Ice Class Tanker Shipping Supplement

Transcription

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TANKEROperator
SEPTEMBER 2006
www.tankeroperator.com
Features:
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ISS
ISS forms
forms tanker
tanker department
department
Shipmanagement
Shipmanagement on
on Clydeside
Clydeside
Tank
Tank cleaning
cleaning issues
issues
Moored
Moored up
up properly
properly
German
German investment
investment rife
rife
SMM
SMM breaks
breaks records
records
Ice Class Tanker Shipping Supplement
included with this issue
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TANKEROperator
Vol 5 No 5
Contents
Maritime Content Limited
213 Marsh Wall
London E14 9FJ
UK
04
Industry news
PUBLISHER
Stuart Fryer
13
Operations Profile:
Inchcape Shipping
Services
EDITOR
Ian Cochran
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4933
37
Techology
37
Gas detection
41
Tank cleaning
47
Ship-to-shore interface
50
Round up of latest
technology news
61
Focus on Germany
Tanker investment increases
72
SMM Preview
The biggest yet
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
David Jeffries
Tel: +44 (0)20 7733 1199
[email protected]
Ria Kontogeorgou
(Greece-Italy-Cyprus)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4938
[email protected]
MARKETING
Rebecca Gee
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4946
[email protected]
15
PRODUCTION
Vivian Chee
Tel: +44 (0)20 8995 5540
[email protected]
Shipmanagement
15
A look at Glasgow
20
InterManager - best
quality
26
TMSA conference report
33
Regulations round up
SUBSCRIPTION
6 months (5 issues)
$142 /Eur110 /£75
1 year (10 issues)
$237/Eur185 /£125
2 years (20 issues)
$398/Eur310 /£210
Subscription hotline:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 0015
Fax: +44 (0)20 7510 2344
Email:
Ice Tanker Review
Interest in ice class tankers has
escalated during the past few years,
on the back of booming Russian oil
exports, resulting in several new
tanker designs being unveiled able to
cope with the low temperatures.
[email protected]
ABC membership applied
TANK CLEANING
We assist Tanker Operators with:
x Chemical Tank Cleaning during cargo changeover from DPP to various CPP, removal of MTBE residues, Inert Gas Soot, Dye Discolouration. CBFS to
Molasses or Veg. Oil etc.
x Preparation and assessment of the required tank cleaning
x Tank Cleaning Advice and Recommended Tank Cleaning Procedure
x Delivery of well known Marine Tank Cleaning Chemicals from stocks world wide
x Delivery of chemical injection and special spraying equipment
x Supervision during the cleaning At Sea by experienced Supervisors
NAVADAN LTD
International Marine Services
Tel: +44 700 631 0490 - Fax: +44 700 631 0491 - E-mail: [email protected]
107-111 Fleet Street
London EC4A 2AB, United Kingdom
72 $' -(0 GI September 2006
UNISERVICE NORDIC APS
Tel: +45 4917 0357 - Fax: +45 4917 0657 - E-mail: [email protected]
PO Box 35, DK-3060 Espergaerde, Denmark
TANKEROperator
01
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Material costs
Scheduling
Productivity
Innovation
Technical solutions
Communication
Support matters
Availability
Market knowledge
Impartiality
Trust
Rule clarity
Life is about reaching new heights. Our design and build expertise can help
take your ship construction to new peaks of productivity without compromising
safety, thanks to our in-depth knowledge of emerging technologies, markets
and designs. If you need a hand up, trust us – when support matters.
L IFE MAT T ERS
www.lr.org
Services are provided by members of the Lloyd’s Register Group. Lloyd’s Register is an exempt charity under the UK Charities Act 1993.
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COMMENT
TANKEROperator re-launched
To celebrate our fifth
anniversary, we have
decided to give
ourselves a birthday
present - a complete
wash and brush up
resulting in a new look
TANKEROperator.
Next year there will be 10 issues
of the new A4 format and a few
special features for good measure.
Although the present day technical
and operational coverage won't
change, TANKEROperator will be
expanded to include more
commercial content, such as
market comment, financial and
legal issues affecting today's
tanker people.
In this issue, we have included
a special Ice Class Shipping
supplement.
In addition, we have taken one
of our regular looks at the
shipmanagement sector and in
particular what is happening along
the banks of the River Clyde. Tank
cleaning and gas detection form
the brunt of our technical content.
Don't forget our conferences on
Ice Class Tankers and LNG
Shipping to be held at the
forthcoming SMM Exhibition in
Hamburg at the end of this month
(see inside for details). Ahead of
SMM, TANKEROperator's Editor
travelled to Hamburg and Bremen
to get the views and news from
German tanker people and found
a steadily growing market mainly
fed by the German KG
investment scheme.
With the tanker and gas sector
forecast to sustain its growth pattern
up to the end of this decade and
hopefully beyond in future editions,
TANKEROperator will be reporting
on all the latest innovations, as well
as looking at the various markets
across the tanker spectrum.
Of course, one of the major
question marks hanging over the
industry is - how will the IMO's
single hull phase out affect the
market after 2010? The world's
shipyards are already hoisting the
'full up' signs for 2009 deliveries,
but China could have a significant
say once its giant shipyards come
on stream. Such is the demand for
prompt tonnage, secondhand
prices have overtaken newbuilding
levels in some instances.
Several other articles and
features make up this bumper
edition of the re-launched
TANKEROperator. If you have
any comments or ideas for future
articles or features, Editor Ian
Cochran will be pleased to hear
from you. Ian can be contacted at
[email protected] or
by telephone at +44 (0)20 7510
TO
4933 (direct line).
Phone: +47 67 200 300 Fax: +47 67 200 381 E-mail: [email protected]
Letter to
the Editor
September 2006
TANKEROperator
Prevention is better than cure
Minimal turnaround time and optimal ﬂexibility is our main focus
Tank cleaning chemicals and equipment
Cargo handling and tank cleaning supervision
Chemical and vegoil courses/seminars
Ships repair and maintenance during voyage
Surface treatment equipment
Service at sea
www.tecomaritime.no
www.marketings.no
Sir,
Having been in the tanker
industry afloat and ashore for
the last 30 years I was surprised
to see that the UK's Marine &
Coastguard Agency (MCA) had
been "the most vocal" in calling
for action to increase standards.
With regards to "lone
watchkeepers falling asleep", is
this the same MCA that issues
Safe Manning Certificates with
ludicrously small requirements?
With regards to "generally
poor watchkeeping practices",
is this the same MCA that
examines and issues certificates
of competency to British and
Foreign seamen?
Just wondering - that's all!
Capt. Graeme W.
McNaught. MRIN, MNI.
8 Kalypsous, Glyfada, Athens
Telephone +30 6937404088
03
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NEWS
Tanker ‘Bible’ updated
The fifth edition of the
International Safety
Guide for Oil Tankers
and Terminals (ISGOTT)
was recently published
by Witherbys Publishing.
