2017

IMO Polar Code

Noble‘s world record rig

New DP capability standard

US offshore wind power

Hybrid power update

DNV GL

2 OFFSHORE UPDATE

04 08 20

Wind ro-ro – with a twist ........................................................ 20Wind farm workhorse ............................................................. 22Mitigating risks in polar waters ............................................. 23ISDS software integration saves operators millions ........... 24Protect your assets .................................................................. 26Battery power improves performance ................................. 28The digital twin ....................................................................... 30

Cover photo: Noble Corporation

A safer walk to work ............................................................... 04Weathering stormy times ...................................................... 06Pursuing growth in a challenging market ........................... 08Environmental regulations – what you need to know ........ 10Balancing act ........................................................................... 14Clarity, consistency, comparability ....................................... 16US offshore wind power ready to take off ........................... 18

CONTENT

24

SIMULATION

OFFSHORE UPDATE 31

Virtual ship platforms will lead to several new ways of operating and maintaining ships and fl eets. Indeed, the digital approach may eventually be the preferred method for stake-holders in the shipping industry. For the time being, however, it is still in its infancy, and smart ways of organizing and making the vast amount of information accessible need to be explored. New technologies leveraging ontology-based reasoning, func-tional modelling, multiphysics simulation, machine learning, and big data are currently being investigated by both the industry and academia. By 2025, the results of these investigations

should provide the basis for new standards and best practices for ship and operational management in the new digital-industri-al age of shipping. AKJ

DNV GL Expert Odd Charles Hestnes Head of Section Sales & ProductsPhone: +47 901 01 24E-Mail: odd.charles.hestnes@dnvgl.com Ph

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The digital twin is a virtual representation of an asset, used from early design through build-

ing and operation, maintained and easily accessible through-

out its lifecycle.

Analytical models for

structures and hydrodynamics

Information models for

systems and components

3D visualization models of

components and structures

Time-domain models of

components and systems

Sensor and process data from the real

vessel

Software- driven control

algorithms

Virtualized communication

networks

DIGITAL TWIN

REAL SHIP

EDITORIAL

OFFSHORE UPDATE 3

Arnstein EknesSegment Director Offshore Service Vesselsarnstein.eknes@dnvgl.com

Published by DNV GL Maritime Communications

DNV GL – Maritime 1322 Høvik, Norway

DNV GL – Maritime 20457 Hamburg, Germany

Additional authors: Simon Adams (SA), Rachel Carmichael (RC), Arne Kjørsvik (AKJ), Stevie Knight (SK), Andreas Kühner (AK), Jeannette Schäfer (JS), Adeline Yap (AY)

Design and production: printprojekt, Hamburg

Layout: Lohrengel Mediendesign, Hamburg

© DNV GL AS www.dnvgl.com

OFFSHORE UPDATE

DEAR READER,The offshore industry continues to be reshaped by the current oil price environment and the oversupply of equipment across all segments.

Fewer and lower contracts result in poor vessel utilization rates and profit margins, prompting owners to focus on measures to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. The forecasts for 2017 are not encouraging, and the trend towards consolidation is likely to continue.

Amid low oil prices and a growing global commitment to a low-carbon economy in the battle against climate change, companies serving the offshore oil and gas business have little choice but to adapt. Decommissioning vessels and turning to offshore wind have become popular strategies.

In this issue we introduce the DNV GL Fast Feeder Vessel (FFV) concept which promises to reduce the complexity and cost of installing next-generation wind farms, which will feature taller towers and larger turbines and will be placed further offshore. We are also taking a look at the emerging US offshore wind energy market and its plans for the future.

While many companies are still reeling from the low oil price, Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS) are active contracting new ultra-deep diving support vessels. In an interview with DNV GL, UDS founder and CEO Shel Hutton explains his vision and plans for the company. Another hopeful sign is the delivery of the high-tech drilling rig Noble Lloyd Noble in July, considered to be the world’s largest and most capable unit in operation.

The DNV GL class notation ISDS for Integrated Software Dependent Systems saved Songa millions by establishing a structured approach to system integration, accelerat-ing the commissioning process, improving software reliability and enabling substantial savings.

DNV GL’s DP Capability standard, battery power rules and upcoming Walk2Work class notation are further examples of your classification society’s continuous efforts to improve safety, efficiency and environmental compatibility while helping lower the operating costs.

Enjoy the read!

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4 OFFSHORE UPDATE

Since its launch in December 2015, the DNV GL certification scheme for offshore gangways for personnel transfer has provided a basis for various designs focusing on safety and efficiency. The “Walk2work” class notation supporting this certification standard is part of the rules published in January 2017.

With a rapidly expanding offshore wind energy sector and grow-ing numbers of unmanned wellhead platforms, the call for flexible walk-to-work solutions is increasing. These operations include high-frequency personnel transfer operations often performed under challenging environmental conditions with high wind speeds and harsh seas. Offshore gangways provide a safe and cost-effective alternative to personnel transfer by helicopter, bas-ket transfer or boat landing. They form a bridge between two ves-sels or between a fixed object and a floating installation to trans-fer people, cargo or equipment. Gangways can take many forms, ranging from permanently installed links between accommoda-tion units and production assets to temporary transfer between service vessels and unmanned installations such as offshore wind turbines and offshore fish farms.

Since its launch in December 2015, the DNV GL certification scheme for offshore gangways “DNVGL-ST-0358 – Certifica-tion of Offshore Gangways for Personnel Transfer” has been received very well by the industry. “By addressing a complete set of requirements for materials, strength, safety and functional-ity as well as testing and recommended in-service follow-up, we have created a specific and dedicated standard to make gangway operation safer and more efficient,” says Per Arild Åland, Business Development, Offshore Classification, DNV GL – Maritime.

The Dutch manufacturer Barge Master was the first supplier to receive approval for their gangway system. DNV GL has been working closely with Barge Master to define the scope of certifica-tion for one of their newest and most innovative offshore gangway

concepts featuring a secondary offshore crane function. The chal-lenge of combining the standards for personnel transfer and lifting appliances was mastered successfully and the system received approval for both uses according to DNVGL-ST-0358 as well as the DNV Standard for Certification 2.22.

Rob Das, Service Responsible at DNV GL – Maritime, reports: “We worked with Barge Master on this project from the draft ver-sion of the new code until the DNVGL-ST-0358 was released and applied to their product. Their input during the external hearing process contributed to the improvement of the standard.”

“I am very happy about our collaboration with DNV GL, and extremely proud the Barge Master Gangway is the first to receive the DNV GL approval in principle,” says Jorrit van Dommelen, R&D Engineer at Barge Master.

Ensuring equipment reliabilityThe Barge Master gangway is equipped with a high-performance motion compensation system that enables safe transfer of person-nel from a floating vessel to a fixed structure in waves up to 4.5 metres HS. Its modular design allows it to be configured for the given purpose. Modules range from a height-adjustable pedestal to an integrated motion-compensated lifting winch.

Ten gangway systems have been certified since the launch of the new DNV GL standard, among them the Telescopic Access Bridge (TAB) M series by the Dutch manufacturer SMST, which incorporates the safety and design principles of the DNVGL-ST-0358 – Certification standard. The M series is one of SMST’s

Gangways can simplify personnel

transfer to and from offshore installations,

reducing the costs.

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A SAFER WALK TO WORK

OFFSHORE UPDATE 5

WALK TO WORK

we are number one in the world with a mobile, actively motion-compensated gangway in operation built under the new DNV GL standard. Series production of the first 20 pieces is in full swing,” SMST CEO Erik Hessels adds.

“DNV GL‘s efforts in 2015 to issue the new standard have been rewarded in 2016 by a lot of positive feedback. Our customers have been working hard, and with each new design we see the industry benchmark set higher. We are proud to support ongoing efforts to improve the safety of offshore personnel transfer,” says Aldo Matteucci, Head of the DNV GL Lifting Appliances section.

The launch of the class notation “Walk2work” is another step towards ensuring transparency and predictability in the marine offshore industry. With “Walk2work” in their string of notations, ship and rig owners can easily communicate and document the ability of their fleets to take part in safe and efficient walk-to-work operations. To qualify for the notation the offshore gangway must be certified in accordance with the requirements of the DNVGL-ST-0358 standard. The certified gangway system and related equipment are subject to periodical in-operation surveys to ensure walk-to-work equipment reliability, and to contribute to the general operational excellence. With this service for offshore gangway systems DNV GL contributes to a cost-efficient and robust maintenance scheme on board as the in-operation survey scheme carried by the “Walk2work” notation is integrated into the general ship management routine.

DNV GL believes that continuous development and improve-ment of its rules and standards is an essential activity. An improved scheme for the qualification of offshore gangway control systems will be introduced shortly. The main focus of this extended system certification will be software integrity assurance based on simulator testing. PA

four types of access bridge systems which vary in length from four metres up to 58 metres and can be equipped with active or passive motion compensation. The S, M and L sizes were primarily devel-oped for walk-to-work applications whereas some of the L as well as the XL sizes can serve as long-term links between offshore struc-tures and accommodation vessels. The modular M series TAB is suitable for a variety of vessels and operational situations. Compact and transportable by container truck, it can be installed quickly and has a large operating window. It is controlled by the vessel‘s own crew, doesn’t need large generators and is inexpensive to operate.

After the successful launch of the TAB M series, the Access & Cargo Tower, based on proven components and designs, is the second SMST system certified to DNVGL-ST-0358. Its modular design featuring variable height adjustment enables safe, efficient, stepless transfer of both cargo and personnel from multiple deck levels to the turbine platform. To ensure comfortable crossing and maximum workability, the height of the access bridge can be adjusted to match the platform landing height. The integrated elevator with capacity for personnel and cargo pallets can stop at several levels to optimize logistic performance.

“Our continued collaboration with DNV GL for certification of our cranes and, more recently, our offshore gangways has proven fruitful yet again. The next step would be obtaining DNV GL Type Approval for our complete range of offshore gangways,” says Pieter de Bos, Project Manager at SMST. “We are very happy that

DNV GL Expert Per Arild Åland (PA), Head of CMC Process Development, Offshore Class, Business DevelopmentPhone: +47 975 84 830E-Mail: per.arild.aland@dnvgl.com

“We are very happy that we are number one in the world with a mobile, actively motion-compensated gangway in operation built under the new DNV GL standard. Series production of the first 20 pieces is in full swing.”Erik Hessels, CEO of SMST

“I am extremely proud the Barge Master Gangway is the first to receive the DNV GL approval in principle.”Jorrit van Dommelen, R&D Engineer at Barge Master

Barge Master gang-way equipped with a high-performance motion compensa-tion system.

