Seawork Commercial Marine is back for 2022

Monday, 13th June 2022

The highly anticipated return of the 23rd edition of Seawork, Europe’s largest on-water commercial marine exhibition, takes place over three days 21-23 June. It is a ”one stop shop” for buyers and offers a unique combination of undercover exhibition space, open air demonstrations and floating displays.

Held in the port city of Southampton, this will be the first Seawork in over 1100 days and is the first post-Brexit, post-pandemic commercial marine business networking opportunity. It is supported by the industry’s key associations and organisations, this year focussing on how the multi-faceted commercial marine industry is adapting and innovating in the face of economic, environmental and political upheaval.

Marine Civils is co-located with Seawork and is preceded by the specialist sector event on high-speed operations, Speed@Seawork on Monday 20 June, in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The return of an in-person Seawork is an exciting opportunity. It has something for everyone in the industry to learn and take away to improve their businesses. That is in addition to catching up with colleagues in-person and meeting new ones.

New Vessels, Equipment and Services

There is the opportunity to view afloat on the Seawork pontoon a number of innovative new vessels with the design focus on efficiency and reducing costs. This is in addition to the myriad of new items of equipment and services on display, all helping to extend the range of and streamline operations.

On the Pontoons

MHO-Co’s new crew transfer vessel (CTV) will be demonstrating the novel technology onboard, diesel-electric operation, low fuel consumption Dynamic Positioning System-mode and new Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Seawork exhibitor Diverse Marine working with BAR Technologies and SEACAT Services will be showing the ground-breaking BARTech30, a 30-metre crew transfer vessel for taking technicians to work on wind turbines (amongst other uses).

The aim being to improve sea keeping and help make a green energy sector even greener by dramatically reducing fuel requirements and CO2 emissions.

Get Set for Workboat 2050 & Learning from the USV and Hybrid Conferences

In the latest in a series of conferences on the road to net-zero, the Commercial Marine Network ‘Get set for Workboat 2050’ looks at ‘Hydrogen & Clean Growth opportunities – Is there a place for hydrogen in the decarbonisation roadmap for the workboat sector?’
There are also two other half day conferences highlighting the practical application of ‘Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs); USVs’ Growing Role in the Commercial Marine Market’ and ‘Hybrid & Electric Propulsion – Real world implementation of Hybrid & Electric Propulsion Solutions’.

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association, along with meetings of the CECA Flood & Marine and Environment Groups, will discuss ‘Infrastructure associated with the Marine Environment’ highlighting Freeports (Solent Freeport), investment and development in the region. ‘Responding to the Climate Challenge’ delves into HVO fuels and Low Carbon Concrete and innovation within the marine civils environment.

The Workboat Association Safety Forum in partnership with the British Tug Owners Association will debate equipment and methods and share expert knowledge on one of the most significant topics on the water – MOB (ManOverBoard) Recovery.

Workboat Code Update

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will give the update on the aims and requirements of the new Workboat Code. This session brings an update on the introduction of the High-Speed Offshore Service Craft Code and a closer look into the developments that have been made in the latest revision to the Workboat Code, what has changed and when to expect these amendments to come into force.

Opportunities with the UK MOD

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the UK Department of International Trade (DIT) will take existing and potential sector suppliers through the opportunities available through the domestic procurement program and international business.

Tidal Energy Opportunities

This is a TIGER Supply Chain event for the Channel region. ORE Catapult are leading the Tidal Stream Industry Energiser project (TIGER) which is Interreg’s largest ever project recently increased in value to over €48m. Partners include world leading tidal stream technology/project developers, 2 of which are located very close to Seawork. TIGER partners will present on the opportunities and prospects within the tidal stream sector.

Port decarbonisation and smart energy solutions for ports

This workshop will present the Port of Portsmouth as a case study for combining renewable generating capacity with innovative energy storage solutions and advanced energy management systems. It is a chance to learn about supply chain opportunities in port decarbonisation.

Speed@Seawork

Fast vessels operating at high speed for security interventions and Search And Rescue (SAR) are a significant specialist sector and the focus of Speed@Seawork, which is aimed squarely at facilitating growth and development for the design, build and operation of these specialist vessels. Military and industry experts will share their thoughts on future vessels and mission requirements, and the challenge of re-powering fast craft fleets in a changing world. This event is held the day before Seawork on Monday 20 June, in Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Training and Careers Thursday

The multiplicity of opportunities available in the Commercial Marine World will be a surprise to some and a magnet for those looking for deeply absorbing and rewarding roles (or even a change of career direction). Maritime Training & Careers Day on Thursday 23 June is aimed at students aged 16-19 years. Working with Maritime UK and the Solent LEP, Seawork is hosting a programme of presentations, competitions, quizzes and job vacancies all designed to engage and deliver.

