefully consider thedesign and size of an optimumgrease separation system.”

To this end, ACO Marineprovides composite and stainless-steel grease separators in itsLipator product range, available inboth manual and automaticversions. Being manufactured fromhigh-density polyethylenecomposite, PE units offer a morecost-effective and lighteralternative than the more commonstainless-steel models, whiledelivering the same performancebenefits.

Compared with the vastquantities of grease, detergent andplastic waste deposited in the seavia rivers and other dischargesources, the contribution of ships’waste seems small – literally adrop in the ocean. But just asshipping is about to take positiveaction on its relatively smallcarbon footprint, the industryneeds to have effective,demonstrable and enforceablelimitations to its discharge ofwaste water, grey as well as black.

20

As part of its continuous review of its marine lubricantslogistics offering, Shell Marine has expanded itsdistribution network into New Zealand, adding threenew key locations to its delivery options – in Indonesia,Spain and Chile.

“Customers in New Zealand will now benefit fromShell Marine’s 24/7 international delivery promise, withformal guidance given on arrival lead times in eachlocation,” said Marcus Schaerer, Global MarketingManager Shell Marine. “Our country-wide commitmentreflects Shell Marine’s confidence in the potential forgrowth in its international marine lubricants business.”

Shell Marine lubricants can now be ordered throughShell Marine’s International Customer Service Centre fordirect delivery to Auckland (pictured), Tauranga,Gisborne, Lyttelton (Christchurch), Napier, NewPlymouth, Port Chalmers, Wellington and Whangarei.

Shell Marine’s expansion into New Zealand followsthe recent publication of the New Zealand Ministry ofTransport statistics, covering 2016/2017, whichindicate that in gross weight terms, trade by sea grew5.8% over 2015/2016. The latest figures by value,from Statistics New Zealand, show exported goodsjumping 9.5% in January 2018 over January 2017,while imports by value surged 17%.

The Shell Marine network update has also seen newports opened in emerging markets. In Indonesia, ShellMarine has added the dynamic growth port city ofMedan to its direct delivery network, augmentingexisting arrangements in Jakarta and Surabaya. Alsonewly added to the marine lubricants global portnetwork are Seville in Spain and Coronel in Chile.

Shell Marine says it currently has marine lubricantsavailable in more than 700 ports in 60 countries.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)has said it will scale back cruiseshipprojects following its beleagueredprototype project for Aida Cruises,of which the second and final vesselin the series was delivered in April2017 after significant financial loss.

The full extent of the losses isrevealed in the financial section ofthe MHI Report 2017, publishedtoday, where the Group states:“MHI recognised an extraordinaryloss of ¥64,126 million in itsconsolidated financial results forthe fiscal year ended March 2014,¥69,534 million for the fiscal yearended March 2015 and ¥103,911million for the fiscal year ended2016, as a result of a significant costoverrun, due to, among others,difficulties in construction of theprototype ship.”

While the first ship wasdelivered in March 2016, MHIcontinued building the second shipin the 2016-2017 financial period,resulting, in the second quarter, in aloss of ¥16,481 million. The lossreflected an increase in theconstruction budget to correct thedefects that became apparent whilethe first ship was in service.

MHI subsequently broughtforward the delivery schedule of thesecond ship but because of anoverrun in the construction budget,due to the work required to keep to

the new delivery date, MHIreported an extraordinary loss of¥17,842 million.

“The total amount of the reservefor loss on passenger vesselconstruction business recordedunder extraordinary loss during thefiscal year ended March 31, 2017amounted to ¥34,323 million,” thereport states.

“MHI recognises the estimatedloss associated with its passengervessel construction business, whichwill be incurred in the future, asextraordinary loss because it doesnot regard such loss as one incurredas on ongoing operations. On theother hand, after delivery to thecustomer for the first ship,remaining work was carried outduring the voyage to Europe,including interior finishing work forsome sections on whichconstruction was incomplete at thetime of delivery. Because theexpenses relating to such work,including expense adjustment withconstruction contractors, exceededthe amount of reserve alreadyrecorded, MHI recognised non-operating expenses of ¥7,829million as loss on the passengervessel construction business.”

In a foreword to the Group’sfinancial results for 2017, MHIGroup President and CEO ShunichiMiyanaga (pictured) said: “Going

forward, based on the findings ofour internal evaluation committee,we will limit cruise ship operationsand projects to those that can behandled by our own personnel andsupply chain. In addition, we willtake the knowledge of highlycomplex ship engineering acquiredthrough this project and apply it toour other businesses to help usachieve technologicaldifferentiation.

“We initially accepted[cruiseship] orders in the beliefthat, based on our track record, wewere fully up to the task. Ultimately,however, we lacked sufficientknowledge and expertise to matchthe facilities and specificationsrequired for large-scale cruise shipsin Western markets. As a result, westruggled with the construction andincurred significant losses,”Miyanaga said.