The North Sea is a notoriously hostile environment for drilling rigs. Only the best technology can withstand the onslaught of nature’s forces and operate profitably in these mature oilfields, especially at the current low crude oil prices. Choosing the right rig for every field and drilling site is crucial.

In early 2013 Statoil was looking for a drilling partner for the Mari-ner field in the British North Sea and contacted Noble Corpora-tion, a leading UK-based offshore drilling company. The plan was to build a new, ultra-high-specification jack-up drilling rig based on the GustoMSC CJ70 design and Statoil’s Category (CAT) J specifications. The new rig was supposed to be ready to start drill-ing before the end of December 2016, a very ambitious timeline.

Noble agreed, and a four-year contract with two one-year extension options was signed. The three-legged cantilever-type jack-up rig was built at Sembcorp Marine’s Jurong shipyard in Sin-gapore with DNV GL class, and in July 2016 Noble took delivery of the unit, which was named Noble Lloyd Noble after the compa-ny’s founder, Lloyd Noble. The CJ70, considered to be the world’s largest and most capable unit in operation, is able to operate at water depths from 70 to 150 metres and drill wells down to 10,000 metres. Several modifications were made to the original design to adapt the unit to the special requirements of the Mariner field. In particular, the leg-to-spud can connections were reinforced to provide additional strength for stability and loading. The rig is capable of operating at a 69-metre air gap. With these and other special features, the Noble Lloyd Noble is quite unique. “This has been a challenging project. Sembcorp Marine, Statoil and Noble have worked together closely throughout this project. The result of this effort and the excellent support from DNV GL in Singapore has led to the delivery of a high-tech, high-spec jack-up,“ says Scott W. Marks, Senior Vice President – Engineering at Noble.

Defining a baselineThe choice of DNV GL as a classification society had been made independently by Noble and Statoil so both companies were in agreement from the start. Noble had previously built four drill ships with DNV GL class and felt that DNV GL was the right partner for an asset as complex as the Noble Lloyd Noble with its 25,000-tonne hull, Marks adds. Over the years Noble had acquired a number of companies whose offshore drilling assets

were classified with various societies, and as the company contin-ued focusing on advanced, technologically sophisticated equip-ment, DNV GL was chosen for an increasing number of newbuilds.

Safety is crucialMarks points out: “Noble has a strong historical relationship with DNV GL. As a leader in the industry, Noble contributes on multi-ple levels in helping to create safety guidelines with DNV GL. It is important for classification societies to stay current by amending rules as dictated by a changing environment. We work closely with DNV GL to maintain the highest standards possible on board Noble’s assets.”

Safety of life at sea is extremely important to Noble, Marks emphasizes. “We are very proud of our safety record,” he says.

Noble just rolled out a new programme called “Safe Day”, where every safety-relevant incident on a rig is recorded, and any 24-hour period without an incident is called a “Safe Day”. “In the North Sea where the Noble Lloyd Noble is stationed, the rigs have achieved a Safe Day 97 per cent of days so far in the year,” Marks points out, “and we reward people for making an effort to improve safety and protect the environment. We also have very strict pollution prevention standards.”

As for cybersecurity, Noble has read the signs of the times and toughened system access restrictions on board its rigs. All USB ports are locked physically, and all external devices are scanned before being allowed to connect. Links to land-based parties and vendors are kept open only as long as required for the respective maintenance activity so as to minimize exposure.

The right class for high-techThe crisis of the sector did not spare Noble, and when the mar-ket continued to decline, the company began cold-stacking rigs temporarily when they were not in demand. The cold-stacking process is carefully monitored by the engineering department to make sure the assets are kept in excellent condition to maintain the trust of customers. “Class can help us by defining a baseline

WEATHERING STORMY TIMES

“We feel that DNV GL was never doing anything else but support us. We were always a team trying to get the rig out.”Scott W. Marks, Senior Vice President – Engineering at Noble

DNV GL

6 OFFSHORE UPDATE

a benchmark with this rig – it is the top-of-the-line. The shipyard never let off in spite of all difficulties, and we feel that DNV GL was never doing anything else but support us. We were always a team trying to get the rig out. Noble is proud to be part of a high-profile project such as Mariner, and we look forward to executing the drill-ing operations in support of Statoil’s efforts on the UK continental shelf, while continuing our close association with DNV GL.” AK

for the implications of cold-stacking,” suggests Marks. “This would create a level playing field for all stakeholders.”

But all in all Noble has been riding out the crisis successfully. “High-specification, technically advanced rigs are the market we want to be in,” says Marks, “and the Noble Lloyd Noble confirms that this is the right strategy. We position rigs in markets where we feel they will perform optimally. We have long-standing relation-ships with many customers we can rely on. Furthermore, Noble has a proven history of success in technically challenging HPHT (High-Pressure/High-Temperature) drilling. The demand for our services tells us that we are well respected in the industry.”

As a very large newbuild completed under budget and within the given time frame, the Noble project was handled extremely well, considering the complexity, Marks emphasizes. “It means a lot to Statoil and their programme. I think Statoil has tried to establish

DNV GL ExpertDavid McKay, Chief Surveyor Offshore, Area Pacific & Gulf of MexicoPhone: +1 281 396 1646E-Mail: david.mckay@dnvgl.com

The three-legged cantilever-type jack-up rig Noble Lloyd Noble is able to operate at water depths of up to 150 metres.

LENGTH LEG LENGTH DRILLING DEPTH

WATER DEPTH

BREADTH

105 m

214 m

10,000 m

150 m

89 m

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OFFSHORE UPDATE 7

JACK-UP DRILLING RIGS

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8 OFFSHORE UPDATE

While the majority of the industry is waiting for signs of a sustainable upturn before taking action, the founder of Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS) offers an entirely different, more optimistic perspective. DNV GL is classifying a series of custom-developed deep-diving support vessels for UDS.

While many companies are still reeling from the low oil price, Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS) are contracting new vessels with div-ing systems. “This is the perfect time to build quality vessels for the future, if you have planned for it, and we have,” says UDS founder and CEO Sheldon (“Shel”) Hutton.

True to the saying that big dreamers never sleep, Hutton is enthusiastic when explaining why the company is not backing away from its growth plan. Even though he knew there would be a downturn in 2014, he left his previous position with Kreutz Sub-sea to set up Ultra Deep Solutions with the aim of designing and building some of the global offshore industry’s largest and most advanced DP3 ultra-deep diving support vessels.

“You need to capitalize on the current downturn of the market. We see it as the perfect time for us to pick and choose and get the best assets at a better price so that we will have new ships ready the moment demand revives. This is a good time to get the best components and equipment at a reduced price, which rep-resent a major share of the total cost of advanced offshore ves-sels. We have been studying the big players and their vessels, we know how old their vessels are, and they are currently not build-ing any. We definitely see an opportunity here.”

With orders of new ships practically at a standstill, a few hun-dred rigs stacked and around 1,700 offshore service vessels laid

up, many companies struggle to survive and have no expansion plans whatsoever. “We monitor the market closely, but we are not a follower as most other companies. We believe the offshore activity will grow steadily with the oil price in the years to come, and that is when we will reap the harvest of our current invest-ment in people and new technology,” Hutton explains.

Within a span of two years, the company has grown from a mere two people to a 30-employee operation. While many com-panies decided to move their operations away from Singapore as a cost reduction measure, Hutton chose to set up his headquar-ters there. His rationale: “There are three to four cities you need to be in if you are in the offshore industry and Singapore is the hub for Asia. I believe in Singapore’s economy and its stability even though it might cost slightly more. But ultimately I believe it is worth it.”

Hutton’s key to successAccording to the UDS CEO, the key to success is to have a solid business plan and stick to it. “When I started the company in 2014, I had a business plan. I wanted to build and own the best assets to that we can charter. The vessels we have contracted in China are the result of years of planning, learning from past projects, always hunting for better solutions, and a strong wish to provide

PURSUING GROWTH IN A CHALLENGING MARKET

Virtual model of Deep Installer, one of the next-generation ultra-deep-diving heavy-construction vessels currently under construction for UDS.

OFFSHORE UPDATE 9

DEEP-DIVING SUPPORT VESSELS

for design, functionality and simplicity, UDS is on the right track towards providing top-of-the-line support to professionals, and the new vessels now under construction may soon represent a new standard for ultra-deep diving support vessels.

DNV GL ensures superior quality“Our choice of DNV GL as the classification society for our vessels and diving systems was motivated by our goal to offer top quality to the market,” says Hutton. “DNV GL is like the board of direc-tors that I do not have, pushing me to raise the bar and focus on achieving the best project.“

Hutton is optimistic about the company’s future growth. “Our goal is to build 20 (or more) subsea vessels by 2018 or 2019. While we are still riding out the current downturn, I am already looking at the next market cycle. My goal is to have every asset paid off by the next downturn.” AY

professionals with excellent vessels which give them everything they need.”

In addition to ship chartering, UDS have expanded their ser-vice to include diver supplies by starting Flash Tekk, a company focused on the design, supply and manufacture of diving and subsea equipment.

“It was not my original plan to be in the diving business and I don’t consider us as a key player in the market. We’re only doing a few projects at the moment. We set out to be a ship charterer and we stuck to it. But when we were trying to get quotations for diving systems for our vessels, we found them to be dispro-portionately high in view of the market downturn. Being an avid diver myself, I know exactly what divers need so we decided to build the systems ourselves.” The first diving equipment and diving chambers have already been shipped from Flash Tekk in Singapore to China for installation in the new vessels. DNV GL is also providing classification services for the diving systems. “With DNV GL we have an experienced partner to discuss our technical solutions and gain further expert views.“

With vessel names such as Van Gogh, Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse, Hutton reveals his fascination with art and painting. “I am passionate about diving. And I am passionate about art and paint-ing. Creativity is important not only to get new ideas and solutions, but also to make people think and perform better.” With an eye

PURSUING GROWTH IN A CHALLENGING MARKET

“With DNV GL we have an experienced partner to discuss

our technical solutions and gain further expert views.”