This work, considered to
be the 'bible' of the
tanker and tanker
terminal industry and
endorsed by several flag
states, is the
culmination of four
years of work by three
contributing
organisations International Chamber of
Shipping (ICS), Oil
Companies International
Marine Forum (OCIMF)
and the International
Association of Ports and
Harbours (IAPH).
Gas tanker and terminal
organisation SIGTTO
also acted as an
observer.
Since the fourth edition of
ISGOTT was published in 1996,
much has happened. Both
technical and legislative
developments have moved on
apace. There is also a lot of new
thinking in best practice. We now
have double hull tankers as the
norm rather than under debate
and the ISM and ISPS Codes to
worry about.
Split into four sections General Information, Tanker
Information, Terminal
Information and Management of
Tanker and Terminal Interface,
the book has been enhanced in
terms of format, content and
presentation, while some of the
elements of the fourth edition
were retained.
Thinking on legislation has
changed to a more 'why are you
doing it?' stance while the ISM
Code bought in a more risk-based
philosophy and the human
element, especially fatigue.
Company responsibilities were
also highlighted by the ISM Code
in providing support and
resources to seafarers. ISGOTT
04
does not go into the ISPS Code in
great detail, but touches on the
security and communications
aspect of shipboard life.
The technology sections contain
new research on static electricity
and stray currents; on the toxic
effects of benzene and hydrogen
sulphide; gas detection
equipment; automatic
identification systems (AIS); the
use of new materials for new
mooring rope and emergency
towing-off pennants and the use
of mobile telephones and personal
communications, such as pagers.
tank cleaning for example
whether the tank have been
inerted or not, taking in both
scenarios. A flow chart is
included taking the reader
through the tank cleaning process.
Another use for the guide is
that tanker officers can copy and
print sections of the report, which
is also available on CD-ROM.
One of the most used could be
the ship to shore safety check list,
which has been updated to more
precisely draw the line as to
where the ship's responsibility
ends and the terminal starts also
marine lawyers and accountants.
It is also a useful tool for accident
investigation and other legal
considerations.
The authors tried not to make
any part of ISGOTT ambiguous,
as this could make a lawyer's day.
Users are encouraged to provide
feedback to OCIMF, whose Ship
Inspection Report Programme
(SIRE) will be written into a
future edition.
Future publications from
Witherbys for the tanker industry
include the fourth edition of
'Recommendations for Equipment
The updated guide includes almost everything a terminal and tanker operator should know.
Photo Credit - GAC
As for best practice, there is
considerable reference to tank
cleaning, both using fuel and
oxygen. Risk assessments include
hazards analysis and exposure
limits. This section also covers
the use of radar in port.
Tank cleaning has again been
in the news recently for all the
wrong reasons. The guide
contains a useful reference for
ensuring that both parties are
aware of it.
Some flag states insist on
ISGOTT being part of a vessel's
regulatory literature. These
include Liberia, Marshall Islands
and Greece. Witherbys claimed
that the latest edition has already
sold 8,000 advanced copies,
mostly to tanker owners and
operators, training colleges,
Employed in the Mooring of
Ships at Single Point Moorings',
'Tanker Jetty Safety: Management
of the Ship/Shore Interface',
while last year the publisher was
responsible for OCIMF's fourth
edition of 'Ship-to-Ship Transfer
Guide (Petroleum)'.
*Exerts from the guide have
been included in various
relevant features in this issue. TO
TANKEROperator z September 2006
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NEWS
INTERTANKO welcomed US decision
The State of
Massachusetts has been
permanently enjoined by
the US District Court in
Massachusetts from
enforcing the State of
Massachusetts Oil Spill
Prevention Act 2004. In
a decision announced on
7th July, the Court
called the statute
unconstitutional,
asserting that it tries to
make law in areas that
are reserved exclusively
to the Federal
Government.
The Court concluded, "The
challenged provisions of the
(Massachusetts) Oil Spill
Prevention Act are pre-empted,
invalid and unconstitutional under
the Supremacy Clause of the
United States Constitution. The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
is therefore permanently enjoined
from enforcing the challenged
statutes."
September 2006
z
This decision, the result of a
lawsuit filed by the US
Government joined by a shipping
industry coalition*, means that the
regulatory authority of the US
Coast Guard over vessel operations
in US waters has been upheld and
federal regulations and statutes preempt state and local regional
activity. It reinforces a similar
ruling involving the Supremacy
Clause when in 2000
INTERTANKO won its longrunning legal battle against the
State of Washington by a
unanimous US Supreme Court
decision in US v Locke, 529 US 89.
INTERTANKO said it
welcomed this news. The
Association's chairman Stephen
Van Dyck said, "INTERTANKO is
pleased that to have prevailed in
another federal pre-emption case.
Federal pre-emption best serves
our important goals of zero spills
and accidents."
The State of Massachusetts Oil
Spill Prevention Act was signed
TANKEROperator
into law in Massachusetts on 4th
It also asserted that comprehensive
August 2004 in response to a
federal regulation already existed in
2003 tank barge accident. It
the areas covered by the state Act,
regulates oil-carrying vessels
and that the Supremacy Clause of
travelling in interstate
the US Constitution
and/or international
provided that federal laws
commerce while such
and regulations overrode
vessels are within
any attempt by a state
Massachusetts waters.
government to legislate or
It provides for state
regulate in the same areas.
pilotage, personnel and
*The shipping industry
manning requirements,
coalition was formed
tank vessel design
when INTERTANKO
requirements, tug
allied itself with the
Stephen Van Dyck
escort and routing
American Waterways
provisions, drug and
Operators, Chamber of
alcohol requirements, certificates
Shipping of America and BIMCO
of financial assurance.
to join the US Government
The lawsuit, filed by the US
Complaint (lawsuit) against the
Department of Justice (Civil Action
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
No 05-10112 JLT) on 18th January
The industry coalition asserted
2005, charged that the
that such interstate commerce
Massachusetts Oil Spill Act
required a single, clear set of
impermissibly trod on federal
federal regulatory standards that
jurisdiction, specifically, the
were uniform from state to state
jurisdiction of the US Coast Guard,
and locality to locality and were
in making rules governing
intended to avoid confusion that
TO
maritime operations in US waters.
could lead to accidents.
05
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NEWS
FPSOs back in fashion
Newcomer Aker Floating
Production has acquired
two 26-year old suezmax
type tankers - Polar
Alaska and Polar
California - for $55 mill
en bloc. Both tankers
were built at National
Steel in San Diego and
have an approximate
storage capacity of 1.3
mill barrels. Aker also
announced the
acquisition of a third
tanker - the 180,000 dwt
Oriental Tiger - for $25.2
mill.
Aker said the three tankers were
ideally suited for conversion into
Aker Smart FPSOs. "They are in
excellent condition, which will
result in a lower than expected
conversion cost," commented
president and ceo of Aker
Floating Production, Svein Olsen.
The company planned to build,
own and operate a fleet of a
minimum of four Smart FPSOs,
targeted at mid-sized and smaller
oil companies through the
conversion of existing tankers
based on a flexible modular
design. Aker Smart FPSO
technology is expected to meet
the requirements of the high
growth benign shallow to
deepwater areas.
