Shipping and Marine Issue 104 Final Edition

Future powerAre battery and hybrid

propulsion solutions viable propositions for ships?

ISS

UE

104

fIn

al

Shipping&MARinEThE magazInE for marITImE managEmEnT

A mAtter of survivAl Improved technology leads the way

in the development of personal safety in marine operations

the virtuAl port of europethe e-Compliance project aims to reduce the burden of multiple

regulatory sources

Ship operators and yacht owners must not dismiss piracy risk - it needs to be a paramount considerationcautious

Remain

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Chairman Andrew Schofield

Group manaGinG DireCtorMike Tulloch

SaleS DireCtorDavid Garner eDitor Libbie Hammond

StaFF WriterS Matthew HighJo Cooper Drew Dann Steve Nash

eDitorial aDminiStratorEmma Harris

ovember started with some disturbing news for the UK

shipbuilding sector, when BAE Systems announced the

loss of a large number of jobs at its yards in Scotland

and England and ended shipbuilding altogether at Portsmouth. It’s

a decision that will have a multitude of long-term effects and I’d be

keen to hear how it has affected your business.

There was a little bright light announced at the same time, in that the

MoD plans to commission three new ocean-going Offshore Patrol

Vessels for the Royal Navy, which will be built by BAE Systems at

their shipyards on the Clyde.

These vessels will play a key role in counter-terrorism, counter-

piracy and anti smuggling operations and as the article on page 16

highlights, these problems are not going away, and need to remain

high on the agenda for ship owners and operators.

proDuCtion manaGerFleur Conway

art eDitorDavid Howard

DeSiGnJenni Newman Jamie Elvin

[email protected]

oFFiCe manaGerTracy Chynoweth

heaD oF reSearChPhilip Monument

BuSineSS DeVelopment manaGerMark Cawston

eDitorial reSearCherSLaura ThompsonNatalie MartinGavin WatsonMark CowlesJoe Wright

aDVertiSinG SaleSJoe WoolsgroveDave King Darren JolliffeFinlay Johnson Nick DaviesTim Eakins

[email protected]

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

editor

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 1

These problems are not going

away, and need to remain high on the agenda for ship owners and operators

Future powerAre battery and hybrid

propulsion solutions viable propositions for ships?

ISS

UE

104

EA

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Shipping&MARinEThE mAgAzInE foR mARITImE mAnAgEmEnT

A mAtter of survivAl Improved technology leads the way

in the development of personal safety in marine operations

the virtuAl port of europethe e-Compliance project aims to reduce the burden of multiple

regulatory sources

Ship operators and yacht owners must not dismiss piracy risk - it needs to be a paramount considerationcautious

Remain

N

Toughdecisions

2 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

http://www.hellman.net

http://www.rotec.net

http://www.clearcom.com

23 UKdredging

29 FALMOUTHHABOUrCOMMiSSiOnerS

33 eLBOiL

36 SUnSeeKer

41 dOriAnLPg

45 SYnergYgrOUP

49 PendenniS

52 SOLenTSTeVedOreS

55 OiLTAnKingSTOLTHAVenAnTwerP

59 BUFFALOMArineSerViCe

62 greenMAnAgeMenT

65 VeKAgrOUP

69 MeCSHiPYArdS

71 A&PFALMOUTH

76 BiBBYSHiPMAnAgeMenT

78 POrTOFAVeirO

81 MAriner

84 inTerMArine

86 MOrAnTOwingCOrPOrATiOn

88 SUBSeAPeTrOLeUMSerViCeS

90 gUidAnCenAVigATiOn

92 ASSenSAHiPYArdS

95 ABeKO

98 eCHOSHiP

100 KnrM

102 MAinPOrT

104 POrTOFVigO

106 SAFeBULKerS

108 SAnMAr

110 TTSPOrTeQUiPMenT

112 LingenHöLeTeCHnOLOgie

114 POSTwOrKBOATS

117 COMBinOOrd


PROFILES

Contents

3newSUpdates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

8FUTUrePOwerAre battery or hybrid propulsion systems really the future for ships?

10THeVirTUALPOrTOFeUrOPee-Compliance, a project launched by the EC, aims to unify regulatory information

12AnALTernATiVeMOdeLA breakthrough asset tracking solution is transforming productivity in the container market

14AMATTerOFSUrViVALImproved technology is leading the way in personal safety at sea with the use of AIS

16reMAinCAUTiOUSPhillip Cable takes a look at the current risks of piracy across the world

18SMOOTHrUnningPaint manufacturers are feeling the pressure to help ship owners reduce fuel consumption

20FOrewOrdThe UKMPG represents the interests and concerns of its members to policy makers and opinion formers

8

FEATURES

Peel Ports, the second largest Port group in the UK, has announced the introduction of the latest Navis N4 terminal operation system (TOS) which will allow it to streamline operations and align customer experience across eight terminal sites in the UK and Ireland.Navis is the global technology standard for managing the movement of cargo through terminals and the N4 technology will be used by Peel Ports to integrate all of its container terminals enabling it to standardise operations and enhance customer service. The driving force behind the investment is the £300 million development of Liverpool2, which will serve as the enabling platform from which the group will standardise and centralise its

TOS. Starting with Liverpool2 and the Royal Seaforth Container Terminal at Port of Liverpool, the N4 technology will be rolled out across all terminals, over the next three to four years. David Huck, port director at Peel Ports, said: “We were ready as a group for this performance enhancing technology as we are committed to delivering a world-class customer service. “We operate in an increasingly competitive market and understand that in order to continue growing our business, we need to continue to invest in our customers. Full integration of the terminal operating technology is an essential part of this process. “Using N4 will have a genuinely transformative effect on customer experience and will undoubtedly deliver logistics solutions of real value.”

Cutting edge technology


Open for business

On 7th November 2013, Britain’s brand new global shipping port welcomed its first scheduled vessel, the ‘MOL Caledon’ from South Africa. After more than a decade of planning and construction across three square miles of development, DP World London Gateway deep-sea port is now open, providing British exporters and importers with a more efficient way to ship globally, at less cost.The first scheduled ship to dock at the port, operated by MOL Liner, received exports and delivered containers carrying a variety of cargo, including fruit and automotive parts, which will be distributed across the country. The MOL Caledon is part of the South African Europe Container Service (SAECS) which is made up of a consortium of shipping lines including MOL, Maersk, DAL and Safmarine.

Simon Moore, CEO London Gateway, commented on the day: “We are pleased to be able to start our first scheduled services today. It’s taken many years of hard work to achieve this milestone, delivered on time and on budget. It’s a huge day for the team here, but we remain focused on delivering what we set out to achieve, reduced supply chain costs and more reliability for importers and exporters.”The port is now operating with its first berth open. When fully developed, London Gateway will operate six berths, with a total of 24 quay cranes and will be able to handle 3.5 million TEU a year.Thousands of new jobs have been created in the construction sector during the past ten years at the site. According to a study by Oxford Economics, once fully operational, London Gateway will create 36,000 jobs and contribute £3.2bn to UK GDP annually.

Alstom’s full-scale tidal device installed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, has now injected over 100MWh of electricity into the grid. This is a major milestone in the development of Alstom’s tidal stream device, which follows the earlier connection of the turbine to the grid and the progressive ramp up to full nominal power of 1MW over the past months.“These successful milestones with Alstom’s tidal turbine are reinforcing our customer’s confidence in our technology and in our ability to propose a reliable machine to the market. With these tests Alstom is becoming one of the key stakeholders of the tidal stream market,” stated Alstom New Energies senior vice-president Jacques Jamart.The latest technical milestone is part of the ReDAPT testing programme, which aims at demonstrating the performance of the machine in different operational conditions. Thanks to the generation of 100MWh of electricity, it is building confidence in the endurance of the machine, and in its reliability. In addition, with autonomous runs without interruption, the machine has demonstrated its ability to efficiently operate independently.Alstom’s tidal technology has unique technical characteristics, which minimise installation and maintenance costs: the buoyancy of the turbine enables the nacelle to be easily towed to and from the point of operation and attached to its pre-installed foundation. This reduces the time and costs needed to install or retrieve the turbine and avoids the need for specialist vessels and divers.

The Switch, a Finnish manufacturer of permanent magnet generators and converters, has entered the marine and shipbuilding sector with the launch of its next-generation drive trains for energy efficient power generation and propulsion of merchant vessels. Combining The Switch’s permanent magnet and frequency converter technology, this opens up all-new opportunities for hybrid propulsion systems in the shipping sector.“Soaring fuel prices, global overcapacity and lower profit margins are forcing shipbuilders to rethink conventional power configurations. This has opened the way for advanced technologies that are revolutionising the way ships generate and use energy for the good of the environment. Our drive train technology is a game changing opportunity for hybrid propulsion systems, namely in the large merchant shipping sector, where two-stroke main engines are the preferred type of prime mover. It will enable ship owners to save up to €50,000 per month in fuel costs, which may add up to seven per cent more profit per year,” says president and CEO of The Switch Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen.

News


Tide power

Eileen McLoughlin launchedThe latest general-purpose harbour tug built by Macduff Shipyards has been launched, powered by WaterMota supplied engines.Eileen McLoughlin, owned and operated by John McLoughlin and Son (Shipping) Ltd of Larne and Belfast, is the sister ship to Sally McLoughlin which was built in 2009. Both tugs are powered by twin Doosan 4V222TIH engines, each 588KW @ 1800RPM continuous output driving twin screws - four blade 1850mm diameter propellers in fixed nozzles.With a breadth of 6.2m and depth of 2.9m, Eileen McLoughlin has a transom stern and raked stem, with a centre skeg aft. She has been designed for towing, pushing, pilotage, plough dredging, surveying and lifting.“Sally McLoughlin has proved to be very reliable as a general purpose tug boat and I’m confident Eileen McLoughlin will prove just as successful,” said

WaterMota sales manager, Tony Fryer.“Doosan engines are a popular choice for workboats due to their non-sophistication and lack of electronic controls. The engines are very dependable and fuel efficient - ideal for this market.”

Exciting projectThe first US flag vessel to be operated on liquefied natural gas (LNG) has had valves supplied by Sheffield-based Bestobell Valves, part of the President Engineering Group (PEGL).Bestobell Valves supplied globe and check valves, as the company is a preferred supplier to Wärtsilä Gas Power Systems (GPS) that produced its LNGPac fuel system for the ship known as Harvey Energy. Bestobell has supplied cryogenic valves for five Harvey Gulf vessels, as part of Harvey Gulf International Marine’s ‘going green’ initiative. Mark Henley, managing director of President Engineering Group, said: “It is very exciting to have supplied the first US flag vessel that will run primarily on LNG. Ship builders and owners are increasingly opting for fuel efficient LNG and this kind of vessel is a blueprint for the future of marine engineering.”Bestobell’s LNG cryogenic valves are specifically designed for marine applications which includes the very important requirement for the valves to have firesafe properties, whereby all components must be able to withstand a minimum temperature of 925oC (as per the interim IGF code).

Massive savings possible


Successful certification

Solace Global, the world’s most trusted provider of security in maritime, offshore and land-based environments, has announced its successful certification to ISO PAS 28007, Guidelines for Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs). Following its position on the working group, the company is one of the first to achieve the certification, which was developed in response to the demand for increased regulation of the security sector. John Simmons, QSHE manager at Solace Global, comments: “Solace Global has long subscribed to the ISO system of certification which gives certain specific assurances to our clients, but also implies a wider ethos of commitment, maturity and responsibility. “It takes time, money and resources to put effective quality, health & safety and environmental management systems in place that continually strive to improve a business. The introduction of ISO PAS 28007 specifies the requirements for a security management system and will in turn raise the bar for PMSCs and potentially make the selection process less time-consuming for clients.”CEO, David Peach, added: “We are proud to have been instrumental in developing this standard and in helping to support our industry. Our reputation and that of our customers is paramount and our clients can feel confident and reassured in the knowledge that we are at the top of our game. Solace will continue to invest heavily in compliance systems and processes.”

Dynamic solutionParamarine software has been selected by Mojo Maritime Ltd. to support the design of a new dynamic positioning (DP) offshore construction vessel, the HF4, which will have applications for the tidal energy industry. Mojo Maritime Ltd specialise in marine operations, technical consultancy and project management for the offshore renewable energy sector.The purpose of the HF4 is to reduce the installed cost of marine renewable energy devices to initiate industrialisation. The vessel is designed to operate using dynamic positioning in currents up to ten knots, allowing a high degree of accessibility and improved productivity during the construction phases of tidal energy farms. It is capable of installing foundations, cables, subsea connectors and turbines in a wide range of conditions. The development of the vessel is being assisted by the Technology Strategy Board and the Mojo lead consortium involving Voith, DNV, Bauer and the University of Exeter. Construction is planned to begin in 2014.“We selected Paramarine because of its extensive functionality and track record in the offshore renewables industry. The parametric nature of Paramarine and its ability to handle novel shaped offshore structures means it is very useful for concept design. In addition the probabilistic damage stability analysis is necessary for the design of special purpose ships as employed in offshore construction where technical construction teams are working on vessels,” said Simon Hindley, naval architect, Mojo Maritime Ltd.

Three awards for excellence Marine Data Systems has won three Awards for Excellence at the annual Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Event.These were in the Small Business, Manufacturing and New Technology and Business Of The Year categories.On being declared overall Business of the Year 2013, Marine Data’s managing director, Tim Ingram, said: “We are so honoured to win this Award, considering the number of other high-tech companies which are also based here on the Island.“This Award reflects the steady growth of our navigation equipment sales overseas - and especially to southeast Asia. We opened offices in Hong Kong and Singapore in 2011 and we plan to open offices in Shanghai and South Korea, possibly Indonesia. Our sales growth means that we are seeking to expand our premises to accommodate extra capacity for design, environmental testing and manufacturing.“2013 has brought us great respect from the people and the industry of the Isle of Wight. Other companies have done extremely well; there’s

some great technology here on the Island, and we’re so proud that we can actually be at the forefront of technology and prove that the Isle of Wight is a greatplace for innovation.”

L-R: Engineer Phil Yearby; Managing Director Tim Ingram; Production Manager John PrintPicture credit: Isle of Wight County Press 2013

Date for the diaryThe third SMM Istanbul 2014 (26-27 February 2014) will be an opportunity for Europe, the Middle East, the Black and Caspian Sea regions to converge and unify in the historical and geographically important city of Istanbul. Turkey’s growth and rising importance as a global player in the maritime industry makes SMM Istanbul the ideal venue for boosting your network of international contacts with high-ranking representatives from the global and national maritime industry as well as regional shipyards. The distinguished event has a new venue, which is situated at the five-star Green Park Pendik Hotel and Convention Centre. The close proximity to Tuzla shipyards, airports, and the ferry terminal means that SMM Istanbul 2014 will be perfectly situated to conduct business.SMM Istanbul is aiming to be the maritime event of the year and the place to discuss promising new horizons, projects, industry news and developments and also offers the chance to present your products and services to companies and target groups from key maritime industries. As part of SMM Istanbul 2014, the high-calibre conference features highly respected national and international speakers providing insights into the most important maritime topics affecting the industry today. For more details visit: http://smm-istanbul.com.

Fugro Seacore has collected the New Mechanical Product of the Year award for the WaveWalker 1 walking jack-up at this year’s British Engineering Excellence Awards (BEEAs).WaveWalker is an innovative, eight-legged ‘walking’ jack-up barge (self-elevating work platform - SEWP) that was designed especially for marine operations in rough seas, surf zones, beaches and other intertidal locations where operation of traditional SEWPs is uneconomic. As well as operating safely whilst elevated, its bi-directional movement allows it to move and relocate without floating. Because the impact of sea conditions on operations is reduced, WaveWalker can considerably boost productivity in tasks such as geotechnical site investigations, drilling, trenching, pipeline and cable-laying, blasting and other marine and underwater work.Fugro Seacore provided design and engineering expertise to create the jack-up barge, which is owned and operated by WaveWalker BV, a joint venture between Fugro Seacore and Van Oord. In January this year WaveWalker 1 commenced its first project, where it undertook drilling and rock blasting works in the outer channel to the port of Suape in Brazil.

Stork Technical Services (Stork), the leading global provider of knowledge-based asset integrity management services for the oil and gas, chemical and power sectors is delighted to announce a further £2 million investment in its new daughter craft The Edradour. The Edradour was delivered to the Subsea division in

late November and will provide additional operational support to meet the expanding needs of Stork’s diving operations as well as complementing its existing fleet; daughter craft, the Aberlour, a mother vessel, the SIEM Stork, and three dive intervention craft. Roddy James, SVP of Stork Technical Subsea, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Edradour to our fleet. The shared design specification allows compatibility with our existing launch and recovery system and will bring familiarisation to all our crews resulting in a greater safety recovery and efficiency in our diving operations.”In addition, The Edradour has additional lifting capability for four point lifting, providing vessel crane launch and recovery capabilities and increased generator capacity - resulting in greater ROV and electrical equipment capacity.

News


Built in Brazil DNV GL is to class two pipe laying vessels at the new Vard Promar yard in Brazil. The two pipe laying vessels (PLSVs) are to be built at the brand new Vard Promar yard in Recife, in the north east of Brazil. The order is part of four OSVs by DOF/Norskan and Technip, important customers for Vard. The other two of these vessels are to be built in Norway, also to DNV class.The new Vard Promar yard represents a significant expansion of Brazil’s shipbuilding capability, as more yards will be built outside of Rio de Janeiro. At 340 tons, the Brazilian built vessels will be among the most complex vessels ever constructed in Brazil.Competence, capacity and speed are crucial elements for Brazilian yards’ ability to deliver quality ships faster: “Building these specialised ships represents a great challenge: develop a design, build, test and deliver these two pipe layers in Brazil. When we combine DNV GL’s experience, systematic approach and people with the pioneering spirit of Vard Promar, we can deal with this challenge,” says A. S. David, VARD Promar’s project manager for the pipe layers project.The new designs have been developed in close co-operation with DOF and Technip. The Norwegian built vessels will carry pipe lay towers rated at 650 tons, among the largest ever in the industry.

Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, is helping power plants, municipalities and manufacturers put the ocean to work with the new SEAMAXX Reverse Osmosis Elements, which help reduce the high amount of energy typically needed to create freshwater from saltwater.While reverse osmosis is the most widely practiced desalination technology, The Pacific Institute estimates that seawater desalination averages about 15,000 kilowatts per hour per million gallons (3.96 kWh/m3) of water produced, making it one of the most energy-intensive, and therefore one of the most cost-intensive, water treatment processes available.The enhanced membrane chemistry of SEAMAXX helps minimise pressure and energy consumption below any other existing seawater reverse osmosis product, and provides reliable, long-term permeate quality for single, double pass and interstaged desalination systems.“Compared to generic low energy elements, SEAMAXX consumes up to ten per cent less energy and has less fouling at high operating flux,” said Veronica Garcia Molina, global desalination application development leader for Dow Water & Process Solutions. “SEAMAXX has typically demonstrated success in producing 99.7 per cent water purity, and is an excellent choice for applications treating medium to high total dissolved solids, brine treatment and high salinity brackish water.”

Maximum results Excellence award

Fleet addition

he advances in battery technologies and the commercialisation of electric and hybrid cars, has led the maritime industry to question whether these propulsion solutions make sense for ships.

Performance benefits, fuel savings and emissions reduction is being weighed against capital investments, practicality and limitations in range and safety. Given an ageing ferry fleet and a large group of specialised vessels serving both the oil and gas and offshore renewables industry DNV expects hybrid/battery power will be selected by more operators in the UK to reduce emissions, aid compliance and lower the cost of operation.

Cost benefitThe capital costs related to pure battery or hybrid systems for cars is naturally significantly less than for ships, however in spite of higher capital cost for ships the payback time may be considerably less for a ship due to the much higher energy requirement.

Estimates show that whereas a hybrid car may not pay back the additional investment within its lifetime, a hybrid offshore

supply vessel can have a payback period of less than two years. In addition, one pure battery or hybrid ship may contribute to reductions in emissions similar to emissions from thousands of cars. Pure battery or hybrid systems for relevant ship types therefore clearly make sense.

International shipping is facing challenges with escalating fuel prices, stricter environmental regulations and very low day rates caused by overcapacity in most segments. It’s during tough times that innovation is most important and also more efficient, as the purpose and goals become so much clearer.

Battery propulsionA pure battery ship will be subject to the same range constraints as an electric car, even if space and weight constraints are not as strict. The distance it can travel before the battery needs recharging will therefore be limited, making the availability of charging infrastructure a key factor. Battery technologies restricted the application to ships operating over short distances between fixed locations. In such conditions, however, it is now becoming a reality.


T

BATTERY POWER

Battery and hybrid propulsion - Bjørn-Johan Vartdal & Martin Crawford-Brunt ask if this is a viable future for ships?

Futurepower

As a result of a contest between various technical solutions, organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications and facilitated by DNV, the first pure battery-driven ship, a ferry, will go into operation on the route between

Lavik and Oppedal in Sognefjorden, western Norway, in 2015. The ferry will have access to cheap and renewable electricity at both ports.

SafetyDNV plays a key role in enabling the safe introduction of large battery packs in ships. Through participation in developing the first hybrid offshore supply vessel, DNV produced the world’s first class rules for ship propulsion batteries. As demonstrated by the safety issues experienced by the Boeing Dreamliners, a battery pack can represent a hazardous component unless all safety aspects are properly handled.

The Norwegian authorities are taking an active role, as they did when gas was being developed as an alternative fuel, and are pushing the maritime industry by setting strict requirements to reduce emissions, as well as offering incentives.

Hybrid systems The actual fuel and emissions reduction gained from a hybrid


power system depends on the optimisation of its energy production efficiency. For internal combustion engines, energy efficiencies are normally significantly decreased and the specific emissions increased at low and varying loads.

Hybrid power systems avoid operation at these loads by using the battery as an energy buffer that absorbs the load variations. The benefit of hybrid power systems is therefore closely associated with the operational profile.

A car driving in urban areas at low and varying engine loads will have a significantly higher benefit from a hybrid power system than one driving on the highway. Similarly, these systems will be beneficial on ships when the requirements for power variations are high, while the average power requirements are low. This operating profile is relevant for both tugs and offshore supply vessels. Foss Maritime Company was the first to commission a hybrid tug in 2009.

Importance of innovationInnovation is not only something industry wants, it is necessary for survival. The Viking Lady owned by

Eidesvik Offshore, is in the process of having a hybrid battery package installed as a research project to improve hybrid technology and how this relates to the power management system. This project will also be used to improve the first class standard for hybrid ships developed by DNV. Norwegian company, Norled, is due to install a battery package on board an existing diesel-electric ferry. Norled intends to use this experience in building and operating their fully electric ferry. This will cross the Sognefjord 34 times a day, seven days a week, transporting at a maximum 120 cars and 360 passengers - starting in 2015. The Edda Ferd, owned by Østensjø, is another hybrid vessel with battery and diesel-electric propulsion that will start to sail this autumn.

The hybrid system will considerably reduce the energy consumption. When operating, for example, on dynamic positioning, there will be a major fuel saving potential. When in harbour, too, the ship should be able to operate on the fuel cell and its battery power alone, which will reduce emissions significantly. For environmentally sensitive areas, this will be an essential benefit, along with reductions in machinery maintenance costs, noise and vibrations. v

Bjørn-Johan Vartdal & Martin Crawford-BruntBjørn-Johan Vartdal is head of research, Maritime Transport, DNV GL; and Martin Crawford-Brunt is maritime manager - UK & Ireland, DNV GL. As of 12 September 2013, DNV and GL have merged to form DNV GL. Driven by our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organisations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. We provide classification and technical assurance along with software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas and energy industries. We also provide certification services to customers across a wide range of industries. With our origins stretching back to 1864, our reach today is global. Operating in more than 100 countries, our 16,000 professionals are dedicated to helping our customers make the world safer, smarter and greener. For further information, visit: www.dnv.com.

Regulations, covering at least five different areas, including safety, environment, piloting, waste etc. This will cover regulations from at least five different sources including Europe, Ports, Classification, Maritime Authorities and the IMO.

e-Compliance will build on a number of previous European Research projects and private initiatives. The FLAGSHIP project1 demonstrated a considerable simplification in the management of maritime regulations on board a ship, which was based on an advanced semantic search mechanism, applied on selected sets of rules and regulations. Furthermore, the MARNIS2 project specified all EU directives and interrelations/information flows, the SKEMA project3 investigated the eMaritime application to regulations management and the e-Freight project has developed a prototype Next Generation Single Window dealing specifically with the new Ship Formalities directive.

The e-Compliance project will also seek to integrate other private initiatives into the framework. This includes voluntary systems such as Tanker Management and Self-Assessment (TMSA) and Shipping KPI (SKPI), as well as vetting systems and ship classification regimes. All developments will complement and be kept closely aligned with the e-Maritime programme and particularly the eMAR project.

Specific activities within the project will include the

C

MaritiMe legislation

Revolutionising the efficiency of compliance for maritime regulations. By Philipp Lohrmann

europeThe virtual port of


ommercial seaborne shipping is regulated by international, EU and national authorities and is subject to a number of commercially oriented constraints. The long history and large number of

organisations associated with regulation has led to a high level of complexity in managing the development of regulations, their implementation by transport operators, and their enforcement by authorities. The complexity of the situation is further aggravated by the long lifetime of ships, the different phases of ship operations, the number of parties in the operation and the interests of other stakeholders.

From a business perspective, shipping companies spend a large amount of resources collecting new and updated regulations each year. In addition to the cost, they often remain unsure that their system is up-to-date and that authorities in different ports agree with their interpretation of the regulations.

e-Compliance, a project launched recently by the European Commission, aims to unify regulatory information available to stakeholders, co-ordinate regulatory actions and as a consequence, reduce the burden of multiple regulatory sources. For this purpose, it will utilise semantic technologies to produce machine-readable regulations within an electronically accessible Maritime Regulations Digital Library. It will incorporate over 10,000

compliance checking using real ship and freight data to inform the crew of any issues of non-compliance, as well as tasks which must be undertaken in order to comply with regulations. A forms system will be developed to aid ship operators with the completion of required documentation. This information will then be sent to the port system where it can be validated and the ship operator can be kept up to date about the current status of the form.

Finally, the virtual class system will be a tool for class, port state control and (potentially) private parties to assess the state of the ship’s systems, including management, to link actual performance with relevant rules and legislation. This system will be further integrated with the virtual ship and port systems to provide the following services:

l Identify the KPIs and measurements that are linked to selected regulationsorspecific(safetyorsecurity)objectivesandwho is responsible for collection and quality control.l Collectavailabledataforaspecificshipfortheseobjectives and rules. The data will be collated into a scorecard that will also include reliability measures to highlight the relevance of the scorecard.

By integrating information that is already collected by Shipping KPIs, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum and other organisations that are willing to provide such data on the ship owner or manager’s behalf, this system will provide an innovative andefficientapproachtodocumentinggoodqualitymanagementprocedures, resulting in higher quality technical and operational systems.Thisinturncouldmakeenforcementmoreefficientandreduce interruptions for ships when complying with regulations and other voluntary reporting. v

establishment of a co-operation model between regulation setting and enforcement authorities, both for port state control and IMO regulations, for modelling and interpreting regulations and ensuring harmonisation across national and organisational boundaries. The resulting seamless co-operation between the different stakeholder groups will improve the effectiveness of regulations and reduce the burden on practitioners who work with maritime regulations on a daily basis.

Demonstration of automated compliance management will be possible through the modelling and delivery of regulations in electronic format, as well as harmonised e-Services for more effective and co-ordinated enforcement controls and inspections. In addition, e-Services in support of class requirements, particularly on surveys and for ship risk management in upgraded e-Maritime applications, will be used. An evaluation of the practical implementation of the above in representative networks and the provision of recommendations for e-Maritime policies will also be undertaken.Tothisend,theprojectwillcreatevirtualsystems,whichaddress

thespecificneedsofstakeholders.Fortheportcommunityafeasibility study and business case analysis will be carried out to look at the possible integration of Port Community Systems (PCS) and National Single Windows. The vision is to create one virtual port of Europe for the sharing of compliance data and logistics information. This activity will consider the different stakeholder requirements, identify potential barriers and demonstrate the benefitsofsharingcompliancedataviaPCS.Theanalysiswillalsotake into account the role of smaller ports that do not currently have a PCS and advise on how these ports can be integrated into a wider European virtual port system. Consultation with the European Port Community Systems Association will play a key role in supporting this activity. Once developed, the system will be tested in more detail for the ports of Barcelona and Marseille in particular, using the port of Rotterdam for validation. The mainstakeholdersthatwillbenefitfromsuchasystemwillbethedeclaring parties and the enforcers. The principal advantage for the declaring parties is the fact that the information required to enter EU ports will only need to be submitted once. Enforcers on the otherhandwillbenefitbecausesharinginformationoninspectionand checks between ports will lead to fewer checks being needed in subsequent ports.

