Continued Success for Bachmann Training

Thursday, 31st May 2018

It has been a busy Winter and Spring period for Bachmann Training with a continued expansion of their Marine Electrical Training Courses.

With a number of off-shore based marine companies using their facilities, for example, MTU (Rolls Royce) Engines, Fugro Offshore and Britannia Aggregates and Harris Pye, have taken electrical training courses from Bachmann Training, who are based at their Lee-on-the-Solent training centre on the “Daedalus Airfield”.

Business Development Manager Keith Austin said, ‘We are continuing to expand our programme of electrical training courses to meet the demands of the marine sector and to abreast of the latest technological and legislative advances.’

June is set to be very busy with the following courses running:-

Basic Electrical Safety

Chief Engineers Fault Finding

Marine Electrical Fault Finding

High Voltage Awareness

DuroWipers continues kitting out the RNLI Shannon class lifeboats

Thursday, 31st May 2018

DuroWipers has built a strong reputation for supplying the RNLI’s new Shannon class lifeboats with its industry leading wipers and this is continuing into 2018 as more newbuilds enter into service.

In April, the newbuild Barbara Anne lifeboat went into service at Lytham St Annes, kitted out with DuroWipers R Class 50 wipers.

Then in May, the £2.2m Humfrey Berkeley 13-25 went into service out of Leverburgh equipped with the same top-quality wipers.

“We originally secured the RNLI contract back in 2012 to equip 57 vessels and the competition for suppliers was ruthless,” said Noel Gould, owner, DuroWipers.

“The RNLI wanted a wiper which would perform underwater and be able to rotate 360 degrees and still work. This high profile ongoing contract is a testament to our wiper design and durability.”

Robust and high quality
The DuroWipers R Class 50 wiper system is the smallest in the DuroWipers range and is ideal for applications where space is at a premium.

As will all DuroWipers systems, they have unique patented twin drive shafts and rotary mechanism giving a smooth and powerful stroke.

The RNLI has also just completed one of its relief vessels named John Metters and there is another relief Shannon named Joanna and Henry Williams currently in progress, expected to be accepted into the fleet later next month. Both are equipped with DuroWipers systems.

These relief vessels act as stand-ins for regular lifeboats while they receive regular maintenance and upgrades. The RNLI currently has over 100 boats in its relief fleet including a combination of inshore-lifeboats and all-weather lifeboats – including the Shannon class.

The next newbuild Shannon class lifeboat at Seahouses is expected in 2019.

“We know how important this contract is and we are hopeful that there will be more work coming from the RNLI when the Shannon class contract comes to an end. It’s a reliable steadfast in these uncertain times pre-Brexit and has brought more work our way,” said Mr Gould.

Extended guarantees
DuroWipers offers a ten-year guarantee on its wipers for the RNLI and a lifetime guarantee on its products to the Royal Navy. For commercial operators it offers a free warranty for three years, above and beyond the usual 12-month standard.

This is DuroWiper’s real selling point because it means no need for any spares or maintenance costs. Although, as Mr Gould points out it also makes the company its “own worst enemy” as there is only new business to be had.

Previously, DuroWipers has retrofitted three UK Royal Navy RFA Vessels over the past eight years – the Fort Rosalie, the Fort Austin and the Diligence.

But it’s not just the RNLI and the Royal Navy that have benefitted from DuroWipers expertise.

DFDS Ferries, P&O, Damen, the Colombian navy and Norwegian operator Umoe Mandal all count themselves as satisfied customers.

DuroWipers is also currently doing some work for China’s refurb market having secured some recent ferry orders.
Seawork International 2018. DuroWipers will be back at Seawork International again this year with its usual impressive display of demo wipers on stand (PY115).
The company has been a constant presence at the show, which Mr Gould said always brings in new orders, for the last 12 years.