Aker is not the only company
showing interest in this market.
Frontline, Teekay and Bergesen
Worldwide Offshore (BW) are all
investing in the FPSO market at
present. Frontline has decided to
convert its damaged single hull
suezmax Front Sunda to a heavy
lift vessel, given the strength of
the rig market. The Norwegian
tanker concern has several single
hull VLCCs and suezmaxes,
whose future will be in doubt in a
few years time. Even today,
some oil majors have said that
they will no longer charter in
single hull tonnage.
Teekay took a 15% stake in
Oslo-listed FPSO operator
Petrojarl during the middle of
August. The Canadian giant
already had a joint venture Teekay Petrojarl Offshore - in
operation. Last June, the
company formed Teekay Offshore
Partner to oversee its FPSO
commitments.
Meanwhile, BW increased its
investment to just over 15% in
another Norwegian FPSO concern
- Prosafe. It is widely reported that
BW Offshore wants to become the
second largest owner of FPSOs
after SBM Offshore.
The Oslo-based concern signed
a $600 mill credit facility in July
with a DnBNor led syndicate to
support its expansion into the
TO
FPSO market.
Book Review: Stena
When thinking of Stena,
it is easy to think of just
ro-ros and passenger
ferries. However, down
the years the company
has built up expertise in
both wet and drybulk
and the offshore sector.
Stena's shipowning started just
after the Second World War with
the purchase of general cargo
ships in 1947. Although Sten
Allen Olsson, after who Stena
was named, founded the
company as a trading concern in
1939, it was not until 1955 that
Sten A Olsson Handels Ab, a
company formed in 1953 as the
controlling body for Olsson's
shipping interests, purchased a
bunker barge and thus entered
the world of tankers.
However, this initiative only
lasted for five years and
following a four year gap, in
1964, Rederi AB Concordia was
purchased along with three
coastal tankers. However, like
the company's first foray into the
tanker market, the vessels
weren't in the fleet for long and it
was another 14 years before a
gas carrier Malmros Multina was
bought.
Stena Bulk, as we know it
today, was incorporated in 1983
06
to look after both the dry and wet
bulk parts of the business.
During the 1980s, the tanker
fleet was built up and included
two ULCCs, Stena King and
Stena Queen, plus the 1970sbuilt high spec VLCCs from
Daniel Ludwig's Universe
Tankships.
During the mid 1990s, Stena
cemented its relationship with
Texaco and StenTex was born.
Towards the end of the decade
and during the early part of the
21st century, various agreements
were put in place with Ugland,
Novoship and COSCO among
others, whereby some of their
units joined the Stena Bulk fleet
in a type of pooling arrangement.
Stena Bulk vessels became
among the first to lift Russian oil
out of the Baltic and Black Seas.
In 2005, a further agreement was
signed with Sovcomflot, which
led to the inauguration of another
pooling arrangement on 1st
January 2006. Neste, Teekay and
Progreta are expected to join this
year.
Down the years, Stena
continuously boasted about its
ability to operate quality vessels.
In 2001, two revolutionary VMAX VLCCs were delivered
offering full redundancy. They
were followed by the Stena CMAX and the Stena P-MAX.
Another design, the Stena BMAX, is currently under
evaluation with Sovcomflot and
if built will be the first shallow
draught VLCCs specially
constructed to serve the Baltic.
Innovative tanker designs
As in most of the World Ship
Society (WSS) publications there
is a comprehensive fleet list of
both owned and operated vessels
with the tanker section taking up
a reasonable chunk of the book.
The chartered or managed
vessels section goes some way to
try to explain the complicated
nature of some of the deals,
which saw certain tankers join
Stena Bulk's fleet. There are
many pictures, which
unfortunately have been
reproduced in black and white,
rather than colour.
By far the largest section of
the book is naturally devoted to
ro-ros and ferries. The
introduction to the tanker
operations section, unfortunately
only covers three pages and
doesn't really do justice to the
innovative designs that have
been Stena's hallmark for the
past 15 years or so.
However, the publishers have
set their stall out to provide a
fleet list with a bit of history,
rather than the other way around,
which should appeal to the many
ship enthusiasts, rather than the
professionals. The WSS has
found quite a bit of success down
the years by using this method of
compiling company histories
having published many books
using this format, so there is
obviously a ready made market
for it.
Like many company history
books, the reader will probably
come away thinking; 'I never
knew they were involved with so
and so'.
Stena by WJ Harvey is
published by the World Ship
Society, 256 pp, A4 hard back,
325 monochrome and 54 colour
images, price £33, plus postage
and packing.

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Page 4
NEWS
Frontline’s take on the
market
Not one for going into its
shell, Frontline ordered
six VLCCs from
Jiangnan this year for
delivery in 2009, 2010
and 2011. Illustrating
the current bullish tone
in the tanker market,
Frontline said it was
able to sell two of the
contracts on for a profit
of $9.8 mill. Since then
the company has
negotiated another two
VLCCs as options. And
yet another two were
chartered in from
Knightsbridge Tankers
for five years
commencing next year.
Frontline said that the thinking
behind this decision to increase its
VLCC exposure was a firm belief
that the underlying supply/demand
balance will remain tight driven
by the single hull phase out,
increased transportation volumes
and longer tonne/miles. The
company admitted that today's
firm market had surprised the so
called 'experts' thus far.
Tank cleaning solutions
IN THREE DIMENSIONS
suezmaxes at a fixed price and
said the differential between a
General Maritime (GenMar)
newbuilding at the Japanese
shipyard of Universal and the
ones at the Chinese yard is
around $15-$20 mill per vessel.
The board felt that a considerable
discount could be negotiated for
taking a later delivery date.
At the same time, the company
also sold its entire 3.86 mill
shareholding held in GenMar to
Singapore-based World-Wide
Shipping. The price was $40 per
share.
Quoting Norwegian broking
house Fearnleys, Frontline said
there were 339 suezmaxes and
474 VLCCs in service. The order
book to 2011 consists of 71
suezmaxes and 159 VLCCs,
while there were 17 suezmaxes
and 10 VLCCs delivered during
the first seven months of this year
with another seven of each type
due by the end of 2006.
Interestingly, there are only four
ULCCs in service - the 2002-2003
built 440,000 dwt quartet
operating in the Tankers
The first dimension
Understanding
Three levels of optimization go into every Alfa Laval tank
cleaning solution. One of them is our understanding,
built on more than 50 years of Gunclean Toftejorg tank
cleaning experience.
For one thing, we understand that tank cleaning regulations are weak or even non-existent. This is why we focus
on real-life demands, rather than what looks good on
paper. For example, we recommend an effective jet
length and a 15º jet hit angle, and we account for all tank
obstructions when choosing the placement of machines.
Frontline thinks it is steering in the right direction, buoyed by a
firm tanker and bulker market. This particular obo was operating in
the dry market when pictured on the River Elbe recently.
