LGH & LGH Winches Europe announces new finance director

Thursday, 17th July 2025

Leading lifting and winching equipment hire company LGH & LGH Winches Europe has named Niels de Gelder as its new finance director.

The new role is part of LGH and LGH Winches‘ ongoing geographic expansion, aligning with the company’s long-term objectives. This growth necessitates complex financial management at an international level, requiring dedicated strategic oversight. Niels’ appointment fosters financial discipline, supports expansion plans, and enhances governance, making them a crucial addition to the executive team as the business continues to grow.

Niels first started his career at LGH in 2011 and was with the business for four years. He rejoined LGH in 2019 after working as an interim business and finance consultant, which included roles at Canon Medical Systems Europe, VU University Medical Centre, and the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security. In 2021, Niels was promoted to Finance Business Partner at LGH, growing his remit so it covered the entire European division for LGH and LGH Winches.

Niels will now be overseeing the Group’s financial health and strategy, ensuring the business meets its financial obligations and achieves its long-term financial goals. He is also a member of the board of directors.

On a day-to-day basis, Niels will be delivering financial advice, developing necessary policies and procedures to ensure efficient financial management and control whilst guaranteeing the company remains compliant with diverse tax laws and financial regulations across multiple territories. He will also be responsible for forecasting future performance, managing all financial operations and overseeing the HR function.

Niels said: “I am excited to step into this new role and join the board of directors as finance director. I have had already a bit of a taste over the last year and look forward to building on the success of the company and help grow its presence in all our locations.”

Andy Mault – CEO – added: “Niels has been on a development program over the past few years, and from the outset of the new board’s formation, it was always the intention to appoint a financial lead. Throughout this journey, Niels has grown significantly, gaining the experience and knowledge needed to step confidently into this executive role. I would like to congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment. His dedication and development have been evident, making this next step a natural and exciting progression.

Andy added: Niels brings a strong European perspective to the group and consistently demonstrates sound judgment and a clear understanding of his responsibilities. His insights, experience, and fresh perspective will be invaluable as we continue to evolve and grow LGH Europe into a stronger, more unified, and profitable business. I look forward to working closely with Niels in the years ahead as we strive to become the lifting hire partner of choice for all our customers.”

Teignbridge Propellers New Carbon Fibre Blade

Monday, 14th July 2025

Teignbridge Propellers have enhanced their Clamp on Blade (CoB) propellers with a carbon fibre blade option.

This development was part of a 12-month Innovate UK-funded Clean Marine Demonstration Call (CMDC) project that saw the development of a carbon fibre CoB propeller for use on a 10m electric-powered vessel. The carbon propeller generated a 3 – 4% efficiency gain over the equivalent metallic propeller.

Teignbridge’s CoB propeller technology is suited to a wide variety of applications including merchant, commercial, military and leisure vessels and can be supplied in a wide range of sizes from 0.75m to 5.50m diameter with keyed or hydraulic shaft fitting. A 5.5m diameter propeller can be packaged and transported in a 20ft shipping container.

With a hub diameter ratio only 5% greater than a conventional mono-bloc fixed pitch propeller, this represents the lowest hub to diameter ratio replaceable blade propeller currently on the market, maximising the propeller’s surface area and generating the greatest possible thrust. Unlike alternative, radially bolted solutions, Teignbridge’s CoB propellers’ hydrodynamic efficiency is further improved by minimising the number of bolt heads present on the hub surface, resulting in improved flow over and around the hub.

In the unfortunate event that propeller blades become damaged, the individual blades can be replaced rather than having to remove and replace the whole propeller. This feature of the CoB system saves the time and cost of having to dry dock or slip the vessel. As CoB parts can be stored onboard, there is no wait for replacement parts to be manufactured or repaired, reducing costly vessel downtime. For smaller vessels and superyachts, the modular design provides an economical and flexible option, with blade changes only requiring the services of a diver.

The increased ease with which propeller blades can be changed also means that long-term changes in vessel use profile can be matched with a revised propeller design, improving efficiency, reducing emissions and saving fuel.

Carbon Fibre Option

The carbon fibre composite blade option produces a lightweight and efficient propeller which due to the composite material characteristics, yields lower driveline vibrations combined with substantial noise reduction compared to conventional metallic propellers. This is extremely beneficial when coupled with an electric drive where controlling NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) levels are of upmost importance.

Carbon fibre construction techniques allow the propeller characteristics to be tailored, adding strength and stiffness where required, but also enabling flex to be designed into the blades which can be utilised to enhance the pitch for various vessel conditions and speeds, increasing the propellers efficiency. Lighter propeller weight means smaller diameter shafts can be utilised as the moment of inertia is reduced, putting less loading on other parts of the driveline, in turn reducing their associated weight.

The savings offered by the CoB technology and optional carbon fibre blades generates efficiency, emission and NVH improvements that produce a rapid return on investment for the customer.