Refit for jack-up MPI Enterprise at Damen Verolme Rotterdam

Wednesday, 30th May 2018

Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR) has completed a refit project on the MPI Enterprise,a 120-metre, self-elevating, DP2, wind turbine installation vessel owned and operated by MPI Offshore, part of the Vroon Group. The works included the installation of spudcans on her four-legged jacking system, which can elevate the vessel at rate of one metre per minute in water depths up to 45 metres. Acquired by Damen Shipyards Group in June 2017, DVRis one of the largest refit and repair yards in Western Europe,capable ofaccommodating any seagoing vessel or floating offshore unit.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has worked with MPI Offshore in the past. MPI Resolutionhad visited DVR in 2011 for crane testing and so the yard was pleased to welcome the MPI Enterprisein February 2018 for the first time, for some refit work. She is designed to transport, lift, install and decommission components such as foundations, wind turbines, met masts and transformer stations. The works were contracted and managed by NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, the vessel’s manager since it was first delivered in December 2011. With respect to the installation of the new spudcans, this was the second such project at DVR, with the sister-ship of MPI Enterpriseundergoing the same refit at Verolme in June 2012. This time, however, the scope additionally included the installation of two radar domes and architectural work in the lower quarters. Cylinder foundations were also fitted for the leg lashing system.

Fitting new spudcans on each of the four legs was a major enterprise, with 16 tensioning bolts per spudcan. The new spudcans were lowered into the drydock using the onboard crane and then each was moved into position by self-propelled modular transporters. Mechanical linkage in spudcan design is unusual, and the advanced design was implemented using shim plates to divert radial and torsional movement from the tensioning bolts. This was appreciated by the client as a true achievement. The new spudcans increase the load-bearing area when the vessel is jacked up and so reduce the penetration into the seabed.

The MPI Enterprisedeparted DVR in early April to work on offshore wind farms in the North and Baltic seas.

As part of the Damen Shipyards Group, DVR is looking to take advantage of its strategic location and exceptional facilities to expand its activities into new sectors. With its 405 x 90 metre drydock it is actively developing its capability in cruise ship repair and modification by developing relationships with specialist sub-contractors and suppliers. In addition, it is refining its logistics and project management processes to better manage the increasing role that yards are expected to play in the repair and maintenance of these luxury vessels. Servicing LNG Carriers is another area in which it is adding resources. The yard is also certified for decommissioning and is in discussions with a number of oil and gas operators with assets in the North Sea.

Boating Industry recognises Life Cell as 2018 Top Product

Thursday, 24th May 2018

Life Cell Marine Safety is proud to announce that Boating Industry in the United States has chosen Life Cell as a 2018 Top Product– http://boatingindustry.com/news/2018/05/01/boating-industrys-2018-top-products/. For the fifth consecutive year they chose 50 of the newest and most innovative products for the marine industry. All of the winners, including Life Cell, stood out from hundreds of nominations for their impact on the industry, innovation and how they advance their product category – or create something completely new.

Life Cell is redefining how safety equipment is stored on boats and creating a new category of safety equipment in an attempt to save lives. Life Cell is a buoyant float-free device that can store all essential marine safety equipment and was designed by a survivor after a rapid sinking off the coast of Sydney, Australia. It is like combining a life ring and grab bag in one device, two items that have undergone little innovation in recent history.

Jenny Aiken, CEO Life Cell Marine Safety, is thrilled that Life Cell is gaining recognition in the largest marine market in the world. “Life Cell has had significant success in Australia since it was launched in 2015 and we are pleased that we are starting to get the same traction in the United States” she said.

This award adds to other recent milestones such as US boat manufacturers starting to recommend Life Cell, including Alabama based Silver Ships who have included Life Cell on their new Fire / Rescue demonstration boat – http://www.silverships.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SIL_DemoBoatFactSheet_Digital_2.pdf. In addition, US towing franchisees from both Sea Tow and TowBoatUS have begun recognising the value of Life Cell and installing it on their vessels.

Life Cell will be on Stand number PY54 at Seawork International 2018 in Southampton UK

Compagnie Maritime MonÃ©gasque and Damen join forces to introduce Fast Marine Access in Brazil

Thursday, 24th May 2018

Compagnie Maritime Monégasque (CMM) and Damen Shipyards Group (Damen) have joined forces to introduce a fast, safe and reliable Fast Marine Access crew change solution for the Brazilian market using a Damen FCS 7011. The solution looks to transfer personnel between shore and the ever more distant deep sea offshore platforms and flotels. The FCS 7011 focuses on increased safety, cost reduction and comfort, while offering a high speed solution to complement existing helicopter transfers.