Furthermore, to address the needs of the ship owners and operators who must comply with regulations, a virtual ship system will be created. This will include the development of automated

Current regulation complexity


Philipp LohrmannPhilipp Lohrmann is project co-ordinator for e-Compliance and research scientist at BMT Group. For further information, visit: www.e-compliance-project.eu

References 1Seehttp://www.flagship.be/lexicon/foronepartoftheresultsfromthisproject2 See MARNIS report DGTREN data modelling study SSN3 http://www.eskema.eu/defaultinfo.aspx?areaid=26&index=1 - Regulatory Framework for Maritime and Intermodal Transport

e-Complianceisathreeyearresearchprojectandisco-fundedby EC’s DG MOVE and maritime regulatory stakeholders. The project’sconsortiumcomprisesrepresentativesofthethreemainstakeholdergroupsinvolved:classificationsocieties(who create class rules), port state control (who enforce regulations) and ships (who need to comply with regulations). It consists of ten partners, all of which bring their own areas of knowledge and experience of working in the maritime space. They include: BMT Group Ltd, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Danaos Shipping Co Ltd, INLECOM Systems, The NetherlandsOrganisationforAppliedScientificResearch(TNO), TEMIS, Acciona Infraestructuras, PORTIC Barcelona, Norsk Marinteknisk Forskningsinstitutt AS (MARINTEK) and the Maritime Administration of Latvia.

lobe Tracker has spent the last five years developing and testing its core technologies ahead of the commercial product launch in 2013. For the last two years, its tracking solutions have been in

active trials with a selection of Scandinavian shipping companies. These trials, in conjunction with Vodafone, have showcased the potential to transform productivity in the container market, while delivering end-to-end traceability for global trade.

Business need The ability to track shipping containers, of which there are an estimated three million in transit at any one time, has been around for 20 years. Currently, the best option is to attach mobile devices to individual containers, which are subsequently removed after each journey and reattached to another container. There are multiple problems with this method: the mobile devices can be lost or stolen, and there is cost to installing, charging and maintaining the device.

Until now, there has been no viable commercial or communications model for the ocean carriers, who previously had little incentive to assist. Compounding this was a limited ability to share data between clients, carriers and customs authorities. The Globe Tracker solution, powered by Vodafone, is a real game

changer and able to address all of these restrictions.

The solutionThe Globe Tracker Communications unit

(GTI Comm Unit) uses four communications radios, comes with a

pre-installed VodafoneM2M SIM, has a five-year battery life

G

remote monitoring

Vodafone and Globe Tracker transform global trade with a breakthrough asset tracking solutionmodel

An alternative


(the industry standard is two), and can be fully managed remotely by clients. Combined with Globe Tracker’s cloud based data exchange network, clients and business partners are able to access business critical, real-time data. Globe Tracker needed a global communications partner, capable of providing the necessary scale, network coverage and price consistency. “Vodafone was the only serious global option,” says Don Miller, global sales and marketing director for Globe Tracker.

The benefitsThe GTI Comm Unit sends business-critical status reports at user-defined intervals, usually every hour. It not only tracks location but also can send updates on temperature, humidity, tampering and motion, turning the container into a ‘smart container’. “It means we’ll be able to do food audit trails from factory to supermarket shelf – and there are a lot of concerns around food traceability right now,” says Don. “A fish buyer, say, will be able to determine whether the container has been kept at the optimum temperature, affecting the quality – and price – of the fish.” While these are significant attractions for the sellers of goods, the broader benefit is the improved productivity this offers shipping firms. Don says real-time tracking will lead to better asset management. He estimates around 30 per cent of refrigeration containers (reefers) should be able to make one extra journey per year. Greater automation means containers will be turned around faster. “The productivity savings on that 30 per cent would cover the costs for the entire fleet,” he points out. “Better utilisation of assets is their number one issue.”

Globe Tracker is also developing alternative commercial models for its customers, including the ability to commoditise ocean tracking. “Customers would just log on, and book the appropriate container. Some may want temperature reports, some want tamper proofing. This option has been wanted for a long, long time.” v


VodafoneWith a standardised platform across the largest global 3G network, Vodafone Global M2M enables company systems to communicate across borders and empowers organisations to transform their operations and business potential.http://m2m.vodafone.com/home/

Globe Tracker InternationalGlobe Tracker International (GTI) defines itself as ‘a leading provider of data sharing, data analytics, global asset tracking, monitoring services and equipment’. It develops and delivers solutions to help clients track their goods, particularly in the container-shipping sector. http://www.globetracker.com/

hile minimum shipboard standards are dictated largely by international standards there is no doubt that there is a growing awareness amongst individuals and operators

of the options available to improve personal safety. This is leading to an increasing number of marine operation companies to take steps to equip their crews with an greater array of products to assist with survival in a variety of situations and to ensure that personnel can be located in situations such as a man overboard incident or where a support vessel is in difficulty.

Improved technology leads the way on the development of personal safety and one medium in particular - AIS - has come to the fore. It is the Automatic Identification System, designed to provide information about a ship to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically. AIS data transmission provides information, including the ship’s identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational status and other safety-related information, to appropriately equipped shore stations, other ships and aircraft.

An AIS receiver will receive the information automatically from similarly fitted ships.

Off the back of this capability, a number of companies have developed personal AIS transmitters or AIS Survivor Recovery Systems, such as the SafeLink R10 AIS SRS. These AIS SRSs are handheld units designed to be worn in the pocket or custom holder of lifejackets and protective clothing worn by individual crewmembers. They can also be professionally fitted to lifejackets, man overboard recovery systems and life rafts. The unit sends structured alert messages, GPS position and a special identity code directly to AIS receivers within (approximately) a four-mile radius. Importantly, that includes sending the data to the AIS receiver of the crew member’s own vessel which means, in the case of a man overboard incident, fellow crew can locate the victim quickly and accurately, using the given precise location, bearing and range data. This is particularly important on small support vessels with

a limited number of crewmembers on board. The accuracy of the AIS SRS’s data is guaranteed thanks to the unique inbuilt high precision

GPS receiver which updates every 60 seconds. In the case of the

Ocean Safety supplied Kannad Marine R10, a flashing LED


W

safety products

Marina Johnson takes a look at the areas of AIS and personal safety

survivalA matter of

light aids location at night and the unit is guaranteed to transmit continuously for 24 hours and has a seven-year battery storage life. It is made of ultra durable ABS and is waterproof to five metres.

The IMO (International Maritime Organization) lays out the regulations for carrying AIS equipment. Regulation 19 of SOLAS Chapter V - Carriage requirements for ship borne navigational systems and equipment - sets out navigational equipment to be carried on board ships, according to ship type. In 2000, IMO adopted a new requirement for ships to carry automatic identification systems (AISs) capable of providing information about the ship to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically.

The regulation requires AIS to be fitted aboard all ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not engaged on international voyages and all passenger ships irrespective of size. The requirement became effective for all ships by 31 December 2004. Further information on how the regulations apply according to the date of vessel build and periods of operation is available from the IMO’s website.

AIS is also carried by an increasing number of vessels outside this jurisdiction including pleasure craft and fishing vessels. IMO further states that ships fitted with AIS shall maintain AIS in operation at all times except where international agreements, rules or standards provide for the protection of navigational information. This means that emergency information transmitting from a personal SRS or other vessel is quickly observed and acted on.

The growth in sales of the personal SRS units has been significant over the past two years. “We are seeing a tremendous increase in the number of corporate orders for the Kannad Safelink R10,” comments Mark Hart of Ocean Safety, the company responsible for distributing the product. “Sales of satellite operated EPIRB Personal Locator Beacons have levelled, and there is no doubt that the AIS SRS is taking their place.”

The progress of the AIS SRS’s popularity has been further accelerated bythe 121.5HZ satellite frequency for EPIRBs, no longer being monitored. The more reliable 406MHz operated by the international COSPAS SARSAT satellite system remains in place however.

Left: Iceland training and right, activating the R10


“The fact that we are supplying the Kannad R10s in bulk to a number of ship operators and maritime organisations demonstrates the heightened awareness of corporate responsibility towards personal safety,” says Mark. “In particular support vessels for offshore operations such as wind farms are realising the importance of minimising risk during crew transfers at sea. That’s in addition to the heightened risks crews face on these smaller and more exposed vessels.”

Ocean Safety has illustrated this with supply and training sessions given to the company’s Iceland service agent Sónar EHF, to demonstrate the capabilities of AIS SRS to service technicians. They were joined by senior personnel from ICE-SAR (full name Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg), the Icelandic sea survival and safety authority and 25 members of the Icelandic Fishing and Rescue departments. The demonstration took place on board the Saebjorg training vessel in Reykjavík harbour in very difficult weather conditions. An actual in-water scenario was carried out in the icy waters when Sónar’s Gudmunder Bragason, in survival suit and lifejacket fitted with the AIS SRS, jumped in. His lifejacket inflated, activating the AIS SRS. The alarm signal, both audio and visual appeared on the AIS screen within five seconds of activation giving precise target survivor information.

Towage, salvage and emergency response fleet Svitzer UK have also supplied Ocean Safety’s Kannad SafeLink R10 AIS SRS to crew members of the company’s UK fleet of just under 100 vessels, who are considered most at risk. The R10 AIS SRS, which measures 27 x 47 x 124mm and weighs only 120g, will be professionally fitted to the Svitzer crews’ protective clothing. v

Ocean SafetyOcean Safety specialises in the worldwide supply, distribution, service & hire of marine safety equipment including liferafts, lifejackets & EPIRBs. The company has grown rapidly and today boasts a diverse range of customers including ship and superyacht builders, round the world racing, cruising yachts and the MOD. For further information, visit: www.oceansafety.com.

iracy is an on-going and ever-present risk in global waters. Incidents of pirate attacks are threatening crew safety and costing shipping companies vast sums of money; maritime piracy cost the global economy

between $5.7 billion and $6.1 billion in 2012. This sum includes ransom and recovery costs of $63.5 million, $290.5 million for re-routing along the Arabian Peninsula and Indian coast, as opposed to taking a direct route through the HRA, and $1.53 billion on extra fuel for steaming at faster than optimal speeds in order to prevent attack.

The serious risks that ships are exposed to on the seas has its impact on insurance costs too, but it’s evident that with the increased use of private maritime security companies (PMSCs) premiums have fallen: the cost of insurance fell by 13.3 per cent, from $634.9 million spent in 2011 to $550.7 million spent in 2012.

Risk areas are also evolving, with the Gulf of Guinea of the West Coast of Africa currently the worst affected and the perceived safety of the Mediterranean is now under threat. The Gulf of Guinea presents a very different challenge to PMSCs than the one they’ve faced around the Indian Ocean and the coast of Somalia. Pirate’s aims and motives are different (typically they’re engaged in cargo theft as well as the kidnap of crews who are taken ashore), and there are also complex regulatory factors at play, which some PMSCs remain ignorant of and others are too cavalier towards. For example, PMSCs are prohibited from operating in West African sovereign waters (including Nigeria, Benin, Togo and neighbouring countries) and yet there are some who already claim

to offer ‘a way around this’. To my mind looking for loopholes rather than working with the proper authorities potentially puts ships and the lives of their crew in greater danger.

Globally, the legislative landscape governing the private maritime security industry is unclear. But it is particularly so in Nigeria where there are various government bodies with responsibility for maritime security. Confusion coupled with some unscrupulous ship agents, who proffer support from supposed legitimately hired government military forces, presents a dilemma: go with local security engaged via the agent or go without security. Despite the challenges the answers are there for the diligent security business.

In terms of who is at risk, it is not just large cargo vessels like the Maersk Alabama in Tom Hank’s latest film Captain Phillips that are exposed to piracy. Smaller yachts are able to travel further than ever before, allowing owners to explore or berth in more remote territories. In Asia, for instance, exploration around the Tropics is no longer restricted by the lack of fuel away from the traditional cruising grounds and the popularity of longer range vessels (under 40m) is now opening up areas such as Myanmar, Borneo and Cambodia – to date, relatively unexplored territories for the smaller luxury yachts.

Regardless of size, yachts naturally attract unwanted attention. If anything, yachts under 40m can actually be at greater risk as smaller crew numbers creates opportunity for intrusion and petty theft, while less experienced or locally trained crews can have widely differing approaches to securing yachts and their owners.


P

piracy

Phillip Cable takes a look at the current risks of piracy across the world cautious

Remain

As a result of this there is increasing demand for sophisticated security solutions from the yachting community.

There are a wide variety of solutions available to suit the particular vessel and its owner or operating company. Security technology plays a central role in the fight against piracy and with superyachts, marine security has shifted from being an afterthought to an essential part of its design. Indeed developing security systems for superyachts is a technical and highly specialist service that needs to cover multiple aspects and risks and is most effective when it is incorporated at the build stage.

However technology cannot protect effectively without the proper implementation; training of both the security officers and the crew is a critical element in ensuring the safest passage possible. If no qualified security personnel are on board a yacht or ship, the crew need to know how to identify piracy risks and in the worst case scenario, what to do during an attack.

Currently, anyone looking for a security provider may find the marketplace somewhat confusing, in terms of identifying quality providers, as different standards are applied in different countries and regions. To effectively combat piracy and protect ships, the industry needs strong international bodies to safeguard professional standards in the private maritime security industry. Fortunately international co-operation is improving, but there is still more to be done.

The International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers Association (ICoCA), a multi-stakeholder body composed of private security companies, was recently set up to oversee the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers, and to promote the responsible provision of private security services.

The Maltese Government and Fenech & Fenech Advocates have also worked with security providers like us to help develop The General Authorisation Regulations (Protective Security Measures on Board Ships), the only licensing regime of its kind in Europe for PMSCs. In time, I hope that security providers will have a clear set of international standards and that the industry can co-operate to


allow clients to identify providers that meet best practice standards.Ultimately, any ship operator or yacht owner must not dismiss

piracy risk and it needs to be a paramount consideration. As smaller vessels have the capability to travel further, owners immediately open themselves up to new risks and pirates are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities. Through industry and international co-operation the threat can be mitigated against, but caution must always remain. v

Phillip CablePhillip Cable is CEO at MAST. Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) Ltd is a market leading security organisation that provides specialist global security services for the maritime and oil and gas communities. Holding membership of leading professional bodies, MAST is also ISO 9001:2008 accredited for the provision of global maritime security services for the shipping and yachting industry and holds the ISO 14001:2004, the criteria for an environmental management system. For further information, visit: www.mast-commercial.com.

s fuel prices continue to squeeze ship operators margins, the spotlight is falling on hull coatings, which claim to bring down costs by providing smoother hulls. But the paint manufacturers are

struggling to satisfy industry demands.The issue is the added friction caused by marine growth.

Fouling, from light slime to heavy barnacle encrustation, costs the shipping industry millions, perhaps billions, in added fuel. A fouled hull can increase fuel consumption anywhere from five per cent to 40 per cent - in fact one US Navy study put the figure as high as 85 per cent. A ship burning 300 tons of fuel a day can face a cost increase of $20,000 to $80,000 for every day at sea.

Manufacturers at a crossroadsThe previous go-to solution, tin-based anti-fouling paint, was banned in 2008 on environmental grounds, and no alternative solution has yet gained broad acceptance from operators. Tributyltin (TBT) was found to be the cause of genetic malfunction in species such as whelks, and its long chemical half-life meant that thousands of tons of active biocides were accumulating in sediment outside harbours. Since TBT coatings were ‘self-polishing’ (meaning that top layers of paint were intended to wear away, to reveal fresh biocides) as much 100,000 tons of biocides were estimated to be entering the worlds oceans annually.

TBT came into use in the 60’s and for over 40 years was the standard. It was tough, and it had a potent biocide, which would

last five years or more. But the ban, coupled with worldwide recession and spiralling fuel prices, has hit the shipping industry hard.

Since TBT has now been gone for five years, operators have had the chance to look properly at the hulls of most ships in drydock, and to assess the efficiency of replacements. Few of them seem to be impressed with the results.

Operators dissatisfiedA recent poll of ship operators by one market research company found that 80 per cent of operators wanted coatings that would last for more than a few years without needing replacement, and 75 per cent wanted coatings to be strong enough to resist normal wear and tear. By far the most important factor though, was a coating, which would reduce fuel consumption, with 92 per cent listing it as ‘very important’. Less than 15 per cent were happy that their current anti-fouling or silicone coatings.

Anti-fouling replacementsMost paint manufacturers currently rely on copper-based anti-fouling paints, while alternative silicone-based ‘foul-release’ coatings have also gained a significant market share. Copper is a less effective biocide than tin, and the coatings lose effectiveness more quickly than tin. Copper-based coatings are also less durable than those with tin, and surface degradation occurs over time. It is nevertheless still the most common form of hull coating.


A

hull coatings

Mike Garside discusses how an increasing pressure to reduce

marine fuel consumption is putting pressure on paint manufacturers

runningSmooth

Long-term paint degradation (including blistering, delaminating, cracking and roughness from partial reapplication) afflicts most current coatings and the need to re-coat is common after five or even 2.5 years.

While the cost of re-coating a ship is far from small, it is dwarfed by the cost of extra fuel needed to propel a fouled hull. The effect of


paint degradation however, regardless of fouling, also pushes up resistance to water and after five years most anti-fouling coatings are very rough indeed.

Silicone/hydrogel Alternative silicone-based coatings are designed to shed fouling by being ‘non-stick’. They initially looked like being the future – but problems with durability, and difficulties in application have dented the image.

Additionally, since slow steaming has been widely adopted, silicone paints are less effective at shedding fouling as the slower speeds produce insufficient water flow. Some new hybrid solutions have been introduced, such as embedding cuprous biocides into silicone coatings, as contained in a new range by Hempel.

Silicone, however, is much softer than other coatings and generally easily suffers from mechanical damage. ‘Touching up’ a silicone coating can be tricky - non-stick paint doesn’t like to stick to anything, even itself. Maersk trialed silicone coatings but dropped them and returned to copper-based anti-fouling – although no reason has been publicly given, the fragility of silicone seems to have been the problem.

Although both copper-based anti-fouling and silicone have proponents, it is hard to find ship operators who express any real satisfaction with the products on the market.

Durable alternativesHard coatings, the third main alternative, have the advantage of lasting for the lifetime of the ship, are gaining converts particularly in colder or icy waters. Fouling accumulates less quickly in cold waters, and durability is more of an issue. Hard coatings don’t prevent fouling, but are designed to be rapidly cleaned underwater as needed. Some operators have been put off by the cleaning requirements, but others see it as an advantage since each cleaning effectively restores the hull to shipyard condition, and peak performance.

Ecospeed by Hydrex leads the field in hard coatings, with ships operating in both cold and warm climates. If resistance to the idea of regular cleaning is overcome, the concept of a hard lifetime coating could become very attractive to operators.

Other concepts, such as bio-mimetic sharkskin coatings, or even compressed air streams released beneath the hull, have their proponents but have yet to enter the mainstream, but remain exciting future possibilities.

CO2 emission targets and environmental legislation limiting the use of biocides may force the issue in the end. Most ports have banned underwater hull cleaning (with the exception of hard coatings), and the forthcoming Polar Code is unlikely to allow strong biocides on ships entering the area.

In the meantime operators have to crunch the numbers as best they can. v

Mike GarsideMike Garside is a writer on hull coatings. For any further information, email Mike: [email protected].

Degradation of anti-fouling coatings can add to frictional resistance and fuel bills

Fouling prevents smooth passage through the water and increases fuel bills by as much as 40 per cent

Hard coatings require regular cleaning but are now more popular because they last the lifetime of the vessel

he United Kingdom Major Ports Group Limited (UKMPG) is the trade association representing most of the larger commercial ports in the United Kingdom. It has nine members who, between them,

own and operate 42 ports, which account for over 70 per cent of the tonnage handled in UK ports.

Richard Bird, executive director at UKMPG, introduced the organisation by giving some further details about how it works: “Essentially we represent the collective interests and concerns of our members to strategists and decision takers in the UK and Europe, on those areas of government or European Union (EU) policy that affect the industry,” he began. “Members do have their own individual relationships with government on projects and areas which may be of particular concern to them, but our job is to handle the areas of communal relevance.”

He continued: “This is a two way service, so we represent our members’ interests when speaking to government and the EU but we also we advise members on what the Government is doing and act as a link for government with the industry on some issues where that is necessary. We also have a joint safety subsidiary with the British Ports Association called Port Skills and Safety, where we offer specific safety and skills services as well.”

When you consider that 95 per cent of the UK’s international trade is handled through seaports, their importance to the country’s economy is apparent. Although they do not often feature prominently in the national media, they are significant drivers of, and a key component in, the success of UK plc. As Richard confirmed: “Ports are quietly going about their business but are making a very significant contribution to the UK. In a sense they should get more publicity for the fantastic work they do. If they were to shut for any reason the economy would pretty much grind to a halt very quickly, and goods will start disappearing off

supermarket shelves, and so their work is a critical contribution to the country and to Europe.”

To maintain this level of success the ports industry has had to invest significantly and be prepared to innovate. Ports themselves are increasingly diversifying their activities into logistics and other value-added services, including aspects of landward distribution, as well as ensuring their facilities are up-to-date. As Richard noted: “We now have three ports that are able or will shortly be able to handle the very largest container ships, and it’s fantastic that the UK has got this capability, as it ensures we are on the main international trade routes from the Far East and that offers considerable benefits to British consumers.

“It not only reduces handling and transhipment costs on imports, it also gives our exporters a faster route to market. That is a very considerable achievement in the face of significant

economic difficulties over the last five years, when not only have ports been successful in reducing their costs but also enhancing their productivity. Obviously productivity comparisons are challenging, but a recent independent study by Oxford Economics showed that labour productivity in UK ports was 40 per cent above the national average.”

Richard also noted that ports’ attitudes to the wider community have had an important impact on their success: “Ports put a lot of work into building links with the local community,” he said. “And I think this is reflected in how generally port development schemes are rather more supported locally than airport schemes for example, there is much less opposition to them. In fact some of the most recent big


Tforeword: The United Kingdom Major Ports Group Limited

portsThe voice of

The UKMPG represents the interests and concerns of its members to policy makers and opinion formers in the UK and Europe

developments were met with no objections, ensuring the planning process went through smoothly without a public enquiry, and this does illustrate the significant positions ports hold in their locations, not only as direct employers but also as centres of local economic activity.”

Another reason Richard highlighted as important when considering ports and planning revolves around their approach to handling environmental concerns. “Obviously ports do have an impact on the environment,” he said. “On the positive side they do have a good record for moving traffic on by rail and have invested heavily in rail facilities, and they are very involved in facilitating the development of renewable energy in the form of offshore wind and biomass.

“However, when ports do expand, and particularly when increasing land take there is an impact on the environment, and this is a heavily regulated area. As a result ports have developed strong working relationships with environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) like the RSPB so that when for example, new bird habitats are being created, the end result is achieved in a way that is fully understood and approved by the NGO and regulators like Natural England. This sort of approach means that there is a good overall result for the environment and this again resounds well with the community.”

However, the environment and legislation protecting it is very high on the agenda at both a national and EU level, and for UK ports the proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) are a current hot topic. “UK ports have not objected in any way to the MCZ concept, but they are obviously anxious where MCZ will be designated, as these shouldn’t be at the expense of current or future movements into or out of ports,” highlighted Richard.

“Therefore we have raised concerns about the designation process, which we don’t think has always taken sufficient account


foreword: The United Kingdom Major Ports Group Limited

of ports aspects and we have been presenting our case strongly to the Government as part of the consultation process. We have been pressing for clarity about what sort of management measures are going to be needed and we haven’t had the degree of precision we really need and therefore have had to assume worst-case scenarios. It is ongoing dialogue and has been a long, drawn out process – however, we are hoping period of delay means our concerns are being taken seriously and evaluated.”

In addition to this national environmental legislation, on the European stage there are the EU Port Services Regulations to consider, which as Richard noted, have already been proposed and rejected twice before. “The EU Commission is claiming that access to services that ports provide, such as pilotage, towage and dredging, needs to be opened up to more competition and needs more financial transparency. They also think that ports would benefit from having some sort of supervisory body, not necessarily at EU level, at national level.

“The UK and several other large port countries are pretty concerned about these proposals. Of course we support the principles of competition and market access and so on, but the way the Commission is going about this would add significantly to the regulatory burden as far as we are concerned.

“We are pressing strongly for the regulation to be withdrawn, and there is quite a lot of support for that position as things stand. Whether we will achieve the same outcome as previously when the European Parliament threw out the Commission’s proposals, that remains to be seen, but in the view of UK ports these areas should be left to the commercial judgement of the port authority.”

Richard concluded: “We do believe the success we have had is largely due to the stable policy environment in which we operate. Government has taken a ‘hands-off’ view of ports and in the UK certainly has been careful not to over regulate, although we do face challenges with the EU, in that respect.

“The sharpness of the private sector, with private finance bearing down on productivity, the ability to invest, and a stable policy environment have given our ports a strong position.” v

www.ukmajorports.org.uk

http://www.ap-group.co.uk

K 1996 A.D. Huge ships travel from far away to trade on the shores of Britain. Sediment is depositing and threatening the clear path.

Charged with the task of keeping the waterways navigable, UK Dredging (UKD) is

established as a division of Associated British Ports (ABP), which owns and operates 21

ports around the UK. The ports alone claim around 40 per cent of the UK’s total maintenance dredging

activity and the UKD vessels undertake the operation.

UKD has developed a fleet of dredgers specifically designed to work within busy port environments.

The line consists of a variety of vessel types and sizes, each able to satisfy elements of the varied

need of the ABP group of ports. When the fleet is not operating in the ports it is employed within the

commercial dredging market where its main customers are port authorities and port operators in the

UK and Ireland. It is involved in subcontract work to other dredging contractors, supporting their

commitments in the UK and Europe. It also serves civil contractors, local authorities

and the MoD.

“UKD specialises in maintenance dredging and our

management and dredger crews are highly

experienced at working within the port

U

Profile: UK Dredging

Judgedredge


UKD Orca at the Orwell bridge, Ipswich


http://www.abb.com/turbocharging

http://www.clyderecruit.com

http://www.redtheconsultancy.com


Jeff Neale, general manager

environment,” begins Jeff Neale, general manager

of UK Dredging. “Ports want their dredging

completed with minimum fuss and no disruption

to shipping. This is the discipline that we employ

for all our customers. UKD’s commitment to

the UK ports industry means that our fleet is

deployed all around the UK coast, minimising

mobilisation costs to our customers and

providing a flexible and responsive service.”

With the backing of ABP as its mother ship,

UKD has the benefit of the financial stability of

the group. ABP resources are available to the

UKD management to support the business and

achieve its aim of providing an efficient and cost

effective service to all its customers.

“We are operating three trailing suction hopper

dredgers (TSHD), the UKD Marlin, Bluefin and

Orca. These vessels are currently working in

Dundee, Boulogne and Grimsby respectively.

We have a grab hopper dredger, Cherry Sand,

that has just completed a major refit and is now

operating at Hull, and our

plough vessels UKD Seahorse and Sealion

are supporting the TSHDs at Boulogne and

on the Humber Estuary,” he notes.

“From its creation UKD immediately embarked

on a programme of modernisation of its dredging

resources. Several older dredgers were disposed

of and replaced with a new TSHD, UKD Bluefin.

Previously ABP had relied heavily upon locally

stationed grab dredgers in many of its ports.

This strategy was replaced with a combination of

mobile TSHDs and plough dredgers, visiting each

port in turn. UKD Seahorse was built in 2000

and this was followed by the construction of a

second plough dredger, UKD Sealion in 2003. In

2010 UKD Orca was commissioned to replace

the older UKD Dolphin. The use of a mobile

fleet of TSHDs has greatly improved the cost

effectiveness of dredging in ABP’s ports because

of their ability to remove large volumes of material

in a relatively short time. The benefit is also now

enjoyed by our commercial customers, a number

of who dispensed with their own dredging

resources in favour of contracting in UKD’s plant

on a campaign basis. UKD has retained one grab

hopper dredger in order to service some of the

smaller ports and other niche requirements,” he

continues.

The department operates its fully mobile fleet

from its Cardiff office and has the capacity to

work in Northern Europe, although with business

as it is has not needed to stretch too far. Jeff

explains: “Demand in our home market of the

UK and Ireland has been very strong in 2013.

Consequently we have not needed to look further

afield to fully occupy the fleet. We currently have

plant on charter to another dredging contractor

for works in France but primarily all of our

commitments have been in the UK and Ireland.”

Above meeting the requirements of dredging in

its common form, UKD also has been responding

to demands for more specialist work. Jeff says:

“UKD specialises in bulk removal of sediment

from ports and estuaries, however where this

skill can be employed in non-routine projects

we are happy to do so. For example, we have

previously uncovered a submerged oil pipeline

so that repairs could be carried out. Our grab

dredger removed a number of obstructions from

the Thames Estuary ahead of the dredging for the

London Gateway project. We have also engaged

in beach replenishment both in the UK and

Holland. Capital dredging projects sometimes

require the removal of an overburden of soft

material before the heavy mechanical plant takes

over. This was the case on recent capital projects

at the ABP ports of Southampton and Grimsby.”