In the commercial ship business,following the July 2017consolidation of its businesssegments, MHI is looking toincrease its shipbuilding capability,primarily involving outfitting work,developing energy-saving ships,and forging alliances with othercompanies to establish newproducts, such as gas-poweredships, “that leverage ourtechnological expertise”.

COMPANY NEWSSHELL EXPANDS MARINE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

MHI TO LIMIT CRUISE SHIPBUILDING FOLLOWING AIDA PROJECT LOSSES

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Finnish specialist ship builderMeyer Turku has enjoyed its thirdprofitable year in successionrecording a net profit for the year2017 of €32.2 million

The yard says that the profitwill be used to finance a €200million investment programme atthe Turku yard.

The revenue of Meyer TurkuOy was €807,7 million in 2017compared to 2016’s €787,5million. Net profit for the financialyear rose from €26,2 million(3.3% of revenue) to €32,2million (4,0% of revenue).

Meyer Turku delivered twoships in 2017, the first time indecades. First in January theshipyard delivered LNG powered

fast ferry Megastar to Tallink andlater in May fourth in a shipseries, Mein Schiff 6, for GermanTUI Cruises.

Meyer Turku’s investmentprogramme includes a new 1200ton goliath crane, a steel pre-treatment and storage facility andseveral large scale IT systeminvestments. The investments areurgently needed to replace ageingmachines and they are anopportunity to realize a highercapacity and productivity.

The shipyard has been activelyrecruiting, head count growingfrom 1614 (end of 2016) to 1854by the end of the year 2017.Meyer Turku made 296recruitments during 2017.

“These good figures give us anopportunity to prepare for thecoming years and a growinginternational competition. We areusing these profits to finance thelarge scale investments weurgently need to rebuild theTurku shipyard into a modernship assembly factory and to trainour personnel and to further growour team of ship builders inTurku”, CEO of Meyer Turku JanMeyer comments.

With an order book extendinginto 2024, Meyer Turku expectsgrowing revenues in the years tocome. Costs of the development ofthe ship yard mean that the profitmargins will be lower but positiveduring this transition time.

FINNISH YARD RECORDS PROFITS FOR THIRD

Malaysia Marine and HeavyEngineering Holdings Berhad(MHB) has reported Q1 2018revenues of RM188.3 million, adecrease in revenues reported inthe same period 2017.

The group’s marine fabricationand ship repair division, whichincludes the MMHE West and Eastyards in the Johor region, in thesouth of Malaysia, registered alower revenue of RM77.0 millioncompared to the RM82.4 million inthe corresponding period. This wasdue to a reduced orderbook forrepair works as some shipownersdeferred drydockings.

In the first three months of theyear, the MMHE yards completed20 ship repair and maintenanceprojects and has two conversionprojects ongoing. These are theNautica Bergading FSO for E.A.Technique Berhad and the FSOBenchamas-2 for MISC Berhad.

Overall, the group’s marinesegment recorded operating lossesof RM7.2 million against RM9.4million profit in the correspondingperiod mainly due to the decreasein revenue.

The group’s heavy engineeringsegment also registered a drop,reporting a revenue of RM111.3

million against RM153.5 millionfor the same quarter last year. Thedecrease was mainly due to lowerrevenue recognised fromcompleted or sail-away projectswhile ongoing projects are eithernearing completion or in the earlystages.

Amongst a number of projectcompletions during the first threemonths of the year, the divisiondelivered five 2,990t CatenaryAnchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoyunits for end-user the Dangote OilRefining Company, which willoperate the buoys offshoreNigeria. Ongoing projects includethe Engineering, Procurement,Construction, Installation andCommissioning (EPCIC) of thecentralised processing platform(CPP) for Bokor Phase 3 Re-Development Project and Sepat-Atopside, and four hook-up andcommissioning (HUC) work ordersfrom CARIGALI-PTTEPI OperatingCompany (CPOC).

MHB Managing Director andChief Executive Officer Cik WanMashitah Wan Abdullah Sani said:“Global oil prices have seen asteady rise since 2016, spurred bycuts in global production initiatedby OPEC in 2017. There are early

signs of a pick-up of upstream andoffshore activities which will leadto a recovery in oil and gasspending in the coming years.

“However, this is unlikely totranslate into immediateopportunities in 2018. The heavyengineering segment continues tosuffer from scarcity of newcontracts and accordingly,performance in 2018 is expectedto remain under pressure.

“Meanwhile, the marinesegment encountered headwindsas ship owners deferred theirdrydocking activities, in reactionto uncertainty in the enforcementof new regulations in the shippingindustry. Correspondingly,performance of the marinebusiness was impacted during thisquarter. Performance in thesecond half is expected toimprove, benefiting from thedeferral of some drydockingactivities into this period

“The group is committed to itsstrategy of expanding into newbusiness segments, in oil and gasservices, to ensure sustainabilityof income. Replenishment of orderbook for both marine and heavyengineering segments remains atop priority,” he said.

MHB REPORTS 1Q 2018 LOSSES

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