In the development of the Fast Marine Access, Damen had two main points of focus – the increasing distance from shore of offshore operations around the world and the sea conditions in which they take place. Working with leading maritime research organisations including MARIN, TNO and the Technical University (TU) Delft, Damen undertook detailed studies of anti-rolling measures and marine access workability.

CMM is a market leader in Fast Offshore Support vessels and operates a fleet of Damen Sea Axe fast oil spill response vessels in Brazil. The Fast Marine Access vessel’s combination of speed and innovation to create efficiency is a perfect match with CMM’s three focal points.

Christophe Vancauwenbergh, CEO at CMM said, “We are very pleased with the Sea Axe’s performance in Brazilian waters. It has proven to reduce slamming and fuel consumption significantly at high speeds, while increasing safety and comfort onboard.”

The DP2 classed vessel will be the first of its kind to maintain high speeds in harsh weather conditions where motions are minimised by the active ride control system. The vessel is fitted with an integrated motion compensated gangway and a gyro stabiliser to provide a safe, reliable and high capacity transfer. The integrated approach of the key equipment enables a more dynamic approach and settlement of the gangway during the transfer phase, maximizing operability.

Damen Sales Manager Robin Segaar said, “The system is designed to anticipate wave motion, resulting in increased safety, comfort and up-time. The interior is designed to offer the highest comfort and allow for work or rest during transit phase. Alternative safety standby duties can be accommodated within the design where required.”

Currently the tank test phase is concluded at the TU Delft to verify the behavior of the design in both transit and transfer conditions before continuing to the engineering phase.

“CMM likes to look at niche market opportunities and we expect that the FCS 7011 will be a market changer. We see a strong need for this type of solution and we strongly believe that this will be the first of a series,” concludes Christophe.

All-Energy and Smart Urban Mobility Solutions conference presentations now available free-of-charge

Thursday, 24th May 2018

Just weeks after the successful All-Energy 2018, and co-located Smart Urban Mobility Solutions (SUMS 2018), were held at Glasgow’s SEC (2-3 May) 375+ presentations, speeches and academic posters are now online. All are available free-of-charge to refresh the memories of those who attended a conference session; those who missed one in favour of another; or even those who this year were unable to attend.

All-Energy and SUMS 2018 attracted 300+ exhibiting companies; nearly 500 speakers; and a record 46 academic posters. All of this encouraged a total attendance of 7,027 over the two days including developers, utilities, investors, local government, energy end users, academia and representatives from the full supply chain.

“Our online collection of presentations is a marvellous library of instantly accessible political statements, interpretations of policy, case histories, descriptions of innovative developments and solutions, and much more,” explains All-Energy and SUMS’s Event Director, Jonathan Heastie of Reed Exhibitions who own and organise the annual duo of shows. “They reflect the four ‘pillars’ of the events, renewable power, low carbon heating, energy efficiency and low carbon transport.

“Some sessions were panel discussions without presentations that could be put online, and in some instances speakers, including some of our four Ministerial visitors – the First Minister of Scotland, Scotland’s Business, Innovation and Energy, and Transport and the Island’s Ministers, and the UK’s Minister for Energy and Clean Growth – spoke ‘from the heart’ and no formal speech or presentation exists. That’s one good reason for putting the dates of the 2019 show in your diary now and promising yourself a stimulating time on 15 and 16 May 2019!”

“A fantastic conference”
Keith Anderson, who chaired the opening plenary session, which included keynote addresses from the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP; Sinead Lynch, Country Chair of Shell; Professor Sir Jim McDonald of Strathclyde University; Ian Meikle, Director of Clean Growth and Infrastructure at Innovate UK and both the Lord Provost and The Leader of host city Glasgow, sums up All-Energy: “It is a fantastic conference; I think what it shows is if you set ambitious targets you set a good framework, you encourage a huge number of people and a huge number of companies to get involved.”