CLYDE MARINE RECRUITMENTClyde Marine Recruitment is Europe’s leading provider of marine recruitment and bespoke crew management services. It has been supplying marine personnel to UK Dredging and their predecessors for over 25 years. Working in partnership with its clients, Clyde Marine Recruitment helps develop new ideas and improve efficiencies within their crew operations, as well as to provide excellent career opportunities for marine candidates across the globe.

ABB TURBoChARgINg ABB Turbocharging is at the helm of the global industry in the manufacture and servicing of turbochargers for 500kW to 80+ MW diesel and gas engines. Its service network offers fastest, most reliable support available. It has highly qualified technicians and customer support staff in its network, and it is ready to help you 24/7, 365 days a year at over 100 certified service stations in over 50 countries worldwide.

UKD Bluefin Foynes on the river Shannon


UKD continues to invest into its fleet in a drive

to improve its capabilities with the strategy of

reaching 100 per cent exploitation of its vessels.

Jeff points out: “This year we have spent one

million pounds refitting and upgrading our

grab dredger. This investment will significantly

extend the operating life of the vessel. The

UKD fleet is structured to undertake ABP’s

dredging requirements and to provide services to

commercial customers who have similar dredging

IHC Parts & servICesIHC Parts & Services, as part of the IHC Merwede group, is the industry’s leading OEM supplier of dredging systems. IHC Parts & Services has a continuous innovation programme to make the best dredging equipment in the world. It is also committed to keep these systems best in class over their life cycle by offering life cycle support services around the globe and supplying spare parts for any vessel with an IHC Parts & Services dredging system.

requirements. Up to now our growth has come

from increased utilisation of all elements of the

fleet. In order to achieve this we have grown the

number of longer-term contracts with commercial

customers. The balance comes from one off

contracts won at tender. 2013 has seen UKD

largely achieve full utilisation of the current fleet.

At this level of utilisation UKD is carrying out

around 65 per cent of the total UK and Irish

annual maintenance-dredging requirement.

Our continuing investment is planned so as to

maintain the highest level of plant efficiency and

reliability.”

Recognising the need for modern equipment,

the business has a mobile survey department and

has equipped its vessels with the latest satellite

positioning and dredging monitoring equipment

ready to deal with what lays ahead. “Challenges

and opportunities go hand in hand, certainly

opportunities bring new hurdles. In recent years

UKD has successfully grown our core market

share and I see this growth being further secured

in future years as more customers engage UKD

to undertake their maintenance dredging on a

UKD Orca at Cardiff

http://www.ihcps.com



UK Dredgingwww.ukdredging.co.uk• Undertakes maintenance dredging activity• Fleet ready to deploy on specialist tasks• Capacity to operate in Europe

term contract basis. Reliable and timely supply of

dredging resources is crucial to the ports industry

and UKD is well placed to provide this security to

its customers,” says Jeff.

Looking towards the future Jeff concludes:

“2014 will see some change in the balance

of work load as new ABP projects requiring

maintenance dredging come on stream such as

the Grimsby River Terminal. The Sunk Dredged

Channel on the Humber is also moving into a

high accretion phase and this means increased

maintenance dredging through 2014 and

perhaps beyond. We start the year with a healthy

order book but still some way to go before all

plant is fully occupied.

“I see UKD continuing to secure more

long term agreements with UK and Irish

based customers. We have also identified a

number of locations in North West Europe

where the dredging requirement complements

our programme of work around the UK.

Ultimately, our aim is to start the year with a

full programme that satisfies the needs of both

ABP and our commercial customers alike.

UKD Sealion and UKD Seahorse

Once we reach that point we will be set to

continue growth through expansion of the fleet

and entering markets further afield to fully occupy

the plant.” v

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Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

become the port of choice for vessels that are

facing dangerous situations. “It has become

a role of Falmouth over the years to deal with

some high profile casualty reception for ships

coming in with various problems,” says Mark.

“In preparation for these situations, we have

developed a close working relationship with

a number of partners, including the secretary

of state representative and the maritime coast

guard agency (MCA), and have worked with both

organisations on more recent issues that have

come up.”

To ensure full preparedness of potential

emergencies, FHC and MCA worked together

on a live deployment exercise for a European

Research Project into the best practice of oil spill

recovery in October 2013. “The MCA had some

equipment they wanted to deploy within our

port environment and we were only too happy

to facilitate that as it gave us the chance to work

alongside the organisation and for our staff to see

how the equipment works. This exercise gave

us the opportunity to know how to deploy this

equipment in any real emergency in the future,”

says Mark.

almouth Harbour, including the Carrick Roads, is renowned as the third largest natural harbour in the world. Dedicated to the

ongoing viability and prosperity of the harbour,

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC) is

responsible for the inner harbour at Falmouth, the

southern part of the Carrick Roads, the Penryn

River up to Boyers Cellars and a large part of

Falmouth Bay. The organisation also provides

small craft facilities for residents and visitors and

24-hour pilotage service to control the navigation

of large vessels within the port.

“We are responsible for the safety and

navigation of operations in the inner Falmouth

Harbour area. We encourage stakeholders to

respect Falmouth’s natural environment, provide

24-hour pilotage services and operate a number

of leisure facilities to the small craft and leisure

market. On top of this, we have a mooring buoy

in the Carrick Roads, which has been used for

some high profile casualty reception in the past,”

begins Mark Sansom, harbour master and CEO

of the FHC.

Located in close proximity to the sea-lanes

for the Atlantic and the Irish Sea, Falmouth has

F

Preparing for the

future

Falmouth Harbour front

Falmouth Harbour


Responsible for managing the harbour in the

best possible interests of its shareholders, FHC

is involved in a diverse range of projects such

as the Falmouth Bay Test Site (FaB Test); this

is a pre-consented two square kilometre area

located within Falmouth harbour, approximately

five kilometres offshore Falmouth bay in water

depths of 20 metres to 50 metres. “Through

our stakeholder groups we became aware that

there was considerable potential in the port for

developments regarding renewable energy; we

realised if we allowed testing in Falmouth bay

this would substantially enhance the amount

of business coming to the area and also be

advantageous to the local supply chain,”

highlights Mark.

Leased from Crown Estates, the FaB Test

nursery facility offers wave energy device

developers the opportunity to test components,

concepts and even full scale devices in neutral

wave climates alongside easy access to the

Left: Trial dredgeRight: FaB test device with

operations manager Alex Whatley

Pilot boat Arrow at work

http://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk

http://www.denbridgemarine.com



nearby port infrastructure. Up to three devices

can be deployed on the site, which aims to

provide a flexible, cost efficient solution to the

testing of wave energy technologies, moorings,

components and deployment procedures.

The pioneering project resulted in FHC winning

a coveted South West Green Energy Award in

November 2012, as Mark enthuses: “We are

delighted to be recognised for this award and

hope it will further promote Falmouth’s potential

as a development hub for marine energy. We

have had the first wave device, Fred Olsen’s

BOLT ‘Lifesaver’ wave energy converter,

deployed for over 12 months now and are

benefiting from a number of enquiries for other

devices to be installed at the test site. FaB Test is

showing every sign of becoming a useful facility

in the market, so it is fully meeting our objectives

of boosting the local supply chain and local

economy.”

Focused on the conservation and optimisation

of the harbour, FHC is keen to develop

partnerships that will ensure a prosperous and

sustainable future. For example, it recently

completed a project with Plymouth University to

assess and manage the environmental impacts

of operations undertaken within the harbour.

The 30-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership

was launched in 2008 and involved science

graduate Harriet Knowles taking on the role as

a maritime sustainable development officer. Part

funded by the government, the partnership was

recognised with an award from the Economic

and Social Research Council and resulted in a

tailored management system that enabled FHC

to become more environmentally proactive.

“The Knowledge Transfer Partnership with

Plymouth University looked at the challenges that

ports face in terms of expectation on managing

the environment in an area that has a number

of environmental designations. The project

was very successful and received an award;

it was also encouraging for us to interact with

our stakeholders and to look at how to ensure

management measures are appropriate. We have

Pilot boat Arrow at work

MARINE DATA SYSTEMSWe at Marine Data manufacture and rigorously test our products on-site before they are installed into Defence and Commercial maritime shipping around the globe. In this way, we exert a significant global reach from our base on the Isle of Wight. Our research, innovation and manufacturing, is founded on building good relationships with our customers. Our recent defence install on HMS Enterprise at the Falmouth Harbour facility in November 2013 was a great success for our field operations team. Despite the weather, the installation of a number of our MD69BR Bearing Repeaters was completed in time and to the satisfaction of both BAE Systems and the Royal Navy.

http://www.marine-data.co.uk



quite a lot of programmes and major exercises

coming up; in 2014, we are looking to join forces

with European partners to demonstrate boom

deployment and other types of response to set

the model of European best practice,” says Mark.

Other projects include the specification, tender

and management of a trial dredge in 2012, with

FHC reiterating the need to dredge a deep water

channel into Falmouth port at a public meeting

in October 2013. Viewing the port’s expansion

as an opportunity for more ships to come into

Falmouth, including giant cruise liners, FHC

anticipates a boost in economy through hundreds

more available jobs and an increase of tourists

into the area.

With commercial activities fairly low throughout

2012 and 2013 from a slow down in bunkering

activities, FHC is focusing on developing and

maximising the port’s abilities through the

exploitation of new markets. “Bunkering activity is

trailing off from the peak of the SECA regulations

as low sulphur fuel becomes more common,”

explains Mark. “The issues surrounding SECA,

fuel quality and the policies surrounding that

are regularly revised at the EU and further limit

changes will come into effect in 2015. We don’t

know how this will affect our business, which is

why we are looking at partnerships to develop

the port and to diversify it as much as possible to

ensure a prosperous and sustainable future.” v

Falmouth Harbour Commissionerswww.falmouthport.co.uk• Responsible for the inner harbour at Falmouth• Won a South West Green Energy award for its FaB Test• Works towards achieving port sustainability

CHEETAH MARINEThree more Cheetah catamarans have joined the two 7.9m Survey Cheetahs which arrived in Ukraine earlier this year. Following a successful commissioning, the Ukrainian Hydrographic office immediately ordered another three identical survey catamarans.The Cheetahs will be based in the Black Sea and on the River Dnieper where annual temperature extremes range from -30 degrees to + 30 degrees. Sean Strevens Cheetah designer comments: “The Ukraine twins were a first for Cheetah Marine as it is the only time we have built two identical boats out of our 340 delivered. To receive an additional order for three really validates the success of the 7.9m as a towable survey vessel.”In addition to the standard road towable option available with the 7.9m, the Hydrographic Office also required the ability to crane the boats from the water onboard a mothership. Three stainless steel lifting points have been incorporated into the central wavebreak and transom to enable a single point lift with ease.

Current FHC board

http://www.cheetahmarine.co.uk

http://www.lifebuoyhousings.com

rates and oil cost prices to know that it is difficult

to operate a vessel profitably at the moment and

this creates problems for counter party risk. Our

clients are in shipping and we try to support them

as much as possible. Further, the volume in total

for marine fuel has decreased because of slower

steaming for example and the number of vessels

has decreased so competition between bunker

traders and suppliers has been very tough.”

ElbOil has a number of advantages that have

allowed it to survive and prosper within the

marine bunkering sector despite the challenging

conditions that exist with the industry. As a

small, privately owned company ElbOil is able

to operate in a cost-efficient and dynamic way

compared to its competitors as Harro elaborates:

“I am a big believer in operating as a smaller

private company, as I originally came from a larger

group. Of course our cost structure is smaller

and so our breakeven margin is also smaller. This

means we can offer competitive prices to our

ince it was last featured in Shipping and Marine during February 2013 ElbOil GmbH has continued to develop its

reputation as a trusted partner in the supply of bunker fuel to the marine sector. Despite

tough market conditions the company enjoyed

35 per cent growth between 2012 and 2013 and

it continues to endeavor to increase its market

share. Established in March 2011, ElbOil is a

relatively young company but with rising volume

sales of up to 300,000 tonnes and a 2012

turnover of $130 million it has a proven reputation

as an effective player within the marine bunker

fuel supply chain.

“The last year remained very positive for ElbOil

and we were pleased to see continuous growth

in terms of client volumes and profit,” describes

Harro Booth, managing director and founder

of ElbOil. “Nevertheless the market remains

challenging. You just need consider the freight


S

Harro Booth

An effectiveplayer

Profile: ElbOil

customers

that are still

profitable for

us. Our trim

company allows us to act flexibly and quickly,

which is vital in the shipping market. However,

being small does mean we don’t have credit

with all of the suppliers around the world – it is

the opposite and we maintain good credit with

the banks, which allows us to supply even large

operators with large volumes. I think this is a very

good fit for our company.”

While the company remains profitable in a

challenging market, ElbOil is still keen to expand

on its success and expand its market share.

“Since February 2013 we have invested a lot to

add some blue-chip accounts to our portfolio,

which has made us very happy. It has increased

our growth to 35 per cent between 2012 and

2013 and we have increased our volume to

300,000 tonnes, which was the target, so this

http://www.searights.com.sg/

has been very good,” Harro says. “However,

we want to do this conservatively because we

are still in a high risk sector, even though rates

and volumes are getting a little better it is still

tough.” To this end ElbOil will continue to work

with its current clients to increase the volumes

of bunkering it delivers as well as seeking out

new customers. However, with a number of

businesses going bankrupt in Germany and

throughout the sector during the economic

downturn it is important for ElbOil to ensure that

it trades carefully. “We are currently only working

with insured companies to a certain degree,”

Harro explains. “We ask for a credit line for the

client and if the insurance company accepts, it

gives us a certain amount of risk management.”

A second strand to ElbOil’s growth strategy

is that it plans to diversify into

new market areas over the

coming years. With stricter

regulation of sulphur emissions

is scheduled for 2015, the

company sees an opportunity

to supply the adapting market.

“New sulphur regulation will

mean the shipping industry

needs to burn a distillate like

gas oil, or some other alternative

fuels. In the down stream this will generate

some opportunities and this is something we are

looking to take advantage of,” Harro says. “Also,

with LNG we continue to see a paradigm shift

approaching, it may not be right away or a full

change like from coal to bunker fuel during the

1930’s but the infrastructure investment is going

on and we are dealing with potential partners

regarding the move into this market. It’s an

interesting area for us.”

ElbOil has earned a proven reputation and

ability to succeed in a highly competitive segment

in the face of challenging market conditions.

Its ability to respond dynamically and identify

industry trends has made it an effective and

streamlined player within the marine bunkering

market and as it prepares to address the changes

Profile: ElbOil

of a increasingly volatile market, the company is

well placed to become a key link in the marine

industry supply chain for many years to come. v


ElbOil GmbHwww.elboil.com• Bunker fuel traders• 35 per cent growth• LNG knowledge base


From its world-renowned base in Poole on the south coast of England to the silver screens of Hollywood and beyond, Sunseeker is a

globally recognised icon in luxury yachting. The Sunseeker brand’s premier appeal has

even earned the firm’s motoryachts regular

appearances in the sophisticated world of James

Bond, delivering iconic scenes in the famed

The World Is Not Enough. More recently the

stunning Sunseeker Predator 108 and XS2000

designs appeared in 2006’s Casino Royale while

2008’s Quantum of Solace featured a Sunseeker

Superhawk 43, Sunseeker 37 Metre Yacht M4

and a vintage Sovereign 17 motorboat. The


Starappeal

Sovereign 17 was originally built in 1970 and

was fully restored during 2005 to celebrate

Sunseeker’s early years and continued reputation

as the defining name in exclusive luxury yacht

design and manufacture.

Beginning life as Poole Power Boats,

Sunseeker’s journey to become one of the

world’s most coveted marine names began in

1968, when Robert Braithwaite founded the

company as an importer and distributor of boats

from the United States and Scandinavia. During

the early 1970’s Poole Power Boats took its first

tentative steps into moulding and fitting its own

range of 17 and 23 foot designs from a small

production facility. Shortly thereafter following

a chance meeting with a dealer selling boats in

the South of France, Sunseeker hit upon one of

the first of many defining moments in its history.

It was suggested that by adding full-length

sun beds across the stern of the company’s

vessels and producing them all in white that

the dealer would be able to market the vessels

for Mediterranean waters. The firm’s engineers

wasted no time in making the modifications and

within only a few short years Poole Power Boat’s

range of 17 and 23 foot boats were being sold

all over the world, propelling the company into

the spotlight across the globe; which would be a

position it would never leave.

In June 2013 the Chinese firm Dalian Wanda

finalised a deal to acquire Sunseeker. The

purchase was completed at a value of


£20 million and resulted in the firm obtaining

91.81 per cent of the company, while Sunseeker

management retained the remaining 8.19 per

cent. Dalian Wanda was founded in 1988 and

is China’s largest premier commercial property

and entertainment conglomerate. Soon after

the deal to acquire Sunseeker was completed,

Dalian Wanda was quick to confirm that the

production of luxury yachts would continue at its

current Poole manufacturing plant and that the

company’s management and workforce would

remain in place. In market terms, the deal comes

at a time where China is experiencing a significant

boost in private boat ownership. If current

predictions hold true, the number of privately

owned yachts owned in China could leap from

the current number of 3000 to 100,000 by 2020.

By this time it is expected that the Chinese yacht

market could be worth anywhere between 35

billion Yuan (£3.57 billion) and 50 billion Yuan

(£5.1 billon), with the most popular designs

valued at between 300,000 Yuan (£30,607

approx) and 800,000 Yuan (£81,619 approx).

Having the combined resources of Dalian Wanda

behind the company will provide Sunseeker

with the impetus for major global expansion,

particularly across the Asian marketplace.

Today, the Sunseeker name is synonymous

with world-class design and exceptional style.

New designs are regularly introduced, which

build on the distinctive race-derived deep-V hull

developed in collaboration with Don Shead early

in the company’s history. Through the assistance

of computer aided design (CAD/CAM) and

computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Sunseeker

designers are able to marry the curvaceous

interior style pioneered by Ken Freivoch during

the 1980s and world-class performance in its

range of luxury leisure craft. During the 54th Fort

Lauderdale International Boat Show, which was

held between 31st October and 4th November

2013 the Sunseeker Predator 68 and 28 Metre

Yacht were debuted in the United States. The

Predator range offers sleek, chic design as

well as expansive options from top-end sports

performance to long distance crusing. The range

first made an appearance during the mid-1990s

when the perception of larger boats was one of

reduced performance encompassing the need

of a permanent crew. With the introduction of

the Predator 80, Sunseeker challenged and

shattered these perceptions by delivering a

high-performance motoryacht with an enclosed

cockpit and efficient hydrodynamics that allowed

the 50-ton design to be powered to staggering

speeds in excess of 46 knots. The Predator

68 is closely modelled on the Predator 80, but

places an even stronger emphasis on the range’s

aggressive styling. The yacht is designed to

embody a true feeling of opulence, with natural

light flooding into all of the boat’s living and cabin

areas via intelligently designed windows and

exquisite interior fittings that complete the effect.

The most eagerly anticipated arrival at the

Lauderdale show was the Sunseeker 28 Metre

Yacht, which was recently awarded the ‘Best

Custom Yacht’ accolade in the ‘Motorboat of the

Year’ awards, which were announced in January

2013. The yacht embodies new heights of design

and engineering excellence. Its design features

include wrap-around glazing to create a stunning

effect in addition to full-height windows offering

undisrupted views and an optional drop down

saloon balcony. Commenting on the unveiling of

the new designs in the US, Robert Braithwaite,

group president of Sunseeker International

said: “We are always thrilled to unveil our

CITYOWNCityown Ltd are specialists in custom designed hydraulic solutions. We supply equipment for a variety of applications in marine and offshore environments for commercial and military usage producing several unique motions systems.Cityown Ltd have been working with Sunseeker International Ltd for 13 years. We continue to develop high quality, compact solutions to suit the demanding requirements set by Sunseeker’s design team in order to satisfy the performance heritage of their motor yachts

Profile: Sunseeker

http://www.cityown.co.uk


http://www.finning.co.uk

http://www.kirolite.com


latest additions to the Sunseeker range at Fort

Lauderdale and this year is particularly exciting.

The 28 Metre Yacht is seriously impressive and is

already drawing critical acclaim from the industry

and customers alike. And if that wasn’t enough,

the awe-inspiring Predator 68 is sure to impress

from all angles.”

Also in attendance was the all-new Manhattan

55, which boasts a three-cabin design that is able

to accommodate up to six guests and includes

spacious living areas. The new boats were

accompanied by an impressive flotilla of yachts

including the Predator 60, Predator 80, 34 Metre

Yacht and Portofino 40. The Manhattan range of

yacht is designed to act as long-range cruisers

that provide impeccable styling without sacrificing

performance. Whether on a short stay or a long

break the Manhattan range provides relaxation

in spacious style. In contrast the Portofino 40 is

designed to redefine weekend breaks aboard

luxury pleasure craft. In typical Sunseeker fashion

the Portofino 40 combines generous space, sleek

design and breathtaking performance.

When it was last featured in Shipping and

Marine in 2011, Sunseeker had completed an

investment worth £50 million in its production

facilities and design portfolio. Today with an

impressive product range and distributors located

across the globe, Sunseeker is well positioned

to continue to deliver its world-renowned luxury

yachts to clients in an increasingly buoyant

market. The acquisition of the company by Dalian

Wanda has given Sunseeker a launch pad into

the wider Asian market and the financial support

of China’s largest entertainment and commercial

property developer as well as access to the

country’s growing luxury yacht market. It is an

Sunseeker www.sunseeker.com• Globally recognised and high-end brand• Exceptional new Predator 68 design• Global distribution partners

DIAB GROUPDIAB Group Ltd is a world-leading supplier of sandwich composite solutions that make products stronger, lighter and more competitive. DIAB’s solutions include a wide range of core materials, cost effective core kits, a wide range of finishing options and a comprehensive set of composite know-how. DIAB also provides a series of consulting services within composite technology through the Composites Consulting Group. DIAB is a global company providing local service within wind energy, marine, transportation, aerospace and industry.

KIROLITELuxury wood machinist/joiner Kirolite has won a special award for ‘outstanding’ work on Sunseeker’s Sea Raider V craft – for concept to fitting of bespoke furniture.The Dorset company produced one-off interior furniture for the 40 metre yacht – including a bar, television cabinets, air conditioning units, chest of drawers and bedside cupboards.Kirolite specialises in customised and production components in solid hardwoods and laminate, and is a long-standing supplier to Sunseeker.

FINNINGAs the sole Cat dealer in the UK & Ireland, Finning is proud of its long-standing association with Sunseeker International - supplying a range of Cat marine engines to power yachts including the Manhattan 55, Predator 80 and 28 Metre Yacht.Products supplied by Finning are packaged by a highly experienced, specialist engineering team and all engines are fully supported by service excellence with a nationwide network of branches, and the backup of 1800 Cat dealers worldwide.

exciting time for Sunseeker as it prepares to

move into 2014 and beyond as the final word in

luxury yachts. v

Profile: Sunseeker

http://www.diabgroup.com

http://www.navariontelecom.com

n 1973 Dorian (Hellas) S.A. was formed as an independent ship management company and in 2002 the company entered the LPG market with two

pressurized vessels and in 2006 extended its LPG presence by building three new fully-refrigerated VLGC’s in Korea. In 2013,

Dorian (Hellas) S.A.’s LPG activities were

transferred to Dorian LPG Ltd., alongside a

newbuilding program entered into with Seacor

Holdings Inc. and a number of reputable

investors who were keen to see the company

grow. Throughout its history and transformation,

Dorian’s principles have always stuck to their

fundamental goal; to build and operate the best

vessels possible, and to meet the requests of

the most demanding customers in the industry.

Having entered the pressure market, Dorian

expanded in the LPG business. Shipping and

Marine magazine talked to company director,

Nigel Widdowson about the latest VLGC

acquisitions and the LPG market: “With our

operational experience, we saw an opportunity

to progress into the VLGC sector in 2005

relationshipsSteady

I

Profile: Dorian LPG


NAVARINO TELECOMThe Clean Marine Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) is a hybrid solution allowing vessels to operate in open/closed loop in all waters and ports without loss of efficiency and well within the IMO regulations for emissions to air and sea. It is the only genuine multistream system currently on the market. All exhaust sources (boilers included) are served by one common EGC unit without any back pressure. A certified system is in operation onboard the Bulkcarrier Balder and Clean Marine are delivering EGCS for two AET owned tankers at Samsung Heavy Industries and for a Dorian LPG owned VLGC built at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

124 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk42 - www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

http://www.etransit.dk

http://www.cleanmarine.no


clean marineThe Clean Marine Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) is a hybrid solution allowing vessels to operate in open/closed loop in all waters and ports without loss of efficiency and well within the IMO regulations for emissions to air and sea. It is the only genuine multistream system currently on the market. All exhaust sources (boilers included) are served by one common EGC unit without any back pressure. A certified system is in operation onboard the Bulkcarrier Balder and Clean Marine are delivering EGCS for two AET owned tankers at Samsung Heavy Industries and for a Dorian LPG owned VLGC built at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Over the last 11 years Dorian LPG has worked closely in the pressurised and VLGC Sectors with Statoil, in addition it has time chartered vessels to Vitol, Shell and Petredec

Profile: Dorian LPG

John HadjipaterasChairman Dorian LPG

and entered with a series of newbuildings at

Hyundai Heavy Industries.” At present, it owns

and operates three modern VLGCs and one

pressurised LPG vessel. As a result of steady

expansion Dorian LPG ordered three new VLGC

vessels that are being constructed by Hyundai

Heavy Industries Co Ltd. for delivery in 2014 and

early 2015.

Today, Dorian LPG is on track to become

the second largest player in the VLGC market

with the most modern fleet. The company

first secured a contract with Hyundai Heavy

Industries to construct three VLGCs with fixed

price options for an additional three VLGCs and

in the past few months, Dorian LPG has raised

nearly $400 million from investors and acquired

an additional 13 firm newbuilding contracts from

Scorpio Tankers. With 16 firm newbuildings

now on order. With offices in the US, the UK

and Greece, the company is well positioned for

commercial growth. Focused on maintaining the

company values for health, safety, environment

and quality, all the VLGCs on order are ECO

class, modern, fuel efficient vessels.

“The customer, as far as we are concerned,

is the driving force of our industry. We always

try to adapt to their requirements and provide

first class vessels and service,” explains Mr.

Widdowson. Over the last 11 years Dorian LPG

has worked closely in the pressurised and VLGC

Sectors with Statoil, in addition is has time

chartered vessels to Vitol, Shell and Petredec.

The US at the moment is experiencing an

increase in production of shale oil and gas,

which is turning the country from being a large

energy importer into an oil and gas exporter.

Dorian has experienced a change in its trading

pattern, and the developments indicate that this

class of vessel will have a significant increase

in ton miles. In 2014 production of LPG is

expected to average around two million barrels

a day, establishing the US as one of the top

LPG exporting nations. Absorbing the shift in

direction Mr. Widdowson adds: “We anticipate

future growth of exports from the US and

forecast being heavily involved in that sector.”

Dorian’s strategy had previously been

focused on period employment of vessels until

this year when it witnessed consolidation in

the VLGC sector. With exports of LPG from

the US increasing, the company has had to

adapt its original vision from operating vessels

focused mainly on cargos loading in the Middle

East destined for Europe and the US Gulf to

operating vessels loading out of the US Gulf

and the Middle East and discharging in South

America and the Far East. Describing the

adaptability of the business Mr. Widdowson

says: “Our in house technical and commercial

department is a key element of our business

and allows us to respond quickly to the requests

of our charterers. Our operations department is

always available to respond to any questions.”

44- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

As a result of these changes in the market,

the company sought finance under a private

share placement on the Norwegian OTC of

approximately $250 million, which allowed it

to secure the original 3+3 VLGC newbuildings

at prices that were at a cyclical low and have

already begun to rise. With the new vessels due

for delivery between 2014 and 2015 Dorian aims

to secure period employment with first class

charterers. The new vessels have been designed

to comply with the new regulations, and two of

the buildings are to be equipped with scrubbers

utilising seawater to neutralise the sulphur oxide

contained in the exhaust gas. The ECO design

of the vessels is aimed at reducing air pollution

and, through a modified hull form and engine-

save bunker consumption.

Prior to the closing of the private share

placement in October 2013 Dorian LPG

announced its agreement to take over a fleet

of 11 VLGC newbuildings and two VLGC

options from the US publically listed company

Scorpio Tankers. “As we move into 2014 we

plan to work on the integration of the newly

acquired VLGCs into our highly experienced

commercial and technical management team,”

Mr. Widdowson confirms.

