Offshore Applications News

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has published a new recommendation, Rec.186, that meets the need for a standardized approach to integrating additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, into marine and offshore applications.The maritime industry continues to embrace developments in manufacturing technologies to enhance efficiency and sustainability in shipbuilding and offshore operations. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged…

The industry’s first comprehensive rules for floating nuclear power plants have been unveiled by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) at a forum for nuclear industry leaders held jointly with Idaho National Laboratory (INL).Held at ABS’ world headquarters in Texas, the event saw presentations on the latest reactor technologies from leading companies and publication of a detailed study from ABS and Herbert Engineering modeling the design, operation and emissions of a floating nuclear…

SCHOTTEL announced it has been chosen to supply propulsion for four new offshore construction vessels (OCV) being built by China's Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group. The 100 meters long vessels have been designed by Norway's Salt Ship Design under the name Salt 308 OCV.The propulsion system requirements are very specific due to the need to operate offshore at depths of up to 3,000 meters in complex sea conditions. The customer for the vessels, an undisclosed European owner,…

Kongsberg Maritime has introduced a new size of underwater mountable azimuth thruster with a 3.7 meter propeller and 4.2-megawatt power output model joining the range. Suited to a range of vessels including drill ships, windfarm vessels and production vessels, the UUC PM 355 features a permanent magnet (PM) motor, delivering 81 tons of bollard pull.The UUC PM 355, has a compact design with less space required in the machine room thanks to the integrated PM motor. Other features include low noise operation…

ScoutDI has added an ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM) payload, complete with in-flight A-scan, to the capabilities of its end-to-end inspection data solution for the Scout 137 drone.The product is suitable for offshore applications where drones are becoming common for visual inspection and steel plate thickness sampling must be done regularly to monitor e.g. the effects of corrosion over time.Adding the UTM payload enables the Scout 137 drone to collect location-tagged…

Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions        ‘Green’ methanol has the ability to one day run vessels almost emission-free, and commercial shipping increasingly investigates. Derived today principally from natural gas, methanol is nonetheless available, relatively easy to handle and predictable.

The first three new Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) built by the Dutch Damen Group for Windcat Offshore will be powered by full propulsion packages from SCHOTTEL. With vessel sizes of 87 metres by 20 metres, each CSOV will come with high-comfort accommodation for 120 passengers, and will provide a large warehouse and deck as well as various recreational areas and a hospital. The vessels will be powered by hydrogen and use a DP-2 control system. The…

Marine propulsion specialist Schottel will equip four Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) being built by the Norwegian VARD Group with full propulsion packages.The package per vessel consists of two SCHOTTEL Dynamic RudderPropellers type SRP 460 D, one SCHOTTEL Retractable RudderPropeller type SRP 380 R, and two SCHOTTEL TransverseThrusters type STT 5. The vessels are being built for Norwegian offshore wind vessel owner Edda Wind.“Being part of the Edda Wind fleet fills us with great pride,” says SCHOTTEL CEO Stefan Kaul.

Gall Thomson has launched an innovative new automatic actuation system, promising to minimize safety risks associated with the manual emergency release of mooring systems during FPSO tandem offloading ocean towage, heading control, positioning and decommissioning-"PODx minimizes the risk of personnel injury, damage to equipment and subsequent downtime by remotely releasing mooring hawser chains under full load, quickly and safely," the company said.According to Gall Thomson, PODx utilizes release bolt technology that automatically separates on demand…

A new all-electric, zero carbon emissions harbor tug currently being built at the Vallianz PT USP shipyard in Batam, Indonesia is expected to be the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.Based on the “E-Volt Electric Tug” design by SeaTech Solutions International Pte Ltd, the e-tug will be driven by a fully-classed electric battery system provided by Canadian-based Shift Clean Energy. This follows a recent memorandum of understanding between Vallianz and Shift to collaborate…

Rolls-Royce announced it has secured a contract to supply eight of its mtu 16V 4000 M65L engines for four 80-ton bollard pull tugboats to be built by Detroit Brasil, Ltda. and operated by Starnav Servicos Maritimos Ltda. The new tugs will feature a hybrid propulsion system, combining the mtu engines and mtu Blue Vision New Generation (BVNG) monitoring system with Z-drive thrusters, hybrid components and controls from Schottel, a manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems…

Dutch Damen Shipyards Group has teamed up with technology firm MO4 specializing in offshore motion prediction, to take a step towards the digitalization of offshore wind farm operations. "This strategic alliance pairs Damen’s Triton monitoring platform with MO4 motion forecasting knowledge, offering data analytic-based services. Vessel operation will become more effective and safety levels will increase at the same time," Damen said.Damen Triton is a remote monitoring and operational insight tool…

Research scientist and entrepreneur Sverre Dokken believes laser-based remote sensing has big potential in the maritime domain. But what is LADAR, who’s it for and what are the key benefits?“Our mission is to be the world leader in innovative maritime sensor products that enhance the safety and security of shipping and all manner of offshore activity,” says Ladar Ltd (LDR) principal Sverre Dokken.In the sensor vanguardEssentially a laser-based navigational aid, LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) combines long-distance object detection with high-accuracy measurement…