The First Minister, who launched the ‘Energy Efficiency Scotland Roadmap’ at All-Energy explained in an interview: “It’s a comprehensive look across all of the four pillars of the conference and how we make this transformation to a low carbon era. It is one of the most important events and showcases for low carbon technologies anywhere in the UK

“Having conferences of this scale and this stature and importance in Glasgow is a huge accolade for the city and it is wonderful to see All-Energy back here” (she also spoke at All-Energy 2017). “The All-Energy conference itself is becoming increasingly important as we try to generate the debate and the correct way around all of these issues.”

Her full speech is online as is that of Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Energy.

UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Claire Perry MP explained after she had spoken: “I was talking about the fact that we have done really well as a nation, right across the UK in setting the pace on decarbonisation; and I also talked about the fact that Scotland, where we are today at this wonderful conference, has got some unique opportunities which it is exploiting, particularly on the renewable energy side. So it is great to come up to Scotland to celebrate that, and also talk about the fact that the UK is setting the pace in this area.”

Strong views in SUMS 2018
Shell UK’s Chair, Sinead Lynch commented when in the SUMS are of the exhibition alongside the Shell UrbanConcept vehicle and Strathclyde University’s entry for the forthcoming Shell Eco-marathon: “I’m really impressed by what I’ve seen. One of our strategic objectives is to drive through energy transition to bring in new fuels and new offerings to our customers, and part of that is being part of the eco-system, meeting the supply chain and collaborating with partners. This is a great venue at which to do it.”

While there she met up with Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Transport and the Islands before he delivered a keynote speech in the first of six SUMS 2018 sessions. Considering transport fuels he said: “It’s about not putting all our eggs in one basket, so you’ve got hydrogen, biofuels, electricity, and making sure we’ve putting enough resources into each of these. The innovation on display here is breath-taking. I’ve actually never seen so much of it in one place under one roof, and I’m delighted that Glasgow is hosting it.”

Key stakeholders air their views
Speaking at the end of the packed discussion session that she chaired on ‘Sustainable Cities: Are we there yet? Green infrastructure and New World thinking’, Clare Foster, Partner and Head of Clean Energy at All-Energy’s headline sponsor, Shepherd and Wedderburn, explained: “The innovation and all of the enthusiasm that is here over a two day period is just really infectious – it’s brilliant!”

As Matthew Knight, Business Development, Power and Gas and Power Services, Siemens plc commented: “The footfall is great, and there are enough people here interested in whatever you are selling to make it worth being here, and the overall buzz is pretty exciting.”

Strong support
Shepherd and Wedderburn is All-Energy’s headline sponsor. Other sponsors include the Crown Estate Scotland, Centrica, Element Power, Erova Energy, Innovate UK, Invest in Fife, ORE Catapult, ScottishPower Renewables and WPO. All-Energy is supported by a large number of trade associations, government departments, professional bodies and learned societies, and is held in association with the Renewable Energy Association; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Scottish Enterprise; Innovate UK; Sustainable Glasgow; and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), with Glasgow as its Host City, and the Society for Underwater Technology as Learned Society Patron.

Captions:

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon delivers her keynote address
Claire Perry, UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth touring the exhibition on Day 2
Busy aisle at All-Energy 2018

Macduff Ship Design Celebrates 25 Years

Thursday, 24th May 2018

Aberdeenshire-based Macduff Ship Design specialises in developing vessels that are tailored to the specific requirements of its clients. This year the company celebrates 25 years since its inception.

Macduff Ship Design Ltd. was founded in 1993 by Donald Cameron formerly of the renowned James N Miller shipyard and a consortium of local Macduff business men. From then until now the company has grown steadily, seeing much change in the industry and adapting to new demands in the commercial sector.

Initially the company was heavily involved in the British fishing industry, primarily carrying out stability investigations on existing vessels and, in close conjunction with Macduff Shipyards, assisting with new vessel design and vessel conversion work. However, very soon the company’s expertise as designers took off. From 1995 until around 2003 Macduff designed approximately 55 different fishing vessels, ranging from between eight and 41 metres in length, which were built in shipyards across the UK and in Spain, Holland, Portugal, Croatia and Canada.