In 2011 Dorian (Hellas) S.A. received the

‘Working Safely with Suppliers’ Award from

Statoil in recognition of its commitment to

health, safety and the environment. As it charts

its way into the new year it remains mindful

of its responsibility, as Mr. Widdowson states:

“We aim to provide the best possible service

to our clients with environmentally friendly

ships and operations, maintaining safe working

environments and realising a sound return for

our shareholders on their investment. Over the

last 30 years we have provided safe, reliable,

trouble free transportation, which is our mission

statement and has been fundamental to our

success and we continue to strive for that as we

move forward into the next period.” v

Profile: Dorian LPG

Dorian LPGwww.dorianlpg.com• LPG shipping company• Operating VLGC fleet• Worldwide presence

Over the last 30 years we have provided safe, reliable, trouble free transportation, which is our mission statement and has been fundamental to our success and we continue to strive for that as we move forward into the next period

http://www.spectec.net

through its understanding and market expertise.

The group is keen to form long-term relationships

with its customers through mutually beneficial

partnerships and by providing a conducive

and progressive work culture. The company is

centred around six core values that define and

differentiate it from other operators in the market;

these include integrity, transparency, safety,

respect, empowerment and synergy. Taking the

adage that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of

its parts’ the company is based on mutual trust

and confidence, which are both its values and its

key strengths. Commenting on the relationship

between the company’s beliefs and its customers

CEO Rajesh Unni states: “Ship owners around

the world are looking for managers they can trust

their assets with. I believe that our customers

are the ones who closely share our values and

feel that we add value to their business. Our

ith a fleet of 80 ships made up of 24 tankers, 21 container ships and 35 bulk carriers

under management and trading across the globe, Synergy Group has quickly earned a reputation as a leader in maritime management. The company was founded

during 2006 and has grown to include offices

in Singapore, Manila and India. Today Synergy

employs 250 members of staff across its offices

and 2500 seafarers worldwide. The company’s

vision is to provide benchmark ship management

services in a way that is positive to the

environment and global community. Safety and

responsible operation are priority considerations

for the group and it constantly strives to towards

zero injuries, damages and pollution. To this end,

Synergy’s mission is to cater to its clients needs


W

Working together

Profile: Synergy Group


http://www.atlantic.sg

http://www.maritec.com.sg

Marine Guide We, at Marine Guide value the chance of working with and providing our valuable service to Synergy. It is a pleasure to work with Synergy and we are looking forward to many more years of such successful collaboration.

main strength is our ability to provide these in a

consistent manner.”

Synergy Group currently operates within three

main areas, which include vessels of all sizes

in oil, chemical and gas tankers, bulk carriers

and container ships. Traditionally the group has

focused on technical management of vessels

in these sectors, however more recently it has

diversified into the commercial management

of vessels and the company expects to further

expand the size of the fleet it manages over

the coming years. Within its commercial

management service Synergy Group offers a

wide range of solutions including but not limited

to advice on chartering strategies, sourcing

optimal employment opportunities for vessels,

charter contract negotiation, liaison with port

agents and the supply of marine fuels, bunker

supplier evaluation and the handling of invoices

and payments. The company’s diverse service

portfolio also includes technical management,

crew management, training, organisation of

marine travel, marine information technology and

liaison with port agencies and shipbuilders to


ensure that ship owners needs are addressed in

full during construction and operation.

The global economic crisis has made markets

challenging in all sectors within the shipping

industry. However, despite the challenges of an

increasingly volatile market Synergy Group has

not only weathered the storm but prospered as

Rajesh elaborates: “Shipping in general went

through a low phase over the past three years,

however I believe things have started looking

up. I believe that the industry is just rounding the

corner. Synergy has been growing over the past

four years, even when the market was looking

bad and we expect to continue this growth.”

Core to the company’s continued success has

been an unwavering commitment to its workforce

and training. Cultivation of its workforce and

the groups commitment to ‘zero injury, zero

damage and zero pollution’ has also earned

Synergy Group the prestigious partner of the

year award at BP Shipping CEO’s Health, Safety,

Security and Environment (HSSE) awards. “Ship

management is highly people orientated and it

is important we add the right talent to our team


MaritecMaritec provides a competitively priced, worldwide fuel and lubricant testing programme at Maritec’s own ISO-Accredited laboratory (ISO17025) in Singapore and a partner lab in Shanghai and UAE.A bunker quantity survey inspection service is offered in major bunkering ports including Singapore and China is ISO-Accredited (ISO17020) for independent and impartial reporting.Maritec’s GL-Approved Custody Transfer sampler with ‘cubitainers’, purpose-designed sampling bottles and comprehensive documentation assist shipowners to comply with MARPOL Annex VI sampling requirements.Maritec also conducts potable water shore testing for compliance with MLC2006.

works and hazards. Any award is a motivating

factor; however when it happens to come

from BP with whom we share common values

and hold in high esteem, it is highly satisfying

and makes us set even higher targets. We

are extremely happy to be recognised in such

a forum, this has been a great motivation for

everyone in our team especially the seafarers

and has also helped greatly in reinforcing our

commitment towards safety. Our customers are

happy to see this and feel that their decisions to

leave their assets in our hands was wise.”

While the market slowly begins to recover

Synergy Group is positioned to take advantage

of the more robust trading conditions that it

predicts over the coming years. Despite the

challenges that have manifested throughout

the shipping sector in recent years, the group

has grown and maintained a fleet of over 80

managed vessels. Furthermore this has been

achieved through new business and expansion

rather than through acquisitions. The company’s

award winning reputation with major operators

like BP means that it is well represented as an


obvious choice when it comes to technical, crew

and commercial ship management. Synergy

Group is keen to further expand on its growth

over the coming years and continue to ensure

that it provides a world-class service to its

customers. “This business is all about people,”

Rajesh concludes. “More than strategy it is

about ensuring that you win everyone’s trust in

everything you do. Our focus in the coming years

will be on continuing to improve our quality of

service. One of the main things to achieve is a

high level of competency and that is something

we look to improve on every day.” v

Synergy Groupwww.synergymarinegroup.com• Technical and commercial ship management• 80 managed vessels• Vessels operating worldwide


STATION SATCOM“Station Satcom express our deepest gratitude to the Synergy family for trusting us as a partner in their continued success story,” said Mr. Anshul Khanna, Director, Station Satcom.

http://www.jmsgroup.jp

http://www.stationstat.com


Profile: Pendennis

Operating from

the Spanish island

of Majorca, the Palma

refit office has already been

a huge success for Pendennis.

Pendennis Palma is fully booked for

refits over the 2013-2014 season and

enquiries are strong for winter 2014. Such

brisk business is the result of the company’s

stellar reputation and while the Palma facility has

extended the reach of Pendennis to the seas

of the Mediterranean it has also made its mark

on the company’s home facility in Falmouth,

UK as sales and marketing director Toby Allies

elaborates: “The Palma facility has provided

invaluable localised support to the Pendennis

fleet whilst cruising the Mediterranean. Pendennis

Palma is supported by the knowledge and

expertise of the Falmouth team and focuses on

shorter annual refit projects, while the Falmouth

facility continues to be the main centre for more

substantial refits, including five year survey works

and new build projects. Palma is a convenient

facility providing high quality workmanship and

world-class expertise for short-term works and

the close relationship between the two facilities

has led to new customer enquiries for more

ince it was last featured in Shipping and Marine during May 2011, Pendennis has continued to deliver world-class

custom luxury sailing yachts and globally renowned refit services. While delivering the

highest quality, the company has maintained an

impressive turnaround and has launched three

custom-built yachts since 2011, including the 44

metre award-winning catamaran Hemisphere,

which earned two ‘Golden Neptunes’ at the 2012

ShowBoats Design Awards.

Winning awards is nothing new for Pendennis

however, founded in 1988 the company received

its first new build contract during the same year

and this was soon followed by its first refit order.

The construction of the new build 125-foot ketch

Taramber and the refit of the 288-foot, three-

masted schooner Adix were both completed in

1991. Each vessel won ShowBoat Magazine’s

1991 ‘Best Sailing Yacht over 35 metres’ and

‘Best Refit’ respectively. Riding the wave of this

early success, the company has continued to

grow and has seen a number of developments

that have further strengthened Pendennis as a

globally recognised name in luxury yacht design,

manufacture and refit. Along with the stunning

success of the Hemisphere, other significant

recent milestones include the acquisition of

Devonport Yachts in 2010, the 2011 opening of

its Palma refit office and the opening of a support

office in New Zealand in 2013.

S

Definingclass

detailed works at the main Falmouth facility.”

Pendennis has become famous for the quality

of both its refit and new build facilities. The

acquisition of Devonport Yachts (now rebranded

as Pendennis Plus) enabled the company to

extend its capabilities to include yachts of over 60

metres and over the past 25 years the company

has undertaken over 200 refit projects and built

30 custom yachts. Its construction and refit

capabilities have been further enhanced through

continual investment and improvement. Thanks

to ongoing recent development the company’s

facilities are flexible and able to undertake a

range of projects. Once development is complete

the Falmouth facility will have two 95 metre

construction halls and a further 45 metre double

width hall. The facility also boasts a 150-metre

dry dock facility, which can be divided into two

Pendennis Development Plan

SY Rebecca:Photo courtesy of Cory Silken


75 metre independent docks. Pendennis is able to deliver a complete range of

in-house trades supported by its substantial stores, workshops, crew facilities

and project offices. During 2014 the Falmouth base will be further enhanced

by the development of an adjustable depth wet basin, which will be adjacent to

its construction halls and serviced by a 600 tonne travel hoist. Such aggressive

expansion of the company’s capabilities is in response to market trends as

well as to the success Pendennis has enjoyed throughout its history, as Toby

explains: “The general trend in the super yacht industry is towards larger

vessels, as well as more substantial remodeling projects. Due to these market

trends and the growing international reputation of Pendennis, the company is

expanding the facilities in Falmouth to cater to more yachts annually as well as

to increase our capacity for yachts over 65 metres.”

The company’s continued investment and renowned standing have ensured

that its order book remains busy and new build and major refit projects continue

to flow into the business. Recently Pendennis announced that it would be

again working with the esteemed design studio Dubois Naval Architects on a

31-metre aluminium sloop. This will be the ninth collaboration between the two

firms, which began in 1991 with the Taramber followed by the construction of

the Beagle Star II, Mamamouchi, Nadia Beagle V, Margaret Ann, Nostromo and

Ilona, which was the first motor yacht built by Pendennis in 1999. During 1999

the company also launched the iconic sailing yacht Rebecca. The vessel was

designed by German Frers and is the first yacht to enter into the company’s

new facilities. This will be the vessel’s third return to the yard and the most

significant project relating to the yacht since its construction as Toby observes:

“Rebecca will be in the yard until April 2014 for her 15 year ABS survey

alongside substantial engineering and technical works including an upgrade

to the hydraulics, electronic alarms and monitoring systems; the installation of Top: Adela: Photo courtesy of Cory SilkenBelow: Hemisphere: Photo courtesy of Jeff Brown

http://www.megadoor.com


Profile: Pendennis

Pendenniswww.pendennis.com• Award-winning new build and refit services• 25 years of industry experience• Extensive investment in facilities and personnel

VPLPVPLP is a world-renowned young international team of French-based naval architects and designers working worldwide in sail and motor craft.VPLP collaborated with Pendennis to build Hemisphere the world’s largest sailing catamaran and ultimate Pacific cruising and diving yacht.The project was complex with many ‘firsts’. “We found that although culturally different, the two teams had the same professionalism and intelligent curiosity, making for a winning collaboration; we remain great friends,” said Marc van Peteghem Co-MD of VPLP.

new generators; a full overhaul of her original main engine and the addition

of a sewage treatment plant on-board. Layout modifications to the library

area will be carried out to add more books along with a general upgrade

and overhaul of her interiors. Her exterior will be substantially improved

with a new teak deck. This in itself is quite a task as her original deck was

constructed from specially scarfed 60-80ft lengths of teak rather than

shorter lengths. The work list will be completed with an overhaul of all her

deck hardware complimented by a full repaint.”

Commenting on the vessel’s long association with the company, the

owner’s representative, Jon Barrett commented: “It is great to be back

at Pendennis amongst so many familiar faces. Fourteen years may

have passed since we built Rebecca but the commitment to her by the

Pendennis team is felt by all involved. We are looking forward to a very

successful winter refit!”

The year 2013 was a landmark one for Pendennis as the company

celebrated its 25th anniversary. The momentous event was celebrated by

the company’s 350 plus staff and their families at an event enriched by

a gig race between Pendennis apprentices and another local company,

Blue Flame, which was also celebrating its silver anniversary. The

commencement of further development works was a cause for celebration

in its own right and marked by the placing of gold sovereigns underneath

the first column to be placed, a tradition normally observed when stepping

the mast into a new yacht. These events plus a strong presence at the

Monaco boat show, featuring a Pendennis sponsored Red Arrows display

and a ‘meet the Red Arrows’ party, alongside numerous awards for the

A2 yacht and regatta wins for the classic 55 metre yacht, Adela restored by

Pendennis in 1995, have made 2013 a defining year.

As 2014 approaches the company is well placed to make strong

headway well into the future. Pendennis’ order book is strong and its staff

benefits from comprehensive general apprenticeship and surface finishing

apprenticeship courses, which have trained over 120 young people with

several graduates now working at manager and supervisor levels within

the company. Concluding on the company’s future Toby comments: “Work

will commence on the new build Dubois sailing yacht next year and several

of the current refit projects are substantial, ensuring a productive year in

2014 is assured. Over the past few years we have developed a more formal

approach in creating a global support network, Pendennis Palma provides

support in the Mediterranean and our New Zealand support office assists

Pacific based yachts. We our also planning a Caribbean base to assist

yachts cruising the island, United States and South America. Our policy is

to provide support throughout the complete lifecycle of any yacht, whether

built in Falmouth or a refit customer.” v

SY Christopher: Photo courtesy of Cory Silken

Apprentices working at Pendennis: Photo courtesy of Pendennis

http://www.vplp.fr


ffering stevedoring, storage

and re-handling of bulk &

general cargoes at the Port

of Southampton in the UK,

Solent Stevedores has experienced rapid

development and impressive growth over

the past 13 years.

Last appearing in Shipping and Marine in

February 2013, the ensuing eight months have

been spent focusing on the integration of the

Jersey operation into the group, as Ian Jacobs,

managing director, explained: “We actually

tendered for the Port of Jersey Stevedoring

License in August 2012, and this involves the

responsibility for the handling of 98 per cent


of goods coming in and out of the island. The

licence runs for a period of nine years, and gives

us exclusivity to operate on the New North Quay

where most of the general cargo and lift on lift off

services operate from, together with the West of

Albert berth which is where the passenger ferry

services are based.

“We have two lift on lift off services, Channel

Island Lines and Channel Seaways that we

service and we have three cranes at our disposal

(two Stothert & Pitt and a Liebherr.) We have

also handled some dry bulk products at the

New North Quay, namely recycled metal, fertiliser

and lime.”

He continued: “Particular emphasis has been

placed upon up-skilling the Jersey stevedoring

team, as a great deal of refresher training was

necessary, together with imprinting the Solent way

on our team of how we do business,” he said.

Solent Stevedores has invested more than

£500,000 on its Jersey operations, mainly for

the Condor Ferries Freighter operation, as Ian

elaborated: “On the West of Albert berth, we

provide stevedoring services for the Condor

freighter ferries and also their Fast Cat passenger

vessels too. Our relationship with Condor Ferries

has expanded and our staff and now assist in

other roles such as baggage handling and vehicle

marshalling too.

“In terms of financial investments, it was very

O

Continuedcommitment


Profile: Solent Stevedores

clear to us that the ageing fleet of RO/RO tugs

used on a daily basis to service the requirements

of Condor Ferries needed replacing. So we

placed an order for five replacement RO/RO Tugs,

which have cost £500K, and arrived with us in

August. They are being used to tow lorry trailers

on and off the Condor Freighter vessels, which

is a daily task with very tight timeframes to meet

the needs of scheduling and to work around the

weather conditions that have a big impact on

island life.”

Aside from its Jersey operations the last year

has very much been focused on consolidation,

and after what Ian described as an ‘extremely

poor harvest in 2012’, the tonnages of grain and

animal feed handled in the first six months of this

year were significantly reduced.

Over the last year Solent Stevedores has

worked to develop its management team, with

a number of staff taking on different roles in line

with business expansion. “In the latter part of

2012 we took the view that the business needed

slightly restructuring to take account of the ever

increasing legislation affecting primarily the Dry

Bulks division. However, the other divisions have

not been immune to increased regulation either.

To enable us to stay one step ahead of the

game, we created the new role of Compliance

and Standards Manager, whose brief is to

ensure that we have a level of consistency

throughout all Group operations. We now have

greater strength in depth by having dedicated

operational management responsible for the

Southampton Dry Bulks, Jersey and London and

the Cruise divisions.”

In addition, the stevedoring team in

Southampton Dry Bulks team have been exposed

to further training in 2013 and Ian has no doubt

that this continual commitment to staff is giving

Solent Stevedores increased operational options

across all terminals that it manages. He added:

“We are now planning the next step which is

looking at ways in which we can develop the

management and supervisor teams in the

business.”

Such investment in growing and improving

both its employees and its business has

benefitted Solent Stevedores considerably

across its service range. “Our Cruise division has

once again performed very well this year with

approximately 300 cruise vessels being handled in

2013,” said Ian. “The real practical advantage that

we have in servicing the needs of Carnival, is that

their cruise vessel schedule is know a long time

in advance, which means that we can plan our

labour requirement accordingly. We have a small

team of full time employees that look after the

operations at the Mayflower, Ocean and Queen

Elizabeth cruise passenger terminals in the Port

of Southampton, then, when a vessel is calling at

Southampton we will secure additional manning

from our dedicated labour agency partner. The

dedicated skills of our team really do make a

difference to both the way we operate and how

we are seen by our clients.”

For Solent Stevedores, the skill and experience

of its personnel is key to current and future

Continuedcommitment

http://www.ropeandtackle.com


success, and it is

this area that Ian

highlights as being

important over the

coming years. “The

main focus looking

forward to 2014 is to

continue developing

our management

team further and to

give greater exposure

to other staff that

we identify as being

potential managers

of the future too.

Therefore we will

be spending time

succession planning and executing a strategy

that helps the staff flex to the growing needs

of our clients and the business as a whole and

which will provide a foundation from which we

can confidently expand into other stevedoring

activities over the coming years.” v

Profile: Solent Stevedores

Solent Stevedoreswww.solentstevedores.com• Growing activities• Developing management team• Focusing on consolidation

KALMARThe perfect move for everything cargo – at any time, for any mode. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and energy-efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals and heavy industry – and with the emergence of more intermodal terminals can provide the perfect solution for transferring traffic between road and rail, inland waterways, seagoing and other modes of transport. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move. Kalmar customers benefit from the strength of a global company – but with the reassurance of a local presence. Experienced professionals are always on hand to provide solutions exactly when and where they are needed. And Kalmar’s involvement doesn’t end with the order! Kalmar’s dedication accompanies its equipment throughout its working life. With the industry’s largest service network, Kalmar offers everything from parts and ad-hoc services to full maintenance contracts, rental solutions and training. It also provides bespoke engineering solutions for structural or design related modification, repairs, transportation and revamping projects for all brands of terminal equipment. Kalmar – complete solutions for every move.

http://www.cargotec.com


iltanking Stolthaven Antwerp NV is a 50/50 joint venture between Oiltanking GmbH and Stolthaven Terminals

BV that offers customers the logistic support required for importing, exporting, distributing or holding products. Located

at the Port of Antwerp, one of the world’s most

extensive petrochemical and refining complexes,

the terminal provides exceptional accessibility

to national and international markets by either

water or land transport. With more than 30 years

of experience in handling chemicals, Oiltanking

Stolthaven Antwerp guarantees customers

product integrity through dedicated storage

systems and highly skilled personnel as well

as highly sophisticated storage and handling

infrastructure for oil products, chemicals and

gases.

“We have a very large customer portfolio at

Antwerp due to the fact we have the capabilities

Profile: Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp

Planned growthto handle a very wide range of gas, chemical and

oil products. You will not find such a complex,

unique terminal such as Oiltanking Stolthaven

Antwerp in the world as our two shareholders

are very aware of the importance of safety

processing and are focused on having a high

level of technical design. Both companies are

committed to ensuring the highest standards at

this terminal,” explains Yvan Tavernier, managing

director at Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp.

Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp is one of the

most important terminals in the group as it offers

a gateway to Europe via the Rhine and thus

provides significant flexibility in transportation

services. “Our location is definitely one of our key

strengths as the Port of Antwerp has a draft of

up to 15 metres, which allows us to take in the

biggest vessels in the world,” highlights Yvan.

“Furthermore, our synergy with Stolt Nielsen has

stabilised in some cases our customer portfolio

and given us more commercial opportunities

at the terminal, such as our recent contract

with LyondellBasell, a major customer of Stolt

Nielsen.”

On October 3rd 2013, LyondellBasell and

Oiltanking Stolthaven announced that Lyondell

Chemie Nederland BV and Oiltanking Stolthaven

Antwerp NV had signed a ten-year agreement

for the storage and handling of Vinyl Acetate

Monomer (VAM) and Glacial Acetic Acid (GAA) in

Antwerp. “GAA and VAM are industrial chemicals

that are in high demand. Europe has an increased

need for these imports and this agreement

allows us to solidify our commitment to the

European acetyls market and continue to serve

our customers needs far into the future,” explains

Yvan. “As part of the agreement we will invest

in new 13,000 cubic metres of stainless steel

storage capacity and rail loading infrastructure

at Antwerp.”

Able to guarantee long-term storage in an

advantageous location, the terminal regularly

O


http://www.egemin-automation.com

http://www.jpm-gmbh.de

Profile: Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp


signs long-standing contracts with major oil

and gas firms; its recent contract with Evonik

Industries is no exception, reaffirming the two

companies ongoing positive collaboration as

well as Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp’s position

as a competent and reliable service provider for

petrochemical storage in Belgium.

“In order to accommodate the impending

expansion of Evonik’s C4 production installations,

Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp will take over both

the handling and warehousing of these additional

volumes of raw materials. Firstly, the existing tank

infrastructure will be modified to adjust to the

increased production of 1-butene, butadiene,

and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Secondly, five

new bullet tanks, each with a nominal capacity

of 3500 cbm, will be built as well as a new finger

pier with two berths,” explains Yvan. Currently

busy with the construction work for the bullets

and jetty, Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp is

confident it will meet Evonik’s required schedule

and have the new facility fully operational by the

first quarter of 2015.

Having doubled in capacity over the last couple

of years, recent investments have increased

the terminal’s capacity by 30,000 cubic metres

to 50,000 cubic metres; a number that is only

going to increase in the future. “Over the next

few years we will be exploring a lot of projects,

therefore investments will be ongoing to increase

capacity,” says Yvan. “We have plans in the future

as this is a very capital intensive business and our

shareholders are happily supporting this terminal’s

development with investment.”

On top of investment, Oiltanking GmbH

and Stolthaven Terminals are focused on the

development of its employees, increasing

leadership, process and safety training

over recent years. With safety a top priority

at Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerp, its two

shareholders are keen to continue growth

through high quality customer service and

excellent safety standards. “Over the last five

years we have increased growth by 50 per cent,

so our strategic plan for the future is to

maintain this by catching the benefits of this

very large and complex terminal through

optimisation,high safety standards and training,”

concludes Yvan. v

Oiltanking Stolthaven Antwerpwww.oiltanking.com• Part of Stolt Nielsen group• One of the most important terminals in group• Doubled in capacity over recent years

EgEmin AutomAtion Automation makes the difference! The Oiltanking-Stolthaven terminal is one of the largest and most diverse terminals in Belgium. Over the last years this Antwerp based terminal has realised a significant extension in size and complexity. Egemin Automation was selected for the design and detail engineering of the electrical & instrumentation works as well as the design, engineering and implementation of the process and safety automation works. Early involvement and close co-operation combined with know-how and experience in terminal solutions have resulted in reliable & safe storage and loading processes. Egemin’s contribution is only a small factor in the cost of the investments made, but means a major contribution towards the site’s safe, efficient and still flexible operations.

http://www.kanon.nl

http://www.royalpurpleindustrial.com


Profile: Buffalo Marine Service

ounded in 1935 and based in Houston, Texas, Buffalo Marine Service Inc. has developed a reputation for delivering

exceptional service. It operates as one

of America’s most prestigious barge and

bunkering companies and has grown to

incorporate a young, modern fleet of over

40 vessels. The company services a number

of waterways throughout the US including

Texas, where it navigates the Houston Ship

Channel, Bolivar Roads, Galveston, Texas City,

Freeport, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Orange

and Port Arthur. Buffalo Marine also operates

in Louisiana on Lake Charles and Cameron,

Alabama across Mobile and Mississippi via

Pascagoula.

Buffalo Marine offers its two main services

in bunkering and line haul but also offers mass

metering to ensure increased bunker efficiency.

The company aims to make bunkering

an enjoyable and smooth experience and

assures accurate quality and quantity through

stringent gauging and fuel sampling. Flexibly

and adaptability to clients’ changing needs

are central to Buffalo Marine Service’s way

of thinking and customer service begins the

moment bunkering orders are received via its

computerised command centre. It is ready

to accommodate any change to an order’s

situation including early arrivals, providing

assistance should a vessel lose its berth,

accommodating for cargo or dock delays or

early loadings, late discharges and any other

unforeseen problems. This makes Buffalo

Marine Services an invaluable service partner in

ensuring that vessels have full provision for their

bunkering needs. Barges are gauged before

loading orders, after loading is complete and

after the order has been delivered. Accuracy

and quality is synonymous with Buffalo Marine

Service and the company guarantees its

services with complete documentation, paper

work and fuel samples so that its customers

can take bunkering services in full confidence.

F

Pushing bunkering

standards


The company’s bunkering services feature

pumping rates of up to 600 MT per hour,

60-foot bunker booms with ample hose, every

one of its barges has 400 feet of spill boom,

DDEC Tug horsepower to ensure on-time

delivery and arrivals. It also has a diverse tank

barge fleet to accommodate any customer

requirement and special blending barges.

Buffalo has a reputation for bringing reliable,

cost effective transportation to the Texas

Gulf Coast and Louisiana that dates back

to its inception in 1935. Its tugs boast the

necessary horsepower to effectively transport

is clients line hauls. Furthermore the barges

are double-skinned and equipped with large

storages volumes ranging from 8000 to 30,000

barrels. Pumping rates average 500 to 600

MT per hour and fuel efficient, state-of-the-art

engines and onboard communication, weather

and safety systems assure the effective, safe

operation of the company’s vessels.

The company’s fleet is hardworking, versatile

and comprised of 15 towboats and 28 tank

barges that operate throughout Louisiana

and the Texas Gulf Coast. The most recent

additions to the fleet are the M/V San Luis,

the M/V San Blues, the M/V San Kennedy, the

M/V San Austin, the M/V San Brendan and

the M/V Brooklyn. Buffalo has also recently

announced the deployment of its newest


Profile: Buffalo Marine Service

Buffalo Marine Servicewww.buffalomarine.com• Fleet comprising over 40 vessels• Bunkering and line haul services• Environmental commitment

barge, the Shamrock 500, which is chartered

from Shamrock Marine, LLC. A further two new

tanker barges are nearly ready for operation

and a vessel, a new push boat, is expected

during 2014. All of Buffalo’s vessels are crewed

by highly skilled and qualified professionals who

work together to deliver an exemplary level of

service. All Buffalo vessels meet and exceed

USCG-mandated safety requirements and of

every tug’s five-person crew at least four hold

full USCG Tankerman certificates.

Safety and environmental concerns are

of top priority to Buffalo Marine Service.

It addresses industry concerns with its

comprehensive safety and quality training

programme, which includes teaching current,

up to the minute bunkering methods and

spill prevention and response techniques. To

ensure that its high standards are maintained,

Buffalo engages a culture of continual

improvement and innovation in these areas.

Buffalo is dedicated to the protection of the

environment and observes a strict no-spills

policy under the ‘Go Green Buffalo Marine’

slogan. To support this commitment all of its

tugs and barges are equipped with emergency

oil spill control booms and meet or exceed

current emissions. Its latest investment

in new vessels has ensured that its latest

three vessels are exceptionally fuel-efficient.

Buffalo is also equipped to solve hook-up

problems with fittings and bunker connections

that accommodate any hook-up. These

connections are designed to be leak-proof and

further backed by shore and tug personnel

to help expedite hook-ups to prevent leaks

and spills. Its fleet also incorporates specially

designed fending systems to ensure that

clients’ vessels are also protected.

Buffalo Marine Service has many years of

experience under its belt and a reputation

for delivering world-class customer service.

Its sizable fleet continues to grow with the

addition of modern and highly efficient vessels

that will enable the to company to continue to

offer its vital, environmentally responsible and

customer service focused operations for many

years to come. v

http://www.amegybank.com

http://www.volcanic-heater.com


or many years Poland has been a source of highly qualified and efficient seafarers, many of whom over the years have assumed more and more demanding roles in the shipping industry. They have graduated from sea going positions to shore based jobs

and management positions. Today, there are hardly any major shipping centres

where there are no Polish marine or technical superintendents or managers.