Associated Listing:

Teignbridge Propellers Limited

Marine Auction, July 24th, Bidding Now Open!

Tuesday, 8th July 2025

www.marinebid.com

Henderson Auctions has been commissioned to sell marine, industrial items, and more in an online-only auction. Lots will start closing at 11am on Thursday, July 24, 2025

Associated Listing:

Wilhelmsen Ships Service Joins the Maritime Battery Forum

Monday, 7th July 2025

The Maritime Battery Forum (MBF) is proud to welcome Wilhelmsen Ships Service as the newest member of our global community of maritime battery enablers. This membership highlights giant strides in the global push for clean, electrified naval operations. As a global leader in maritime products and services, Wilhelmsen Ships Service brings decades of operational expertise and a deep commitment to sustainable innovation.

Pioneering Maritime Innovation on a Global Scale

Part of the Wilhelmsen group, Wilhelmsen Ships Service supports vessels in over 2,200 ports worldwide. The company is recognised for combining advanced technologies with hands-on experience to deliver seamless vessel operations and enhance customer value. Its membership in MBF is a natural extension of its forward-looking approach to maritime transformation.

A Strong Track Record in Maritime Battery Initiatives

Wilhelmsen’s journey into maritime battery integration reflects a deliberate and strategic expansion of its sustainability efforts. In 2023, Wilhelmsen partnered with Yinson GreenTech to support the development and trials of Hydromover, Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel. This was followed in 2024 by the company joining the Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA), a collaborative initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of clean energy in regional maritime logistics.

In 2025, Wilhelmsen Ships Service launched an electric vessel charging station at its Pandan Loop facility. This station is designed to support next-generation electric vessels such as Hydromover 2.0 and Hydroglyder, reinforcing the company’s infrastructure capabilities in supporting maritime electrification. That same year, Wilhelmsen Port Services entered a memorandum of understanding with Yinson GreenTech and R W Marine Services to coordinate the deployment and integration of electric vessels within Singapore’s port ecosystem—supporting national goals for maritime decarbonisation.

Wilhelmsen’s innovation agenda extends beyond local projects. As early as 2017, the group took a majority stake in NorSea Group AS, a specialist in shore power infrastructure, laying the foundation for port-side electrification and clean energy logistics in Northern Europe. In 2018, Wilhelmsen and Kongsberg Maritime launched Massterly, the world’s first company dedicated to the operation of autonomous, remotely controlled, and battery-integrated vessels. These projects collectively demonstrate a long-standing and future-focused commitment to low-emission maritime operations.

Advancing Practical Applications for Maritime Batteries

Currently, Wilhelmsen Ships Service is actively investigating several avenues to support and expand the use of maritime batteries in vessel operations. This includes the development of specialized operational treatments and chemical solutions designed specifically for battery-powered systems. Additionally, the company is exploring the use of advanced sensor technologies and data analytics to monitor and optimize the performance of batteries during operations.

Further, Wilhelmsen is positioning itself as a lifecycle partner for maritime battery systems by offering advisory, technical support, and service solutions that ensure safety and efficiency from installation through to end-of-life management. These forward-thinking initiatives are aimed at making battery-powered shipping not only possible but practical and scalable across global fleets

Strengthening the MBF Global Community

Wilhelmsen’s decision to join MBF is driven by a shared vision of accelerating clean energy adoption in the maritime sector. As part of the Forum, the company seeks to collaborate with global stakeholders, share best practices, and contribute its operational experience from a wide range of vessel types and geographies. The company values MBF’s role as a platform for shaping safety and regulatory frameworks while fostering partnerships that lead to innovative, real-world solutions.

By joining the Maritime Battery Forum, Wilhelmsen aims to gain early insights into emerging battery technologies, regulatory trends, and deployment strategies—while also contributing its practical knowledge in retrofitting vessels and building charging infrastructure. The company’s global service network will support the Forum’s efforts to scale up safe and effective battery adoption industry wide.

“Joining the Maritime Battery Forum reflects our commitment to accelerating the maritime industry’s transition to cleaner, more energy-efficient operations. We look forward to collaborating with like-minded partners to exchange operational insights, contribute to the development of battery technologies, and support the implementation of critical onboard and onshore systems such as integrated battery solutions and charging infrastructure. Through these initiatives, we aim to make maritime electrification achievable and a practical reality,” said Wilhelmsen Ships Service.

A Shared Commitment to the Future of Clean Shipping

MBF is thrilled to have Wilhelmsen Ships Service as part of its global network. Their involvement will deepen the Forum’s capabilities in supporting real-world battery deployments and infrastructure development worldwide.

About the Maritime Battery Forum

The Maritime Battery Forum was founded with the aim of promoting new and efficient energy storage technologies in the maritime industry. With over 90 members on 3 continents, the MBF works to disseminate information, facilitate discussion about and review new technology which is complementary to battery technology-based solutions or in one way or the other play an important role towards a zero-emission vision.

Month: July 2025

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