Not stopping there, the world's
largest tanker company in
deadweight tonnage terms
ordered six 156,000 dwt
suezmaxes from the Jiangsu yard
by declaring options held on
another four to the two already
firmed up.
The company admitted it was
in discussions for another two
International (TI) pool. There are
no signs of any more orders above
320,000 dwt in the pipeline.
Putting these figures in
perspective, Global oil demand
remains strong, despite being
downgraded by the International
Energy Agency (IEA) to 1.4%
for this year. The forecast for
2007 is a growth of 1.8% and
As a result, we can provide tank cleaning solutions that
do more than just work in theory. Solutions that provide
genuine cleaning results.
To learn more, contact Alfa Laval.
www.alfalaval.com/marine
continued on p8
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
07
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Page 5
NEWS
Continued from p7
this growth is expected to remain
positive year on year for the next
five years. Inventory levels are
also expected to be high on the
back of unrest in the Middle East
and in Nigeria. Another factor
driving the current air of
optimism is that Chinese net oil
imports were running some
17.3% higher during the first half
of this year, compared with the
first half of 2005.
Meanwhile, Ship Finance
International (SFIL), the
Bermuda-based concern now
spun off from Frontline, said it is
seeking further growth and
diversification of its business.
The company has posted a rise
in 2Q06 net profit of $43.4 mill,
up from $31.2 mill in the same
period last year, although the
latest figure was boosted by a $9
mill gain from the vessel sale.
The SFIL fleet currently
comprises of 58 ships, including
28 VLCCs, 14 suezmaxes, eight
suezmax obo carriers, seven
container vessels and a jack-up
rig. Of these, 50 tankers are on
the charter to the Frontline group.
SFIL said that it is in talks
with its financiers to increase its
main debt facility by $219.7 mill
to $1.13 bill, its original
amount. In the fleet expansion,
both secondhand and
newbuildings will be considered.
The company reportedly
wants to reduce its dependency
on Frontline and enter into
projects where the assets
involved would be employed in
TO
the medium to long term.
Camillo Eitzen expands its empire
Through its 100% owned
subsidiary Eitzen Gas,
Camillo Eitzen & Co
(CECO) has agreed with
Lauritzen Kosan to
acquire the shares in
Sigas Kosan (50%),
together with eight
semi-refrigerated LPG
carriers operated by
Sigas. The acquisition
will be financed by debt
and equity.
CECO already owns 50% of
the shares in Sigas and operates
seven LPG carriers in cooperation with Lauritzen Kosan.
By acquiring the remaining 50%,
CECO will take full control of
Sigas Kosan, including an
experienced commercial
organisation. The fleet will be
taken over in October 2006 at the
same time as the organisation is
expected to move to Eitzen Gas'
headquarters in Gentofte.
Sigas Kosan operates a fleet of
16 LPG carriers and is the world
largest operator of semirefrigerated gas carriers below
3,000 cu m load capacity. The
fleet operates mainly in Europe
and the Mediterranean and is
normally used for regional trades
for the petrochemicals industry.
The acquisition is subject to
satisfactory inspection of vessels
and class records.
To help finance the deal,
CECO completed a private
placement of 3.5 mill ordinary
shares at NK65.5 each, raising a
total of NK229 mill ($37 mill).
This will be used to finance the
acquisition of the remaining 50%
08
of the shares in Sigas Kosan. The
private placement was
significantly oversubscribed.
Eitzen Holding (the main
shareholder of CECO) and Eitzen
Invest were allocated 1.845 mill
and 34,000 shares respectively,
thereby maintaining their relative
ownership in the company.
both the commercial and
technical operations and Songa
offices in Westport, Connecticut
and Glasgow.
CECO plans to spin off its
entire chemical tanker activities
as a separate stock listed
company on the Oslo Stock
Exchange.
adjustments, which will be
financed through a combination
of debt and equity.
This acquisition is subject to the
completion of a successful IPO,
standard satisfactory
documentation and due diligence
reviews by 31st October, 2006.
Through the IPO and listing of
Camillo Eitzen has taken full control of Sigas Kosan.
Another subsidiary, Eitzen
Chemical has signed a share
purchase agreement for the
acquisition of 100% of the
shares in Songa Shipholding
(Songa), currently owned by
companies controlled by Arne
Blystad.
Songa is the controlling entity
of 49 chemical tankers including
newbuilding contracts, ranging
from 8,750 dwt to 40,000 dwt.
Included in the acquisition are
Including Songa, Eitzen
Chemical will control a fleet of
66 chemical tankers and in
addition 43 newbuildings will be
delivered between 2006-2010.
After the acquisition and listing,
Eitzen Chemical will become one
of the largest chemical tanker
companies in the world.
The total acquisition price for
Songa, including the
newbuildings and organisation, is
$1,280 mill, subject to standard
Eitzen Chemical, CECO's
ownership in Eitzen Chemical is
likely to be reduced to below 50%.
Carnegie and Pareto Securities
have acted as CECO's advisors for
the acquisition, and will also be
the advisors for the planned IPO.
Nordea Corporate Finance acted
as advisors to Songa Shipholding.
Meanwhile, CECO has recently
finalised the takeover of French
chemical tanker company
TO
Fouquet Sacop.
p4-11.qxd
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05:39
Page 6
NEWS
Warsash makes a name
for itself
From 1st September
2006, Southampton
Solent University's
Warsash Maritime
Centre, has adopted the
name of Warsash
Maritime Academy.
The change from Centre to
Academy is part of the overall rebranding of Southampton Solent
University, which was granted
university title last year.
What’s in a name
With the UK industry's move
towards degree-based cadet
training programmes, the
Academy is now well placed to
embrace this initiative to increase
standards and attract high quality
young people into the industry,
Warsash claimed.
Marketing manager Nigel
Holloway commented: "The
combination of our existing
expertise and university status
will enable the Academy to take
a lead in improving the
professional qualifications of
seafarers from all over the
world."
Sir Alan West, former First Sea
Lord and Chief of Naval Staff,
was installed as Southampton
Solent University's first
Chancellor.
Warsash Maritime Academy
has developed a wide portfolio of
training services ranging, for
example, from basic first aid to
professional certificates of
competency for navigation and
engineer officers. Fire fighting,
first aid, boat handling, sea
survival, security and radio
communications are all part of
the mix, together with the
specialist professional skills
needed by navigation and
engineer officers.
The Academy claimed to be a
pioneer in the use of simulatorbased training to develop the
skills of seafarers and now has
some 30 years of experience in
the use of simulator training. TO
IN THREE DIMENSIONS
The second dimension
Tools
Three levels of optimization go into every Alfa Laval tank
cleaning solution. One of them is our tools, such as the
3D G-Pass software that lets us view your tank from
every possible angle.
Using G-Pass, we can see your tank with all its obstructions - including corrugations and stringer platforms.
This gives us a total assessment of the tank cleaning
shadows, based on your tank’s configuration and the
position, quantity, jet length and jet hit angle of the tank
GAC renews tanker contract
cleaning machines.