Irek Kuligowski, managing director of Green Management gives more details on

the Polish market: Since 1978 and during my 32 years around the world I have

worked in Cyprus, Bermuda, Vancouver, Mumbai, Jakarta, Hong Kong, London,

Hamburg and finally in Gdynia, Poland. I have moved through positions on board

and ashore, from 3rd Engr to ChEngr and then technical super, manager, general

manager and managing director. Wherever I would be transferred there would be

Gdynia,up and coming ship management centre

F


Profile: Green Management

someone there before or after me. The closer I

was to retirement the closer I got to my home

country. But returning did not seem like a

possibility due to the lack of job opportunities,

until recently.

While I was moving around the world, Poland

was changing from a Soviet controlled republic

to a modern democracy based on a market

economy. Travel became easy, telecoms

comparable to anything and anywhere else

and marine academies and nautical colleges

were still producing seafarers. The Polish flag

disappeared and Polish shipping companies

moved offshore. English language proficiency,

so essential for marine industry, went up. People

with experience abroad started to come back

bringing new ideas and attitudes. Jobs and

opportunities were being created.

But most important was the fact that some

imaginative and forward thinking ship-owners

noticed the opportunity. Simple economics

dictate that there is no point in bringing Poles

to where the jobs are and pay them London or

Hamburg wages, it is much more economical

and effective to bring the jobs to where the

people are. This allowed them to employ much

less expensive and well educated general and

specialised office staff, such as purchasers,

fleet personnel officers, accountants, etc. The

notable pioneers in this process were well

known companies such as Bernard Schulte

Reederei, Siem Industries or Caiano Gorup

(Eidesvik family), to mention just a few. They

http://www.thamesdiesel.co.uk


have moved their ship management operations

from Hamburg, London and Bergen and are

looking forward to developing them further.

Example: Siem Industries started with Star

Reefers and now is working on opening an

offshore ships’ management company. It is very

smart move as many Poles find work in offshore

more rewarding and attractive. Nowadays

they are moving up the ladder of this business

and are holding high positions in the deck and

Profile: Green Management

Green Managementwww.greenreefers.com• Development of Poland• Ship management expansion• Keen to create new Association

engine departments. New drilling and offshore

specialists are training at various academic

institutions, to meet future and growing

demands.

Today in spite of the indifferent and

frequently damaging attitude of the Polish

government, who just can’t see potential of

marine and shipping business, there are in

Gdynia at least seven organisations which

do ship management. To gain more influence

on the future developments we are thinking

about creating a Foreign Owners and Ship

Managers Association (need ten members to

officially register it), which could add a voice to

associations that already exist, such as APMAR

(crewing agents association) or the Polish

Shipowners Association. Local authorities would

love to see the emergence of a Pomerania

Shipping Centre, which could be a contact

point and offer assistance to any newcomers.

Especially as, apart from ship operators, the Tri-

city area (Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia) has attracted

several major design offices, service and repair

companies, or ship building and repair yards.

It is all remarkable as the Polish government

doesn’t understand their historical responsibility

for wasting all the potential and efforts of

earlier generations in establishing Poland as a

maritime nation. They do not seem to be able

to comprehend that shipping and tonnage

under national flag gives nations voting power

to decide on issues such as new pollution laws

(disaster with new law on use of LS fuels in

Northern Europe five years earlier than in the

South), or future legislature on offshore wind

farms, under sea mining, etc.

There is also the matter of the Polish flag.

The government decided to create Bare Boat

facilities allowing for easy registration of ships

under a Polish flag. New tonnage tax laws

were implemented. As a result one can have a

very economical set up and ship under Polish/

EU flag, but no crew to operate it. Someone

forgot about the seafarers employment act.

The huge potential of the Polish flag and ship

management is being wasted by short-sighted

policies and lack of understanding of the value

of shipping to the national economy. Poland is a

small country but unfortunately still big enough

to place Warsaw too far away from the coast. v

http://www.lcc-polaris.com


B

Profile: VeKa Group

Dualdevelopment

ased in the municipality Werkendam in the southern Netherlands, the VeKa Group shares the region’s rich

cultural association with inland waterworks and maritime tradition. Piet Versluis and

business partner Jan Kapel founded the

company in 1988. Piet had previously operated

as an inland navigator but decided to found a

new company after seeing further opportunities

in the trade of inland vessels. Shortly after Jan

opted to leave the company, but the VeKa name

was retained and the business has continued

to grow and develop its renowned reputation in

shipbuilding. During 1995 the company received

its first request to take on a shipbuilding project,

which resulted in the delivery of its first ship a

year later. Today, the company exists as the

VeKa Group with a comprehensive order book

and seven allied companies and shipyards

in Werkendam and other regions within the

Netherlands, including Bijlsma shipyard, Lemmer

and Teamco finishing company, Heusden. Since

its first vessel in 1995, the group expanded that

number to 50 by 2009 and today that number

stands at over 200.

The VeKa Group is involved in shipbuilding

for a range of markets in a number of locations.

It constructs vessels in the Netherlands,

Eastern Europe and Asia including both inland

navigation vessels and seagoing ships. Jongert

in Wieringerwerf, Netherlands constructs luxury

yachts and motor yachts, allowing VeKa to

offer its clients complete turnkey concepts that

eliminate unexpected costs. The company is

efficiently able to construct vessels by series or

on a one-off basis and operates standardised

hull construction through joint ventures. The

VeKa Group delivers vessels to the inland

navigation, seagoing, offshore support, yachting,

dredging and LNG sectors and also provides

pontoons in various dimensions. These are


well suited for carrying heavy and voluminous

cargos, which makes them ideal for a number of

applications including salvage operations, wind

turbine projects, transport of heavy cargoes and

dredging operations.

The LNG market is an area in which the VeKa

Group is dedicated to developing. At present the

company produces LHG carriers for inland and

sea going delivery and has earned a prestigious

accolades in the sector, winning the ‘Clean

Marine Award’ for its Pioneer Knutsen LNG

carrier, presented by the European Commission.

The vessel was an important step forward in

clean, efficient LNG transport as managing

director Arend Bijlsma explains: “It was the first

dual-fuel LNG tanker ever built. Especially for

this project we developed new technology for

the storage of LNG and for the use of LNG as

fuel for the propulsion engines. The combination

of these two techniques made it possible to sail

the tanker for a significant part on the ‘boil off’

(the gas that is released by keeping the load on

the correct temperature), the engine switches

to diesel in case of insufficient ‘boil off’

availability, which explains the term dual-fuel.”

Within Europe, the Group expects the inland

LNG market to grow and is positioning itself to

meet future demand for inland LNG vessels. At

present the LNG terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium

and the upcoming GATE terminal in Maasvlake,

Rotterdam are Europe’s only LNG import

facilities that are equipped to load inland and

costal carriers. VeKa expects new, small-scale

LNG terminal and bunker facilities to appear

along the Rhine in the near future and is ready

to deliver the inland LNG carriers that will be

required to serve the new LNG infrastructure.

“Using LNG instead of gas oil already gives a

saving of roughly 25 per cent on fuel costs,”

Bijsma elaborates. “Experts believe that the

price of gas oil will reach a level of about 1000

euros per ton in the near future whereas the

price of LNG will not, or will hardly increase.

From a financial point of view the use of LNG

will be increasingly more attractive. In addition to

this the rules with respect to the environmental

requirements are becoming stricter in more and

more countries. For instance in the Baltic Sea

http://www.promarin.de

Profile: VeKa Group


and the Gulf of Bothnia until some years ago

it was permitted to use high sulphuric heavy

crude. Now only low sulphuric crude is allowed.

In the long term the environmental requirements

will be tightened worldwide. It is expected that

then you will have to use gas oil again or install a

scrubber to remove sulfur and hydrates from the

exhaust fumes. If you want to sail really cleanly

and cost efficiently, LNG is the only answer.”

Recently, the VeKa Group entered into a

collaborative project with the Dutch inland

waterway operator Deen to form the LNG

Group. The focus of the group will be to build

liquefied natural gas vessels and put them to

work in the growing inland LNG market. Both

VeKa and Deen are pioneering companies within

inland shipping and together the companies

have set about designing and building its first

LNG carrier, which will be delivered during May

2015. The new vessel will be able to bunker

LNG-fuelled ships as well as transport cryogenic

fuel to inland destinations. At present Deen

already operates the Argonon, which delivers

liquid fuels to clients in the Rotterdam area. The

dual-fuelled vessel is the world’s first inland ship

to do so and runs with 20 per cent diesel and

80 per cent LNG boil-off. The dual-fuel system

currently saves Deen around 30 per cent of

its fuel cost and the company is considering

converting the rest of its fleet to LNG operation.

In addition to shipbuilding the LNG Group

will feature a cryogenic department that will

focus on shipbuilding, engine replacement and

piping systems, a bunkering division tasked

with supplying vessels and inland barges with

LNG and a barging department that will operate

inland LNG vessels. Through this partnership

and with its rich tradition in local shipbuilding the

VeKa Group is well placed to become a vital part

of Europe’s increasing LNG market. v

VeKa Groupwww.vekagroup.com• LNG Group partnership• Offshore and inland vessels• Over 200 vessels built

http://www.dijvler.nl

http://www.aggreko.com.pa

2005, the company started to work with the

Panamax Dry Dock Facility and Braswell

Shipyard both owned by the Panamanian

Government and managed by the Braswell

family.

The company very quickly became the

main contractor of the shipyard, servicing

the three dry docks of the facility and gaining

valuable experience as a shipyard repair service

company. By the end of 2007, the company had

decided to become a shipyard on its own and

started on the path to achieving this goal.

Over the next two years MEC continued to

work as a sub-contractor at the shipyard facility,

but began operating several small shipyard

facilities on a lease basis. The main ones were

the Canal’s facility in Mount Hope, which had a

capacity for vessels 120 metres in length and

20 metres in breadth, and the former Astilleros

Veracruz International, a slipway shipyard facility

EC Shipyards is one of the divisions of MEC Panama, a company that was incorporated

in Panama in 1999. Today MEC Panama’s

operations are divided into three other areas

alongside shipyards - afloat repairs, underwater,

and chandlering and between them they can

undertake a range of services, such as afloat

ship repairs, permanent dry ship repairs,

temporary underwater repairs, permanent

underwater repairs, ship bow thruster repairs,

crane repairs, mechanical ship repairs and dry

docking repairs.

It is the mission of the entire staff of MEC

Panama to provide the best value in ship

maintenance on the North and South American

continents. The organisation’s goal is to provide

proper ship upkeep at a reasonable price, in

a predictable and agreed allotted time, at an

acceptable level of quality.

The history of MEC is filled with significant

developments and events. It begins in 1999

when the company was created with the aim of

providing pollution control services in Panama.

However, the company very soon became

aware of the lack of cost effective and high

quality ship repair services in Panama and the

urgent need to provide ship repair solutions to

vessels transiting the Panama Canal.

Between 2002 and 2005 and after a name

change, MEC started to promote its services

around the world, offering ship repair services

to the ship owners calling at the ports of

Panama and of the region. By the year 2005,

the company was solidly established as one of

the main ship repair companies in the Central

American region. Also by the end of the year

M

The complete

solution


Profile: MEC Shipyards

located on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal,

with a similar capacity to the Panama Canal

facility on the Atlantic.

2010 was a very significant year, as almost

11 years after founding of the company and

the first repair services, MEC was able to buy

the Veracruz facility and, on March 15, 2010,

started operations in the new shipyard, with

the entrance of a 700 ton small supply tanker

vessel. Today, the company still carries out the

afloat repairs that continue to be its customers’

main requirement, but is in the process of

upgrading the Veracruz shipyard to service

vessels 150 metres in length and to have, in the

next three years, a Panamax pier facility.

The developments for MEC have continued

until the present day. In June 2012 it increased

its capital structure in order to enable the

process of taking its ship repair operations to

the next level. This was achieved by establishing

a partnership with Peikard International, a strong

Panamanian commercial and financial group.

With this new structure, MEC was ready for its

next target: Braswell Shipyard.

Less than a month after the capital structure

deal was agreed, MEC’s proposal for the ex

Braswell Shipyard Facility was approved as

the best valued. As a result its international bid

was accepted for the commercial operation

and administration of the Balboa Panamax Dry

Docking Facility, ex Braswell Shipyard, for a

period of 20 years.

Following two years of planning and

improvements, the new shipyard opened in

January 2013, after investments of $4.5 million

were made into new cranes, welding equipment

and updated facilities, with another $2 million

of spending planned. As of October 27th, 2013

over 40 vessels have been delivered under

complete, special survey, class-approved

repairs.

This new facility is being added to the MEC

Shipyard portfolio, alongside its other locations.

Its headquarters is based at the entrance of the

Panama Canal, on the Balboa Port Terminal,

with over 12 hectares of industrial shipyard

facility. The Balboa Port Terminal is a major

facility, which includes three graving docks for

vessels up to panamax size, with over 12,000

sqm of fully equipped workshops.

The facilities and services on site range from

well equipped steel plating and pipe shops with

computerised cutters, 400 ton hydraulic press,

automated MIG and TIG welding equipment,

to grit blasting and paint spraying services, arc

submerged welding, and much more. With

European and American hi-tech production

equipment and excellent management with

combined 300+ years experience, MEC

Shipyards Balboa location is able to ensure high

quality and just-in-time delivery.

In addition, the company also operates the

previously mentioned Veracruz (West Balboa)

Shipyard, which has over 1.5 hectares of

shipyard facilities, at the Pacific side of the

Panama Canal.

MEC’s Balboa Anchorage gives the

organisation a variety of safe and deep draft

anchorage locations, where it can perform

any top side repairs, while at its Cristobal

Anchorage, located on the Cristobal Inner

Roads (with Panama Canal authorisation) it can

offer full afloat repair services. Finally it operates

Colon 2000, a panamax lay by berth available

for emergency repairs at the Atlantic entrance

of the Manzanillo Bay. These locations work

together to create a successful and reliable

company, which has established very strong

relationships with suppliers and customers alike.

Going forward into 2014, MEC Shipyards has

further plans for development and success. It

is aiming to achieve certification of its quality

system to ISO 9001, making further investments

into the new shipyard and to ensure it can

meet the needs of customers. These plans will

help the company to continue delivering total

customer satisfaction. v


Profile: MEC Shipyards

MEC Shipyardswww.mecpanama.com• Recently re-opened the Panama Shipyard• Leading dry dock facility in the area• Significant investments made into premises

Aggreko AmericAsWe are a world class company and leader in temporary power management and temperature control, present on five continents, in 130 locations with more than 3500 employees.Now in Panama, we have commercial, operational and engineering offices. Our HUB has a fleet of electric generators, transformers, distribution boxes, fuel tanks, cables, HVAC, Chillers, all ready to be delivered immediately and meet your requirements, adding value to your business.For over two years we have been suppliers of MEC in supplying electric generators in several projects mostly in Panama, managing to create a good synergy between the two companies and a high level of satisfaction for its final customers.


Profile: A&P Falmouth

Heading toFalmouth&P Group operates seven dry docks across three strategic locations in the UK at Falmouth, Tyne and Tees, offering an extensive portfolio of services that can accommodate all ship repair requirements, ranging from emergency dockings to 25-year

special surveys. All work is carried out under rigorous compliance with an integrated

safety, health, quality and environmental management system fully certified under ISO

9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001.

Growing through expertise, market-strength and dedication to delivering complex

projects A&P has become a global leader in ship repair, conversion and marine

services. A&P provides robust, bespoke solutions, maintaining a collaborative, open

approach creating lasting and trusted partnerships.

A&P Falmouth operates in one of the world’s largest natural deepwater harbours.

The ship-repair complex consists of three large graving docks including the largest

dry dock on the UK south coast at 254m by 40m and extensive berthing facilities for

vessels up to 100,000 tonnes.

Offering onsite engineering, electrical, paint and fabrication workshops, it is able to provide a

complete range of marine repair services to the customer. As well as extensive workshop facilities

across all disciplines Falmouth offers bunkering facilities, the ability to dock without gas freeing,

CSL Argosy

A&P Falmouth yard A

EAPLEAPL’s core business is that of fixed price project work, undertaken to meet the budget of individual customers, EAPL is able to source & provide skilled labour, tools and materials to complete an array of project work, from ship repairs to component manufacturing, thus providing a full project management package.Its effectiveness is both as a result of its professional and experienced multilingual staff and its commitment to each operation, tailored to the needs of each client.EAPL works closely with its clients by integrating experienced supervisory staff with those of its customers, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the combined workforce. A great example is the relationship forged with A&P, where EAPL is the preferred supplier of skilled labour at the Falmouth yard. EAPL has a wealth of experience in managing workforces from outside the UK and understands the differing traditions and methods of work.EAPL offers extensive repair services throughout Europe to the marine and industrial sector and also provides skilled coded welders, platers, fabricators, pipe fitters, electricians, mechanical engineers and riding gangs.


in-water surveys and propeller polishing as

well as strong support from OEM’s and other

specialist contractors based in the area.

In addition, The Port of Falmouth handles over

100,000 tonnes of product annually with over

30 firms located in the docks estate providing

a full range of services including towage, ship’s

agency, area port health, diving services, local

surveyors and tank washing. Regarded as the

gateway to Cornwall, Falmouth is used by over

20,000 cruise passengers annually.

Supporting the busy port A&P Falmouth

announced the appointment of five new

apprentices this year underlining the

commitment to the future of the dockyard.

Specialising in marine mechanical and electrical

engineering the entrants will undergo significant

training empowering the workforce.

HR and development manager Paul

Kneebone, who started his own career with the

company in 1984 as an engineering apprentice,

says: “An apprenticeship brings raw potential

and talent into the marine engineering industry.

We are investing in the next generation so that

Rosco Cypress at night

http://www.eap-ltd.co.uk

Profile: A&P Falmouth


Grande and tugs

we can continue to be at the forefront of marine

engineering to support commercial and military

fleets worldwide.”

Sixty per cent of current managers and

supervisors at A&P Falmouth started with

the company as apprentices and investment

demonstrates the business is fully dedicated

to building on the marine skill base that has

sharpened over 150 years of ship repair at

Falmouth Docks.

Operating with two core strap lines ‘Safety

First’ and ‘Customer is King, Repeat Business is

the key’ the attention has resulted in many long-

term ship repair partnerships with companies

including P&O, Grimaldi, Condor, Serco, Gulf

Offshore, BAE Systems, Star Reefers and the

Ministry of Defence.

In October A&P Falmouth completed the third

successful project this year with the Grimaldi

Group (54 in 12 years). Grande Togo left

Falmouth, escorted by A&P Falmouth’s tugs St

Piran and Percuil with the Grimaldi car carrier’s

distinctive yellow and white paintwork gleaming

as it reflected in the afternoon high tide.

In November 2013 the fast cat, Condor

Vitesse arrived in Falmouth. The 86 metre high-

speed ferry operates between the UK and the

Channel Islands connecting with ferry services

on to France. With original construction by Incat

Yards of Tasmania in 1997 the vessel was in

dock for 20 days whilst general maintenance

and survey work was completed on time.

From local domestic and commercial to

foreign military, A&P Falmouth has a client base

that arrives in a variety of forms and in October

2013 received a rare visit from a state-of-the-

art warship, the Soobrazitelny, the first Russian

military vessel in decades to berth at Falmouth.

The strategic visit enabled the fuel and stores to

be replenished, and after a long time at sea, its

crew enjoyed the facilities the port had to offer.

Earlier in the same month, HMS Mersey

arrived for a programmed six-week refit. The

ship, managed by BAE Systems and part of the

Fishery Protection Squadron, the oldest unit of

the Royal Navy, patrols the waters of the UK and

up to 200 miles in the Atlantic ensuring fishing

boats and trawlers stick to internationally agreed

quotas. After 391,653 nautical miles and 50,000

hours at sea, A&P Falmouth was selected for

the repair work that includes a major painting

programme.

Building relationships with new contractors,

A&P Falmouth completed the dry-docking and

repairs on the tanker Jipro Isis. The project,

which was won against competing European

shipyards included hull preparation and

painting, tail shaft survey, main engine overhauls

and class survey items. Mr Kim Supt. Iino

Maritime says: “A&P Falmouth was chosen for

the docking and repairs to Jipro Isis as their

pricing structure was the most competitive of

the North European yards. The maintenance,

painting and upgrade work was carried out in

A&P Falmouthwww.ap-group.co.uk• Ship repair and conversion• Developing workforce• Growing client base

a safe and efficient manner and to a very high

standard of workmanship. The vessel completed

on time and on budget. The co-operation with

the management and the repair-teams was

excellent.’’

Following a string of successful contracts

A&P Falmouth was chosen for the dry-docking

and repairs to CSL Argosy, a self-discharging

bulk carrier, beating other European yards on

both price and turnaround time. The vessel

is 244 metres long with a 32 metre beam, a

suitable size for the number two dry-dock. In

feed back from Beltship superintendent John

Hendry says: “The work was carried out safely,

efficiently and to a very high standard. I was

impressed by the openness and co-operation of

the yard project and management team, which

resulted in a very successful and timely docking.

We would have no hesitation in returning to A&P

Falmouth in the future.”

Moving into 2014 with an expanded and

satisfied client base the future prospects

are looking very strong for the docks at

Falmouth. v

rmada Engineering is based in the far southwest of England and amidst the centre of a busy hub of marine activity. Undoubtedly, the success of the region has allowed Armada Engineering to

grow into one of the world’s leading yacht and ship hydraulics systems designers, installers and consultants.

The key strength of Armada hydraulics and engineering divisions is its particular ability to apply its technical knowledge. Armada understands marine systems and at the highest level its consultants can project manage new builds and advise on the successful integration of complex systems. Its team of practical design engineers works closely with the consulting team and provides innovative and practical solutions based on accumulated knowledge. Thereafter Armada’s team of technicians can be called upon to complete planned maintenance and installation anywhere around the world. Locally in Falmouth, Armada has a number of core customers in ship repair, oil & gas, on-shore drilling, superyachts, and workboats. A&P Falmouth is Armada’s largest customer and is significant as it provides a wide scope of both engineering support and parts supply.

Armada has undertaken numerous contracts for A&P Falmouth

from major pipework installations on systems like ringmains and davits to the refurbishment of rams and valves and the supply of quality surveys and accurate hose registers.

Supplies capabilitiesArmada’s Supplies division is one of the South-West’s largest distributors of hydraulic and fluid power products, and also it has a long history of supplying the region with both fasteners, PPE and welding consumables including specialist brands like the high quality, low vibration range of abrasives from Rasta. Whilst Armada as a group can supply A&P effectively from extensive stocks held at Falmouth and depots around the region, it also services a managed consignment stock for A&P which allows the yard the flexibility to draw from a wide range of both basic fluid power products, fasteners and pipeline products without causing any disruption to its 24/7 operations.

Armada could not provide a successful parts supply without a quality supply chain in support of its operations. Some of its valued suppliers include major brands like Manuli Hose and Schwer Fittings who give maximum flexibility to Armada’s hydraulic hose supply. Adam Doney, sales manager notes: “We have recently re-hosed a large crane for A&P, which had

a lot of non-standard stainless fittings and we would have struggled to complete the contract if we did not have suppliers of their quality.”

Alan Rowe, director adds: “Our relationship with A&P Falmouth goes back 20 plus years and we started out as a basic supplier of pipeline products hoses and PPE. Today we are privileged to be a preferred hydraulic contractors and we operate consignment stocks. We have achieved this by working closely with their ships managers, engineers and purchasing team. We have worked hard to gain A&P’s trust in our service and reliability and as they work 24/7 we too have to ensure our promises are kept and we maintain our ability to react quickly to urgent requirements.”


Technical knowledge

AArmada Group has worked with A&P Falmouth for two decades, and is very proud of the close working relationship that has evolved between the two companies

Developing systemsThrough its years of work in the market, Armada recognised that there were opportunities for its own solutions. As a result, the company has researched and developed a central hydraulics ringmain system which effectively negates the need for multiple power packs, releasing space and weight, and reducing both noise and vibration. In support of its hydraulic installation Armada has developed a range for non-welded pipework systems including Eaton Walterscheid’s WalformPlus pipework system and Teekay clamps. WalformPlus is ideal for HP systems requiring minimal maintenance whilst Teekaycouplings are extensively used by the MOD for many low pressure applications.

As Armada has developed its focus on systems and also moved into Marine Fluid Management it came into contact with DVZ Services from Germany, a market leader in the manufacture of wastewater treatment systems. DVZ was impressed with Armada’s technical ability and the synergy the two companies had with their customer bases. In 2012 DVZServices Germany appointed Armada Engineering as itsdistributors and service agents for the UK. Its range of productsmanages marine wastewater; grey and black water treatment, and DVZ systems are extensively used across European shipyards for small workboats to ferries, cruise liners and large commercial vessels.


Group operations Armada Engineering is part of the larger Armada Engineering Group, which has extensive supply chain capabilities. The Supplies division based in Falmouth and Plymouth has local and regional presence for a number of products including all types of fluid power products, welding consumables, PPE and non-welded systems.

Armada Supplies, fastener and Armada Tube & Steel are all long standing suppliers to A&P Falmouth and whilst the three companies operate independently they do provide operational support to each other.

Armada supplies operates a consignment stock service for A&P Falmouth as well as a number of other large manufacturers in the southwest. From its base in PlymouthArmada Supplies offers a complete range of marine and industrial fixings, power tools and other workshop consumables.

Armada Tube & Steel is a national steel stockholder specialising in tubular products. The Tube & Steel division has supplied A&P Falmouth for over 25 years and is probably one of its oldest suppliers. The company is a market leader in offering niche processing capabilities including tube lasers, bending and bulk cutting facilities. Its customers have the choice to purchase standard products or to maximise their production capabilities by purchasing semi-finished products to planned schedules. v

To access the full scope of Armada’s services go to www.armadamh.co.uk or to access online stocks visit www.armada24.co.uk.


For over 200 years Bibby Ship Management has been trading in one of the most competitive and dynamic markets in the world.

With the reputation as a high quality, safe and

reliable owner and manager it operates out of

offices in the UK, Isle of Man, Norway, Ukraine,

India, the Philippines and Singapore.

Following a number of investments in the

company profile over the last couple of years,

Shipping and Marine magazine spoke to chief

executive officer Ed Rimmer about these

developments and the future path for the

shipping business: “Alongside the acquisition of a

marine survey company we have recently spent

$2 million dollars on new simulator equipment for

training centres in the Ukraine and India, as well

as establishing a new senior management team

tasked with taking the business forward.”

The worldwide shortage of seafarers is widely

known and acknowledged, and Bibby has made

the important investment in training facilities,

ultimately supporting new generations with high

quality training leading to a prosperous career.

Students are travelling from West Africa, the

Middle East and Asia to train at Bibby’s facility


in India. With over 95 per cent of the students

self-funding the training, Ed highlights: “We have

employed master mariners with a wealth of

experience to conduct the training and it is a real

testament to the faculty that so many students

are travelling such distances to train there.”

In November 2013 Bibby announced an

expansion into marine surveying through the

purchase of Murray Fenton (India) Surveyors

Ltd. “The acquisition was a strategic move to

diversify the business away from a transitional

technical management company as we strive to

become a complete marine services business.

Murray Fenton is a well-known name, which has

provided us with a strong profile in the surveying

market,” he added. The acquisition will see

India’s service offering expand into marine, cargo

and offshore surveying including marine audit

services. Based in Mumbai and Gujarat, future

geographic expansion into other areas of India is

planned.

A new managing director, Arvind Mohan, has

been appointed to spearhead the investment the

business made in the opening of its Singapore

office. After only two years of operating in the

region, Bibby has successfully achieved its

financial goals as Ed details: “This time last year

we were operating seven ships out of Singapore,

and today we are managing 15. Although it is still

a relatively small fleet, it is through this success

that we have achieved a break-even situation so

early. Functioning with Singapore as a hub, the

new MD is pushing commercial activities into

other areas of Asia, targeting Indonesia, Japan

and South Korea.”

Being part of the Bibby Line Group, with half

of the ship management business in the offshore

sector, has provided a lot of opportunities that

other shipping companies have not focused on.

Reviewing the markets, Ed explains: “Our links

with Bibby Offshore have grown significantly

in the last couple of years and whilst some

businesses are put off by the complex and high

risk nature of offshore activities, our expertise

in that sector is supporting us in our move to

become a niche player in this market.”

Promoting a partnership approach with all

its customers is a solution that has become

habitual to the company, after it recognised that

the whole market works more effectively in this

way. Currently undergoing a trial with another

internal division of Bibby, the business is gearing

Seeds of growth


Profile: Bibby Ship Management

towards offering a fully flexible menu of services

to clients. “The move is structured to provide

customers with the option of selecting aspects

of the service that we provide from crewing to

back office functions. It’s a big step from the

standard approach of a full technical team or

crew, and the blueprint we are producing in the

trial demonstrates the possibilities of this level of

flexibility,” says Ed.