Sheldon Hutton, CEO of Ultra Deep Solutions

ABOUT UDS

Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS), established in 2014 and headquartered in Singapore, specializes in the design, construction and operation of state-of-the-art ultra-deep-diving heavy-construction vessels for the o�shore industry. UDS currently has four ships on order. Van Gogh, scheduled for delivery in late 2017, and her two sister vessels Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse are DP2 Multipurpose diving support vessels / SPS Code 2008. Each will be equipped with an 18-man single-bell saturation system for depths down to 300 metres, a moon pool, an air diving system, as well as a work-class and an observation-type remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

Deep Installer is a DP3 DSCV with similar features but enhanced capacity and can be fitted with any UDS ROV.

An avid art lover, UDS CEO Shel Hutton has chosen the names of famous artists for his fleet, including Andy Warhol (model illustration).

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DNV GL ExpertTeck Huat Quah, Senior Principal Surveyor, Business Development MaritimePhone: +65 9815 1947E-Mail: teck.huat.quah@dnvgl.com

Shipping’s environmental impact remains a topic of keen interest for regulators, with agreed regulations entering into force in the near future as well as new regulations being developed around the world. Understanding the evolving regulatory landscape is of strategic significance when making business decisions.

Over the past decade, shipping has seen a surge of environmen-tal regulations. Political pressure and an increasing focus from society at large have driven the International Maritime Organi-zation (IMO), various countries and regions such as the EU to develop steadily more stringent regulations. The consequence is a patchwork regulatory system, where numerous overlaps create challenges for operators. There are unfortunately no indications that this will change. It is important for operators to both under-stand the existing regulatory framework and be aware of forth-coming developments, both at IMO and elsewhere, in order to make the right business decisions.

Ballast Water ManagementThe International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) was ratified by Finland on 8 September 2016, bringing the total gross tonnage belong-ing to signatory states to more than 35 per cent. The convention will enter into force on 8 September 2017, by which date all ves-sels will need to carry an approved ballast water management plan. The present status for ship-specific system installation dates is that ships will be required to have an IMO approved treatment system installed on board at the latest by the date of their first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey after entry into force. However, at MEPC 70 alternative implementation schedules were put forward, and it was decided to continue the discussions during MEPC 71 in summer 2017. The content and interpretation of the convention is still evolving, with revision of technical type approval guidelines (“G8”) agreed at MEPC 70. There are presently 69 IMO-approved systems on the market.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The national ballast water management regulations of the United States entered into force in 2013. New ships have to comply upon delivery, while existing ships must comply by the first scheduled dry docking after 1 January 2014 or 2016, depending on ballast water capacity. US type approval is required for the ballast water treatment systems; so far no such approvals have been granted. To address the obviously para-doxical situation of having to install approved systems when no systems have approval, the US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued more than 50 so-called Alternate Management System (AMS) approvals. These are five-year time-limited US approv-als for systems accepted by IMO. To ease the transition further the US is also liberal in granting more than 10,000 time-limited exemptions to individual ships. DNV GL believes that once US-approved systems become available the extension policy will become significantly more stringent.

DNV GL SOFTWARE TOOL FOR UPCOMING RULES

To help owners stay ahead of new developments related to upcoming IMO and ILO regulations, DNV GL offers a software tool called

“RequirementExplorer”, which allows customers to browse upcoming new rules and

regulations. The tool is available on “My DNV GL”. It enables efficient searches using ship type, keel-laying date, size and other properties as search criteria.

DNV GL

10 OFFSHORE UPDATE

The new IOSVC code specifies design requirements which are to provide an acceptable safety level for OSVs to also carry chem-icals of ship type 1 and 2, as well as toxic chemicals.

The code is also proposing new requirements with respect to total volume of chemicals to be carried.

SOX regulationsAfter considering an IMO-commissioned fuel availability study as well as a separate, industry-commissioned study, the IMO decided at MEPC 70 that the global 0.5 per cent sulphur con-tent requirement will become effective in 2020. Practical details regarding implementation and enforcement measures will be subject to further discussions at forthcoming IMO meetings. Scrubbers are considered an acceptable compliance method under both IMO Marpol and the EU sulphur directive. Neverthe-less, in certain EU countries, it should be noted that the

For more information on different ballast water topics such as treatment systems and approval process please visit dnvgl.com/bwm.

Carriage of chemicals on offshore service vesselsIMO is currently working on finalizing the International code for the transport and handling of limited amounts of hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk on offshore support ves-sels (IOSVC). The aim is to create a mandatory “IBC/IGC” code for offshore service vessels. Current statutory regime A.673(16), allows offshore service vessels to only carry chemicals deemed suitable for IBC ship type 3 vessels and only defined as non-toxic. The industry have for many years addressed the need for a regulatory framework which would allow a wider range of chem-icals to be transported in bulk, without the use of a conventional chemical tanker.

DNV GL ECO INSIGHT PROVIDES VISIBILITY INTO FLEET PERFORMANCE

With its performance monitor-ing tool “ECO Insight”, DNV GL offers a convenient means to keep abreast of upcoming MRV requirements and ensure timely compliance:

■ ECO Insight’s proven onboard data recording

application integrates all tra-ditional ship-to-shore report-ing into one solution.

■ Extensive technical and ship-specific plausibility checks deliver high-quality data with-out “MRV non-conformities”.

■ Data is automatically com-

piled in EU and IMO formats for uploading to the respec-tive servers.

■ Data serves as basis for com-prehensive fleet performance management using ECO Insight, helping to cut oper-ating costs.

The ECO Insight portal is a gateway to higher operational efficiency.

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REGULATIONS

OFFSHORE UPDATE 11

Water Framework Directive is putting constraints on the dis-charge of scrubber water. Belgium and Germany have in essence prohibited the discharge of scrubber water in most areas, severe-ly constraining the operation of open-loop scrubbers. Other EU countries are following suit to a lesser or greater degree, with no common EU practice likely to be agreed. China has recently published regulations for SECA-like fuel requirements in certain coastal areas (see box below).

For more information and our guidance paper on the global sulphur cap visit dnvgl.com/lowsulphur.

NOX regulationsNOX Tier III requirements are in force in the North American ECA for ships constructed on or after 1 January 2016. In essence, any-one constructing a ship today needs to consider if operations in the North American ECA will be part of the operations pattern upon delivery or in the future. If so, NOX control technology will be needed for that ship.

Similarly, at MEPC 70 it was agreed to extend the ECAs in the North Sea and the Baltic to also include Tier III NOX requirements

for ships constructed on or after 1 January 2021. MEPC 71 is expected to adopt this decision.

CO2 and energy efficiencyClimate change remains the driving political force behind CO2 and energy efficiency regulations. In the EU, regulations for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of CO2 emissions have entered into force, requiring all ships above 5,000 GT sailing to or from European ports to comply. Ships must also report cargo data and average energy efficiency. The EU will make the data publicly avail-able on an annual basis. Monitoring plans are to be submitted to verifiers by 31 August 2017 with 2018 being the first year of CO2 reporting. Data will be published by the EU mid-2019. There is extensive work in progress to develop the practical framework and the EU is expected to finalize most practical details towards the end of 2016. Some issues may remain unresolved until summer 2017.

Part of the purpose behind the EU MRV regulations is to encourage IMO to work on a similar mechanism with global, not only regional, coverage. The EU has stated that if this happens it will mothball its regulation. It is therefore of great significance that

CHINA IMPOSES SULPHUR LIMITS AND MIGHT ESTABLISH SECA ZONES

China has published regulations to establish SECA-like sea areas outside Hong Kong/Guangzhou (Pearl River Delta) and Shanghai and in the Bohai Sea. In a staged approach, the

new regulations impose an initial 0.5 per cent sulphur limit for fuel burnt in key ports within these areas, gradually expanding the coverage to finally encompass these sea areas entirely

from 2019 onwards. The sulphur limit might be lowered to 0.1 per cent as of 2020, and a formal ECA application may be submitted to IMO.

CHINABeijing

Shanghai

Pearl River Delta

■ Existing, IMO ■ EU Sulphur Directive ■ Existing, regional ■ Possible future

Existing, IMO EU Sulphur Directive Existing, regional Possible future

Mitigating climate change remains the driving political force behind CO2 and energy efficiency regulations.

DNV GL

12 OFFSHORE UPDATE

MEPC 70 adopted a global mechanism for mandatory monitoring, reporting and verification of fuel consumption data for all ships above 5,000 GT. 2019 will be the first year of operation. However, the scheme differs from the EU MRV in several important aspects, including confidentiality of data, calculation of efficiency metrics and requirements to verification of data. While the European Commis-sion sees the IMO work as an important step towards a robust inter-national system, the IMO will need to finalize its system before the European Commission will start assessing whether it can be accept-ed as a replacement for the EU MRV. Given the political challenges to achieving agreements in Brussels and the time-consuming formal processes, DNV GL expects that shipping will have to deal with two different but overlapping reporting regimes for at least some years.

More information on the EU MRV system is available at dnvgl.com/maritime/mrv-regulation.html.

Supporting compliance with the EU MRV regulationSome shipping companies are bracing themselves for the new regulation and have invested in advanced fleet performance man-agement, such as the DNV GL ECO Insight portal. ECO Insight includes voyage reporting software which automatically delivers pertinent MRV reporting data. The solution also makes the veri-fication process much easier by giving the DNV GL verification team access to relevant information.

Shipping companies facing the issues described in the info box on the left are advised to take action now to ensure compli-ance with the EU MRV regulation.

IMO is also seeing a reinvigorated discussion on long-term CO2 emission goals following the global climate change agreement reached in Paris last year. MEPC 70 agreed to establish an IMO strat-egy for CO2 emission reductions by spring 2018. DNV GL sees a need for IMO to show rapid and substantial progress to avoid non-shipping bodies attempting to regulate the industry. This would not be of any benefit to anyone, least of all shipping itself. EN

DNV GL Expert Eirik Nyhus (EN), Director EnvironmentPhone: +47 926 23 818E-Mail: eirik.nyhus@dnvgl.comPh

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Shipping companies facing at least one of these issues should address them now. Where a proper voyage reporting system is in place, the data should be processed, for example as part of a performance management scheme. Apart from the obvious benefits of performance management, doing so will improve data quality. Where no voyage or noon-time e-mail reporting is customary, an appropriate software-based voyage reporting system should be implemented which will deliver MRV reports automatically and run internal checks to ensure proper data quality. The DNV GL ECO Insight on-board reporting tool Navigator Insight is the most common application worldwide.

ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING EU MRV REGULATION

There is no voyage reporting available / taking placeIn shipping it is widely accepted practice to report

the position, time, speed, distance, consumption, cargo, weather and other key data at key points of a voyage, including the departure, beginning of sea passage, noon and end of sea passage. If no such reporting routine is in place, or if reports are sent to the charterer only but not to the owner, this needs to be changed. Only vessels sailing exclusively in EU waters or executing more than 300 voyages in one year are exempt from voyage reporting.

Voyage reporting is done via plain e-mail without any further onshore processing

Many voyage reports are simple, daily e-mails in a defined format which are sent by the master to a list of recipients. Most of the recipients use these messages to simply confirm that the vessel is still “alive”. The data stays on the mail server without undergoing any further onshore processing. DNV GL believes that a proper electronic voyage abstract will be required for verification. Creating such a record manually from hundreds of e-mails every year for every vessel of a fleet will be an impossible task.

Voyage reporting data is not processed further / data quality is unknown

Even if the voyage data is electronically available in an onshore database, the biggest challenge remains: without further processing for purposes such as post-voyage calculations or performance management, the quality of the data may be compromised by issues such as a broken voyage event sequence, missing reports, incorrect time stamps or positions and implausible consumption, cargo or speed data. Under the MRV scheme, this will result in denial of verification or even a poor EEOI ranking and damage to the owner’s and operator’s reputation.

Find more DNV GL blogs at blogs.dnvgl.com/performance All technical and regulatory news can be found at dnvgl.com/tecreg.

REGULATIONS

OFFSHORE UPDATE 13

DNV GL

14 OFFSHORE UPDATE

Moving more cargo while reducing the environmental footprint and managing increasing complexity: close cooperation between all stakeholders is needed to meet future challenges in the maritime industry, urges U.S. Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy Rear Admiral Paul Thomas. The USCG relies on the technical expertise of third parties to mitigate risks und drive innovation.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is charged with safeguarding mari-time interests and the environment throughout U.S. waterways and the world. As an organization, the USCG must easily adapt and develop regulations while partnering with industry to deliver solutions for rivers, ports and the high sea.

DNV GL has been invited to talk to Rear Admiral Paul Thomas and some of his team at the USCG headquarters in Washington to discuss how they are focusing on what they see as the big three challenges for the maritime industry: growing capacity, reducing shipping’s environmental footprint and dealing with ever-increas-ing complexity.

“Determining how we are able to address all three of these at the same time is tricky,” says RADM Thomas.

“Capacity cannot increase with a linear increase in the envi-ronmental footprint – it’s just not sustainable,” he continues.

“Reducing the environmental footprint of shipping requires an increased focus on all waste streams from vessels and port operations.”

Increasing complexity is partially the result of these first two challenges, but also regulatory schemes, relationships (in terms of who owns a vessel), and cybersecurity.

“These three issues drive our focus areas. Tacti-cally, this breaks down into: waterways and naviga-tion, cyberrisk management, energy production and transportation, and environmental regulation,” RADM Thomas explains.

Efficient waterways and enhanced navigationLooking ahead there will continue to be increased investment in building larger vessels and cranes. “This will grow capacity to a certain extent, but we must find a way to make the water-ways more efficient. Most of this has to do with how we move information – through things like electronic navigation and electronic marine safety information systems,” says RADM Thomas. “Our goal is to deliver the enhancements that a com-munity traffic info sharing app like Waze brings to the roadway to the waterways, in a way that it allows people to make informed decisions when operating in congested waterways. This con-cept has the potential to transform how vessels operate.”

Cybersecurity grows in importance Being in continuous exchange with IMO, RADM Thomas reported,

“IMO agreed to interim cyberrisk management guidelines for ships. The focus for this must be on developing strategies to deal with cyberrisks in the same way as we have for other operational risks.”

Energy transport and productionThe USCG is focused on the production and transportation of energy. This was initially driven by the energy renaissance, but with today’s lower oil prices, “cheap energy means we have greater traffic and more products moving around the globe,” says RADM Thomas. “We must also focus on getting our offshore regulations up to speed with the technology being used,” he continued, “one example is well intervention activities taking place from OSVs. These activities are not adequately addressed in our regulations.”

Environmental regulations This new generation of environmental regulations presents a whole new challenge when it comes to compliance. “Today, mitigation measures become increasingly diversified. There are scrubbers, bal-last water systems, alternative fuels or any other type of solution proposed – there is active miti-gation and very highly-technical measures that require us to think differently about compliance.”

Some of these measures include type approval processes – which are critical. “In the past, a simple type-approval was good enough to demonstrate compliance (for example MSDs). I don’t think that paradigm will last into the future. Looking ahead there will be an expectation that you have type approved equipment and that you are able to show the USCG what’s coming out at the end com-plies with the regulations.”

Ballast water regulationControls on ballast water are shaping up to be some of the most impactful and far-reaching envi-ronmental regulations of recent years, as well as one of the most complex. And the USCG has been challenged by the incredibly wide range of solu-tions, testing procedures and options available.

“Even the most basic protocols contain surpris-es for us,” says RADM Thomas, “you may test one

BALANCING ACT

REAR ADMIRAL PAUL THOMAS

RADM Thomas serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards.

OFFSHORE UPDATE 15

AUTHORIZED PARTNER

The USCG and DNV GL recently signed an updated memorandum of agreement (MOA) authorizing DNV GL to participate in the Alternate Compliance Program (ACP) under the new DNV GL Rules. This delegates certain survey and certification services for US-flagged vessels.■■ DNV GL has had successful authorization under ACP

since 2003■■ Close collaboration and dialogue with USCG COTP

(Captain of the Port) across the USA including Port State Control issues

■■ Support the USCG with training on LNG as fuel

system in one configuration – but how are results scaled, how do we account for interchangeable components? There are so many topics to wade through.”

RADM Thomas sees the BWM regulations as an essential way to move the industry forward, while at the same time protecting the environment: “We’re dealing with a balancing act. The USCG regulations are written in a way that allows us to manage this bal-ance. You’ll never get the innovation unless you have a forcing function. We have to keep this forcing function close enough to show investors the market. That’s the future of meeting maritime challenges.”

Working with third parties and class The Coast Guard heavily relies on third parties to execute on its commitments. “This is largely due to the growing need for our services,” noted RADM Thomas. “Our workload is growing but our workforce is not. There’s no doubt about it, third parties are a per-manent part of our mix in terms of getting work done.”

Above all, the USCG views third-party providers as another layer in the safety net. Coast Guard surveillance: something to improve not remove.

For example, working with class on the Alternate Compliance Program (ACP) is essential. The Coast Guard has assigned a mem-ber of its team to look specifically into this topic and evaluate how the ACP could be improved without removing USCG surveillance. Captain John Mauger, Head of the USCG’s Marine Safety Center (MSC), works closely with class societies. “The partnership with class is extremely important. In working with DNV GL, we value the technical expertise you bring to the table, especially in deal-ing with risk assessment, risk mitigation, and LNG as a fuel. We

leverage your expertise, and working with you enables the incor-poration of LNG into the fuel mix.”

RADM Thomas added: “DNV GL’s interaction with our Liq-uefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGCNCOE), and with Commander Smith, is extremely valuable and a great partnership.”

“Regulation can provide a driver for innovation. It’s not us (regu-lators) versus the industry. It’s the industry, regulators, and NGOs all working together to meet the challenges of moving more cargo while reducing the environmental footprint and complexity.” ■RC

U.S. COAST GUARD

DNV GL ExpertHerman de Jong, Production Manager/Regional Chief SurveyorPhone: +1 562 426 0500E-Mail: herman.de.jong@dnvgl.com

The Coast Guard cutter Stratton transits under the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay.

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DNV GL

16 OFFSHORE UPDATE

The ability to assess and compare the position-keeping capabilities of a ship equipped with dynamic positioning technology is vital during the planning and design phase and provides valuable operational decision support. The new DNV GL standard ensures verifiable results.

The well-known DNV GL ERN (environmental regularity numbers) concept, established in 1977 together with the first DNV rules for dynamic positioning (DP) systems and replaced in July 2013 by “ERN*”, has served the industry well for many years. However, technical progress and a more extensive use of DP vessels have made it necessary to develop a new standard for assessing the DP station-keeping ability of ships.

In particular, there has been a lack of clear methodical require-ments to account for actuator capacity and environmental forces. Industry stakeholders, including yards and designers, have argued that the absence of unified standards has resulted in unfair compe-tition; and calculation reports have been of rather limited value for vessel comparison when different input data and calculation meth-ods were used, and results were hard to verify.

These factors prompted the decision at DNV GL to create a new, open industry standard for assessing the position-keeping ability of vessels to provide better conditions for risk control, a level playing field for competition, and a verifiable data basis for designing and comparing vessels. The standard development project was launched in January 2013 and involved close to 20 companies from Norway, the Netherlands and the UK. In the

spring of 2016 the results of this joint effort were sent out to a wider indus-try audience for an “external hearing”, and the new DP capability standard was released in July 2016.

Three different capability levelsStandard DNVGL-ST-0111 – Assessment of Station Keeping Capability of Dynamic Positioning Vessels defines clear and consistent methodical requirements for DP station-keeping capability assessments, the docu-mentation of the calculations and the presentation and verifi-ability of the results. It addresses both the intact vessel condition and the worst-case single failure conditions corresponding to the vessel’s Dynamic Positioning class notation.

The standard defines three different DP capability levels, each requiring a specific assessment method. The DP capability cal-culations use the Beaufort wind scale as well as significant wave height, wave period and current speed data as input. DP capabili-ty plots are generated for each level, and the results of the assess-ment are expressed in a DP capability number with the format DP Capability-LX (A, B, C, D).