As a result, you can receive a cleaning solution that does
Gulf Agency Company
(GAC), a global provider
of shipping, logistics
and marine services,
has signed a contract
renewal agreement with
Chevron Shipping
Company (CSC), the
fleet subsidiary of
Chevron Corporation.
Under the continuing
arrangement, GAC
remains CSC's sole
provider of tanker
agency services
worldwide.
CSC has had a long-standing
September 2006
z
relationship with GAC,
going back to the early
1970s when GAC was a
growing force in ship
agency services in the Middle
East.
In 1996, the two companies
signed an alliance agreement
appointing GAC as the sole
agent in the East Mediterranean,
Black Sea, Middle East and
Indian subcontinent. In 1999,
the agreement was renewed with
the addition of Africa and
Europe, and in 2002 the two
companies sealed the first global
agency contract.
TO
TANKEROperator
more than just look good in theory. One that provides
real-life results to match.
09
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05:39
Page 7
NEWS
Broström increases fleet
Broström has entered
into an agreement with
its partner Rigel
Schiffahrts, whereby
Broström will acquire
the 37,000 dwt chemical
tankers Geestestern and
Leinestern. An option
agreement has also
been reached giving
Broström the right to
acquire Hunterstern,
after her existing
charter ends, or the
latest by the end of
2007.
The vessels were built in 2004
and 2005, and are sisters to the
Broström controlled vessels Bro
Etienne, Bro Elliot and Bro
Edward. All six vessels were
built at the same yard in China.
Broström and Rigel Schiffahrts
have been partners for many
years. Broström commercially
operates a fleet of 13 vessels in
the size range of between 17,000
dwt and 37,000 dwt controlled by
Rigel Schiffahrts. Rigel
Schiffahrts will continue the
technical and crewing
management for the vessels that
Broström now will acquire.
"Our initial investment in Bro
Elizabeth and Bro Ellen, 37,000
dwt, built 2001 and 2002, turned
out very well and we therefore in
2002 decided together with Rigel
Schiffahrts to increase our
activities in that size segment and
(as a result) we placed a joint
newbuilding order. To now step
up our own owning stake in this
segment is in line with our
strategy for this segment adopted
back in 1998", said Lennart
Simonsson, Broström's ceo.
In another move Brostrom has
agreed to sell the 14,320 dwt Bro
Traveller. She will be delivered to
her new owner in September.
One of Broström's core
products tanker segments is in the
intermediate size range between
10,000 dwt and 20,000 dwt.
These vessels are primarily
trading in North European waters
distributing refined oil products
for the oil industry. As the
considerable number of
newbuildings are gradually
joining the Broström fleet, older
tonnage is being phased out.
Broström's intermediate sector
accounts for 32 vessels with a
further nine vessels to be
delivered within the next three
years.
In the company's first half
review, Brostrom said that freight
rates were volatile during the
period. The year started strongly,
but a sharp downturn in the latter
part of the first quarter continued
through most of the second.
Due to Broström's strong
reliance on contracts of
affreightment (coas) and thus the
longterm scheduling of the fleet,
the downturn in the freight
market during the latter part of
the first quarter did not affect
earnings until the second quarter.
By the close of the second
quarter and during the start of the
third quarter Broström saw an
improvement in the freight
market, which for the larger
tonnage proved considerable.
The newly built vessels Bro
Deliverer and Bro Designer were
delivered during the second
quarter (see technical news).
As for the outlook for the rest
of this year, Broström said the
start of the third quarter of 2006
has, despite the seasonal
downturn, saw a strengthening in
the market in its sector, which for
large tonnage had been
considerable.
Structural changes in the
market and widening regional
imbalances are currently acting
favourably for the company's
fleet. The outlook for 2006 as a
whole continues to be bullish, the
TO
company said.
Marshall Islands milestone
Dutch ease registration laws
Mitsui OSK Line (MOL)
has become the first
major Japanese
shipowner to register a
vessel with the Marshall
Islands Maritime
Registry, marking the
beginning of a new era
for the flag in Asia's
largest maritime market.
The Opal Express, a 48,635 dwt
new products tanker, joined the
Registry at the end of May this
year following her delivery from
the Iwagi Zosen shipyard in Japan.
"We are very pleased that MOL
decided on the Marshall Islands
Maritime Registry and we view
the new vessel registration as an
endorsement of our service
focused strategy for the ship
owning community in Japan and
around the world," said Bill
Gallagher, president of
International Registries (IRI), the
maritime and corporate
administrator of the Marshall
Recent changes
to Dutch law
safeguarding the
right of free
establishment in
Europe mean that
ship registration
regulations in the
Netherlands have
been relaxed.
Taco van der Valk,
partner at leading Dutch
law firm AKD Prinsen Van
Wijmen says: "It is now
easier for both European and
non-European companies to
register their vessels in the
Netherlands."
The recent change brings
Dutch law in line with a
2004 European Court of
Justice decision, which
ruled that Dutch national law,
although apparently in
accordance with the UN
Convention on the Law of
the Sea, which requires a
10
Islands flag.
"Captain Yasushi Higuma,
Marshall Islands deputy
commissioner of maritime affairs in
Japan, is leading the drive to
expand our presence in the
maritime community and this vessel
joining the registry is indicative of
the growing demand for our
efficient and reliable services in this
market," said Annie Ng, managing
director of International Registries
(FE).
In June 2005, IRFE opened an
office in the Nishi-Shinbashi
district of Tokyo. "Our office is
offering full vessel registration and
electronic mortgage recordation
services locally here in Japan. This
will save owners in the typical
transactional costs associated with
overseas registrations," said
Captain Higuma.
The Marshall Islands is currently
ranked as the fifth largest registry
in the world with 1,250 vessels and
TO
33.5 mill gt of shipping.
'genuine link between the
State and the ship', contravened
European law by being too
restrictive.
In the past companies could
only register their vessels in the
Netherlands if:
At least two-thirds of the
ship was owned by a
European Community (EC)
or European Economic
Area (EEA) national
company and the business
of the vessel was conducted
by EC or EEA nationals
through a Netherlands-based
office.
These requirements have
been removed. However, it
is still the case that the
company that registers the
vessel must itself be registered
in Europe. In addition there
must also be a Netherlandsbased representative who
has full authority to act for
TO
the ship.
p4-11.qxd
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05:39
Page 8
NEWS
Tax saving measures
announced
The Government of
Barbados is launching a
series of tax saving
measures aimed at
international shipping
companies looking for
offshore services.
The Barbados Shipping
Corporation Act has been
revised and includes the
following clauses, which will
benefit both companies
controlling vessels flying the
Barbados flag and shipping
companies incorporated on
the island:
Foreign companies may
operate Barbados registered
ships without being eligible
for Barbados taxes.
Shipowning companies,
shipmanaging companies
and ship crewing companies
may be incorporated in
Barbados.
Shipping companies in
Barbados may elect to be
incorporated as tax exempt
corporations. In this case a
scale of fees is employed,
which is considerably lower
than the standard Barbados
tax rate.