BP is one of Bibby’s long-term customers

under this partnering approach, and through

a £100 million contract officially awarded in

March 2013, it has overseen the new building of

two vessels during the last six months and has

taken on four regional support vessels within the

Caledonian fleet, and 200 crew, operating in the

North Sea.

The total fleet under Bibby’s management

is currently 62, and with big plans to continue

growth into new geographical areas by 2018,

the business aims to be operating a fleet of 150

within five years. Looking towards the future,

Ed concludes: “Our focus is on continuing our

investment in training. We see the worldwide

shipping markets improving over the next five

years and it is vital to have high quality trained

people on board. Additionally we are aimed at

realising potential in the tanker, container and

Bibby Ship Managementwww.bibbyshipmanagement.com

• Worldwide operator• Increasing footprint• Focused on training

offshore market as we diversify in to the wider

marine services market. We recognise that it is

going to be difficult to achieve our aspirations

with organic growth alone so we will continue to

seek suitable acquisitions and joint ventures that

will grow each section of the business we are

involved in.” v

http://www.melcalmarine.com


ocated in the Centro Region of Portugal the city of Aveiro reaches into the Atlantic through Port of Aveiro.

Aveiro is a multi-functional port that plays a

crucial role in serving a wide range of industries

and clusters, such as ceramics, chemical,

winemaking, metallurgic, pulp, paper and

wood products and also agro products and

construction products.

“We are fifth in Portugal with a well-organised

and modern infrastructure operating mainly

in short and medium sea shipping. 2013 has

been busy with many exports leaving through

our port,” explains Isabel Ramos, business

development manager. With its large flattened

surface area it has one of the highest mooring

capacities for multiuse terminals of all the

national ports. Five terminals are designed to

transport a large array of goods, and a further

two are specialised for fisheries. Additionally the

port operates a maritime Logistical Activities

and Industries Zone (ZALI) and is enhanced by

the CACIA, the Logistical and Railway Platform.

The opening of the railway connection in 2009

has been a main factor in the increase of activity

around the port. It has around six to eight trains

per day that serves the big cement exports of

Portugal. Isabel continues: “We are about to

achieve our record of traffic moving four million

tonnes through our port. It has been very active

this year with exports of cements. Portuguese

exporters are regularly using this rail link.”

Aveiro serves one of the main centres of the

domestic chemical industry as well as leading

companies in the field of fuel like BP and PRIO

Energy. Isabel elaborates: “There is a cluster of

chemical companies within 30 kilometres of the

port. One of our main clients, Companhia Uniao

Fabril (CUF) and others like DOW, Bresfor and

Cires have stabilised our traffic in the last years.

We also have big customers exporting ceramic,

steel, wood, pulp and paper. Many of these are

within the hinterland of the port, and

others are using the rail links to transit

goods to us for export.”

Port of Aveiro is leader of the

LOGISTICA CENCYL project that

is dedicated to bringing together the logistics

corridor that links the Centre Region of Portugal

and the Castilla y Léon Province of Spain. Its

trading relations with Spain have been boosted

by the co-operation between Aveiro Port and

the Logistics Cluster of Castilla y Léon and the

ZALDESA-Logistics Platform of Salamanca

since 2005. “Through association with the

Portuguese and Spanish partners in this project

we hope to promote the Atlantic corridor and

attract cargo to the rail connection running into

Aveiro. Additionally the port benefits from non-

congested motorways connecting the region

to the main cities of Portugal and Spain. Our

main shipping is to Europe and North Africa

and the railway has supported our status as a

multi-modal port. This year we have also noticed

diversity into new markets like Brazil,” Isabel

says. The growth into new trading follows the

signing of some International Agreements of

Maritime Ports Brotherhood between Aveiro and

other Brasilian ports, such as Itajaí in Brazil.

The port has gradually seen an increase

in companies coming to get benefits from its

advantages: land space and zero congestion.

Isabel suggests that it is down to the flexibility:

PORTugalL


Prio Parque de Tanques Prio Parque de Tanques is the first storage & handling and importing fuels facility built in Portugal in the last two decades. Strategically positioned in Port of Aveiro in the centre of Aveiro, Prio has a direct access to a 1.2 million cbm per year hinterland market for petrol and diesel. This benefit is complemented with great advantage in secondary logistics since there are motorways to the north, south, heartland and directly to Spain.

Profile: Port of Aveiro, Portugal

“We have a lot of space to implement new industries and logistic

units. The new infrastructure – ZALI- the maritime industrial

zone offers a logistical platform with a maritime front with zero

congestion and therefore it is a viable alternative to new niche

markets of containers and roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) lines.”

Isabel details this approach: “We have two main goals. One,

is to capture each of these niche markets and the second is to

attract foreign and national investors to their industrial units in

our logistics zone.” The port authority of Aveiro has about 100

acres of land available for potential investments dedicated to the

installation of new units of logistics and industrial subdivisions.

The Maritime ZALI is designed to add a competitive factor to

investing businesses. The new access to the port is nearing

completion. The port will have the access depth of 13.2 metres.

She continues: “This will facilitate the entrance of much larger

ships. The completion will also signify the end of our ten-year

investment. All five of our terminals are ready to use in high

potential. We believe that this new maritime access will attract

new markets and more traffic to the port.”

As with many industries, the economic crisis continues to challenge operations. Isabel explains:

“In Portugal we have noticed that all industry is trying to export more, and we have seen increases

in certain imports. Like other ports in Portugal we are experiencing this turnover of trade and we

are growing. In 2013 we have seen increases of 20 per cent and this is due to the dynamics of the

industry and the exports of products.”

The port authority of Aveiro has been promoting strategy aimed at management and

http://www.prioenergy.com


personalisation of the

port and logistic services,

focusing on the design of

terminals, operations to create solutions

that meet the needs of the clients.

Looking to the future Isabel concludes:

“Moving into the future we are reviewing

our strategic approach and vision. We had

been working on the development of ZALI,

bringing investors and industries to the port

and attracting new players to the markets

of containers and ro-ro lines. Of course the

diversifying of markets

in this way will still be

in our vision, but due

to the dynamic of the

international trade we

now are looking at a new

approach to 2020. We want

to be a reference as a short

sea shipping port in Europe

on the Atlantic coast and a

multimodal reference in the

Atlantic corridor and we know

that there is much more work to do in the near

future to achieve this goal.” v

Profile: Port of Aveiro, Portugal

Port of Aveiro, Portugalen.portodeaveiro.pt

• New Maritime Logistics and industrial Zone• Short sea shipping port • A modern multimodal infrastructure in the Atlantic Corridor

DRAVOSADRAVOSA has shown itself as a reliable and innovative partner in Aveiro. This relationship started in 2006 with the dredging of six mio m3 for the deepening of the Bulk Terminal basin and its access channels, using both a trailer suction hopper dredger and a cutter suction dredger. DRAVOSA then got awarded the maintenance dredging for both Aveiro and Figueira da Foz in 2010. And the relationship still continues today with the involvement of DRAVOSA in the North breakwater extension works.

http://www.dravosa.com


M

Profile: Mariner

Vitalgatekeeper

alta-based Mariner, which forms part of Marin Hili Holdings, is a specialist in the development

and management of seaport container terminals in niche and emerging markets. The organisation has a clear objective targeted at

sourcing smaller, less developed terminals with

a greater potential for growth and profitability.

“Mariner, which was originally established

under Hili Company, is now an independent

entity whose main activities are investing and

managing terminals as well as the development

of logistics centres. We have activities in Riga,

Latvia, where we have Baltic Container Terminal

(BCT) which is wholly owned by Mariner; we also

have Terminal Intermodale Venzia (TIV) in Venice,

which we own in 50/50 shares with Marinvest

s.r.l, however the managerial responsibility for TIV

lies independently with Mariner,” says Marin Hili,

chairman and CEO of Mariner. He continues: “In

2012 we acquired a 48 per cent shareholding in

Durres container terminal (DCT) in Albania and

our most recent development involves a terminal

in Scotland, which we are working on alongside

Babcock International.”

Selected as the preferred operator for the

development of a container terminal in Rosyth,

Scotland earlier this year, Mariner and Babcock

have been involved in the lengthy process of

getting the terminal approved by the Scottish

Cabinet. Now that the process has been

finalised, the two firms are to set up the Rosyth

International Container Terminal (RICT) on a site

that is owned and operated by Babcock, located

on the north bank of the Firth of Forth. The site


includes a dockyard port, and benefits from being

in short proximity to Edinburgh. Developed over

an area of 22.5 hectares, the RICT will serve as

a feeder gateway terminal, capable of handling

more than 400,000 TEUs and efficiently able to

meet present and future demands of the Scottish

market.

“Babcock are the contractors of the Ministry

of Defence, and the dock was built in the times

of Mrs Thatcher for the use of submarines; this

never got off the ground so the site has been

empty for some time. Working together in a

50/50 partnership, where Mariner manages the

terminal, we will be moving forward with our plans

now that the approval process is complete,”

explains Marin.

Another major development of the firm is

the huge investments it has made at all of its

terminals, including a massive 20 million euros

being spent on new equipment, including

a quay crane, technology and warehouses

at its Riga terminal this year alone, as Marin

highlights: “The investment in a new crane will

enable us to have more available equipment,

while the warehousing has been increased to

20,000 square metres; this is in addition to the

substantial amount of uncovered storage space.

These improvements enable us to accommodate

our customers further. The newest warehouse

has just been commissioned and went into

operation in November; it already has customers

using it and is sold out for the next three years.

On top of this, we are doing a lot of paving so

we can increase space and continue enhancing

productivity, while our software investments are

an ongoing process. We update our technology

continuously.”

Mariner has invested heavily in sophisticated

terminal operating systems (TOS) at TIV and

BCT. In recent years, it has strengthened its

services further with the implementation of

tailored IT-based modules, which allow efficient

real-time management of the entire container

handling cycle. In 2009 BCT started developing

an automated container operating system

comprised of three key components – gate,

rail and quay modules. The state-of-the-art

installations include portals at the respective

interfaces, which enable the capture of visual

data for each container entering or exiting the

terminal. These modules, which are integrated

with the TOS, optimise operations by increasing

efficiency, decreasing human error rate and

allowing long-term operations planning.

Further strategic investments are also

being made into the upgrade of quays, berths

and equipment in order to handle the latest

generation of vessels and logistics systems. This

follows a strategic decision Mariner made to

almost double the railway infrastructure at BCT

in April 2011, with the terminal now serving 64

(80 foot) rail platforms simultaneously. This new

capacity allows the direct proximity of container

storage to the rail access zones and a more

efficient shunting of block trains, giving BCT a

comparative advantage over other terminals in

the region. The investment has resulted in BCT

becoming a leading player in the ship-to-rail

market in the region.

In addition to investing directly into its facilities,

equipment and staff at its terminals, Mariner has

also forged significant strategic alliances in each

of its operating regions, and encouraged by the

beneficial effects of these synergies, Mariner

is now seeking to pursue further investment

Profile: Mariner


opportunities in the Baltics, the Mediterranean

and Black Sea regions, as well as the Asian sub-

continent. “Our upcoming plans involve actively

looking to invest in another terminal in the Baltics

as well as a terminal in the Adriatic,” says Marin.

“Furthermore, we are tendering on a number

of terminals in India, one with Malaysian port

operators Westports, and another with the Indian

infrastructural development company IL&FS. We

have been shortlisted in these tenders, including

one in Kolkata.”

Looking ahead, Mariner anticipates increased

demand following strategic improvements of

terminals and potential acquisitions of new

terminals in the future. “We know our business

very well and have excellent human resources

within our dedicated IT and engineering sectors

to ensure projects are completed successfully.

We want to grow with our clients through an

ongoing open dialogue; they aren’t statistics to

us, we know our customers and the issues they

want solutions for. To deliver these solutions we

aim to develop our business even more, enhance

our existing terminals and acquire two or three

more terminals over the next three to five years.

Our organisation is not based on speculation, it

is based on long term projects, which is why we

Marinerwww.mariner.com.mt• Developing all terminals• Investing into cranes and warehouses• Planning more acquisitions

SANY GERMANYSANY Germany GmbH is the European headquarters for SANY, world’s 5th largest construction equipment manufacturing company. SANY is an industry leader in container handling solutions with mobile equipment such as reachstacker, empty container handler, and heavy duty forklift and is able to produce the largest port handling equipment like ship to shore cranes, rubber tire gantry cranes, rail mounted gantry cranes, and jib cranes.Since 2012, SANY Germany has sold two Reachstackers to TIV and BCT Terminals, both operated by the Hili Group and have signed a contract for one STS to BCT Terminal in Riga, Latvia.

keep up with developments in the market and

search for strategic opportunities to continuously

improve,” concludes Marin. v

http://www.sany-germany.de


Founded in 1990, Intermarine is one of the biggest players in providing liner and chartering services for heavy lift and project

cargoes. With five core business units: Americas

services, US flag services, Industrial Terminals,

worldwide chartering services and Africa services,

the company provides fast response solutions

to customers throughout the Americas, Europe,

Middle East, Oceania, Asia and Africa. Using its

vast global infrastructure and long-term expertise,

the company is fully prepared to meet the diverse

needs of its heavy lift, dry bulk, project cargo and

break bulk customers. Confident in its abilities

to meet the specific requirements of its clients,

Intermarine has a broad network of professionals

that are united in their commitment to boost

efficiency and deliver unrivalled flexibility, thus

cementing its continued global reputation as a

company to trust.

“We are a project break bulk carrier and have

around 40 ships in our fleet, offices all over the

world and operate in five different segments,

the largest of which is our South America liner

service. Operating out of Industrial Terminals,

the leading breakbulk terminal in North America,


An eye for opportunity

our staff discharge and load our own vessels

for weekly services from the US Gulf in Houston

down to north coast, east coast and west coast

South America. This is a very successful business

for us as we have been providing our liner service

for 20 years. We also use this terminal for our

recently developed West Africa service segment;

an area of focus for Intermarine,” says Esben

Noergaard, sales director of Intermarine Europe.

Headquartered in New Orleans, US,

Intermarine is committed to finding opportunities

for expansion and improvements; recently

focused on its own restructure, the company

announced the sale and lease back of Industrial

Terminals, entering a 25 year leaseback

agreement of the 95 acre facility. The strategic

deal will enable the firm to continue growing

its operations in Houston, while also keeping

control of Industrial Terminals until 2068, including

three 10-year option periods. In April 2013 the

company broke new ground with its state-of-the-

art operations centre, the only office building of

its kind on the Houston Ship Channel; it is here

that the entire technical, operations, terminal and

traffic teams will be based. Working together

under one roof, this new method of operating

complements Intermarine’s ongoing plans to

develop as a much more customer orientated

organisation.

“Instead of thinking we have ships and want

cargo to fit on the ships, we turned our way of

thinking around and began focusing on what the

customer needs,” says Esben. “We are much

more customer orientated now and focus on the

needs of our clients who have noticed our efforts

and are appreciating it a lot.”

To further strengthen its presence and abilities

to meet the global demands of clients, the

dynamic firm merged with Scan-Trans in August

2012 under the Intermarine name. Looking to

expand customer coverage with over 50 heavy

lift and multipurpose vessels that boast lifting

capabilities of 800 metric tonnes, the new and

improved business believes the alignment of

share values, goals and a mutual vision will result

in Intermarine setting the standard for customer

service and cost effectiveness in the industry.

Esben says: “We are a bigger organisation with

more flexibility and resources. For instance are

we always making sure we have one or two port

captains supervising the operation in every port

to ensure a successful loading and discharge.


Profile: Intermarine

We now have multiple departments we can rely

on to assist with tasks that in the past took time

away from servicing our customers.”

The future looks positive for Intermarine as it

continues striving to become the preferred carrier

for industries including oil and gas, energy, mining

and infrastructure. “This is a business

that requires a lot of high standards in regards

to HSE, quality and service levels, which is why

we are investing a lot of money and time on

improving these areas. We will also be focusing

on our wind turbine segment, the continued

development of our west Africa services and

the future expansion of services into east Africa.

There is a lot of drilling activity going on there and,

with our worldwide chartering group, we have

Intermarine www.intermarineusa.com• Specialises in break bulk and project cargoes• Started services in West Africa in 2013

a great advantage because we can fix the

ships via one of our local offices in nearby

areas such as India or south east Asia.

This is definitely a key area for us in the

future,” concludes Esben. v

http://www.wfscorp.com


When Michael Moran reportedly painted the first emblematic white ‘M’ on the stack of one

of the company’s tugboats during 1880, it was the beginning of a proud tradition that continues to endure well over 130 years later. Moran Towing Corporation was founded

in 1860 as a towing brokerage, based at New

York’s busy harbour before transforming itself

into an owner and operator of tugboats with the

purchase of a 50 per cent interest in the Ida Miller

tug boat for $2700 during 1863. In 1994, Moran

was purchased by the Tregurtha and Barker

families who have a long maritime history of their

own and who continue to operate Moran as a

family company and in a manner that respects

the company’s long history. Since 1994, Moran

has experienced considerable growth and enjoys

a strong market position and an impressive fleet

of vessels.

Today Moran Towing Corporation operates

a fleet over 100 vessels comprised of 95 tugs

and 30 barges that service 16 ports throughout

the United States, including nine sites along


the east coast. The company has invested in

localised management, dispatch and engineering

facilities at all of the ports from which it operates,

that are open for service 24 hours, 365 days

a year. In addition to its operations within US

waters, Moran also provides worldwide marine

transportation services, including voyages to the

Caribbean, South America and further overseas.

Its customers include some of the world’s

leading shipping, power generation, barge,

mineral and commodity companies as well as

government agencies and the United States

Navy. Throughout all of the markets that the

company serves it provides expert ship docking,

LNG activities and general towing as well as the

marine transportation of petroleum and dry bulk

products.

Moran Towing Corporation has earned an

exemplary reputation for providing world-class

operations based on its years of industry service

and experience, which have led to long-term

customer relationships, including sole service

agreements and joint ventures. Throughout its

history, exceeding 150 years, the company has

developed the expertise that enables it to carry

out very large, complicated and demanding

projects. During June 2012, for example four

Moran Baltimore tugboats escorted and docked

the heavy-load carrier MV Zhen Hua 13 at the

Port of Baltimore. The ship was bound for the

port’s Seagirt Marine Terminal, transporting

four super post-panamax cargo cranes that

each measured 14 storeys in height with a

massive payload of 1550 tons per crane. The

sizable cargo represented a significant logistical

challenge as the vast ship was escorted through

the Chesapeake Bay and eased into its berth.

The project required the co-operation of the

US Coast Guard, the Association of Maryland

Pilots, NOAA as well as the Maryland Department

of Transportation and other organisations, owing

to the scale and complex nature of the move.

Ships making their approach to the Port of

Baltimore via the bay are required to pass under

the Chesapeake Bay (William Preston Lane Jr.

Memorial Bridge) and the Francis Scott Key

bridges. As the Zhen Hua passed under the

structures with its cargo, the total clearance was

as low as a slight ten feet. The horizontal girth

of the cargo was equally challenging with the

450 foot tow passing though the bridges via a

channel not exceeding more than around 750

A corporate family

In compliance with its mission, Moran is keen

to remain creative and innovative within

its business. To this end, it continues to expand

its fleet averaging around two or three new

vessels each year. Currently a new harbor tug,

the Hayley Moran, is underway as of October

2013 and during February 2013 the company

added three new tractor tugs to its total fleet. As

2013 draws to its conclusion, the Moran Towing

Corporation is set to remain an vital part of

America’s marine landscape, and will be for many

years to come. v


PaulWeld Tech ShiP RePaiR, inc.For over a decade PaulWeld Tech Ship Repair, Inc. has been at the forefront - always ready to go beyond expectations and providing unsurpassed quality service to one of the leading marine transportation companies on the harbor (Moran Towing Transportation.) It has worked alongside Moran’s many fleets and is committed to delivering simply the best welding, fabrication and repairs. The experience and relationship it encompasses is one built to last - since Moran has operated with professionalism and courtesy on many levels.

Profile: Moran Towing Corporation

feet. To compensate for these challenges tide,

current, wind and swell were all given exacting

consideration and the Zhen Hua waited at anchor

within the bay until conditions were deemed ideal

for the final phase of its journey to commence.

Consideration to the operation of the ship as

well as the safety of the general public also had

to be accounted for as Paul P. Swensen, Moran

Baltimore’s vice president and general manager

explains: “The ship was ballasted to a draft of

38 feet to minimise its airdraft, and the crane

booms were lowered from their maximum height.

As a matter of precaution traffic was halted on

both bridges before the ship passed underneath.”

The four Moran tugs escorted the Zhen Hua

on her final 28 miles up the bay, while NOAA

instruments collected real-time data providing

information on tides, currents and the actual gap

span between the brides and the cranes. The

tugs flanked the ship in a T-square formation

with the Mark Moran fastened via hawser to the

vessel’s stern putting it in a position where had

the need arisen, it could have it reverse almost

instantly to pull the ship out of harm’s way.

The Harriet and Surrie Moran were positioned

next to the ship off its port and starboard sides

respectively and could have been switched to

indirect towing mode if the need had arisen.

Thanks to its expert planning and execution

however, the tow proceeded exactly as expected.

While serving its clients, the Moran Towing

Company is dedicated to following its corporate

philosophy as outlined in the company’s mission

statement. The firm is sworn to provide marine

transportation services in a hardworking, honest,

efficient and loyal manor. In all of its operations

it ensures that it accounts for the safety of its

fellow employees and the protection of the

marine environment. In doing this, the company

operates a comprehensive safety management

system (SMS), which co-ordinates planning

communication and a uniform set of practices

that are documented in Moran’s operating policy

and procedures manual (OPPM). All of Moran’s

operating procedures are independently tested

to ensure that they remain effective. It maintains

ISM compliance and is also audited by the

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as well as

holding certification as a responsible carrier within

the Responsible Carrier Programme (PCP) of the

American Waterways Operators (AWO). Moran

encourages top-down safety practices, including

its SMS as well as a peer-driven behavior-based

safety initiative that operates from the bottom up.

Moran Towing Corporation

www.morantowing.com• Marine towing and transport• Sizeable fleet of over 100 vessels• New harbour tug under construction

http://www.paulweldshiprepair.com


Subsea Petroleum Services (SPS) was founded to provide the offshore oil and gas industry with competent, cost-

efficient services, skilled personnel, and state-of-the-art equipment. It has evolved into

an experienced offshore oilfield services company

that targets the Middle East and North Africa

region (MENA).

Today SPS is engaged in three core activities

in which it has a strong position – running a fleet,

surveying, and diving. The range of services

provided by SPS has steadily increased since

its inception, exceeding all targets to become

one of the most integrated packages of offshore

services a client could require.

FleetSPS owns and operates a fleet of 11 multi-

purpose vessels, including survey, supply, tug and

anchor handling. This fleet provides assistance

services to the offshore oil and gas business

and is based on long-term charters because

SPS believes these enable it to more provide

economical and efficient services to its clients.

Two new multi-purpose vessels are also being


Looking to the

futurebuilt for the company at a Chinese shipyard, and

these two ships will be significant additions when

they join the fleet.

Offering reassurance to customers, SPS’

marine division is a member of the International

Marine Contractors Association (IMCA),

and complies with the International Safety

Management (ISM) rules and regulations.

SurveySPS’ survey division is the fastest growing

division of the company, and in this area SPS is

continually striving to be recognised as a leader

in the provision of offshore geophysical survey

services. In fact, SPS has invested heavily in

acquiring top-notch survey technology, and in

training personnel.

In this area its services include:

• Site survey

• Pipeline route survey

• As-built survey

• Pre-lay survey

• Rig positioning services

• Bathymetric survey

• High-resolution survey

The SPS geophysical survey division is

supported by two seismic survey vessels, and is

supported by the Data Analysis and Interpretation

Unit (DAI) that operates the latest technology

interpretation software.

DivingWhen it comes to offshore commercial diving,

SPS has developed a reputation for excellence

in support of the operation and maintenance

of SPM terminals. The company’s diving

division consists of 16 skilled and experienced

underwater engineers and divers.

The company also offers a comprehensive

recruitment, training, and career development

programmes for both experienced and entry-level

divers. SPS plans and manages its intensive

training programme through a professional

training department, which interacts closely with

the most recognised commercial diving training

centres in the UK.

Under the umbrella of the Diving division, SPS

provides a wide range of services, including

maintenance of SPM systems, platform

maintenance, pipeline maintenance, underwater

welding and cutting, underwater inspections


Profile: Subsea Petroleum Services

future

services and non-destructive testing.

These three divisions of SPS all adhere to the

highest standards of quality, health and safety

and environmental control (QHSE), which are

recognised as of paramount importance in the oil

and gas industry in general, and to the subsea

arena in particular. SPS has established and

implemented a comprehensive management

system for all the functions and services it

provides.

These systems and strategies are maintained

and adhered to by SPS’ core staff of 256

employees. This team not only ensures timely

and appropriate response to client enquiries

and requirements, but also works hard to meet

their needs through an experienced and skilled

approach.

In order to make sure that SPS is able to

continue to meet the increasingly demanding

requirements of its clients, the company

established a competence assurance and

assessment programme, to provide an

appropriate framework for recruitment. This

framework - with its focus on workplace

assessment and where skills and behaviours are

considered – has enabled SPS to hire the most

competent and experienced personnel. Alongside

this framework, SPS also provides in-house

training schemes on a periodical basis to further

upgrade and improve the knowledge and skills of

its personnel.

Through this combination of services and

talents SPS has managed to build unique and

strong brand equity and a strong loyalty with

major oil operators. Its market share stands at

six per cent of the total offshore marine market in

the Middle East and North Africa region, and the

business is proud to have served blue chip clients

including such names as BP, Shell, Technip and

Maersk Oil.

It is these customers that SPS regards as the

main driving force behind its success, and by

creating an atmosphere of strong collaboration,

and open communication channels and

transparency, it has been able to meet and

exceed the needs of these customers and

innovate new dimensions of services, as well as

focus on more long term contracts. The company

prides itself on the development of mutually

successful partnerships with these customers,

Subsea Petroleum Services

www.subsea-eg.com• Targets Middle East and North Africa region• Two new vessels under construction• Future expansion planned

through trust and teamwork.

When SPS was created, it was with the

vision of becoming one of the leading offshore

contractors in the Middle East and North Africa

(MENA) region. Now it has achieved this, going

forward the company aims to focus on a selected

number of attractive market segments in which

it may have a strong position, and aims to

create a less cyclical business by focusing on

fixed income contracts and moving away from

locations whereby competition hardly offers a

scope of acceptable profitability. With two main

ambitions for the future (extending its services

into growing markets and more geographical

diversification) SPS still has a lot of potential to

bring to the market, and it is looking forward to

an exciting future. v

http://www.vanautumaritimeships.com


he story of Guidance Navigation Limited (GNL) begins on 4th July 1991, when the company

was founded as Guidance Control Systems (GCS). Since then Guidance has enjoyed a

highly energetic life culminating in its current

form constituted of three divisions, which were

established in 2013 to allow for highly customer

and market focused solutions to industry needs.

Two divisions - Guidance Marine and Guidance

Industrial - are supported by the dedicated

facilities of the third division, Guidance Innovation.

This company creates and markets innovative

solutions for customer problems and incubates

different models and ideas.

Through its innovation centres located in

Leicester, Hitchin and Oxford, the company

works in close association with leading

Universities to develop robust cutting edge

technology capable of operating in hazardous


Delivering

benefitsenvironments. Over the years Guidance has

commissioned and collaborated in PhD level

research into forward thinking technologies with

leading academic institutions. By working closely

with the University of Oxford and its Mobile

Robotics Group, University of Cambridge and

University College London, Guidance has earned

a lifelong pedigree of dedication to excellence as

a specialist in high-end engineering disciplines.

Combining skill sets across the physical sciences,

Guidance and its innovation centres have built up

a world-class level of expertise in microwave and

laser disciplines for use in navigation, measuring

and positioning applications.

As a result of its hard work and dedication,

today Guidance Navigation is an internationally

successful technology company with a strong

track record of delivering significant safety and

cost benefits by bringing disruptive technologies

to high value markets.

2001 marked a dedicated move into the

marine sector with the launch of a marine laser

system based on the company’s automated

guided vehicle (AGV) technology and existing

product range, which was called CyScan. The

first sensor was shipped and installed in Brazil

by Petrobras. By 2002 the company had moved

again, this time to Leicester and secured funds to

further develop its marine products. The second

generation of CyScan was launched during the

same year.

During the decade between 2002 and 2013

Guidance continued to develop new technologies

while solidifying its market position through

new business and acquisitions. Development

of RadaScan began in 2003 and by 2006 the

company had received its first commercial

order from Shell in the North Sea. Installation

of RadaScan was completed in conjunction

with Marine Technologies LLC. Following this,

T


development of the Mini RadaScan began in

2008 and would be first installed for customer

use in 2010. Guidance has innovated the

concept of microwave precision position sensing

in the offshore DP market, which historically was

done purely by mechanical, acoustic, GPS or

laser technologies. By introducing a completely

new technology concept to the market the

company had achieved higher operational safety

for these applications, more choice and higher

levels of redundancy.

