Virtual Yard = Real Business

As a fitting recognition of Poland's evolving shipbuilding tradition and solid, maritime technical skills, a development dubbed the 'virtual shipyard' has been established in Gdansk by Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The classification society's reinforced technological commitment to Poland has also been encouraged by the competitive environment which now exists there, and which has fired the transitional economy. DNV's move taps an abundant resource of naval architects and endorses the maritime infrastructural role played by the Technical University of Gdansk, where the Norwegian classification society has set up its Nauticus Modelling Center (NMC). The objective with NMC is to ensure the efficient production of 3-D graphical models (3DGM) in line with the society's move towards the use of dynamic product models for classification purposes, spanning a ship's lifetime. The concept of the virtual shipyard, or NMC, is thereby central to future classification operations, applying all the society's amassed knowledge and specific ship information data in a single product model. For the client market in the shape of shipowners and shipbuilders, DNV's investment initiative promises improved efficiency as regards access to requisite information. The 3DGMs are prepared using the Nauticus digital platform developed by the Norwegian organization, and the product model supports the new Nauticus class notation. A small team of information technology (IT) personnel at DNV's Hovik headquarters supports the staff at Gdansk, made up primarily of naval architecture graduates from Gdansk Technical University, with a core of experienced naval architects drawn from the local shipping industry. Potent Plant Wide cylinder bores are not without precedent in the medium-speed engine domain, to which the Stork-Wärtsilä (nee Stork-Werkspoor) TM620 was testament. But the Wärtsilä 64, now going to sea for the first time in a German-built shortsea containership, marries an unprecedented power concentration in a single, medium-speed prime mover. An 11,600-dwt newbuild for Hans-Peter Wegener from the Sietas establishment at Hamburg-Neuenfelde marks the marine operational debut of the Finnish-developed engine, which offers a potent delivery of around 2-MW per cylinder at its nominal rating. Although derated for the 954-TEU German boxship installation to 12,600-kW, the seven-cylinder plant is still expected to ensure a highly competitive service speed of 20.5-knots. Compared with the Dutch-engineered TM620, the Wartsila 64 has much longer "legs," by way of a 900-mm cylinder stroke, in addition to a wider, 640-mm bore. The initial seagoing recipient of the new class of diesel has been assigned charter to the Finnish company Containerships Oy, for its regular link between Helsinki, Rotterdam and Teesport. The entire series of multipurpose containerships ordered from Japanese and Polish yards by Dutch operator Spliethoff's has also been specifed with the Italian-manufactured 64 engine, in six-cylinder layout. A 12-cylinder vee engine has been operational ashore for some time, as part of a new, combined-cycle power station in Finland.