Shipowning companies
incorporated in Barbados, as
either a taxed shipping
corporation or a tax exempt
corporation, can register
individual ships under the
Barbados Shipping Act as tax
exempt ships.
Companies taking advantage
of the tax exempt corporation
status and or the tax exempt
ship will be eligible for
Barbados corporation tax,
or the tax exempt corporation
fee, calculated minus the
profits from all ship
registered a tax exempt
ships.
Both forms of company
corporation are eligible to
receive the benefits of the
reciprocal taxation treaties
currently in existence.
September 2006
z
Both forms of ship registration
have normal allowance for
bareboat chartering out of
Barbados Maritime Ship
Registry (BMSR).
Welcoming the changes, BMSR
principal registrar Chris Sawyer
said:
"This is a welcome boost for
both the island and the flag.
Barbados is an extremely
attractive location for international
shipping companies looking for
high quality offshore services.
Setting up a shipping company in
Barbados will now be easier and
more tax efficient than ever before
and the Act will enable owners to
bareboat charter their vessels into
the register with minimal fuss."
IN THREE DIMENSIONS
The third dimension
Technology
Three levels of optimization
go into every Alfa Laval tank
cleaning solution. One of them
is our technology, including the
Gunclean Toftejorg i65 S tank
cleaning machine with its built-in speed
adjustment and hysterisis clutch.
The hysterisis clutch is a soft starter,
which means that it never slips in the
way that standard magnetic clutches
can. Its reliability is matched by lowfriction ceramic bearings and an
optimized turbine, which create greater
BMSR’s Chris Sawyer
The BMSR has also added the
Hellenic Register of Ships and
the Polish Register of Ships to its
list of approved class societies.
Following a four year analysis
of the Paris MOU Port State
Control's detention records,
BMSR has announced that it is
satisfied that these registers offer
high quality safety services which
meet BMSR's strict criteria.
The two class societies join
American Bureau of Shipping,
Bureau Veritas, China
Classification Society, Det
Norske Veritas, Germanischer
Lloyd, Korea Register of
Shipping, Lloyd's Register,
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Registro
Italiano Navale and Register of
Russian Shipping as being
approved by Barbados flag state. TO
TANKEROperator
wear resistance and excellent power
transmission.
All this makes the Gunclean Toftejorg
i65 S a high-power investment with
low spare parts consumption.
A perfect example of our tank cleaning
expertise.
11
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05:45
Page 1
TANKER MARKETS
What does the future hold?
With today's tanker
markets showing no
signs of slowing down, a
major report has been
published, which more
or less forecasts that
the bullish tone will
continue for the next
few years.
There are many short term
effects hitting the tanker market
at present says US marine
transport advisors McQuilling
Services in its latest Tanker
Market Outlook - a forecast for
the period 2006-2010.
'Chavez effect' whereby the
Venezuelan government is keen
to sell its oil to anybody but the
US could have a long term effect
on tonne miles, especially if
China becomes a serious buyer.
Short term, the oncoming
hurricane season in the
US/Mexican Gulf is predicted to
be more severe than normal,
which could hit oil supplies and
lead to tankers seeking charters
elsewhere.
The VLCC market is finely
balanced between supply and
demand, but the weight is coming
the Caribbean this is expected to
be moderate during the first half
of the period and then soften by
around 10% during the second
period. For clean trades, a
moderate increase in rates is
forecast, especially in Asia, while
the medium range (MR) products
tanker market is forecast to
remain flat in the Caribbean, but
grow slightly in Asia.
In general, clean trades are
expected to firm as consumption
requirements in the west
increases and product barrels are
supplied on increasingly longer
VLCCs could continue to reap the benefits of a firm market.
For example, unusually high
rate levels were experienced
throughout June and July, in part
due to unexpected Chinese
demand, plus short term tonnage
supply disruptions, caused by
some vessels being used for
storage and significant discharge
delays on the west coast US.
It is expected that the Prudhoe
Bay situation will also create
extra demand, primarily with
VLCCs and suezmaxes loading
in the Middle East Gulf (MEG)
for the west coast US, although
it doesn't appear to have had
much influence thus far (mid
August). However, vessels
already fixed for long haul
voyages won't become free for a
couple of weeks.
Other unknowns, which could
have future repercussions on the
tanker market include the
Lebanese situation and of course
the ongoing US/Iran saga. The
12
down in favour of the supply side
as more and more newbuildings
come on stream, only to be
replaced by still more
newbuildings. Rates are expected
to come under pressure in the
period under review especially if
oil demand growth eases on the
back of unprecedented high oil
prices. However, McQuilling
thinks that significant market
volatility will help keep rate
levels artificially higher than the
fundamentals would suggest.
Historically, the suezmax sector
has always shown a surplus of
tonnage relative to demand.
Nevertheless, the rates have also
held in this sector during the first
half of this year, which was
above expectations. McQuilling
expects much the same behaviour
in the suezmax sector as in the
VLCC sector during the coming
five year period.
As for the aframax sector, in
trade routes.
McQuilling said that it expects
the tanker market to become
weaker over the next five years,
primarily due to two factors - a
forecast increase in tonnage and a
decrease in demand due to a
downturn in oil demand growth.
The analysts found that the
VLCC sector was taking up much
of the demand at the expense of
other tanker types. Shipyard order
books are at historically high
levels and show no signs of
abating.
One wildcard on supply is
China. Productivity is still slow,
but several large yards are
currently under construction. It
might take a decade for the
Chinese to dominate the
shipbuilding scene, or they may
achieve it much faster. There is
no doubt that it will happen.
The other wildcard, according
to McQuilling is the IMO single
hull phase out. The exemptions
being handed out may mean that
the number of vessels expected to
be phased out by 2010 will
change. The phase out should still
create a wave of volatility in the
short term before 2010.
Today, asset prices are more or
less double of those recorded in
2002. Despite this, the time
charter equivalent (TCE) earnings
still generate an acceptable return,
as does the forecasted rate for the
next five years. Current market
levels generate free cash flow
well in excess of these levels.
Investment analysis revealed
acceptable returns, which is
surprising given the level of
investment needed with the
higher price levels seen today,
putting pressure on profit and
loss, McQuilling said.
The report identified the
volatility of freight rates seen in
the VLCC market for the past
two years. Demand has grown to
almost meet supply in the past
few years. Given this situation,
any short term supply problems,
or short term changes in
production levels, generate a wide
response in spot market levels,
resulting in violent swings rather
than steady adjustments.
Multiple events occurring
simultaneously can have the
effect of wild fluctuations in
rates, which cannot be forecast.
Both owners and charterers
could be caught out by these
unforeseen market movers. Real
time market intelligence and
accuracy in market entry timing
are key to managing spot
revenues and costs in the current
environment.
McQuilling concluded by
saying although the forecast was
a downward rate trend, earnings
should still remain at an
acceptable level, especially for
large tankers. Given the potential
upside after 2010, an argument
could be made that any
investment at worst would yield
acceptable earnings levels and at
best unprecedented returns.