Around 2003, the fishing industry was in decline due to regulations and restrictions on the catch as well as decommissioning of vessels reducing fleet size, so Macduff Ship Design decided to concentrate its efforts into the commercial workboat markets. This was an area where the company had done some work with local owners and operators and recognised a demand and the potential for the transfer of knowledge into this market. This proved to be a good decision, launching a fleet of new workboat designs and paving the way for further collaborations between Macduff and international shipyards such as Tor Marine in Turkey, which Macduff still works closely with. The company’s current design repertoire includes a re-emerging fishing vessel sector as well as tugs of all shapes and sizes, pilot and patrol vessels, general workboats, line handlers, fish farm vessels, ferries and many other varying designs. Macduff Ship Design is a company that does not restrict itself in its ambitions and indeed specialises in providing bespoke and carefully tailored vessel designs for its clients.

This gives the company a competitive advantage over the ‘off the shelf’ market, and many of its vessels perform an impressive range of functions for their size. Macduff provides ship owners and ship builders with complete design and engineering/outfitting drawing packages, including cutting information and all stability calculations.

With increasing demands on its services and the need for expansion both in terms of space and staffing, the company decided that it was time to upgrade its office from an ex-fisherman’s cottage in Macduff to more purpose-built premises. In 2008 plans were drawn up for the current office, situated just around the corner from the original premises and still within Macduff Harbour.

HRH The Princess Royal officially opened Macduff Ship Design’s new offices on 1 March 2012. The open plan design on the first floor is spacious and has allowed for additional staff to join the company, as well as having a dedicated meeting room, large storage space and facilities for staff at ground floor level.

Six years later, the company has expanded, now employing 10 personnel, having recruited four new graduates and opened a new branch dedicated to vessel surveying, Macduff Marine Surveyors. The surveying branch was formed with assistance from renowned local surveyor M D Tillman and is headed by Jim McDonald – an experienced chief engineer. The new enterprise fills a gap in the market and meets demand both in the North-East of Scotland and further afield.
With the retirement of Donald Cameron in 2014, Ian Ellis took over as Managing Director. Ian had been with the company since its early years and has since been leading the company into new ventures and consolidating existing relationships with clients. The company also recognises that its experience within the local Scottish fishing industry gives it a unique insight into fishing operations which is transferable to other fishing markets. Current projects include a ninety foot fishing vessel for Canadian waters, which is being built in Vietnam and a 14m Line Handler for Cheoy Lee Shipyards in Hong Kong which can also be adapted as a tug or other functionalities. Macduff hopes to build on these projects, with new vessels already in the pipeline for Canada. Closer to home, a design has been completed for a fifty-five foot Trawler style motor yacht for a private owner, as well as a pilot vessel that has recently been delivered to Ayr and a 16m tug that will be on its way to Shoreham Port in July this year. Both of these vessels have been built by neighbouring Macduff Shipyards, enabling a smooth build process due to ease of collaboration between Macduff Ship Design and the yard. This varied order book shows the flexibility of the design team at Macduff and their ability to tailor designs to meet owner’s needs.

Notable projects in the company’s recent years have included a 36.5m Moorings Maintenance Vessel for the Port of London Authority, part of Macduff’s ‘Multi-Mac’ range, a multi-vessel contract for Tor Marine shipyard for operations in Saudi Arabia, and a series of multi-purpose fish-farming vessels for Inverlussa Marine Services in the UK.

These projects have provided their own unique challenges with the wide variety in vessel designs and owner’s requirements from simple workboats to large high speed patrol boats to ASD tugs, all of which the company has successfully met in its trademark fashion. The UK fishing industry is also now in a period of improved fortunes, leading to a demand for new designs for the next generation of owners wishing to make their vessels more efficient and with better seakeeping and stability characteristics.