Guidance’s long history of development has

given the company an extensive understanding

of position measurement technologies for

the DP sensor market and autonomous

vehicle navigation. Within the maritime sector,

Guidance Marine has established itself as a

leading manufacturer and supplier of laser and

microwave position reference sensors for the

DP1, DP2 and DP3 class vessels.

Its CyScan system is a local position reference

sensor for marine dynamic positioning (DP)

applications. It measures the range and bearing

of reflective targets allowing the DP system

to maintain the vessel’s position and heading

relative to the target structure or another vessel.

The CyScan has a number of benefits including

full 360 degree scanning, close range operation

from ten metres, simple on-vessel servicing,

field proven false target rejection and robust

construction for the highest reliability. CyScan is

the only triple type approved sensor available on

the market and furthermore, it is also available as

an extreme low temperature (XT) variant that is

designed to operate in as low as -40 degrees for

arctic operations.

RadaScan is an advanced position reference

sensor for long-range use in marine Dynamic

Positioning (DP) applications. The RadaScan

sensor is a rotating scanner mounted on the DP

equipped vessel. It emits a microwave beam

and accurately measures the range and bearing

of one or more intelligent microwave targets

called responders, allowing for the calculation

of vessel position and heading. The system has

an operating range of up to 1000m and has 500

plus metres DP capability. It features automatic

target detection with single or multiple responder

capability and full 360 degree scanning with a

high precision capability. Like the CyScan system,

an XT variant of RadaScan is available to operate

in ice and Arctic environments.

Guidance has established itself as a leading

name in navigation and positioning technologies

and looks set to continue in its tradition of

innovation and development. The business has

been recognised on several occasions for its

excellence including winning the Queen’s Awards

for Enterprise: International Trade during 2006

and appearing in the Sunday Times International

Track 100 Award where it was listed at number

93 in 2011. During the same year it received the

Leicester Mercury Business Award for Science

and Technology and Export further identifying

Guidance as an unparalleled and innovative

company.

Guidance invests heavily in its people and

in their skills, with innovation at the centre of

its culture and everything it does. Its expertise,

passion, ambition and collective team ethos form

the cornerstone of the business.

Guidance is committed to maintaining its

position as a leading technology company and

believes its expertise, investment in innovation

and products will help shape the future. v

Guidance Navigationwww.guidance.eu.com+44 116 229 [email protected]• Highly innovative product design• Partnership with leading universities• Active with marine and industrial markets • World leading laser and microwave technologies

Profile: Guidance Navigation

http://www.guidance.eu.com


Despite the recession, we have continued to see very high volumes of work within the business and this has prompted us to look to the future by investing in our facilities


ssens Shipyard has an impressive history serving Denmark’s shipping industry that dates back over 160

years to 1850, when it was first founded. Since the company was last featured in Shipping

and Marine during 2011 it has completed a

25 million Danish Krone (kr) investment project

including the construction of a brand new floating

dock facility. Other investments in the yard’s

facilities include a new high capacity crane, a

new quay and works to increase the depth of

its harbour. The improvements to the shipyard’s

facilities have allowed it to take on work for

larger vessels, providing the scope to become

established in new markets and the company

continues to explore opportunities with German

and Norwegian customers. The new floating

dock for example, has increased the size of

vessel that the shipyard can accommodate

to 100 metres in length with a width of 18.5

metres. The new dock lays beside the company’s

covered floating dock that has a capacity for

vessels 65 metres in length and a width of 14

metres. Further to this, the dock is fully covered

and heated when necessary allowing Assens to

undertake special and demanding works. Each

of the docks has access to lifting cranes with a

capacity of 21 tonnes.

The Assens region has a long and rich

maritime tradition dating back 1700 years when

the Vikings constructed their beautiful longships

Seabornetradition

A


Profile: Assens Shipyard

in the area. Historical shipbuilding artifacts can

still be excavated close to the town of Assens

and include the discovery of the Nydam Viking

ship. The harbour as it would be reocognised

today was constructed in 1847, with Assens

Shipyard Ltd. following around three years later

and the slipway following in 1865. During 1936

the harbour’s western pier was constructed

and later rebuilt in its present form as a stone

pier in 1971. The shipyard remains in the

hands of Danish shipbuilding families and as

of 2011’s considerable investment in the port

its shipbuilding capacity is greater than ever.

Commenting on the yard’s increased construction

capacity during 2011, managing director Erling

Pedersen said: “There are very few Danish

shipyards that are investing in upgrading their

facilities, however despite the recession, we have

continued to see very high volumes of work within

the business and this has prompted us to look to

the future by investing in our facilities. With this

investment our goal is to attract customers with

larger vessels, we definitely foresee an increase

in our workload over the next few years given our

ability to accommodate a larger size of vessel.

In addition, our covered dry dock facilities will

continue to attract bookings as we can undertake

this work at any time of the year.”

The company is proud to offer a long tradition

of shipbuilding and a friendly, personalised service

is guaranteed as the foundation for every project.

With its extensive history, Assens Shipyard

has accrued well over 160 years of experience

in the construction of special ships, trawlers,

tugs, ferries and super yachts. The building of

super yachts is carried out in close collaboration

with the owner to ensure that the unique

specification of the luxury vessels is delivered to

the customer’s exact requirements. Previously

known by its project name Big Roi, the Force

Blue was completed at the Assens shipyard in

2002. The Royal Denship 206 Expedition yacht

was designed by Ole Steen, while its interior was

designed by Ole Rune Design, Denmark. The

vessel was built out of steel with a high degree of

traditional Danish workmanship by the company’s

staff and trusted subcontractors resulting in a

luxury yacht that is exceptional inside and out

Seaborne

http://www.norisol.dk

94- www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

in materials and finish. Commenting on the

company’s production capacity Erling comments:

“We have a reputation for being able to turn

around vessels very quickly, which means that

even though we charge Scandinavian prices,

clients benefit from a reduced downtime.

The reasons why we can achieve this level of

performance are through our skilled craftsmen,

many of which have worked within the industry

for years, and ability to undertake all services in-

house. This removes the necessity for expensive

subcontractors. In order to facilitate this delivery,

we have carefully located our various facilities

in close proximity to each other, to minimise the

amount of time lost moving between areas.”

As well as its new build operations, Assens is

able to offer inspection, repair and conversion

services. Mobile cranes are on hand to remove

tenders, life rafts and machinery or to repair an

antenna or take on stores. The yard is able to

adapt to every unique job that it takes on and

takes responsibility for all aspects of the project.

One example of a conversion project carried out

by Assens Shipyards is the widening of a cargo

vessel to enable it to ferry goods in accordance

with new regulations. The outer structure of the

vessel was reconstructed and rebuilt and all of

the concerned parts and equipment refitted.

While the ship building market has suffered

the challenges of the global economic slow

down, Assens has not only maintained a strong

order book but also invested in an expansive

development programme. The company’s

strong reputation for delivering high quality

vessels across a range of classes has enabled

it to remain buoyant in a volatile market. Its

diverse range of services and enhanced facilities

will ensure that Assens Shipyard’s traditional

shipbuilding and repair work expertise will be in

operation for many years to come. v

Profile: Assens Shipyard

Assens Shipyardwww.asyard.dk• Long history of shipbuilding • Recently completed investment including a new floating dock• Offers new builds, refits, conversion and inspection services

http://www.wencon.com


Profile: Abeko

had to remain flexible to serve our customers as

well as we possibly can,” comments Kees.

The duration of large industrial projects like

dredging and demolition almost always involves

lengthy contracts. Seeking creative and smart

ways to implement projects, the focus is on the

client's requirements, irrespective of the type or

duration of the project. Abeko’s primary mission

is to carry out the work safely, sustainably and

economically. Recognising that projects are

becoming increasingly multi-faceted, requiring a

safe and environmentally responsible approach,

with implementation in a short time period Kees

explains: “The key strengths of the company are

ver the years it has been trading trading the Abeko Group has acquired a depth and breadth of technical

expertise. Abeko has a modern and diverse

fleet of dredging and land equipment that it

operates in innovative ways in order to meet

clients' requirements whilst offering economical

and efficient solutions. Supporting this, its

employees have a passion and enthusiasm that

helps creates the best solution for the work it is

involved in.

Renowned for maintaining a professional yet

informal approach it has formed long lasting

relationships with clients. Shipping and Marine

discusses the strategic position of the company

with chief executive officer Kees Koster as it

moves into future phases of growth. “We have

O

Bargingthrough

that we can provide good solutions to problems

and offer clients a good service. The different

solutions ultimately lead to a competitive price

that wins jobs. As we aspire to achieve the most

functional and economic result for clients, we

create solutions that are the best result for our

customers and for ourselves.”

Undertaking its main activities of dredging,

demolition, logistics, stevedoring, and equipment

hire the company’s work involves using powerful

machinery. When the project requires it, Abeko


has in the past adapted equipment to carry out

the work, and continues to offer this service. As

the business strives to continually provide the

correct equipment for the work it has developed

its premises to be sufficient to complete

processes of converting equipment so that it

can overcome individual challenges faced by

each customer. “We have our own workshop in

Holland where we are able to adapt equipment

to perform to the correct standard to meet the

demand from the client, and the industry that it is

operating in,” he adds.

Geared towards the national and international

market for small and medium-sized dredging and

marine related projects, Abeko has a diverse and

multi-functional fleet and related equipment that

can be put to use in a wide variety of situations,

offering clients a total package from tender to

final delivery. In a stream of recent projects the

company has proved itself as the right partner

for dredging harbours, trenches for outfalls

and landfalls, as well as for placing stone and

concrete elements in breakwater constructions.

Focusing on some of the works previously

http://www.neptuneshipyards.com


Profile: Abeko

Abekowww.abeko.nl• New hopper dredger• Own workshop• Operating various backhoe dredgers

undertaken that demonstrate the abilities of the

business Shipping and Marine reviewed the

phase one dredging works in Eemshaven. Over

a period of two months the dipper dredger,

Abeko Server 3, fitted with a Komatsu PC800

excavator, was used for a harbour-deepening

project. Dredging fine sand, soft clay and silt

to a maximum depth of 15.5m approximately

230,000m³ was dredged.

The material was unloaded into split barges

and transported by tug to a dumping area

situated in the Wadden Sea. The two split barges

with a hopper capacity of 600m³ each were

selected to maintain the productivity.

Growing the business on shore, in 2012

investment was made in a brand new handling

and storage area as Kees comments: “We were

looking at new ways of increasing our turnover

and investing in the new quay site has enabled

us to grow our stevedoring services within the

company which has been active for three years.

It has strengthened our service offering and

created synergy within the group as there is a lot

of demand and interest there.”

From the ISPS certified quay, ships of various

sizes can be unloaded of their mixed cargo by the

aid of Abeko’s own equipment, amongst which

are two multi dockers. The hydraulic excavators

sited on pedestals handle a large amount of the

dry bulk business that passes through. Utilising

the 230 metre long quay the company is able to

unload dry sand destined for ground and road

construction, sustaining the on-going trade.

Returning to the water, Abeko’s focus on

dredging has been developing well. Interest in the

activity was first ignited when it began operating a

backhoe dredger and growing from this it is now

operating three backhoe dredgers complemented

by a multi-cat and two split barges. With the

arrival of a new trailing suction hopper dredger,

Contender, it is able to carry out capital and

maintenance dredging work on harbours and

waterways simultaneously, as well as land

reclamation and sand delivery, with Kees adding:

“We also invested in survey equipment such

as survey boats, which supports the surveying

that we are already able to undertake with our

multi-cat.”

Operating mainly in Western Europe Kees

concludes: “All the aspects of the business is

on-going, and we keep a focus on that. We have

set up Abeko Dredging & Marine Contractors

Ltd. the dredging company with its own team

that focuses on the projects around the world.”

Moving into the new year Kees is left in no doubt

that the business model the company has based

activities on throughout 2013 is a successful one

and continues using the same framework as

2014 begins. v

http://www.strago.nl


Echoship ApS was founded in 1990 and today is owned by five partners employing ten people to manage the main activity

of chartering management for coasters in the European trade. It can provide this service

to ship owners in a package together with full

operation, accounting and controlling of all

voyage related income and expenses.

The fleet accepts most dry cargo carried

at sea with its main activity remaining in the

carriage of sawn timber from the Baltic to

various destinations in the UK and the European

continent. With other cargoes of steel products,

fertilisers, constructions and bulk grains, in

2012 it received recognition for the amount of

trade, being awarded the highest credit rating

achievable of AAA by a division of Dunn and

Bradstreet placing Echoship in a very strong

financial position.

The Danish company, based in Svenborg

originally occupied one of the oldest buildings

in the town, built in 1791. From this location

the management advanced the business into

a worldwide operator and in 2006 upgraded

its premises to a waterside address physically

reflecting the modern, purpose built facility, but


Repeatingroutes

symbolically reflecting the global standing of

Echoship.

As the company strives to be considered

and accepted as a serious long-term partner

in coastal shipping, it has increased its offering

to the spot market. Recognising that remaining

flexible in the industry today is key to successfully

growing it can ship between 3000 to 5000

tonnes at short notice. Additionally, Echoship

remains focused on partners’ requirements

ensuring that it fulfils commitments, irrespective of

how the market is generally behaving.

The average age of employees within the

business in 2013 was 50 years, but although

a relatively young company the specific trade

knowledge retained is extensive. The mix of

enthusiasm, drive and energy combined with

the solid experience and dedication of the entire

team enables Echoship to navigate safely through

troubled waters, and at the same time accept

new challenges.

Amongst the hurdles, a greater storm on the

horizon threatens the industry that Echoship is

working towards overcoming. The international

shipping industry is responsible for the carriage

of about 90 per cent of world trade and is vital

to the functioning of the global economy. It is

the bulk transport of raw materials by shipping

that makes the importing and exporting of

goods affordable. Following targets set by the

International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the

shipping industry is on track to reduce its CO2

emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 but with further

targets set for shipping companies to reduce their

sulphur emissions by 2015, the challenge grows.

The concerns are being echoed by Echoship

at the speed of which shipping operators are

required to meet reduction targets, at huge cost,

without sufficient technology in place to support

the changes.

There are financial and environmental costs

attributed to the use of low sulphur fuel, and

it is this that creates most problems for the

contractors. The use of low sulphur fuel can cost

at least $300 per tonne more than the current

heavy fuel oil used, resulting in shipping costs

rocketing. Faced with this challenge there are

two further alternatives that are being considered.

The option of fitting a ‘scrubber’ to the ships will

reduce sulphur from heavy fuel oil on board the

ship, although it is not yet sufficiently proven for

ship owners to fit them with confidence before

the 2015 targets. The alternative is for operators

to switch to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel


HeinricH Wegener & SoHnWe are proud of our long-standing business relationship with Echoship APS and look forward to its continuation for many years to come.We have been engaged in the international bunkering and lubricating oil business for over 40 years. Well-known shipping companies at home and abroad rely on our high standard of performance, and long-term co-operation, delivery and shipping agreements with more than 200 companies worldwide ensure our ability to supply our customers’ ships.In addition, one of our main lines of business is the sale and distribution of Shell-Marine lubricants to shipowners at home or abroad, placing at our disposal one of the world’s largest distribution systems and enabling us, as a bulk buyer, to offer favourable terms to our customers.

Profile: Echoship

routes

on new build ships but this is not appropriate for

most existing fleets. For those that cannot yet use

LNG, or are unable to invest in as-yet unproven

scrubber technology, the impact of the low

sulphur fuel cost is huge. To cope with the major

increase, operators of sea routes would need to

increase freight costs dramatically.

The challenge being felt by Echoship is that

there is the potential to threaten the viability of

some routes, which in turn could threaten jobs

across the industry, and those that it supplies to.

If vital trade routes are closed, the impact would

be felt throughout the manufacturing sectors

too as the cost of moving goods will increase.

To overcome this challenge in the meantime

Echoship is working towards lowering the fuel

consumption by adapting the delivery speed of

materials.

All aspects of the business are conducted in a

serious and professional way. Having completed

several projects the business continually receives

positive feedback from the various German

and Dutch ship owners that it represents,

as well as from a large amount of the major

charterers acting on the European shipping

markets. So taking onboard the uncertainty of

Echoshipwww.echoship.dk• Chartering management• Manages 15 coasters• Ships most dry cargo

the future Echoship is focused on sustaining its

relationships and keeping to known routes that

have proved successful throughout its past. v

http://www.wegener-bunker.de


Established in 1824 to offer free of charge help and support to seamen in emergencies, the near bicentennial Royal

Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij, ‘KNRM’) has developed its knowledge, expertise and technology to ensure availability for any distress call at sea. “We are a charity and lifeboat service

that has developed into a highly modern

organisation that is available 24/7; nowadays

we have around 2000 services annually for any

incident or accident at sea or on the coastal

waters and help approximately 3000 each year

safely ashore,” begins Kees Brinkman, head of

communications at KNRM.

“We have a fleet of 75 lifeboats and 1300

volunteers at 45 lifeboat stations along the coast

of the Netherlands and the estuaries; in case

of emergencies the Coastguard Centre in Den

Helder raises the alarm for the volunteer crews.

Our expenditure is around 18 million euros a

year and as a fundraiser we are dependent on

donations and sponsorship; approximately 12

million euros comes from fundraising, while

the other six million euros is generated by

other means, such as our own reserves and


Sea Rescue developments

commercial partnerships.”

With 50 paid staff and 1300 volunteers, the

institution is based on three core principles

that have ensured its continued success for

almost 200 years, as Kees highlights: “We use

a volunteer lifeboat crew, are supported by

volunteer lifeboat donations and our service/

help is free of charge.” So far, the organisation

has accumulated 80,000 supporters that donate

regularly, with donations increasing in recent

years.

To ensure safety for both seamen in distress

and the volunteers, KNRM offers a vast amount

of training and education to crewmembers,

either independently or in co-operation with other

emergency organisations such as the police, fire

brigade, ambulance and the coast guard centre.

“Our strategy for the future is to make sure

our lifeboats are always ready and crewed by

volunteers that are trained for the worst possible

circumstances. We establised a joint venture

with STC-KNRM, an offshore training centre in

the Mainport of Rotterdam, which helps us to

educate crewmembers and fully prepare them

for emergency responses,” says Kees.

Operating in co-operation with the

Netherlands Coastguard, a governmental

organisation for surveillance and services at

sea, KNRM offers the use of its lifeboats to

the rescue centre on a permanent basis and

guarantees availability of its volunteers at

any time. This promise requires high quality,

quick and capable vessels, which is why the

organisation is making the development of a

‘next generation lifeboat’ one of its core priorities.

As some of the organisation’s vessels will be

reaching renewal stage over the next ten years,

it entered a strategic partnership with Damen

Shipyards Group in Gorinchem, TU-Delft (the

faculty of mechanical engineering and marine

technology at the Technical University Delft),

and naval architects De Vries Lentsch following

a generous donation from insurance firm ‘The

Noordhollandsche of 1816’ in 2010.


Wilroff SyStemhouSeTo have a client like KNRM is a privilege for Wilroff Systemhouse. For us IT is never a goal on its own but a way to support the primary process of our client. In the case of KNRM that goal is to save people. What a meaningful purpose to support! Connection and safety by using modern technology is the best way to go forward together. We are excited about the shared journey ahead of us.

Profile: KNRM

Agreeing to the development of a wholly new,

state-of-the-art lifeboat, both quality-focused

organisations worked together to ensure all

relevant innovations were incorporated in the

design, engineering and shipbuilding of the

new vessels. “Our current fleet consists almost

completely of rigid inflatable boats that are made

of aluminum hulls; however, we have designed

a new type of lifeboat that has an extraordinary

hull shape, built in marine grade alloy, which is

based on the ax bow principal that was designed

by the technical university and constructed

by Damen Shipyards over the past five to six

years,” enthuses Kees. This hull type, following

practical experience and intensive test tank

testing, promises to reduce G-forces by 40 per

cent for the craft itself, but more importantly for

its crew. With this design feature the craft shall

outperform many standard fast(er) craft in rough

sea conditions.

Offering improved maneuverability at high

and low speed, as well as improved directional

stability with the waves, the Nh1816 19-metre

long rescue vessel passed one of its most critical

trials at Damen Shipyards group before being

handed over to crew. Designed to the most

rigorous standards, the cutting edge rescue

vessel righted itself to its normal position within

a few seconds of capsizing. This life saving

feature was created via the vessel’s low point of

gravity and the air bubble inside the wheelhouse,

thus enabling the ship to right itself swiftly when

capsized.

A completely new feature is that during such a

capsize both engines remain running during 30

seconds, allowing the craft to regain its desired

course immediately after righting.

While the structure of the vessel may be

impressive, KNRM has surpassed itself by fully

integrating ICT systems and offering improved

connections with the Netherlands Coast Guard

that enable the two organisations to send data

back and forth without the need for marine

VHF radio. “The integrated and ergonomically

designed bridge is made out of a new computer

base system that allows the crew to choose

their own screen presentation on each of the five

multi function monitors. This Ships Management

System, made by British company Servo Watch,

makes our vessel highly sophisticated and will

influence how we run our fleet management,

education and training. All volunteers must be

able to efficiently use the screens on the ship

to use it, but because the younger volunteer is

more computer knowledgeable we believe this

development will be the future for lifeboat crew to

come,” says Kees.

Following the success of the first Nh1816,

KNRMwww.knrm.nl• Voluntary search and rescue organisation• Works alongside the Netherlands Coastguard• Developed a state-of-the-art rescue vessel

which will be tested along the Dutch coast

with crewmembers in 2014, KNRM has two

more of these new lifeboats planned over the

next two years and anticipates interest from

an international audience. “Compared to our

existing lifeboats, the new vessels are more

multipurpose and could be used as guard or

patrol vessels, for example, as they can reach

speeds of more than 32 knots and are more

comfortable for crew,” says Kees. On top of this,

the organisation has future plans to increase its

ability to help casualties through the exchange

of video/webcam footage with coast guards

and medical advisors. “In the future we will

be able to send footage to our radio medical

service to ensure a quicker consultation and

medical response to casualties onboard ships,”

concludes Kees. v

http://www.wilroff.nl


Operating as an integrated group, Mainport Group provides a comprehensive range of marine services to

ship owners, exporters, importers, seismic survey firms, oil companies and other organisations involved in maritime trades. A stevedore and ship agency since 1964, the

company has expanded its service portfolio

over the last four decades to include oil base

management and warehousing services as well

as offshore support vessels, which cover safety

standby, tanker assist, bunkering, towage, tugs

and seismic support services.

Following the acquisition of a number of marine

service companies, Mainport Group today has

four offices in Ireland, based in Cork, Foynes,

Limerick and Drogheda as well as offices in

South Africa, Angola, Brazil and Singapore. Key

to the group’s success is its dedicated team of

enthusiastic, experienced and talented personnel;

highly qualified in their fields, staff at Mainport


A globalservice

have developed the knowledge and expertise

to deliver imaginative solutions to virtually any

challenge. Valuing all customers equally, the

team strives to provide the best possible service

through open dialogue and close working

relationships; a winning formula that has resulted

in long-term clients, some of which have worked

with Mainport for more than 40 years.

Headquartered in Cork since its inception in

1957 under the name Ronayne Shipping, the

firm launched Celtic Tugs in 1995 to provide

towage services in both Irish ports and around

the Irish coast. Noticing opportunities abroad,

Mainport made its first international venture in

1997, when it acquired a 75 per cent interest

in a South African ship agency. With Mainport

Africa established, the company expanded its

services further by setting up the towage and

salvage division in 2000; operating from the port

of Foynes, this new business segment services

customers on the west coast of Ireland.

Mainport has had a number of ventures over

the last few years where it has successfully built

up companies in joint ventures and then sold

on to move onto other areas where it has since

developed under its own 100 per cent owned

brand.

An example of the company’s dynamic and

innovative approach to projects the company

has developed its Seismic Support vessel

business and has recently completed the two

new build Seismic Support vessels Mainport

Cedar and Mainport Pine. The Mainport Cedar

has commenced work for a client on long term

charter in August and is currently operating in

Malaysia while the Mainport Pine will complete

at the shipyard in January and will start a long

term contract immediately in a region yet to be

decided by her charterer.

Previously speaking to Shipping and Marine

magazine in February 2013, Captain Dave

Hopkins said: “Brazil and Canada are not easy

countries to go into because of their tight trading

situations so both offices are in the process of


Profile: Mainport

being formulated. Mainport has identified partners

in both these countries that it can work with,

which will benefit our clients and make operations

in those regions easier for clients and ourselves.”

Currently operating 12 vessels for a broad

range of sectors, the company has enjoyed a

successful 2013 in a number of areas across

its business. Another area to enjoy growth is

Ireland, a surprising development following the

major economic turbulence it has suffered since

the recession. Ireland has now exited its EU

and IMF bailout plan and is the first European

country to do so, which should put Ireland in a

good position for 2014. Recent major contracts

have been with major global firms such as Total,

ExxonMobil, Kinsale Energy and Providence

Oil & Gas.

Furthermore, with growth anticipated in

the seismic support sector, where Mainport

is now focusing on new areas of development

and is currently working on a few new contracts

in this area which they anticipate will become

clearer in the next few weeks.

Proud of its highly experienced staff and

successfully operating divisions, the future looks

positive for Mainport as it continues to develop

strong working relationships with its customers

by delivering a more local service. Furthermore,

by using the experience it has gained in towage

and offshore support, the company is in an

advantageous position as it moves further into

the seismic support market. v

Mainport

www.mainport.ie• Operates 25 vessels

• Launched three seismics in 2013

• Works with blue chip clients

http://www.veristar.com


T he Port Authority of Vigo manages one of the major logistics and business complexes in Europe. Situated

in Spain it is one of the biggest fishing ports in the world and

one of the busiest in transportation. Vigo port specialises

in high value-added general merchandise with three terminals devoted to

containerised, ro-ro and breakbulk traffic. The port handles about four million

tons every year, with traffic relating to almost 100 per cent export and import

activities, with a 60:40 ratio and a value of over EUR 12 billion.

Chairman of the port, Ignacio Lopes-Chaves Castro begins: “There

are virtually no transhipments from the port. It is a logistics node aimed

at servicing the companies and institutions within its area of influence.

Although it is not a large port, it is logistically very efficient.” The Port of Vigo,

consistent with its traffics, serves mainly the automotive industry, as well

as the sector of fish for human consumption, the metal and natural stone

processing industry and the ship building sector including the construction

of offshore facilities. Ignacio adds: “The port’s hinterland is located in Vigo

although it has also seen an increase in goods received each year from

Northern Galicia and Northern Portugal.”


Addressing the strengths of the port that attracts custom from

further afield Ignacio says: “We are focused on safety and reliability of

our operations, whilst remaining adaptable with a good land and sea

connection network. Vigo is located on a natural harbour that is protected

by the Cíes Islands, with 14,000Ha of safe waters that shelter hundreds of

vessels every winter on their Northbound or Southbound routes. The port’s

facilities are never closed.”

The port is fully compliant with the ISPS CODE, utilising its material

resources, safety equipment and top skilled staff. Ignacio explains: “The

Port has resources for complying with the CIS initiative in container security

and is included in the MEGAPORTS initiative, the US Administration’s

security programme for enhancing detection capabilities for radiation

materials in containerised and breakbulk cargo.”

Vigo is a port devoted to almost all types of traffic, hence its adaptability,

and is very well connected by land networks to points throughout

mainland Spain and Portugal. During the recent challenging economic

period the port succeeded in increasing turnover, productivity and profit

on sales. Shedding light on this achievement Ignacio says: “Managing

VIGO Ro-ro terminal

Vigo’s vintage


Profile: Port of Vigo

this situation was not easy. With traffic to the port decreasing, our income

was considerably diminished. We implemented a tax bonus policy in order

to make our economic environment more competitive. We were able to

achieve good results by focusing on cost containment, strict austerity

policies, and optimising all of our resources.

“I believe that there are grounds for optimism. As an organisation that

serves its hinterland we are a fair reflection for the state of the economy. Our

users are transmitting more positive feedback. The challenge is now about

taking advantage of these first growth momentums and we have been

preparing for this during the last years, and have adapted our infrastructure

to get ready for the economy to confidently grow.

“Our main work is focusing on the improvement of the commercial

docks. The first phase will be completed in June 2014. During the first six

months in 2014 we will start the urban development phase of an Industrial

Logistics Platform located 30 km away from the port.”

The port is at the brink of two projects of high importance to its future.

Over the past few years it has been working towards a ro-ro short sea

shipping link between Nantes Saint-Nazaire and Vigo. “This will put us

at the centre of Europe at competitive costs and within time lapses that

will be hard to improve,” explains Ignacio. Additionally it is in the final

preparation of the Document for the Delimitation of Port Areas and Usages

(DEUP). Ignacio describes the details: “It is our instrument for planning and

development, and will allow us to start new projects and to adapt existing

ones to optimise our port for the future.