TO
p12-14.qxd
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05:46
Page 2
OPERATIONS PROFILE
S
ISS forms tanker
department
ince then there has
been a radical
overhaul of the
company, which now
claims to be a service concern,
rather than just a ship's agency.
However, not forgetting its
origins, ISS still claims to be the
world's largest port agency
handling more than 50,000 port
calls per year from its 200 offices
worldwide.
Under its new chief executive
Claus Hyldager, last year the
company set a goal to double its
size by 2010. In 2005, ISS
announced that it had reached its
goal of doubling in size since
2002.
The major changes from the
organisational reshuffle saw the
company become more IT
focused. Another area being
marketed is the offering of
outsourcing expertise to
companies in a partnership type
deal.
However, for
TANKEROperator readers, one of
the key initiatives was the
forming of a specialised tanker
team. Department head David
Porter, general manager - group
partnerships, explained that the
tanker team evolved through the
growth in the business.
He said that about 40% of the
vessels handled by Inchcape are
tankers of some shape or size,
carrying a multitude of oils and
liquid products. "The world’s
tanker fleet is reportedly in
excess of 10,000 and continuing
to grow, which means a lot of
port calls needing the services of
an experienced agent", Porter
explained.
"ISS' tanker team was not
created in a single instant, it
evolved over the years of
growing the business sector, with
September 2006
z
At the beginning of July leading ship’s
agency concern Inchcape Shipping Services
(ISS) went through another sea change,
including its purchase by a second
investment vehicle. The new owner is
Dubai-based investment concern Istithmar,
which bought the company from its
original owner UK investment group Electra Investment Trust.
Inchcape representatives
attending to the tankers needs at
the many and diverse terminals
and handling facilities. Along
be transported replacing depleted
domestic supplies to homes and
industry, so ISS has focused on
this fast moving growth sector.
Ceo Claus Hyldager has overseen the creation of a specialist
tanker department.
with growth came a lot of local
knowledge and expertise, hence
we are - a world of local
expertise", he said.
Addressing the difference
between tanker types, such as
LPG and LNGCs, he said that
subtle differences between the
shipping needs required a
different team but with the same
approach.
As the world has developed
there is now a need for LNG to
TANKEROperator
"A global team brings together
the knowledge and expertise of
our people, sharing observations
and experiences across and to the
benefit of the whole
organisation," Porter said.
Even though LNG has moved
to the forefront of shipping in
recent years due to the
development of new gas fields
and the need to have receiving
terminals in populous areas, LPG
and LNG have been transported
by sea for almost 50 years.
"There have been major steps
taken in the design of ships, and
the handling of these dangerous
cargoes, all of which we must
keep abreast, training our people
and following up to ensure we
can provide the services required
by these vessels. The main
difference in the handling of any
ships is its cargo," he stressed.
He continued; "Spending in the
region of 95% of its life at sea, it
is easy to see that the goal of
good and profitable operations
requires the tanker to be on the
move, and loaded with oil more
days than in ballast.
"Port turnarounds must be
carefully managed to minimise
the time spent in port, and
services provided offshore, while
the tanker may be passing a
supply point. These need to be
planned ahead and efficiently
executed.
"These activities require the
ship's agent to be attentive to the
ship's schedule, efficient in coordinating the delivery of services
provided by a variety of vendors
and a constant awareness, which
must have the safety and welfare
of the ships’ crews, our own and
vendor employees at the heart of
everything we do", he said.
With some tankers involved in
offshore shuttle work and ship-toship transfers, ISS is involved in
a large number of offshore
activities, whether a ship is
loading at a remotely located
terminal, or carrying out ship-toship operations. "Each operation
will require the service of an
agent in some way or another,
with each location having its own
requirements," Porter explained.
Another example is Fujairah
where ISS serves vessels either
anchored or passing on a daily
13
p12-14.qxd
06/09/2006
05:46
Page 3
OPERATIONS PROFILE
basis with a fleet of supply
launches based at the UAE port at
which there is also a company
warehouse for the handling of
spare parts, plus some crew
accommodation.
An example of the joint
venture approach was the signing
of an agreement with Prisco
Shipping Corp in June, which
marked ISS' entry into the Far
East Russian market to serve
existing and future business
needs.
Although ExxonMobil is ISS'
largest client, the company has
several large tanker owners and
operators on its books, both for
port agency and management
services. Notable larger accounts
in addition to ExxonMobil and
Exmar, with regional or global
agreements are - Maersk Tankers,
BP Shipping, Shell, Teekay,
Brostrom and Titan Ocean.
ISS is also present at some
terminals, an example of which is
the UK Esso refinery at Fawley.
“
Spending in the region of 95%
of its life at sea, it is easy to see
that the goal of good and profitable
operations requires the tanker to be
on the move, and loaded with oil
more days than in ballast.
”
David Porter, general manager - group
partnerships, Inchcape Shipping Services
According to Porter, with the
agent located on the terminal, ISS
is able to be close to the activity
providing an efficient vessel
turnaround and services to the
shipowner. In addition to the
normal duties of a good tanker
agent, the ISS Fawley staff work
closely with the terminal staff on
scheduling the ships berthing and
providing cargo documentation
services. At other oil terminals
around the world, ISS offices are
typically located within a
reasonable distance and normally
within the nearest port area.
The network of tanker
expertise is part of global
operations, which evolved
from the large tanker activity
over the past few years. The
services provided to the larger
accounts are managed through
service centres located at four
strategic locations - Houston,
Singapore, Dubai and the UK.
"This gives the ship
owner/operator a focal point for
his account, while still being in
direct contact with the tanker
teams at the ports for operational
purposes", Porter said.
Most of the agent's experience
is gained from learning at the
port level, building up local
expertise in a particular area. ISS
has developed training
programmes, which cover all
aspects of the business and the
different types of cargo carried
by the ships that are served to
augment this local knowledge.
For those ports where multiple
cargoes are handled, the ships
agent must have the knowledge
of each of these trades and the
particular service requirements.
Likewise, where ports have
multiple oil terminals, a sound
knowledge of each terminal’s
needs and requirements is also
required.
TO
The South of England
Protection and
Indemnity Association
(Bermuda) Limited
Hamilton, Bermuda
For further information regarding this
alternative P&I club please contact:
The South of England Management AG
Branch Office
Zimex Business Aviation Center
Bimenzältenstrasse 75, CH-8058
Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Tel +41 (0) 433 88 34 88
Fax +41 (0) 433 88 34 89
Email [email protected]
Website www.sepia-pandi.com
14
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Page 1
SHIPMANAGEMENT
Newcomer in
expansive mood
A relative newcomer to the Glasgow scene is GBLT Shipmanagement (UK), the UK
branch of the ever expanding Jakarta-based PT Berlian Laju Tanker (BLT) Group. BLT
currently controls more than 50 oil, chemical and gas tankers and has another eight to 10
vessels on order in Japan. Parent BLT has adopted the mantra ‘global perspective with
local solutions,’ hence the forming of GBLT.