The DP capability number (refer to box page 17, left) indicates that the position-keeping ability of the respective vessel can be maintained under the conditions defined for the respective capability level and all conditions below, but not under the envi-ronmental conditions specified for the next higher DP capabil-ity number. In addition the standard defines two DP capability assessment levels allowing the inclusion of site-specific environ-mental data and external forces: Level 2-Site and 3-Site (refer to box left). The additional site-specific levels are provided for cases where it is desirable to include site-related environmental and other special operational data which differ from the data specified for the relevant DP capability level. Since these calculations are not based on the Beaufort environment the result is not repre-sented in the form of a DP capability number but as a plot indicat-ing the relevant wind speed limits for the given conditions.

In addition to calculation methods, the standard specifies documentation and reporting as well as verification requirements.

DP ca-pability level

Description

1

A prescriptive method for documenting ship-shaped mono-hull vessels using a fixed set of formulas. The calculations are based on the static balance of environmental forces and thrust output. The environmental condition definitions use the Beaufort scale.

2

A more comprehensive, quasi-static method applicable to all ves-sel shapes, allowing for project-specific adjustments to calcula-tions. All project-specific data must be documented and justified. Environmental conditions are based on the Beaufort scale.

2-Site Similar to Level 2, but allowing input of additional, site-specific environmental data and external forces.

3

Use of time-domain simulations provides enhanced insight into the DP capabilities of a vessel by incorporating dynamic forces into the station-keeping assessment, such as statistics of vessel position and heading, thruster and power utilization and other relevant vessel states.

3-Site Similar to Level 3, but allowing input of additional, site-specific environmental data and external forces.

CLARITY, CONSISTENCY, COMPARABILITY

ability of the results. It addresses both the intact vessel condition and the worst-case single failure conditions corresponding to the

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OFFSHORE UPDATE 17

POSITION-KEEPING CAPABILITY

database of advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simu-lations, and expert knowledge provided by the industry group. Level 2 offers enhanced methods to compute environmental

loads and actuator forces, while Level 3 includes the effects of dynamics on DP performance, especially vessel, environmental

load, actuator, and DP control system dynamics. Further-more, the standard introduces a new, extended scale for the assessment results. Each step on the scale represents a significant improvement in DP capability, with the environ-mental forces typically increasing more than 50 per cent from one step to the next. The Level 1 calculation method is fully prescriptive to ensure consistent evaluation of DP capability for verification and benchmarking purposes.

Online tool for easy calculationIn support of the new standard, DNV GL developed a web tool which helps users calculate DP capability numbers

for Level 1. The tool, which is available free of charge at customer portal “My DNV GL”, assists users in entering all the

required information and returns a visual representation as well as a report of the Level 1 numbers in near-real time. Users

may then request DNV GL approval of the results through the online tool. DNV GL’s Marine Cybernetics services also provide a web tool based on cloud computing to assess the vessel DP capability according to Level 2 and Level 3.

The new DNV GL DP capability standard provides owners, operators and other stakeholders with reliable DP capability data for purposes such as vessel selection, assessment and compari-son, and a uniform basis for verifying the calculated results. It is thus a major achievement in terms of decision support and improved market transparency. AK

Level 1, which will replace the ERN* concept in the DNV GL rules, gives a more comprehensive picture of the station-keeping capability of a vessel than the legacy standard by accounting for environmental forces acting from all directions. The calculation method is based on a quasi-static balance of mean forces and the formulas were derived from extensive literature surveys, a large

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DP capability number (position-keeping capability achieved under the conditions specified for the respective BF number but not beyond)

Beaufort description

Wind speed (m/s)

Significant wave height (m)

Tp (s) Current (m/s)

0 0 Calm 0 0 NA 0

1 1 Light air 1.5 0.1 3.5 0.25

2 2 Light breeze 3.4 0.4 4.5 0.50

3 3 Gentle breeze 5.4 0.8 5.5 0.75

4 4 Moderate breeze 7.9 1.3 6.5 0.75

5 5 Fresh breeze 10.7 2.1 7.5 0.75

6 6 Strong breeze 13.8 3.1 8.5 0.75

7 7 Moderate gale 17.1 4.2 9.0 0.75

8 8 Gale 20.7 5.7 10.0 0.75

9 9 Strong gale 24.4 7.4 10.5 0.75

10 10 Storm 28.4 9.5 11.5 0.75

11 11 Violent storm 32.6 12.1 12.0 0.75

12 NA Hurricane force NA NA NA 0.75

CLARITY, CONSISTENCY, COMPARABILITY

DP CAPABILITY NUMBER FORMATX = 1, 2 or 3 describes the DPCAP

levelA = Intact condition, heading 0-±30°B = Intact condition, heading 0-360°C = Worst-case single failure

condition, heading 0-±30°D = Worst-case single failure

condition, heading 0-360°

Example: DP Capability-L1

(9, 7, 6, 4)

DNV GL Expert Aleks Karlsen, Senior Principal Specialist – DP SystemsPhone: +47 67 57 75 42E-Mail: aleks.karlsen@dnvgl.com

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Intact

Worst-case single failure

Example of a Level 1 DP

Capability plot representing intact as well

as WCSF condition.

After years of discussion and legislative initiatives on both a national and state level, offshore wind in the United States is gaining momentum. The nation’s first offshore wind farm will go online in the coming weeks.

US OFFSHORE WIND POWER READY TO TAKE OFF

The first commercial US offshore wind farm is located 3.8 miles from Block Island, Rhode Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

DNV GL

18 OFFSHORE UPDATE

Since the US government launched its “Smart from the start” off-shore wind energy initiative in 2010, a number of potential wind energy areas off the Atlantic Coast have been designated by the Department of Interior (DOI) with large swaths of the outer continental shelf leased for future wind projects. Several states have passed legislation or initiated specific programmes aimed at advancing offshore wind, and the first projects are underway. Construction has been completed for the landmark Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island and the project will go online early in 2017. The Department of Energy is funding three offshore wind demonstration projects and there are multiple commercial-scale projects currently in development.

Clearly there is strong momentum for the nation’s nascent offshore wind industry, which is attracting global interest, includ-ing from experienced European developers and suppliers. As the market develops, significant opportunities will emerge across the supply chain, including installation, service, and crew ves-sels. Of the current global fleet of 34 wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV), 16 are DNV GL-classed (47 per cent). Establishing domestic capabilities in the US will be critical to drive down costs, following the trend in Europe. Lessons learned in Europe will help jump-start US activities in the field, and the current trend towards ever-larger turbines could be adopted here too, effectively skip-ping an entire technology generation.

Hurdles and open questionsBut challenges remain. Since the US offshore wind industry is still in its infancy and construction and installation capabilities are lim-ited, the cost of offshore wind energy in this market is significantly higher than alternatives. As a demonstration project, the cost of energy for Block Island was significantly higher than offshore wind projects in Europe, but the benefits of the project, includ-ing displacement of expensive diesel power for Block Island residents and the economic benefits for Rhode Island, made the cost acceptable. Commercial-scale projects will need to have sig-nificantly lower cost of energy. To achieve economies of scale, the nation needs a fleet of suitable installation vessels, among other

factors. What is more, the US Jones Act, a protectionist statute dating back to 1920, essentially requires wind turbine compo-nents to be transported to offshore installation sites using US-built, owned and flagged ships, which limits the use of European ves-sels and adds costs to the construction process.

Changes in the political landscape are inevitably associated with shifting priorities. Whether or not the next legislative period will be supportive of renewable energy in general and offshore wind projects in particular remains to be seen. The wind power industry and its supply chain harbour significant business oppor-tunities and could generate many new jobs in the United States. These aspects as well as the cause of eco-friendly power genera-tion as such deserve to be advocated with passion and emphasis. Projects already approved and leases and tax credits granted should remain intact after having been enacted with broad bipar-tisan support. Furthermore, state-level initiatives are largely inde-pendent of the national government. The renewables industry in the US is determined to continue its mission and the Block Island project shows that offshore wind energy is a realistic and attrac-tive option. AK

DNV GL Expert Michael Drunsic, Offshore Commercial LeadPhone: +1 617 620 7001E-Mail: michael.drunsic@dnvgl.com

BLOCK ISLAND WIND FARM

■ First o�shore wind farm in the US ■ Site: Block Island, Rhode Island ■ Developer: Deepwater Wind ■ Scope: Five 6 MW GE Alstom “Haliade 150” wind

turbines ■ Rotor blades: Made by LM Wind Power, Denmark ■ Blade length: 73 metres ■ Overall wind turbine height: 180 metres ■ Total installed power: 30 MW ■ Expected annual power output: 125,000 MWh ■ Installation vessel: Self-elevating self-propelled jack-

up vessel Brave Tern, Fred. Olsen Windcarrier, Oslo, Norway; class DNV GL

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OFFSHORE UPDATE 19

OFFSHORE WIND POWER

As visions for the offshore wind farms of the future get bolder, the foreseeable logistical challenges associated with their installation need to be addressed before they hit a cost barrier. DNV GL has devel-oped an entirely new transport concept which promises to reduce complexity and costs significantly.

The next generation of wind farms will use larger turbines placed further offshore. And as they grow, so too do the wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) and the associated costs. DNV GL has a new concept which could result in a more efficient and economic process – Twisties. Chris Garrett, Senior Engineer, Offshore Projects, DNV GL, explains.

“The next generation of wind turbines are likely to be around the ten-megawatt to twelve-megawatt size with 100+-metre blade lengths, giving over 200-metre-diameters. Manufacturers are gearing up for eleven-metre-diameter monopiles, these may weigh something like 2,000 tonnes,” says Garrett. However, this

trend has pushed up ship sizes, which have carried costs along with them.

Maximizing efficient use of expensive assetsThe previous generation of WTIVs were used to erect a number of the 3.6-megawatt turbines “but over the last few years we have seen WTIVs like the NG9000C design, at around 130 metres with a 40-metre beam.” This is more than double the size of the previ-ous generation and the bigger jack-ups can cost between 100,000 euros and 200,000 euros per day. “The costs are so high, what you really want to do is to stop these installation vessels/WTIVs from

WIND RO-RO – WITH A TWIST

FFV feeding a WTIV. Since both units are

standing on the ocean floor they can interact

seamlessly.

DNV GL

20 OFFSHORE UPDATE

sea-fastening just like a rack of containers,” he explains. Further, given the standardized approach, the deck of the vessel can be adapted once and for all so the deck fastenings won’t need individual time-consuming modifications each time the jack-up is mobilized.

