Maritime

Wärtsilä to build and deliver propulsion system to MSCL

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2020

Wartsila

Wärtsilä to build and deliver propulsion system to MSCL. Image: Wartsila

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The technology group Wärtsilä’s ability to design and deliver a fully integrated main propulsion system with outstanding fuel economy, and to provide full lifecycle support, were given as key considerations in the award of an important new order. The Wärtsilä solutions will be installed on a new 8200 dwt multi-purpose cargo vessel being built for Mauritius Shipping Corporation Ltd at the Huanghai Shipyard in China. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in April 2020.

Reliability was also cited as being a major factor, since the vessel will provide essential transportation of goods and passengers between the Republic of Mauritius and the islands of Reunion, Agalega, and Rodriquez. Any disruption in the service and supplies to these islands can have serious consequences as they depend solely on MSCL for them. The new ship will replace an existing vessel sailing this route.

“The customer has made clear that the emphasis must be on optimal efficiency, integration, support, and reliability, all of which are areas where Wärtsilä excels. We have worked closely with MSCL to ensure that our solutions are tailored to their precise requirements,” says Glenn Mattas, Regional Sales Director, Wärtsilä Marine.

“We have operated with Wärtsilä main engines since 2001 and have experienced no major breakdowns or disruption to our normal and essential operations during all these years. We are, therefore, very satisfied and in our experience the engines have been extremely reliable, allowing us to enhance our business performance,” says Rishi Ronoowah, CEO, MSCL.

The full scope of the integrated supply includes a Wärtsilä 32 main engine, a reduction gear, a controlled-pitch propeller, the Wärtsilä ProTouch remote control system, a transverse thruster, and three Wärtsilä 20 auxiliary engines. The equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard in spring 2021, and the ship is expected to commence commercial operations in 2022.

Related Topics:Maritime Ship Building Technology

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Maritime

Milestone for first LPG conversion with Isle of Man design acceptance

Published

9 hours ago

June 18, 2020

DNV GL

Milestone for first LPG conversion with Isle of Man design acceptance. Image: DNV GL

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BW LPG, the Isle of Man Ship Registry, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, MAN Energy Solutions, and DNV GL, the world’s leading classification society, celebrated the first flag acceptance of a conversion to LPG as fuel for a VLGC. With the successful acceptance BW LPG will begin the conversion of 12 vessels to dual fuel LPG engines. The conversions will be the first of a VLGC to run on LPG. After the conversion the vessels will also receive the newly developed DNV GL class notation “GF LPG”.

BW LPG first announced the project to convert some of the LPG carriers to a LPG fuelled propulsion system in August 2018. The flag state acceptance of the design by the Isle of Man means that the project has been demonstrated to have an equivalent level of safety to methane as a ship fuel under the IGC Code 2016.

“We are very pleased that BW LPG has recognized our expertise in this field and chosen DNV GL as the classification partner for this project,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime. “This acceptance is the result of all of the partners bringing their exceptional competence and experience to come up with a safe and feasible solution for this innovative project. In addition, the knowledge we have gained from working on the project has resulted in us being able to release a new dedicated LPG notation, which we hope will spur the further interest and uptake of LPG as a ship fuel.”

“The Board and Management at BW LPG continue to emphasize a deep corporate commitment to sustainable development,” said Anders Onarheim, CEO of BW LPG. “For us, as the world’s largest owner and operator of VLGCs, this means that we invest significant resources and expertise to pioneer technology that can be used to push our industry towards decarbonization without the need for dedicated newbuilding orders. We thank our industry partners who have worked in close collaboration with us to ensure that this pioneering technology is safe and reliable for implementation.”

“In the age of constant change, technological advances and forward thinking the Isle of Man Ship Registry and the Ship Registry’s global client base of ship owners and operators, are very keen to put their collective experience to good use, working collaboratively and embracing innovation within the maritime industry,” said Cameron Mitchell, Director, Isle of Man Ship Registry. “The safety of seafarers, ships and the environment are key objectives of the Ship Registry and being closely involved in the conceptual challenges presented, helps us to assess and ultimately achieve those objectives. We are proud to have our team confirm first flag acceptance of a VLGC LPG conversion, and thankful to all stakeholders for their co-operation throughout the project.”

The vessels will be fitted with two additional LPG cargo/fuel deck tanks in cargo area, so as not to compromise the cargo capacity onboard and a high-pressure liquid fuel system for the modified MAN Energy Solutions two stroke engines. Using LPG as a ship fuel results in substantial lower emissions to air, virtually eliminating sulphur emissions, and dramatically reducing particulate matter and black carbon emissions. Used with a two-stroke engine, LPG can also significantly cut NOx emissions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions., Retrofitting has the added benefit of extending the lifespan of the vessel, significantly reducing the overall carbon footprint compared to a newbuilding.

BW LPG plans to begin the conversions of the first two vessels, “BW Leo” and “BW Gemini”, this summer with completion scheduled for late summer 2020. The other vessels are targeted for conversion at their next drydocking period.