We have been fortunate to be able to recently invite all of the original founders to a celebration of the company’s achievements over the past 25 years where we were able to present them with a celebratory special edition 25 year old single malt whisky. We will also be attending Seawork International in Southampton from the 3rdto the 5thof July and we would wish to invite all our past and any potential clients to visit our stand to celebrate our anniversary. We will be holding an informal drinks reception from 15:30 on Tuesday the 3rdof July but would be happy to see you at any time during the show.

MIT, much more than marine gears Innovative marine solutions and extensive service and repair capabilities

Tuesday, 22nd May 2018

For the 20th consecutive year, MIT will be exhibiting at Seawork, one of the largest European commercial marine exhibitions, where on stand PO5 they will showcase why they are the experts in marine propulsion and driveline systems.

With an array of innovative and forward thinking technology from world leading brands, and an industry leading service, repair and overhaul capability, MIT are not only the experts in product supply, but excel in whole life-cycle vessel support to both standard diesel and environmentally friendly driveline solutions.

As we see ever tightening emissions regulations within the industry, operators are looking to reduce their carbon footprint with sustainable alternatives to diesel power, whilst reducing operating costs and engine maintenance, future proofing of their business.

Experts in Electric and Hybrid technology, Transfluid are dedicated to delivering cost-effective and environmentally friendly systems to workboat operators and continue to further develop their Electric/Hybrid driveline system. On display at Seawork 2018, the system offers unique flexibility which surpasses rival models, allowing the operator to work in three specific mode: Electric propulsion, to drive or sail at zero emissions in absolute silence. Engine Propulsion, using the electric machine as a generator to recharge batteries, and Booster, which allows the electric motor during acceleration to assist the engine – providing extra torque to the driveline.

The system can be easily fitted to any transmission such as, marine gear boxes, hydrostatic transmissions, cardan shaft and water jets has an approved engine power of up to 1100kw (1475 hp), with the electric motor reaching 400 kw.

To install the HM system, all that is needed is an additional few hundred millimetres between the diesel engine and the transmission, allowing the unit to be fitted on new vessels or installed as a retrofit, making the system an ideal solution for ports and commercial operators. MIT, in collaboration with Goodchild Marine Services will this year feature on the Seawork conference agenda, exploring how moving away from diesel power can aid the workboat sector.

With innovation at the forefront of the MIT portfolio, steering solutions which complement the build of custom workboats also take a front seat at Seawork 2018. Esteer, a plug-and-play technology developed by Twin Disc offers users reliable, robust features such as dual bus technology, adaptive steering, dynamic rudder control and more. Engineered to excellence, E-STEER was designed for both operators and boat builders alike. The ease of installation makes it the perfect partner to any propulsion system, delivering a smooth, vibration free drive, and is suitable for vessels large and small.

This technology has redundancies built into the steering system, ranging from basic with dual bus technology to full redundancy. Each control has two CAN-bus communication links between devices, and primary and secondary power inputs, with audible alarms for loss of either supply.

The optional dual control system serves as a backup in the event of a failure, providing the end user with peace of mind, along with providing adaptive resistance through speed sensing technology. Resistance is increased or decreased based on the vessel’s speed, giving the operator better control over the helm, and effortless, precise steering. With dynamic rudder control E-STEER constantly and proportionally adjusts the range of movement based on the vessel's speed — preventing extreme and unsafe rudder angles and reducing the potential for accidents.

And innovation does not stop with steering and hybrid solutions! Official suppliers to the Sir David Attenborough Polar Research Vessel, Rubber Design also introduce their latest mount technology, the TT1X – a high performance torque thrust mount.

Listening to customer feedback, the TT1X was designed specifically for increased acoustical demands. This new mount series broadens the bandwidth of load-capacity and sets a new standard for the resilient suspensions of high speed engines with close coupled gearboxes.

With a load capacity higher than most other mounts on the market, combined with the compact and proven design, this mount enables simpler and more cost effective resilient mount solutions. Additionally, this mount is equipped with new, patented technologies, to even further increase its performance and reliability. Built from the highest quality materials, the choice for the TT1X means opting for a fail-safe solution, which will perform satisfactory in the field for many years.