The drop in costs does not just come from keeping the big ships working, says Garrett: “This concept also means that poten-tially smaller but still capable mid-range jack-ups can be used, as they won’t need the carrying capacity. The feeders can keep them supplied, without needing the WTIV’s crane to stop operation.”

While custom-designed FFVs might yield the best value, initially a jack-up retrofitted with the retractable bridge and twistlocks could prove the concept, says Garrett. Given the relative simplicity, the concept could be implemented in the near future, believes Garrett:

“We could see the first fast feeder operation by the end of 2018 and it may start appearing in tenders even earlier than that.”

DNV GL is inviting companies to become development partners via a Joint Industry Project. For details please visit dnvgl.com/twistiesjip SK

cycling into and out of port – there is absolutely no point in using them as cargo carriers, they are far too expensive for that, espe-cially with the new wind farms being so far offshore.”

“So, what you need is to have WTIVs sitting out in the wind farm, and feeder vessels supplying them. You need to make sure they never stand still.”

The challenge is that “when it comes to big wind farm com-ponents, vessel-to-vessel offshore lifts are an absolute nightmare.” Furthermore, the wind blades, especially, fall under very strict regulations, “often we have a lift limitation of something between 9 and 10 m/s wind speeds and this leaves you sitting around doing nothing half the time.” And while specialist equipment has widened the weather window a little, there is room for a more effective alternative.

Therefore for the last couple of years Garrett and the DNV GL – Energy team have been working on a fast feeder vessel or FFV concept which will allow an entire set of turbine components to be unitized and rolled on multi-axle self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) from quay to feeder and feeder to installation vessel in one piece. “The beauty of these SPMTs is that they can manoeuvre in any direction,” he adds, “making shuffling around much faster.”

Flexible modular conceptBecause the two jack-ups – the FFV and the WTIV – will have their legs down, they will be stable at close quarters, Garrett explained. Therefore the connection between them could be a retractable bridge as is already used by heavy-duty ro-ro cargo vessels and barges.

At the heart of the concept is a frame nicknamed the “DNV GL Twistie”. “This is a modular frame high enough for an SPMT to travel underneath, which fits together like Lego, to be expandable to virtually any configuration,” says Garrett.

Adaptors allow it to seat components of virtually any size or shape and a compatible seven-flanged turbine cassette allows it to take on wind turbine blades and towers in a vertical position. Hinged units allow blades to be loaded horizontally, raised for storage, transport and offshore ro-ro transfer, and finally lowered again, ready for installation.

The Twisties are tailored around 10’ ISO container-spaced twistlocks which lend them their name. The staple of the con-tainer industry, these can individually take 25 tonnes of force in any direction; because there is a set of four at every node point, (down-rated to 50 tonnes in combination), each single Twistie will have between 16 and 32 pinning it down. “It will allow rapid

Extract from an article published in maritimejournal.com, 12 Sept. 2016

100 TEU TWISTIE FRAME

The modular concept with its standardized dimensions based on 10’ ISO container twistlock spacing avoids costly, time-consuming customizations on board carrier ships and acelerates land and sea transport of o�shore wind turbine components, especially for the next generation of very large units.

TWISTIE TURBINE CASSETTE

Unitization simplifies and accelerates the logistics chain. A Twistie turbine cassette carries all components of a wind turbine in the most space-saving arrangement. Hinged connections allow fast loading and unloading. The loaded cassette can be transferred from the factory to the installation site applying the roll-on-roll-o� principle.Ph

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DNV GL Expert Chris Garrett, Senior Engineer – Offshore Projects Phone: +44 782 550 5859E-Mail: chris.garrett@dnvgl.com

OFFSHORE UPDATE 21

WIND TURBINE TRANSPORT

The first of two state-of-the-art service operation vessels has been commissioned for wind turbine service in the North Sea. Special design features ensure efficient and safe operations.

One of the most advanced service operation vessels (SOV) built for the offshore wind market — the first of two ordered by Bern-hard Schulte Offshore for charter to Siemens — is now working at the Gemini offshore wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands.

Windea La Cour, designed by the Norwegian shipbuilding group Ulstein, is the first to feature their patented, pointed X-STERN hull allowing for more operational flexibility. “We had close and regular contact with DNV GL throughout the construction process and the collaboration secures that all regulations and rules are taken into consideration during the shipbuilding process,” says Lidvar Lillerovde, Project Manager at Ulstein Verft. Flexibility, speed and increased comfort thanks to reduced vibration and slamming are key assets of the ship, which accommodates and transports technicians from and to the Gemini wind farm in the North Sea.

Custom-designed for wind farm workThe X-STERN is a natural evolvement of the X-BOW, another design element of Windea La Cour with similar characteristics. Placing the stern to weather reduces pitch motion and lowers the required propulsion power by 50 per cent, thereby increas-ing the operational window. By lowering the acceleration levels of the bow and stern, the design minimizes slamming impact. The vessel is not designed for moving backwards; rather the X-STERN improves station-keeping in dynamic positioning mode,

particularly during wind farm operations when transferring techni-cians to wind turbines.

The results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations carried out during the design phase were verified during sea trial tests in June 2016. The vessel achieved a maximum speed going astern of 12.1 knots, and a maximum forward speed of 13.95 knots. This ensures high manoeuvrability within the wind farm.

Charterer Siemens took an active role in the vessel design with particular emphasis on safety, efficiency, effective use of resources and personnel, and better accessibility with less time lost waiting for suitable weather conditions. The vessel features an advanced active gangway system for safe access to turbines. A helideck provides additional logistical flexibility.

After delivery to Siemens in August, the Siemens SCADA wind turbine control system was installed on board to monitor and remotely control the wind turbines. Now the vessel is supporting the ongoing service and maintenance of 150 Siemens wind tur-bines in the 600-megawatt Gemini wind farm. JS

WIND FARM WORKHORSE

DNV GL Expert Vitaly Stankin, NB Senior Surveyor/Project ManagerPhone: +47 480 59 850E-Mail: vitaly.stankin@dnvgl.com

DNV GL CLASS AND STATUTORY SCOPE OF SERVICES

■ Class notations: 1A1 O�shore Service Vessel; BIS BWM(T) Clean (Design); COMF(C-3, V-3); DK(+); DYNPOS(AUTR) E0; HELDK; LCS(DC); NAUT(AW); Recyclable SF

■ Statutory certification services on behalf of flag states (Gibraltar and Germany, respectively)

■ SPS vessel – special-purpose ship allowed to carry 109 special passengers, e.g. service engineers for wind turbines

Additional certification services rendered by DNV GL:

■ All lifting appliances on board to Gibraltarian Flag requirements. O�shore

access gangway with telescopic bridge and active heave compensation system

■ Elevator certified by DNV GL (design approval and initial certification on board)

Due to highly qualified sta� all certifications were done by the local DNV GL o±ce.

Windea La Cour is the world‘s first vessel

to feature Ulstein’s X-STERN hull which

minimizes slamming.

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Morten Mejlænder-Larsen is pleased: “Having followed the development of the Polar Code for some years, it is a great achievement to finally survey the first vessel to comply with the code,” says the expert responsible for Arctic and polar activities at DNV GL – Maritime. Based on long experience from Arctic opera-tions in low temperatures and ice-covered waters, Viking Supply Ships saw the value in the IMO Polar Code — which entered into force on 1 January 2017 — and decided to implement it on its ice-classed AHTS vessel Magne Viking early on. The DNV GL-classed vessel is designed for operations in harsh offshore and Arctic/sub-Arctic environments. To obtain a Statement of Compliance in anticipation of the Polar Ship Certificate to be issued once the code is in effect, the vessel and its equipment were updated and the required documentation submitted.

“As this vessel was already winterized and built for operation in cold climate, most of the additional requirements in the Polar Code were met before we even started the implementation pro-cess,” says Andreas Kjøl, Project Director at Viking Supply Ships.

The IMO Polar Code will be mandatory for all SOLAS vessels entering Arctic and Antarctic waters. The Code amends existing IMO codes related to safety (SOLAS) and protection of the envi-ronment (MARPOL). DNV GL will issue Polar Ship Certificates to compliant vessels on behalf of the Flag Authorities.

As a result of the shrinking ice cover in the Arctic and easier access to polar waters, IMO saw the need for a common set of minimum requirements for vessels

operating in these areas which are not covered by other regula-tions. Increased ship traffic in support of the oil and gas industry, mineral export, and an expansion of cruise visits to these regions were additional factors.

The main additional risks identified when operating in polar waters are addressed in the IMO Polar Code and the different chapters describe different measures to mitigate these risks.

Existing ship or newbuild?For existing vessels seeking certification DNV GL recommends to first establish the ship’s current capabilities and limitations for polar operations. DNV GL can help identify and evaluate alterna-tive solutions if additional capabilities are required.

For newbuilding projects, the desired operational profile in polar waters should be defined, such as place, activity and season. This will help specify the polar operations capabilities the vessel needs to meet the business requirements and comply with the code. This includes choosing the right ice class and winterization notations.

Meanwhile a second vessel, the StrilPolar, has successfully passed its initial survey and received its Statement of Compliance. SA

After a successful survey, DNV GL and the Danish Maritime Authority can confirm that the AHTS Magne Viking, owned by Viking Supply Ships, is in compliance with the new IMO Polar Code.

MITIGATING RISKS IN POLAR WATERS

DNV GL ExpertMorten Mejlænder-Larsen, Arctic Operation and Technology Safety, Risk & ReliabilityPhone: +47 67 57 72 19E-Mail: morten.mejlaender-larsen@dnvgl.com

The ice-classed vessel Magne Viking operates in harsh-environment offshore regions.

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OFFSHORE UPDATE 23

IMO POLAR CODE

The complexity of computer control systems on board rigs is a cause of major commissioning bottlenecks. The DNV GL class notation ISDS provides a structured approach to system integration, accelerating the process, improving reliability and enabling substantial savings.

When a new offshore rig has been installed above the wellhead, it is by no means ready to go into operation. It can take months until all on-board systems – and in particular, the numerous industrial control systems (ICS) operating the drilling and support equipment

– have been installed and tested successfully and are ready to go. “Many things can go wrong, and having a stable software environ-ment in place plays a key role,” says Mark Bessell, COO of the drill-ing contractor Songa Offshore, which operates a number of rigs in the North Atlantic and North Sea.