The ECMAs & Innovation Showcase

The European Commercial Marine Awards (ECMAs), incorporating the Innovations Showcase Category Awards, attracts entries from across Europe, recognises the depth of excellence in commercial marine and celebrates the outstanding individuals and innovative companies that comprise this vibrant and productive industry sector.

WiMI

Seawork’s Women in Marine Industry event returns in person for Seawork2022. Join our inspirational speakers as they share their stories, their challenges, and their achievements. The event offers women in the commercial marine industry an opportunity to share career experiences and know-how, renew and expand networks, and hear about key industry developments

All weather workboat berthing solutions for port and harbour operations at Seawork

Wednesday, 1st June 2022

Specialists in pontoon manufacture and design, Inland and Coastal Marina Systems (ICMS) will be showcasing its unique berthing options for workboats and crew transfer vessels (CTV) at Seawork, 21-23 June 2022.

Specifically aimed at supporting operations in commercial ports and harbours, ICMS’ tailor-made solutions provide safe working conditions for workers all year round, day and night.

For each project, ICMS works with individual port authorities, power companies and other interested parties to ensure that its bespoke water access solutions meet a customer’s requirements. Often working with limited space, ICMS takes into account the existing infrastructure of the port or harbour, ensuring the most cost-effective and sustainable solution is created.

Last year, Portland Harbour Authority approached ICMS to design a custom berth to accommodate its new 287T tug, within the confines of its existing operational pontoons and factoring in its higher freeboard. The result was a 21.5m heavy-duty pontoon with a 750mm freeboard, with a durable, anti-slip surface provided by the Glass Reinforced Fibre (Work Surface) decking.

“We are pleased with our existing Inland and Coastal harbour workboat pontoons. I was confident their practical, design engineering skills would solve our new tugboat berth requirement in a tight corner of the harbour,” says Alex Hayes, general manager dryside.
“Within no time at all they had worked out how to make it fit and resolved the issue of connecting into existing pontoons and access ways at different levels.”

With the growth in the offshore renewable energy sector, new operations and maintenance (O&M) bases are required. ICMS’ highly experienced in-house design team can design specialised pontoons for these bases with variable freeboard heights, matching those of the crew transfer vessels using them.

On Montrose Port’s South Quay, ICMS recently installed a new 30m heavy-duty pontoon to service the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, Scotland’s largest windfarm. With GRP decking suitable for commercial application offering excellent anti-slip properties coupled with high-level task lighting, the CTV crews will benefit from safe access to vessels during the commissioning and ongoing maintenance phases of the offshore facilities.

Lynn Sayer, business and commercial manager at Montrose Port Authority, comments: “We’re delighted with the new 30m pontoon which will soon see operations staff and maintenance teams safely boarding crew vessels for transfer to the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm.

“The decision to award the contract for this project to Inland and Coastal Marina Systems has proved a very wise investment, with the resulting facility not only being extremely well designed and engineered, but delivered on time and on budget.”

If you’re interested in learning more about improving your commercial berthing facilities to increase port revenues or replacing your existing water access for workboats and CTVs, the experts at Inland and Coastal Marina Systems will be on stand G47 at Seawork.

MJR Power and Automation Unveils Innovative Offshore Technology at Exclusive Maritime Event

Wednesday, 1st June 2022

MJR Power and Automation has presented its ground-breaking offshore wind vessel charging system at the highly anticipated Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Final Showcase hosted by Department for Transport (DfT), Innovate UK and Innovate UK KTN.

Opened by the Maritime Minister, Robert Courts MP – and held at Portsmouth International Port – the event brought together 55 projects from across the UK that received funding by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

As one of the flagship projects – MJR Power and Automation has been able to successfully fast-track the development of the world’s first fully automated offshore wind vessel charging system, demonstrating energy delivered direct from the wind turbine, which the company showcased at the event.

To bring the project into fruition, MJR Power and Automation led a consortium of partners – Ore Catapult; Xceco; Artemis Technologies and Tidal Transit – who all provided expertise in their given field to develop the system in only a matter of seven months.

Most recently, the company has announced construction and in-house testing have now been successfully completed on the offshore charging system that is set to revolutionise the offshore wind sector.

The charge points will enable all electric crew transfer vessels and other offshore support vessels to connect in the field to a 100% green energy source generated directly by the offshore wind turbines for the efficient, safe and reliable transfer of power.