Flexible metal hose manufacturer Penflex Corporation said Penflex Vietnam has received DNV GL certification for its products used in marine and offshore applications.Penflex single and double braided 700 Series sizes 2 ½” to 12” and P3 Series sizes ¼” to 2” comply with all DNV GL standards pertaining to metal hose.DNV GL rules for classification: Ships Pt. 4 Ch. 6 Piping SystemsDNV GL offshore standards (OS): DNVGL-OS-D101 Marine machinery systems and equipmentDNV GL class programmes…

Classification society ABS launched two new advisories designed to help harness the potential of digital technologies for the maritime and offshore industries.The ABS Advisory on Structural Health Monitoring: The Application of Sensor-Based Approaches focuses on the use of sensors to determine structural health status and predict future condition. Sensors on modern assets provide vital information on the structural health, indicating the need for repairs/modifications to prevent…

The marine industry brings its own unique set of challenges.With the ‘All Subsea Factory’ market trend moving offshore exploration and production equipment for oil and gas to the seabed, safety, longevity and environmental protection are just a few of the considerations when choosing marine products. When selecting products for marine applications, the understanding of factors such as marine certifications and inspection documents are crucial to making an informed decision.Worldwide statutory provisions enacted by the United Nations (UN) agency on shipping specify general regulation and rules necessary to obtain an operating license for all categories of ship, marine and offshore applications.

ABS published its Guide for Fuel Cell Power Systems for Marine and Offshore Applications to support the design, evaluation, and construction of fuel cell systems on vessels and offshore assets.“As technology evolves and regulators challenge shipping to decarbonize, fuel cells are increasingly seen as having an important role to play in meeting that challenge,” said Gareth Burton, ABS Vice President, Technology. “ABS has in-depth experience in assisting vessel owners and operators in low carbon emission options. Now is the right time to support the industry with guidance on compliant and efficient application of fuel cell power.”The Guide…

Schottel, a manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems for ships and offshore applications, said that the new diving bell ship from the Duisburg waterway and shipping authority (WSA Duisburg) is equipped with its propulsion units.Two rudder-propellers and a pump jet enable maximum maneuverability in narrow waterways, said a press release.The special vessel is being built at the Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Gorinchem. The order was placed by FMSW Koblenz for the federal waterways and shipping administration.The diving bell ship is powered by a total of three azimuth thrusters, two rudder-propellers and a pump jet. All systems are driven by electric motors.Both rudder-propellers type SRP 150 FP (330 kW each) have a ducted propeller diameter of 1.10 m…

Norwegean compressor supplier TMC Compressors of the Seas (TMC) has been awarded a contract to supply a complete marine compressed air system and associated equipment to four of TMS Cardiff Gas’ LNG carriers currently under construction.The four LNG carriers are being built at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea.TMC’s scope of supply is to provide 2 x control air compressors, 1 x service air compressor, , and 2 x N2 (nitrogen) feed air compressors for each of the four vessels. For the vessels being built by HHI, TMC will also supply 2 x SCR (selective catalytic reduction) compressors.TMC’s contract value is undisclosed.“In almost all tenders we participate in…

A Belgian consortium has launched a project in high-wave offshore solar technology with the aim of building floating solar parks in the North Sea.Large maritime market players Tractebel, Jan De Nul Group, DEME, Soltech and Ghent University formed a consortium and announced the launch of an innovative project in the field of marine floating solar technology.The consortium strongly believe that solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in offshore waters are one of the essential future green energy sources. Combined in the same location with aquaculture and offshore wind power, this innovative technology allows for a more efficient use of available space.While solar PV technology costs are still constantly decreasing…

ABS has been selected to class two Offshore Supply Vessels (OSV) being retrofitted with a battery/converter system by Harvey Gulf International Marine.The Harvey Energy will become the first ABS-classed dual fuel and battery vessel and the first U.S. flagged OSV equipped with a battery/converter system. The Harvey Supporter will become the second vessel in the Harvey Gulf fleet to have a battery power system.The battery installation, which is expected to achieve the ABS class notation ESS-LiBATTERY…

The technology group Wärtsilä has successfully installed its Serck Como Horizontal Tube Evaporator (HiTE) fresh water production system onboard the pipe-laying vessel, ‘Lorelay’, owned by offshore contractor Allseas. This is the first commercial installation of this Wärtsilä innovation. The retrofit project produces clean water for technical applications and human consumption, and has led to fuel savings of as much as one ton per day.The unique aspect of the Wärtsilä HiTE is that it is a multi-stage evaporator specifically designed for small to medium capacities of 30 to 150 tons per day.

US-owned renewable energy company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) announced that the Company's PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea has produced more than one MegaWatt-hour (MWh) cumulative energy to date. The cost-effective ocean energy solutions provider said that the PowerBuoy has been deployed for six months, operating continuously and error-free while being controlled remotely from OPT’s NJ facility.George H. Kirby, OPT’s President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are excited to announce this major power generation milestone for our PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea. Since the contract began in March of last year…