But in the case of Songa Offshore’s four new CAT-D semi-submersible rigs built at the Korean shipyard DSME for drilling projects in the North Sea, things took a much more favourable course: “The acceptance phase of the first unit was completed within four weeks, which is a notable achievement for such a sophisticated rig.” Even at the current low crude oil prices, being able to start operations three months earlier than expected is a huge benefit for the operator. What enabled this accomplishment, which saved Songa millions of euros, is the DNV GL standard and class notation ISDS.

Managing integrated softwareIT complexity on board offshore rigs and other vessels has been a key concern at DNV GL for years, and in 2008 legacy DNV intro-duced its recommended practice “Integrated Software Depend-ent Systems” (ISDS) (DNV-RP-D201), followed in 2010 by the ISDS offshore standard (DNV-OS-D203) for the ISDS standard and class notation, to help builders and operators better coordinate the specification, development, implementation and maintenance of software systems and related quality assurance processes throughout the lifetime of a vessel. The ISDS standard establishes a systematic approach to ensuring the reliability, availability, main-tainability and safety of integrated, software-dependent systems.

The list of integrated software systems on board a CAT-D rig is long (refer to box). Software is not always properly addressed during design and reliability analyses, and is often unfinished when systems are delivered to the yard. Interfaces may not be

ISDS SOFTWARE INTEGRATION SAVES OPERATORS MILLIONS

The rig Equinox has been drilling in rough North Sea weather since mid-December 2015 without any significant computer system issues.

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24 OFFSHORE UPDATE

fully engineered or tested and typically need to be coordinated at the vessel level. Software updates are implemented on the fly: tuning, bug fixes, thousands of changes to software on hundreds of different programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and computers. Tracking and timely testing all this is a real challenge.

Contrary to other class notations, ISDS addresses the develop-ment process rather than only focusing on the finished product, and the reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) stipulations ensure proper tracking of failure mode assessments throughout the project. This is in line with the approach taken by other industries to ensure system and software integrity.

Tracking and standardizationThe four new units of Songa Offshore, one of the early adopters of the ISDS approach, are ISDS-compliant. The ISDS implementa-tion process standardizes all software modifications across the four rigs, transferring learning from one rig to the remaining ones. All software systems are tracked from the yard after factory accept-ance through to commissioning and operation. Since all software versions used at various stages are documented, the last functional version can be easily identified if an interface isn’t working. The result is an identical software environment across the entire fleet.

Songa’s fleet operations management confirms that the soft-ware quality focus on the CAT-D project has made a noticeable difference in improving reliability, accelerating commissioning and reducing downtime. “Before, a new rig would be delivered without any software control,” says Martin Coward, Engineering Manager for the project. “We never knew whether and how a specific soft-ware version had been tested. Changes made during commis-sioning might have unexpected consequences for other systems

without being traceable.” Now for the first time an ISDS-compliant drill rig has stood the test of time after

drilling for months through extreme weather, delivering tangible benefits to its operators.

Patrick Rossi, DNV GL ISDS Project Man-ager for CAT-D, confirms: “We had very few

software integration issues within the ISDS scope.” At DSME yard the benefits of ISDS are being felt, as well: “Hav-ing software tracking information gave us a clear picture of the situation throughout the project up to delivery,” says Myeong-Ki Han, Head of Systems Integration R&D at DSME. But it is during

operations that the added value truly shows. “Overall we have had good performance on the rigs and the focus on software handling is continuing into operation. Some of the issues we have seen in operation were related to the initial exclusion of the switch-boards from the scope of ISDS. Such system interfacing with the power management systems needs to be included and properly addressed for example during FMEA testing of future HIL/ISDS process,” says Trond Jan Øglend, E&I Engineer for Songa CAT-D OPS Prep. Martin Coward of Songa adds: “The control we were able to get over the supplied software has made the whole ISDS project worthwhile.” PR

DNV GL ExpertPatrick Rossi (PR), Senior Cyber Security Product Manager & ISDS Approval EngineerPhone: +33 761 81 17 38E-Mail: patrick.rossi@dnvgl.com

INTEGRATED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS ON BOARD A CAT-D RIG

■ Aker Solutions: Drilling control system (DCS) – Tool pusher and driller control panels plus anti-collision = 35 program -mable logic controllers (PLCs), several servers and industrial computers and HMI software

■ Cameron: Well control – Blowout preventer (BOP) plus diverter/HPU = 9 PLCs

■ Kongsberg Maritime: Vessel management system/safety systems – Power management systems (PMS) plus dynamic positioning plus fire and gas plus emergency

shutdown systems = 32 PLCs and several Microsoft Windows-based operator stations

■ Siemens: Drilling and thruster variable frequency drives (VFDs)

The four CAT-D semi-submersible rigs Equinox, Endurance, Enabler and Encourage at the DSME yard.

“For CAT-D the acceptance phase was completed in four weeks, which is a notable achievement for such sophisticated rigs.”Mark Bessell, COO of Songa

OFFSHORE UPDATE 25

INTEGRATED SOFTWARE DEPENDENT SYSTEMS

Cutting costs when laying up rigs and offshore service vessels (OSV) can have severe consequences when trying to reactivate the equipment. DNV GL is updating its Class Guideline for laid-up vessels to address preservation issues and assist owners in keeping their assets in shape.

Faced with an oversupply of tonnage and declining offshore field activity, most owners are wondering what to do with their offshore vessels. Should they just sell them to second-hand buyers, or should they cold-stack them until the market improves? And what condition can a laid-up vessel be expected to be in when the time comes to reactivate it?

The number of idling OSV vessels has reached 1,700 glob-ally, up from 1,400 in July. In the Norwegian segment nearly half the oil rigs are without a job, says the investment bank Clarksons Platou Securities. The most common motive for laying up a ves-sel seems to be cost reduction. No matter whether a vessel is on hot lay-up sitting idle with limited machinery running, or on cold lay-up with only watchmen on board — minimizing its operating costs is a key objective. However, cutting costs always has con-sequences and often involves less-than-ideal compromises. Too many shortcuts taken in planning and executing vessel lay-ups have become a concern in the industry. A laid-up vessel not prop-erly preserved will deteriorate, and the rate of deterioration very much depends on how well the maintenance and preservation measures have been planned and executed.

What does cold lay-up entail?To prepare a vessel for cold lay-up the machinery is taken out of service and the vessel is kept “electrically dead” with the excep-tion of power needed to provide basic functions of safety and security on board. All crew is removed from the vessel with only a watchman remaining on duty. While the vessel is in cold lay-up

condition, maintenance and preservation measures are typically very limited or omitted entirely.

PreservationRigs and OSVs are expensive assets carrying important equip-ment that is vulnerable to environmental influences. Taking short-cuts in lay-up preservation will adversely affect the value of the asset as well as the duration and cost of reactivation.

In response to the challenges faced by the industry, DNV GL is now updating the Class Guideline for laid-up vessels to include recommendations for the preservation of offshore equipment. The revised guideline aims to spell out best practices and OEM recommendations for specific equipment including BOP, RAM, wellhead connectors, valves, flex joints, risers, drilling spools, and offshore cranes. It will also contain guidance regarding systems and equipment which are dismantled and stored in warehouses and how the classification surveying scheme should respond to such arrangements. There is a clear trend among classification societies to give more credit to proper maintenance and preser-vation of assets during lay-up. Prolonged survey intervals can be granted to mobile offshore units which have been properly pre-served, provided that certain conditions are met and the flag state is in agreement.

RecommissioningWhen an asset is laid up there is no guarantee it will ever resume normal operation again. However, as more young vessels join

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS

Cold-stacked oil platforms. Thorough preservation measures will make sure these valuable assets will operate reliably when reactivated.

DNV GL

26 OFFSHORE UPDATE

■ Embrittlement of plastic pipes (drinking water and pneumatic control system)

■ Heavy internal rusting of the gears of winches and deck cranes

Examples of electrical system degradation: ■ Oxidation of generator circuit breakers ■ Inter-turn short-circuiting of solenoid coils ■ Oxidation of relays ■ Malfunction of measurement transducers ■ Start-up problems with malfunctioning regulators and control equipment

■ Electronic equipment start-up failure after months without power

Available support and knowledgeThe updated Class Guideline for ships and MOUs describing a systematic and cost-effective approach to preparing vessels for lay-up and maintaining them in safe condition cost-effectively will be published in May 2017. The new recommendations are based on recent experience with high-value offshore vessels and MOUs that have been laid up. An overview of relevant considerations, such as a “hot” or “cold” lay-up, choice of site, duration, recom-missioning time as well as class, insurance and flag requirements, is provided to help owners make the best choices. Practical proce-dures for recommissioning are also included.

DNV GL offers advisory services to assist owners in laying up vessels safely and cost-efficiently, covering aspects such as lay-up site, mooring arrangements and lay-up plans through to advice on declarations, safe lay-up procedures and supervision on pres-ervation during lay-up and recommissioning.

DNV GL has also developed a service called “Clean Lay-up Declaration” which aims to minimize the impact on the local environment and avoid pollution. Detail requirements range from the emergency response system to garbage and sewage control. Vessels in compliance with the requirements will receive a “Clean Lay-up Declaration” from DNV GL. RT

the picture, recommissioning or reactivation is definitely on the agenda.

It is fair to say that the less regulators are involved in the lay-up process, the stricter the requirements will be when the unit goes back into operation. Oil majors and shelf states will not tol-erate units not living up to their safety and operational standards.

Once the market conditions improve we can expect escalating requirements from various stakeholders on one side, and a lack of time and resources on the other. The following challenges are often encountered when reactivating a vessel:

Examples of hull-related degradation: ■ Corrosion in empty ballast tanks ■ Hull corrosion below the water line ■ Extensive propeller corrosion ■ Organic incrustation on the hull below the water line ■ Wood swelling on exposed timber decks and in accommoda-tion spaces

■ Rotting inside accommodation spaces ■ Corrosion of deck plates exposed to standing water ■ Corrosion of specific transit draft areas on the lower hull lacking anodic protection

Examples of machinery and equipment degradation: ■ Corrosion damage to liners, pistons, piston rings, gears and crankpins

■ Corrosion of valve spindles in lines carrying seawater ■ Leakage at brazed pipeline joints ■ Extensive corrosion of seawater lines ■ Corrosion damage to pump impellers, housings, seals and bearings

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS

DNV GL Expert Richard Tao (RT), Ship Lifecycle ManagementPhone: +47 67 57 79 57E-Mail: richard.tao@dnvgl.com

Laid-up offshore service vessels. DNV GL offers comprehensive advisory services to help owners prevent equipment degradation.