This innovation will break down the existing range barriers and increase the uptake by vessel owners and operators with the transition to fully electric and green propulsion systems, for retrofit and new build vessels. In combination with other field-proven technologies, the charging system will be an important part for government and offshore wind owners and operators, to achieve their net zero maritime operations targets, and switch away from fossil fuels. The ability to charge when in the field, will significantly accelerate the adoption of current emission-free propulsion systems which will be a major asset for the decarbonisation of the global maritime sector.

Speaking about the event, Paul Cairns, Managing Director at MJR Power and Automation said: “We are delighted to have been able to showcase our development amongst a series of UK innovators transforming marine operations.

“It has been a monumental achievement for MJR Power and Automation to fast track this ground-breaking development in such a short period of time, with special thanks to our consortium of experts who have been instrumental in driving the project forward.

“With vital schemes, such as this, we have been able to demonstrate our innovative capabilities – coupled with unrivalled knowledge and expertise possessed by our world-class team – to develop world-leading technology that will be absolutely vital in the decarbonisation of marine operations.”

With over 25 years’ experience delivering marine electrical power and automation projects from new build, retrofit and upgrade, MJR Power & Automation is at the very forefront of providing innovative solutions – both at port and offshore – to support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. The company provides a complete turnkey offering of both products and solutions from power and propulsion, automation and energy storage to equipment, remote monitoring and shore power supplies.

Acquisition allows Somers Forge to triple its CNC machining capacity

Wednesday, 1st June 2022

Somers Forge the UK’s leading open die forge has acquired A&B Richardson Engineering, based in Oldbury. The company which is best known for being a tool and die manufacturer, has continually invested in a variety of CNC machines and CAD design capabilities.

The acquisition of the machine shop is part of the Somers Forge long term strategy to expand machining capacity and capabilities after seeing increased demand for finished components.

The established machining facility and long-serving experienced machinists provides immediate capacity for fulfilling the recent order book growth. A&B Richardson has been a trusted sub-contract machining facility, used by Somers Forge for many years.

Alex Cross, Production Director – “Last year we made a million-pound investment on a new CNC vertical boring machine which will help us to manage capacity for that range of product. We also recognised the need for greater capacity with CNC milling so the acquisition of A&B Richardson was the perfect solution.

The purchase has tripled our CNC machining capacity and further enhanced our capabilities, allowing us to continue to offer competitive lead times and products of the highest quality’’.

A&B Richardson Engineering will continue to operate under the same name.

About Somers Forge

Somers Forge is a leading UK-based manufacturer specialising in high-quality, precision-forged components for a variety of industries, including aerospace, marine, defense, energy, and rail. Located in Halesowen, West Midlands, Somers Forge has a rich history dating back to its establishment in the late 1800s. Over the years, the company has evolved into a world-renowned forge, known for its exceptional craftsmanship, technological innovation, and commitment to quality.

Somers Forge offers a comprehensive range of forging services, from open die forging to closed die forging, catering to both small and large-scale projects. Their state-of-the-art facility includes some of the most powerful open-die hydraulic presses and hammers in Europe, allowing them to produce highly customised components up to 100 tonnes in weight. With an extensive array of machining capabilities, heat treatment facilities, and rigorous testing procedures, Somers Forge ensures that each component meets the exacting standards of its clients.

One of the company’s specialties is its ability to work with an extensive variety of metals and alloys, including stainless steel, nickel alloys, aluminum, and titanium. This versatility allows the company to produce components that meet the unique demands of high-stress applications, such as marine shafts, aerospace landing gears, and defense artillery. Their marine-grade materials, in particular, are forged to withstand corrosive environments and the stresses of offshore and subsea applications, making Somers Forge a trusted supplier in the global maritime industry.

Quality is central to the companies operations. The company operates under ISO 9001 and AS 9100 standards, reflecting its dedication to delivering superior-quality products. Their in-house testing facilities conduct non-destructive and destructive testing to verify each component’s integrity, durability, and performance. The rigorous quality control process helps Somers Forge maintain a reputation for reliability and precision in critical industries where safety and performance are paramount.

In addition to its technical capabilities, Somers Forge prides itself on its customer-centric approach, providing end-to-end support to clients. From initial design consultation to final delivery, their experienced team works closely with clients to ensure that each project is tailored to exact specifications. This collaborative approach allows Somers Forge to deliver innovative and effective solutions for highly specialised applications.

With over a century of expertise in forging and a commitment to excellence, Somers Forge continues to set industry standards in the UK and worldwide. The company’s unique blend of tradition and innovation has made it a trusted partner for industries that demand high-performance, precision-forged components.

Month: June 2022

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