With over 40 years of industry experience, MIT is more than just component parts. Visit MIT on stand PO5 where they will also be discussing their extensive system design, service, preventative maintenance, and overhaul capabilities available on most models of marine drivelines. MIT are official UK/Ireland distributors for both Twin Disc, Transfluid, Rubber Design and Quincy, along with being official service partners of ZF Marine, Reintjes and Servogear.

MIT will also be discussing standard marine drivelines and propulsion systems from across their product portfolio, including marine transmissions, single and multiple pump drives, standard and hybrid marine transmissions, anti-vibration systems, boat steering systems and air compressors.

From Georgia With Love… CM2007

Wednesday, 16th May 2018

Jenkins Marine are delighted to announce the addition to its fleet of a 50m x 14m flat top spud leg pontoon, ‘CM2007’ following its purchase and recent arrival from Georgia.

Following inspection and purchase of the pontoon in Georgia this February, CM2007 has been in transit under tow back to Jenkins Marine UK headquarters in Poole. This has taken a remarkable 50 days following significant delays due to bad weather conditions. The pontoon arrived in Poole in early April, and the team at Poole have worked non-stop to install fendering and handrails to the vessel ready for it’s first charter with Jenkins Marine as new owners.

CM2007 was built in 2007 by Dutch shipyard ‘Neptune’, and is a sister vessel to Jenkins Marine's other 50m x 14m pontoon ‘JML 50’. She has an impressive 1,300t deck capacity together with pockets for 2no. 610mm diameter spud legs.

Jenkins Marine Director Dan Jenkins said:

"I am very pleased to report that following inspection and delivery the pontoon is in excellent condition and has current BV loadline certification, and is ready to go to work!."

The pontoon is already booked on a 6 month bareboat charter to work for joint venture company ‘FLO’ on the Thames Tideway project, on the River Thames.

For more information regarding CM2007 or any of our other specialist vessels please contact Jenkins Marine or visit our web site – www.jenkinsmarine.co.uk and navigate to the relevant section.

Preparations for conversion to create Europeâ€™s first LNG dredger get underway at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque

Tuesday, 15th May 2018

Ceremonial steel cutting marks start of the dual-fuel conversion

Work has begun at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque on the conversion of the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Samuel de Champlainfrom diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining MGO and LNG. A ceremony was held at the yard to mark the first cutting of steel for the prefabrication of a new section of hull that will hold the new generators and other equipment.

Present at the occasion were Jean-Pierre Guellec, CEO of GIE Dragages-Ports, the owner of the vessel, Stéphane Raison, Président Directeur Général of Grand Port Maritime Dunkerque, and Eric Sorel, Commandant de Port, together with representatives of Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) and the Samuel de Champlainproject team.

DSDu CEO Mark Jan van den Akker made a welcome speech in which he noted that LNG is a fuel of the future with an important role in the movement towards lower emissions, and that the conversion of conventional diesel vessels to dual-fuel by adding LNG capability is a viable option. The Samuel de Champlainis the first such conversion to be done by DSDu and the yard is proud to be at the forefront of this transition.

Jean-Pierre Guellec joined him in celebrating this ground-breaking event, noting that it is the first such conversion in his fleet and the first of its kind in Europe, and expressed his pleasure in undertaking this project in partnership with DSDu.

Under the contract, Damen is delivering a turnkey package that includes engineering, procurement and support. Engineering studies are being subcontracted to LMG MARIN FRANCE. The current propulsion system of the Samuel de Champlainis diesel-electric burning MGO, and so the package includes the change of generators to dual-fuel models and the installation of onboard LNG storage facilities.

The new engines will be installed on a new block which is currently being prefabricated in DSDu’s workshop and this will be installed later this year while the vessel is in drydock. Samuel de Champlainwas built in 2002 and is the largest vessel in the GIE Dragages-Ports fleet. Based in the Grand Maritime Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, she divides her time between the Loire and Seine estuaries.

The conversion is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast and is being made possible by a subsidy from the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) via its Connecting Europe Facility programme. The conversion of the Samuel de Champlainwill play an important role in demonstrating the feasibility of using LNG as a fuel on smaller vessels and she is expected to be operational by December 2018.

Month: May 2018

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