“We have detected an increase in project cargo and heavy lift equipment

that stems from the demand of wind farms and offshore facilities. The

automotive industry is also active with good trade from PSA Peugeot

Citroen plant in Vigo.” The purchase of a post-panamax crane has

complemented the enlargement works carried out at the containers

terminal, promoting lo-lo traffic. Further enlargement has positively affected

breakbulk traffic with additional space for this merchandise.

Looking to the future the focus is on supporting initiatives relating to new

commercial traffics while continuing to promote and support its main traffics

as Ignacio concludes: “We aim to promote our containers traffic, with a

special focus on the nearby ports that specialise in these goods. We believe

that it is a priority for the companies in our surrounding areas to be able to

get advantage of the logistics option that is closest to their premises. We

will continue to develop the dry port to reach full operational capacity, and

continue working on the synergy stemming from our ro-ro lines, not only at

European level, but on a global scale.” v

Port of Vigowww.apvigo.com• Located on natural harbour• Improved commercial docks• New optimisation for port areas

Above: VIGO container terminal, below: VIGO breakbulk terminal

Vigo’s vintage

http://www.maasmarine.nl


A ppearing on the shipping horizon in 2007, Safe Bulkers was born from concepts that its founders developed with

over 50 years of shipping experience. With an

impressive portfolio it has established an enviable

reputation in the industry providing marine dry

bulk transportation services, transporting bulk

cargoes, including coal, grain and iron ore

along worldwide shipping routes as company’s

president Dr Loukas Barmparis explained to

Shipping and Marine: “We are a company with

long history gained over many shipping cycles.

We operate under consistent policies through

which we managed to create value for our

shareholders and remained profitable and paid

dividends in all consecutive quarters since our

IPO back in 2008.”

Safe Bulkers has tripled its fleet since then

and currently owns 28 dry bulk vessels, with an

aggregate carrying capacity of two and a half

million deadweight tons. In November 2013 the

average age of the fleet was only 5.4 years and

consisted of Panamax, Kamsarmax, Post-


Proven successPanamax and Capesize class vessels.

Displaying its tactical prowess at the end of

2012 and the beginning of 2013 Safe Bulkers

invested in four second-hand vessels, explains

Loukas: “Although we have not invested in the

second-hand market the last 25 years we’ve

recently decided to invest opportunistically in

four second-hand vessels. The acquisitions took

place almost at the bottom of the market, thus

these vessels have already been appreciated

considerably.”

With the fleet now totalling 28 vessels,

the company is already in a good position to

respond to the demands it is receiving, but

has furthermore made advancements to future

charters with a further ten dry bulk new build

vessels on order.

Complementing the numerically strong fleet,

the vessels are additionally a technological asset

as Loukas highlights: “Our newbuild vessels

are of the latest technology, with a modern

design and were contracted in Japan with

electronic engines achieving considerably lower

consumptions. They will be more flexible in slow

steaming operations, and ready to compete

during the next shipping cycle more efficiently.”

The demand for slow steaming is still high and

expected to remain for some time until charter

rates increase. The cost of fuel oil influences

clients to opt for additional days in charter hire to

save on the fuel that would otherwise have been

used to propel the ship at a faster speed.

Despite the many ships on the water, Safe

Bulkers continually attracts charterers based on

its reputation as Loukas explains: “Through our

experience in the industry built over many years,

we have built substantial relations with major

market players and we can charter vessels with

reliable charterers, consistently outperforming

the spot market. In the past we were known for

our substantial charter coverage due to a large

number of fixtures contracted prior to 2009.

Currently about half of our fleet is employed in the

spot market as we are optimistic of the charter

market for next year.”

The company has a dedicated management

team, focused on lean operations and hands-on

business approach as Loukas points out: “We


Chugoku Marine Paints hellas saFIR (Friction Increase Ratio) theory by CMP. The FIR (%) indicates the increase ratio of friction resistance of a paint film surface compared to friction resistance of a smooth surface like mirror. The smaller the FIR (%) value is, the smaller the friction resistance becomes that result in lower fuel consumption. Measurement of FIR % can be made by either the scientific (double cylinder apparatus) or the replicate method, calculating paint roughness and wavelength values.

Profile: Safe Bulkers

enjoy one of the lowest and stable daily operating

expenses at about $4,300. Our daily G&A

which include public company expenses and

management fees are about $1,200. This lean

structure has supported our profitability and our

dividend policy and has created additional value

for our shareholders.”

Safe Bulkers has concluded within 2013

two additional offerings one for common and

one for preferred equity totalling about

$90 million in equity proceeds. Loukas highlights

the company’s financial flexibility: “We have

further strengthened our balance sheet through

these additional offerings. We are focused to

maintain a comfortable leverage and comply with

our financial covenants.”

Following a challenging period Loukas gives his

view on the opportunities and challenges ahead:

“The charter market improved in September 2013

and we were able to contract vessels in the spot

market at much higher levels. We will continue in

this way until market changes offering extended

possibilities. Oversupply of vessels is still the main

driver of the shipping market. However, order

book is declining until 2016. On the demand

side, the past few months we evidenced a strong

increase of freight rates from about $7,000 to

about $16,000. Seasonal demand of iron ore

mainly on behalf of China in combination with

the announcement of the Chinese plenum for

boosting domestic growth have been main

reasons for the reversal in the market trend. Good

grain harvest from the US, in combination with

the effect of splitting cape cargoes has increased

demand for Panamax vessels. This has a very

positive effect to our company which is presently

operating about half of its vessels in the spot

market.”

Looking forward, the strategy continues to

follow the path of proven success as Loukas

concludes: “Our approach is to invest in the

low part of the cycle to efficient newbuilds,

to maintain one of the youngest fleets in the

industry and sell our oldest designs at strong

market conditions, realising gains, expanding

and renewing our fleet with modern energy

efficient vessels that will support us in securing

good contracts with charterers competing with

lower energy and fuel consumption and better

transportation capacity. We seek to expand

our business sensibly according to our risk

assessment create value and reward at the

same time for shareholders as we’ve done for 21

consecutive quarters paying dividends so far.” v

Safe Bulkerswww.safebulkers.com• Exposure to spot market• Expanding modern fleet• Tactical business thinking• Positive future endeavours


Since its inception in September 1994, Sanmar Shipping Limited (SSL) has delivered clean petroleum products and dry bulk cargoes on a mix of spot

and time charters. The company is one of the

constituents of The Sanmar Group and made

its entry into shipping with dry bulk vessels in

1995, which was closely followed by its entry

into clean petroleum products tankers in 1996.

Today, SSL operates a total of six ships from

its base in Chennai, India, comprising four

tankers and two dry bulk carriers. The vessels

trade worldwide, carrying goods such as iron

ore, food grains and coal; product tankers

carrying clean petroleum products such as jet

fuel, kerosene and diesel. One of its tankers is


Rising in theeasta chemical tanker carrying high specification

chemicals, including acid cargoes. SSL operates

a dynamic business strategy in which its

business is driven through pools incorporating

A P Moreller Maersk, Torm and Klaveness,

whereas trade with customers operating in the

Indian sub continent is conducted through direct

negotiation. Furthermore, its tanker fleet has

carried products for oil majors such as BP, Shell,

Reliance, ESSAR, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat

Petroleum Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum

Corporation and major traders including Trafigura

and Vitol. The company’s dry bulk vessels have

shipped cargos on behalf of clients like Cargill,

BHP Billiton, and Steel Authority of India Ltd.

Its chemical tanker has found international

customers in Transammonia and Noble as well

as domestic customers such as Sterlite and

Hindalco.

Although the global economic downturn has

made the shipping industry increasingly volatile

in recent years, SSL has approached these

challenging times with caution and optimism, as

its diverse range of pools and charters remained

buoyant. As the eastern market continues to

grow SSL is ready to meet the demands of

this emerging sector, as executive director

Mr. Subba Rao explains: “We are extremely

satisfied in our engagement with the pools and

charterers on commercial issues. We are equally

happy with our vendor management on matters

concerning supplies, maintenance, inspections

and dry-docking. It has been a privilege for us

to be associated with such outstanding partners

Sanmar Stanza

Sanmar Paragon

Sanmar PhoenixSanmar Sonnet


Profile: Sanmar Shipping

through our history of growth. As our business

continues to progress most future growth will

stem from the east as Asia returns to the chair

of the world’s economy. With nearly one third

of the population and a burgeoning, ambitious

middle class, India and China will be at the

forefront of growth. No doubt there will be pangs

in this journey, but hardly adequate to stop the

juggernaut from bounding ahead.”

As well as the support of its business

associations and its clear understanding of the

global market, SSL places great emphasis on its

talented workforce and its well maintained fleet to

drive its business forward as Mr. Rao elaborates:

“We focus on recruiting and retaining highly

talented people. We encourage our people to

challenge decisions, highlight issues concerning

safety, security and welfare on board ships. In

turn our staff and crews repay the confidence

vested in them by being alert and vigorous in their

approach to problem solving. Technology is the

other driver that enables us to optimise cost. We

have been able to leverage on issues such as

condition monitoring of ships, managing engine

loads and optimising consumption of fuels and

lubricants.

“We managed to keep our head above water,

primarily due to our portfolio of ships, which

are traditional workhorses by nature and have

served us well during difficult times. This has

allowed us to provide excellent customer service

by delivering cargo safely to the customer or its

designated agent on time. We also meet our

customers on a routine basis to seek their views

on how we need to improve to meet with their

expectations.”

While the market begins to show limited

signs of recovery SSL will continue to service

its customers and monitor economic trends

carefully. Its fleet has served it well and enabled

the company to weather the global financial

crisis, while its parent company has likewise

penetrated into global markets providing SSL

further impetus to remain confident well into

the future. Although the shipping industry at

present is anything but calm, Mr. Rao remains

cautiously optimistic concerning what the future

holds: “The shipping business operates in a

hostile environment, be it the forces of nature, the

Sanmar Shipping Limited

www.sanmargroup.com• Global market coverage• Clean petroleum and dry bulk cargoes• Six-vessel fleet

vagaries of the world economy or the scourge

of piracy. Although today the market looks a lot

more certain than it has over the past few years,

we would like to watch the trend before we

commit to anything further. We intend to continue

to focus on products tankers and dry bulk

segments to further expand the strength of the

SSL fleet. We are cautious in our assessments

and take adequate care in protecting shareholder

interests. We believe that buying a ship at the

right price and ensuring that the unit stays

profitable over the course of its life to be more

important, than buying more vessels just for the

sake of expansion, based on current market data

alone.” v

Sanmar Majesty

http://www.shipsuppliers.com


Since last appearing in Shipping

and Marine during March 2013, TTS Port Equipment has continued to supply world-

class port equipment to satisfied customers around the globe. Based in Gothenburg,

Sweden the company currently employs around

25 full time staff and operates as a subsidiary

of the TTS Group ASA with an annual turnover

of around 15 million euros. Its parent company,

TTS Group ASA employs approximately 1000

staff across 13 countries and has a turnover of

350 million euros. TTS Port Equipment provides

a robust range of port equipment and services

including the design, delivery, and installation

as well as commissioning of equipment for the

handling of passengers and cargo. The products

that the company delivers are designed to

reduce costs and save time through efficient

handling and delivery between shore and ship

in port and roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) terminals,

servicing ferries, ropax, RoRo and cruise


vessels. In addition to its range of cargo handling

solutions, TTS Port Equipment also supplies port

superstructure for terminals including linkspans,

passenger gangways and automoorings. The

unique cassette system for the horizontal

handling of containers is also available for

container terminals.

Currently, TTS Port Equipment is gearing up

for a major project in the Swedish capital of

Stockholm where reconstruction of one the city’s

largest port areas is underway. The Värtahamnen

terminal currently handles 1.6 millions tons of

cargo in addition to some four million passengers

annually and the number is steadily increasing.

The city of Stockholm is expanding rapidly and

its port’s most popular destinations of Finland

and Estonia are soon to be joined by other

Baltic States and Russia. The development will

include a new 85,000m2 pier that will allow for

further residential business in the old port area

as well as for more efficient harbor operation.

The 1200m pier will allow for larger ships and

higher volumes of vessels, allowing the port to

meet the increasing requirements of the city.

TTS Port Equipment has been chosen by Port

of Stockholm to design and install a 600m-fixed

walkway as well as six mobile gangways

to connect directly from the new terminal

development to the shipping berths. In total, the

contract is valued at around NOK 86 million.

“This will by far be the biggest walkway

we have delivered, so this is a prestigious

contract for us. Our deliveries will constitute a

forward-looking solution tailor made to meet the

demands of modern port logistics,” comments

Björn Asplind, vice present sales and marketing

at TTS Port Equipment. The walkways will

be designed to complement and seamlessly

integrate into the modern, bright architecture

of the new terminal building. At the centre of

the walkway will be a two-storey construction

complete with escalators and elevators. The

six flexible gangways will ferry passengers

with 100 per cent flexibility regardless of water

Guiding

logistics


Profile: TTS Port Equipment

levels and exact berthing places, through the

use of electrical engines that allow for sideways

movement and hydraulics to elevate and lower

the walkways as necessary.

The project is due for completion during

2016 and the port will remain fully operational

while the redevelopment is undertaken. The

new pier, terminal building and TTS Port

Equipment’s walkways will be constructed while

the port maintains its average flow of 10,000

passengers per day. “This is no small challenge,

but TTS is known for its flexible approach under

such circumstances,” Björn says. “Of course

planning is the key element, so we will work in

close collaboration with the port authority and

shipping companies to keep the port running.

Besides, population growth in port cities all

around the globe will probably bring about more

redevelopments such as what is happening in

Stockholm. We will definitely use this opportunity

to show our ability to deliver innovative logistics

solutions for the ports of the 21st century.”

In addition to its Stockholm project, TTS

Port Equipment won a contract during 2013

to supply and install a Linkspan System at the

Dibba Fishery port through the National Ferries

Company in Oman. The project is valued at

around NOK 14 million and is set to be delivered

during the second half of 2014. The project is

an important one in the region and may result in

further expansion over the coming years as Björn

explains: “This is an exciting project and one we

have been looking at for a few years. There are

certainly some further movements in the Middle

East and we are keeping our eyes open for

sure.”

As 2013 rapidly approaches its end and the

new year nears, TTS Port Equipment has an

impressively filled order book but is not content

to simply allow the market come to it. Instead,

the company is keen to pursue new business

in a number of markets and shipping sectors.

As Björn concludes: “I think Europe is the main

market where things are starting to happen

(in the RoPax-market), we are focused on getting

new orders in the cruise and container markets.

One development that will be very interesting is

the London Gateway terminal, which will be a

big container port in the South of London. We

will have our cassette equipment there for the

movement of containers. It is not new technology

but it is the first time we have serviced such a

large port so we will be interested to showcase

what the equipment can do. This is something

that we will be pushing more next year at events

including TOC Europe and Multimodal.” v

TTS Port Equipment www.ttsgroup.com• Port logistics solutions• Major project in Stockholm Värtahamnen terminal• Aiming to expand in container and cruise markets

http://www.haco.com.pl


Located in the heart of Vorarlberg, Feidkirch, in close proximity to the Southern German and Swiss borders, Lingenhöle Technologie

is a machinery company that manufactures mechanical components for machine and plant construction. Divided into three sections,

its services include mechanical production, heat

treatment and turbine construction. Boasting

state-of-the-art machinery and hardening

equipment, it can offer its broad client base a

one-stop-shop that guarantees the highest levels

of precision and productivity.

“From the raw part all the way to completed

product, we are able to offer complete solutions,”

highlights Klaus Lingenhöle, managing director


Hotstuff

of Lingenhöle Technologies.

“Our certifications and

numerous references are

proof of our level of success;

people rely on us and that is

the best accolade we could

wish for. To us, trust is not

something that happens by

chance; you must be able to

rely on partners, particularly

if you’re not manufacturing

individual components yourself. The precision

Lingenhöle Technologie offers has won over

many customers and provides the great feeling

of absolute reliability.” Satisfied clients of the

firm include engine supplier Man Diesel & Turbo,

construction machinery manufacturer Liebherr

and also Kral, the manufacturer of pumps

and stations for a wide range of requirements

including low-sulphur fuels.

Striving to achieve perfection for its customers,

the company’s core focus is to look at every

single detail of the manufacturing process

while working closely with clients to produce

components and solutions for them. “Our main

customers come from plastic and rubber injection

mechanical engineering, cable railway, digger,

dragline and the mining industries,” says Klaus.

“We have close relationships with our customers,

even throughout construction we are open to

questions and dialogue about heat treatment; we

also offer our customers training on the subject of

heat treatment.”

Taking over as managing director in 2009,

Klaus had strategic plans for the future success

of Lingenhöle Technologie: “I wanted to continue

to expand and strengthen the company. I have

come very close to achieving these goals over

the last four years as we have invested time and

again in our machinery and staff training; we

believe the future is possible with well trained

employees, which is why we take on four

apprentices a year in the production area and one

or two in the heat treatment facility every year.

Recent investments include a hardening machine

with a processing length of five metres; likewise,

the two major processing centres of Millturn WFL

and M65 were a big step forward for us.”

He continues: “Our key strengths are our

mechanical production and heat treatment

facilities as they allow us to offer everything

from a single source; that is our core idea.”

Services within its mechanical production facility

include CNC turning up to 6000 millimetres,


Profile: Lingenhöle Technologie

Hotstuff

CNC cylindrical grinding up to 6000 millimetres,

horizontal CNC milling up to 800 millimetres

and subcontracted measurements. All services

offered by the ISO-9001-2000 certified firm meet

the highest standards of quality, a philosophy and

core value that the whole Lingenhöle Technologie

team lives and works by every day.

Investments in mechanical production has

enabled the firm to accept orders from a broader

client base and take on more challenging

projects, as Klaus discusses: “Many processing

steps were too complicated for us previously,

which meant we couldn’t take on new contracts

since the parts were either too large or complex.

However, these newly acquired machines have

enabled us to progress as a company.”

Aside from mechanical production, Lingenhöle

Technologie also supplies its customers with

heat-treatment services, which offers the

optimal thermal and thermochemical processes

for a comprehensive range of components

and requirements. Preventing the process of

damage and basic wear and tear, heat treatment

technology delivers economic benefits and

ensures finished parts are strong enough for all

situations and environments.

Offering a broad spectrum of thermal heat

treatment services, such as classic annealing

processes, quenching and tampering and

induction hardening, Lingenhöle Technologie’s

medium-frequency induction system is designed

for round parts that have hardening lengths of

up to 5000 millimetres and diameters of

450 millimetres. Furthermore, the firm has units

available for case hardening and carbonitriding

as well as plasma and salt bath nitriding, gas and

nitrocarburising; on top of this, it can also offer

vacuum hardening for cold work, hot work and

high-speed steels.

Meanwhile, as demand for renewable energy

increases, Lingenhöle Technologie has the

knowledge and expertise in turbine construction

to take advantage of this burgeoning market.

“We have been constructing Pelton turbines

since 2004 and we see that a clear objective

for us in the future will be the development of

technology for renewable energy, we will therefore

devote our attention to the Pelton turbine,” says

Klaus. Designed in 1879, the Pelton turbine is an

impulse turbine for hydroelectric power plants

and is today one of Lingenhöle Technologies

specialities, having been constructed and

manufactured successfully by the firm to

the exact specifications and parameters of

customers for almost a decade.

Lingenhöle Technologiewww.lingenhoele.at• Specialise in manufacturing mechanical components• Able to offer complete solutions• Recent investments have expanded customer base

Following high levels of

investment and training, the

dynamic company is well placed

to take advantage of a diverse

range of markets and industries

requiring component production

and heat treatment. “Most of

our work is through mechanical

production, however, over the last

few years we have seen an increase

in components that are produced

and then hardened as requested.

Ultimately, in the coming years our

key focus will be to retain our current

customers while also expanding our

customer base,” concludes Klaus. v

http://www.betz-chrom.de


irst established 60 years ago selling wooden boats, Post Workboats is a family business that has for more than 32 years been a reliable partner of boat insurance companies and damage experts. In this time it has gained

an abundance of experience working on the water and brings this knowledge

into its operations today. Specialising in rigid inflatable boats (RIB) Post

Workboats has four main foundations to its business – the sale of professional

Tornado RIBs, the rental of RIBs with or without crew, specially constructed

workboats, or modifications to boats for special projects, and the salvage of

leisure boats in the water, specifically yachts on Lake Ijsselmeer.

RIBs are known for their versatility and are able to operate in rescue

operations at sea, coast guard activities, patrols and military operations.

strikesThe Tornado

F

http://www.tornadoboats.com

http://www.offshoreseats.com


We have two very fast Tornado boats with 600 horsepower and speed of 60 knots that we use for salvage missions on the water. We have years of experience collecting vessels in trouble, bringing them to safe harbour

Profile: Post Workboats

“We have two very fast Tornado boats with

600 horsepower and speed of 60 knots that

we use for salvage missions on the water. We

have years of experience collecting vessels

in trouble, bringing them to safe harbour and

repairing the boat. Equally, working with them

daily means we know the boats extremely well.

We can do everything with these boats,” begins

Klaas Post, managing director. The new Tornado

vessels are thinner, lighter and stronger than

previous versions and the engines are capable

of accelerating the boat to a speed of 110

kilometres per hour. This highlights the available

power needed to tow some of the vessels it may

be called to during relief work.

With a detailed knowledge of the boats, the

company today imports and prepares the vessels

for commercial use. The high load capacity

core fleet is immediately deployable, and Klaas

provides a service of adapting the engine and

components to meet the client’s needs. The

vessels are available for sale or hire between

one-day loans to long-term contracts. “We are

flexible with our approach and what we can offer.

We have about eight or nine boats in stock at any

time. We are able to take on the clients needs

and we can prepare the RIBs in accordance with

the special work that the customer is involved in.

We are a small but flexible company that works

closely with sub contractors and knows how to

find the correct skills for a job,” added Klaas.

He continues: “One of our clients here in

Holland is the police force. They hire one of our

boats for half a year during the summer period.”

Post Workboats supplies the Flevoland Police

Department with a customised RIB that has the

appearance of a police boat. The service that

Post Workboats offers is of particular importance

to its customers who require a guarantee that

they can be operating in the water, even if the

unexpected was to occur. “The police are hiring

a boat through us because they need to remain

operational. If there is an issue they just call. If we

can’t overcome the problem within an hour then

we provide another boat,” he explains.

As well as supplying to government sectors

it also supplies to offshore and marine seismic

industry and provides special services. “For

many years we provided boats, complete with

crew for the guidance of the Red Bull air race.

strikesThe Tornado


This was a very beautiful

contract, and saw our boats

travel all over the world. As

the organisation has grown

they have now procured

their own fleet of vessels,”

continues Klaas.

In its work with

maritime companies

specialising within the oil

and gas sector the RIBs

are undertaking activities

including hydrographical and

seismological research, surveys, crew tendering

and oil detection. Its customers need a fast RIB,

able to operate in all weather conditions whilst

satisfying the demands of safety for the people

on board.

In 2012 Post Workboats developed a unique

Tornado RIB with water jet propulsion especially

for the offshore and windfarm industry. The

safety requirements in the offshore industry

restrict the use of gasoline engines. Adhering to

these requirements the company investigated

an alternate design, as Klaas says: “In many

situations they do not want outboards. Petrol

is too dangerous, so diesel is the preferred

option. We decided to develop the boat with

water jets so that it is allowed to operate in the

wind farm area. The vessel is also highly mobile

and it can be transported all over the world

within a container.” Water jets allow the operator

to undertake accurate manoeuvres and is a

completely safe design for rescuing people and

working with divers. The diesel engine and water

jets make the vessel suitable for crew tendering

and fast delivery of equipment to offshore.

Activity in the area is increasing following the

beginning of construction of the Noordoostpolder

Wind Farm. The project consists of the

construction of 86 wind turbines, 48 of which

will be situated near-shore as part of the

Westermeerwind Wind Farm. Once the project

is completed the turbines will supply electricity

to around 160,000 homes. “I see opportunities

in the wind farm arena. I expect to have a lot

of work there on the water. It will take two

years to build the turbines, and there will be

15 to 20 years of after care where transport

will be required for the mechanics to travel to

the turbines. We are very close to the area and

have been in contact with the companies that

are doing the work, and we hope to establish

a contract for that work,” adds Klaas. “We are

keen to be a partner for support with fast RIBs for

safety and crew transport.”

Potential clients can approach Post Workboats

for sale, lease, and development of special

facilities, equipment installation, software

updates, service and maintenance, crew training

and instruction of employee’s technical service.

Klaas looks to the New Year with confidence:

“We hope to rent out a lot of boats in 2014,

they are available for everything, and we hope

we have more interest. Renting vessels is the

preferred option for a lot of organisations. We

offer a full package, and are ready to respond

and overcome issues in a very short time should

anything go wrong. It’s a solution we offer to all

our customers and we will continue to promote

the benefits of this service.” v

Profile: Post Workboats

Post Workboatswww.postworkboats.nl• Specialist in Rigid Inflatable Boats• Unique design for offshore windfarms• Assistance, rental and sales, salvage

The company has developed long-standing

relationships with professional and offshore boat

builders and yard builders, and its services are

available to all companies. Combi Noord remains

in close contact with its customers throughout

the build from an empty hull to a complete ship,

and this strengthens the partnerships.

Additionally it is Combi Noord’s strength as a

complete wholesaler that supports its position

as a leading supplier as Patrick explains: “We

have products for small ships right through to

bigger work boats, and we use only high-end

quality products like Perkins and Caterpillar.

Additionally, two years ago we acquired a

company who produces stainless steel products.

This production is carried out in Vietnam where

we can make special products at the request of

our customers as well as the standard products

that we offer.”

The purchase of the company DATC was

a process that occurred after a long-standing

co-operation of the two organisations working

ombi Noord BV entered the marine industry ten years ago a wholesaler for professional builders and constructing

boat yards. In the period to follow the business developed to become a one-stop shop for the entire boat building industry.

Shipping and Marine magazine spoke to

Patrick Alkema, director at Combi Noord about

the latest activity and developments on the

horizon. Introducing the role of the company

Patrick begins: “We sell the products that make

a ship complete, from the propeller to the anchor

light and everything in between and we operate

in quite a special way. When we sell the head

engine of a boat we also calculate the gearbox,

the shaft and the propeller so the equipment

integrates together. It all fits as one and the result

is it works as a unit.

“For our customers’ peace of mind, we

give a guarantee that it works the way that

we promise. We also offer this guarantee for

electrical components so for example when we

sell the generator, we include the sale of other

components such as cables, batteries and the

charger.”CProvenmethod


Profile: Combi Noord

Patrick Alkema

together. The Vietnam branch now operates as

CN Stainless Steel Products.

Supporting the concept of supplying only

high-end products, Combi Noord has established

itself as an exclusive supplier of SHURflo pumps.

The move developed from a history of supplying

the equipment. “There were a few changes in the

market that resulted in us talking to SHURflo who

recognised our company and commitment to

their products. The integration originated at that

point,” says Patrick.

Highlighting the process of procurement

Patrick adds: “The strength of our company is our

capacity to offer complete solutions. This makes

us an easy option for our customers because

they know we cover everything they need. With

one phone call we deal with their request, pack

all the materials in a way in which they can build

it, and send the parts out to them. It really sets

us apart and shows our ability to perform as a

competitive one-stop shop for all the industry.”

Having developed a functional website, Combi

Noord’s customers can order online, and expect

delivery of products at relatively short notice,

even for products that require manufacture at

its facilities in Vietnam. The service supplied is

highlighted in the relationships it has formed,

particularly with Post Workboats who rely on

quality to operate vessels in highly demanding

activities, and need to be sure to respond to

demands of their own clients in a short time

period.

Patrick sheds some light on the current market

conditions: “We are in a changing market. The

yard building business has had a period of more

stability so six years ago we decided to expand

into boat building and we are happy with that

decision.

“We are looking to further expand our

programme so in the future we can also sell

tools used to build the hull. It is getting us more

involved at the start of the ship building process.

We are looking at expansion too, as currently

we deliver our products in Holland, Belgium and

Turkey and we are looking to further expand in

Germany throughout 2014, so we have a very

busy year ahead.”

Looking towards the future, Patrick concludes:

“Our unique approach of delivering a one-stop

package in a methodical way is very important

to businesses and our name is becoming more

recognised. We offer the right advice and remain

in close contact with customers. Our employees

are all specialists in their own areas, so we really

know the industry and its requirements.” v


Profile: Combi Noord

Combi Noord BVwww.combinoord.nl• Marine equipment supplier• Young vibrant company• Acquired company in Vietnam

http://www.combinoord.nl

Shipping&MARinEThe magazine for mariTime managemenT

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk

Schofield Publishing Limited Unit 10, Cringleford Business Centre, Intwood Road, Cringleford,

Norwich, NR4 6AU, UKTel: +44 (0) 1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 274131

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Shipping and Marine Issue 104 Final Edition

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Transcript of Shipping and Marine Issue 104 Final Edition