Maritime

North Sea Port sees cargo transhipment fall by a quarter in May

Published

10 hours ago

June 18, 2020

North Sea Port

North Sea Port sees cargo transhipment fall by a quarter in May. Image: North Sea Port

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North Sea Port has quantified the impact of the coronavirus in the month of May: 23% less cargo transhipment and 33% fewer vessels. As expected, the effects of the coronavirus crisis are being seen over a full month for the first time.

Whereas the month of April displayed a mixed picture in terms of the consequences of the coronavirus crisis, the impact in the month of May has been severe. 691 seagoing vessels docked at North Sea Port in May, 21% (182) less than the same month in 2019.

These seagoing vessels carried 5.3 million tonnes of goods in May 2020. Compared to May 2019, that represents a reduction of 23% (1.6 million tonnes, of which more than 1 million tonnes of liquid and dry bulk) – but May 2019 was a top month in a record year.

It is clear that the impact of the coronavirus crisis only really became visible in the month of May. Over the first 5 months of the year, the total transhipment of seaborne cargo was 27.5 million tonnes, 9% (2.75 million) less than during the first 5 months of 2019.

Bulk goods in particular

In May 2020, liquid bulk fell by 25% (470,000 tonnes), including petroleum and petroleum products.

This was partly caused by maintenance outages in companies (which in some cases were brought forward). Dry bulk fell by 16.6% (570,000 tonnes), due among other things to a reduction in solid mineral fuels, coal and building materials.

This reflects the fact that less steel was produced (due in part to lower demand from the automotive sector), less energy was required and many construction projects were delayed or even halted for a time. General cargo was down by a third (-34%, 360,000 tonnes).

Ro-ro traffic fell by half (-53%, 170,000 tonnes), due in part to a reduction in vehicles (caused by continuing restrictions on transport to Great Britain and the temporary closure of a number of companies in the automotive sector). A small bright spot was the increase in container transhipment (3%).

Inland navigation also hit

3,257 inland vessels arrived in North Sea Port in May, 26% less than in the same month last year. Cargo transhipment to/from inland shipping fell by 28% in May (1.5 million tonnes) to 3.9 million tonnes.

This represents a 5% decrease (1.2 million tonnes) for inland navigation over the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. Until the end of April this year, inland navigation had managed to maintain virtually the same level as in the first four months of 2019.

North Sea Port expects the impact of the coronavirus crisis to continue to be felt in the coming months.

Maritime

Hopper Dredger Alexander von Humboldt is the first to sail 2,000 hours on 100% sustainable marine biofuel

Published

10 hours ago

June 18, 2020

Jan De Nul Group

Hopper Dredger Alexander von Humboldt is the first to sail 2,000 hours on 100% sustainable marine biofuel. Image: Jan De Nul

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Jan De Nul Group has completed, in close collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions and GoodFuels, 2,000 hours using 100% renewable 2nd generation Biofuel Oil (BFO) on board the Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Alexander von Humboldt.

This major milestone represents the longest continuous use of 100% sustainable marine biofuel in the maritime industry. The achievement further reinforces the successful adoption of this fuel solution, proving to the maritime world that BFO is ready for use as a sustainable drop-in fuel to meet industry emissions reduction targets.

The Alexander von Humboldt is the first vessel in the world to record this biofuel milestone. The important technical benchmark of 2,000 sailing hours proves the technical applicability and capabilities of sustainable marine biofuel in operations. At the same time, it opens the door to cross-sectoral collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), class societies, flagstates, and supply chains to accelerate the supply of these fuels into mainstream use.

Michel Deruyck, Head of Energy Department at Jan De Nul Group: “We will further explore the use of biofuel on other vessels, and continue the aim to achieve decarbonisation within our business. It’s also paramount to involve our clients to meet these ambitious carbon reductions, since it’s certainly not the most economical option of the fossil-dominated fuel supply industry. Moreover, this transitional biofuel solution needs to be a sustainable primary energy source. We are open to all other sustainable primary energy sources, but for the time being most of them are financially not competitive within the existing regulatory frameworks.”

A remarkable CO2 reduction by 85%

The Alexander von Humboldt was refuelled at various stages over the last nine months, with massively reduced fossil CO2 emissions by 85%. The vessel consumed the biofuel while conducting maintenance dredging works in Flemish seaports and the United Kingdom. As a frontrunner, Jan De Nul Group shows that the maritime construction industry can be part of a game-changing global movement that will help to achieve climate goals by using low carbon solutions.

Second generation Biofuel Oil

The BFO was introduced by GoodFuels in 2018. It was the first marine 2nd generation, fossil fuel-equivalent biofuel, that is completely derived from sustainable waste feedstock in line with the latest European renewable energy directive. GoodFuels introduced the BFO as a credible carbon based solution to accelerate the energy transition.

Peter Jonckheere, Chief Engineer of Jan De Nul’s Alexander von Humboldt: “This sustainable marine biofuel is not only a green solution, it is also a high-quality fuel to run our engines on.”

Michel Deruyck, Head of Energy Department at Jan De Nul Group: “With our choice of this sustainable marine biofuel, we want to prove to the governments and our clients that if they have climate ambitions and incorporate these in the selection procedures, the industry is ready for it. It is very important now that the right policies and regulations follow to leverage the full potential of BFO. Research into fuels of the future is useful, but it should not prevent us from using sustainable solutions already available today for the much-needed energy transition within the shipping industry.”