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OFFSHORE UPDATE 27

LAY-UP OF ASSETS

Advances in alternative power engineering, especially in battery technology, are enabling new applications which are of great interest to the offshore oil and gas sector. In two projects DNV GL is cooperating with industry partners to determine how the industry can benefit.

Offshore vessels offer an attractive business case for hybrid power solutions incorporating batteries. In many operational situations the on-board power demand fluctuates greatly, placing extreme loads on the generating equipment. While the common diesel-electric power and propulsion systems are quite flexible, they tend to operate inefficiently when running at very low loads for extend-ed periods of time while occasional peak loads are expected. Fur-thermore, battery systems can provide backup power to meet the strict redundancy requirements for dynamic positioning (DP).

During the recent conference of the Maritime Battery Forum in Flåm, Norway, a number of key challenges for battery systems on board ships were discussed in depth. Manufacturers must meet a variety of regulations and requirements, and standardization is an urgent concern to overcome cost hurdles. Questions regard-ing economic feasibility, battery capacity, reliability and safety, and specific applications must be answered for the industry to embrace the technology.

These are precisely the topics two industry initiatives have been addressing: FellowSHIP IV, a two-year joint project of

DNV GL, Wärtsilä Norway and Eidesvik Offshore, is studying the applicability of maritime hybrid battery power systems under a life cycle perspective; and the recently completed joint industry project (JIP) “Hybrid Power” formed by DNV GL, Taratec Corpora-tion, BG Group, Seacor Marine, ABB, Samsung Heavy Industries, Cummins, C-Rate Solutions and the University of Sao Paulo, has assessed barriers to the adoption of hybrid power, associated technical challenges and potential benefits.

The FellowSHIP IV project, which is scheduled to end in 2017, uses continuous condition and performance measurements con-ducted on a 442 kWh Li-ion battery system on board the platform supply vessel (PSV) Viking Lady to gain insight into the actual operation of a maritime battery system. In addition a variety of simulations are being performed to draw conclusions regarding fuel savings, emission reductions, power management strategies, design improvements, operational benefits, cost-saving potential and competitive advantages.

The Hybrid Power JIP, tasked with challenging established industry practices and determining the best role for alternative

BATTERY POWER IMPROVES PERFORMANCE

Lithium-ion batteries help Viking Lady balance

large load variations when manoeuvring. Total CAPEX

change Change in OPEX

CHANGE IN CAPITAL COST (CAPEX) AND RESULTING CHANGE IN OPERATIONAL COST (OPEX)in thousand US dollars

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6–3

3,48

5

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28 OFFSHORE UPDATE

battery system functions as a spinning reserve. Avoiding cycles of extreme engine loads reduces engine wear and maintenance costs and may allow maintenance cycles to be extended. What is more, the ability to close the tie switch between buses can greatly improve the hybrid value proposition.

Reliability and operational safetyBatteries can be optimized either for fuel efficiency or for backup power, depending on the given application. In hybrid DP opera-tions, batteries can supply load for approximately one third of the operating time, reducing generator cycles and responding faster than a generator set. As for backup power applications, economic feasibility depends on the ratio of investment cost vs desired duration of backup power availability.

Fire safety is a key concern for battery rooms, which must be designed to be functionally independent of the conventional architecture of the vessel, with fully independent ventilation, cool-ing and fire suppression systems and a sophisticated, integrated control system.

Payback times for battery systems range between zero and 7,700 engine operating hours. Efficiency improvements of up to 34 per cent were achieved in model studies. Hybrid power tech-nology thus offers tangible benefits; whether they can be reaped will depend on the regulatory environment and a high-quality supply chain. AK

power, has identified specific challenges and quantified all ben-efits of hybrid power systems. The team found that hybrid power architectures are technically feasible for tugs, OSVs, shuttle tank-ers, and drill ships, with viable return on investment (ROI) and payback periods. In view of the current economic climate in the oil and gas sector, retrofits are the primary market opportunity while newbuilds will move into focus once oil prices recover. There are currently about 20 DNV GL-classed vessels in operation or under construction with Li-ion batteries as a power source.

Fuel savings and emission reductionsThe JIP team analysed four ship types with selected operational profiles to quantify the fuel, emissions, and reliability benefits of hybrid power, including dynamic positioning, industrial services such as drilling, propulsion and backup power. The result is a multifaceted value proposition: operational efficiency is improved by balancing diesel engine loads and avoiding wasteful idling periods; reducing engine running time also cuts CO2 and other noxious emissions. Redundant engines may be dispensable if the Ph

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CO4 saved (kg)

NOX saved (kg)

SOX saved (kg)

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REDUCTIONS IN EMISSIONS AS A RESULT OF HYBRID VESSEL OPERATIONS

12,0

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7,80

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Avg. change in efficiency over base case

PERCENTAGE OF EFFICIENCY INCREASES AND EMISSION REDUCTIONS AS A RESULT OF HYBRID OPERATIONin per cent

Tug

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3

OSV

–24

21

Shuttle tanker

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38

Drill ship

–55

28

REDUCTION IN FUEL CONSUMPTION AS A RESULT OF HYBRIDIZATIONin thousand gallons (1 gallon = 3,785 liters)

Tug OSV Shuttle tanker

Drill ship

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0

1,70

0

6,50

0 9,70

0

DNV GL ExpertAnthony Tse Yen Teo, Technology and LNG Business Development DirectorPhone: +1 346 333 5397E-Mail: tse.yen.teo@dnvgl.com

OFFSHORE UPDATE 29

HYBRID POWER SYSTEMS

DNV GL

30 OFFSHORE UPDATE

In a challenging economic environment, shipping companies are looking for innovative technology to drive efficiency and reduce operational costs while managing operational risks effectively and maintaining safety. The digital twin of a ship is a key concept in the ecosystem of asset-centric engineering applications offered by DNV GL.

A digital twin is a digital copy of a real ship which synthesizes the information available about the ship in the digital world, virtual-izing all of its systems. A digital twin allows any aspect of an asset to be explored through a digital interface, including its layout, design specifications, simulation models, data analytics, and so on. It is easy to see that there are countless uses for a vessel’s digital twin throughout its life cycle.

Virtual companion for the ship life cycleDuring the design phase the digital twin is used as a virtual test bench to improve system performance. It also serves as an information management system supporting the workflow while reducing development costs and time. In the third-party verification stage it facilitates a more automated, systematic approach to safety assurance. As digital technologies continue to evolve, cloud-based infor-mation management and multimodel simulation platforms will support the design of ship systems and their digital twins, allowing various stakeholders to populate the digital twin of an asset with modules and evaluate in advance how the system will operate as a whole.

Once a ship is in service, its digital twin offers various pos-sibilities for evaluating performance and criticalities in near real time and suggesting corrective action, especially when coupled with operational data from sensor-instrumented equipment. Over time, increasingly detailed virtual models will be continuously populated with information collected on board, accelerating the development of industrial big data and smart analytics platforms.

The concept of digital modelling has already been imple-mented successfully in the DNV GL COSSMOS tool, which can simulate and optimize complex and integrated ship machin-ery systems – leading the way toward a “digital twin” for ship machinery. “In essence, we use COSSMOS to build virtual engine rooms, digital twins of the vessel machinery either to be built or operated. The virtual engine room is then coupled with the entire operational profile of the ship together with cost data to perform advanced techno-economic analyses of practical

use,“ says Nikolaos Kakalis, Manager R&D, Region East Med, Black & Caspian Seas at DNV GL.

Pathway to a new era of shippingAnother example which illustrates the practical use of digital twins is the DNV GL application Nauticus Twinity. It is based on Marine Cybernetic’s Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) testing technology. “HIL testing is an efficient black-box method for testing and verification of control system software. HIL has been proven for more than 150 offshore vessels and units. Instead of being connected to the actual equipment on the vessel, the con-trol system is connected to a digital twin

(HIL simulator), with sophisticated models of the vessel and its equipment,” describes Nicolai Husteli, Program Director Digi-tal Assurance, DNV GL. This technology can be easily adapted for gas carriers and other ship types. The experience gained during the tests conducted so far is continuously analysed and utilized to further enhance the test technology for all ship types.

“Instead of being connected to the actual equipment on the vessel, the control sys-tem is connected to a digital twin (HIL simulator), with sophisticated models of the vessel and its equipment.”Nicolai Husteli, Program Director Digital Assurance, DNV GL

THE DIGITAL TWIN

SIMULATION

OFFSHORE UPDATE 31

Virtual ship platforms will lead to several new ways of operating and maintaining ships and fleets. Indeed, the digital approach may eventually be the preferred method for stake-holders in the shipping industry. For the time being, however, it is still in its infancy, and smart ways of organizing and making the vast amount of information accessible need to be explored. New technologies leveraging ontology-based reasoning, func-tional modelling, multiphysics simulation, machine learning, and big data are currently being investigated by both the industry and academia. By 2025, the results of these investigations

should provide the basis for new standards and best practices for ship and operational management in the new digital-industri-al age of shipping. AKJ

DNV GL Expert Odd Charles Hestnes Head of Section Sales & ProductsPhone: +47 901 01 24E-Mail: odd.charles.hestnes@dnvgl.com Ph

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The digital twin is a virtual representation of an asset, used from early design through build-

ing and operation, maintained and easily accessible through-

out its lifecycle.

Analytical models for

structures and hydrodynamics

Information models for

systems and components

3D visualization models of

components and structures

Time-domain models of

components and systems

Sensor and process data from the real

vessel

Software- driven control

algorithms

Virtualized communication

networks

DIGITAL TWIN

REAL SHIP

SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER

About DNV GLDriven by our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. Operating in more than 100 countries, our professionals are dedicated to helping our customers in the maritime, oil & gas, energy and other industries to make the world safer, smarter and greener.

DNV GL is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. We enhance safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures. We invest heavily in research and development to find solutions, together with the industry, that address strategic, operational or regulatory challenges.

Disclaimer: All information is correct to the best of our knowledge. Contributions by external authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors and DNV GL.

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