B
LT's technical
management is
focused on
Singapore, while
Glasgow looks after the
commercial side of all the vessels
trading west of the Suez Canal.
The UK office was opened as
recently as January 2004. One of
the founding directors was former
Denholm boss Bob Speedie who
was persuaded to come out of
retirement to take on a hands on
role at GBLT as managing
director. The other founding
father was finance director Alex
Cannon.
As well as looking after the
commercial side of the business
in Europe, the Baltic, Black Sea,
West Africa and South America,
GBLT provides technical
supervision for seven high grade
chemical tankers that were
financed in the UK as required by
the UK rules. The UK ships are
monitored every 18 months,
while BLT's other vessels
increasingly calling at European
ports are also inspected under the
watchful eye of marine controller
Ken Lyall.
Two of the stainless steel
chemical tankers technically
supervised from Clydeside are
of 14,200 dwt, two are of
11,600 dwt, another two are of
8,600 dwt, while a single 10,300
dwt chemical tanker makes up
the UK fleet. The average age
of the fleet is around three
years and they all fly the
Singapore flag being classed
by ClassNK.
BLT intends to expand its
Glasgow- the capital of shipmanagement
There have been
shipmanagement companies in
Glasgow for many years. Their
ranks have been swelled
recently with the arrival of
Teekay, GBLT and rumoured
relocation of Maersk UK's
technical team from London's
Canary Wharf to Glasgow.
Glasgow has changed an
awful lot down the years. Since
it won the coveted European
City of Culture in 1990, it is
now the third city on the UK
tourist map, behind London and
neighbour Edinburgh. Another
more recent example is that
replacing the old shipbuilding
cranes, slipways and riverside
wharves is a purpose-built
September 2006
z
international financial services
district, which is about half
way through a 10-year growth
plan. When complete in 2011,
the district will employ 20,000
people.
Despite a slow beginning to
its financial aspirations, last
year Glasgow experienced the
highest uptake in UK
commercial property after
London. Financial services and
support functions are the areas
being marketed by the city's
leaders. And of course,
shipmanagers have been
providing support functions for
years for their customers - the
shipowner.
The city now boasts a high
TANKEROperator
quality labour force partly
spawned by its four universities
- a fact not lost on the shipping
community. Recruiting
experienced ex-seafarers also
does not seem to have been a
problem, or not as much of a
problem as elsewhere. Both
international and national
connections are good, unless
like TANKEROperator's Editor
you had your flight cancelled
during the latest security
clampdown.
The Glasgow shipping
fraternity even have their own
website - www.clydeshipping.
co.uk - which lists many of the
companies involved in
shipmanagement.
UK presence and possibly
open another office on the
European mainland. Thus far,
the Scottish office employs
nine people.
One of the reasons for setting
up the office, claimed new
chartering manager Sven
Kristensen who joined the
company in June, is the change of
sentiment in the market. BLT was
already well established in the
Middle East and in Asia, but the
company was finding increased
interest in its ships from Western
charterers.
Kristensen said the company
prefers to do business on a
contract or spot basis. This gives
the company a hands on
relationship with its customers,
rather than rely on third parties as
sometimes happens with
timecharters.
He said the Middle East
situation caused somewhat of a
crisis in the market with rates
fluctuating wildly. However, the
forecasts for the next sixth
months into the first quarter of
next year point to a very firm
market, in part due to the
MARPOL and chemical
realignments (see page 33) that
are due to be implemented at the
beginning of the year.
In February of this year, GBLT
attained its ISO 9001:2000
accreditation from Lloyd's
Register. Parent BLT firmly
believes in a 'global perspective
TO
with local solutions.'
15
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Page 2
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Page 3
SHIPMANAGEMENT
Regionalisation is the
name of the game
S
ometime before this
regionalisation was
put in place, two
business units had
already been created - vessel
operations arm Teekay Marine
Services and commercial
operations department Teekay
Tanker Services.
As a result of the switch to a
more regional style of
management, the two business
units now work much closer
together by way of:
Working closer with
customers.
Greater interaction with ships,
ship teams and seafarers.
Access to shore-based marine
expertise in the regions.
Teekay said that it had moved 50
of its personnel from Vancouver
to other locations worldwide.
However, it asserted that
Vancouver will remain the
company's corporate
headquarters, with a reduced staff
of around 250 employees.
John Adams, managing director
Teekay Marine Services
explained the reasoning behind
this. He said that the
demographics have changed
down the years with the result
that the company decided to set
up shop closer to its customers.
He also explained that the
Glasgow office works closely
with the commercial team in
London.
Glasgow is home to around 40
Teekay Marine Services people,
and in addition some have postfixture personnel working
alongside other commercial staff
under the banner of Teekay
Tanker Services, giving a total of
19 in the London office. Adams is
based at the Glasgow premises
together with fleet director David
September 2006
z
Another company to firmly establish a base
on Clydeside is Teekay. Last year, the
Vancouver-based company took the
decision to partially regionalise its
operations and set up management bases in
Houston, Singapore and Glasgow.
Penny, who heads up one of the
ship teams.
European acquisitions
A significant portion of Teekay's
fleet operates in the European
theatre, especially following the
purchase of Navion (Statoil),
Ugland Shuttle Tankers and
Bona's combination and aframax
fleets a few years ago. The North
Sea shuttle tanker operation is
managed out of Teekay's
Norwegian office.
Adams explained that the main
focus of Teekay Marine Services
is to ensure Teekay's brand
reputation for quality, safety and
service is maintained through the
technical management and
operation of the company's
owned and chartered in tonnage.
Although not completely ruling
out third party business, he said
this would only be countenanced
in the right circumstances.
Basically, the Glasgow office
handles Teekay operated vessels
in the Atlantic basin. The
Houston office takes care of the
vessels in the Mexican/US Gulf
area, while Singapore naturally
looks after the Asia/Pacific arena.
In addition to the core aframax
sector, Glasgow will also
technically operate Teekay's nine
newbuilding LNG carriers when
they are delivered. The current
LNGC fleet is managed out of
Spain, having been under the
TANKEROperator
Tapias banner before Teekay
bought the company a couple of
years back. Teekay also has its
own vessel operations office in
Australia.
Teekay Marine Services is now
structured to look after all of the
Teekay fleet operating in national
and regional markets.
Seafarers are one if not the
most important consideration for
Teekay and Adams said Glasgow
is an ideal base from which to coordinate the crewing side of the
business.
"To address the current
worldwide manning problem,
Teekay takes a longterm approach
on how to run a quality operation
and develop staff accordingly,"
Adams said. "We have moved
away from using the word
'manning', which sounds reactive,
as though just placing people
onto ships.
"Instead we talk about Marine
HR and developing committed,
motivated staff driven by sound
HR management practices. This
is about people development and
raising the bar in quality," Adams
continued. "Within Teekay, we
see crewing as having a strategic
role, it has to be acknowledged
that human resources are scarce
and there's a dwindling pool of
acceptable people who will meet
our standards. That's why we also
have a separate training budget,
which is seen as a fleet
overhead", he explained.
Teekay has a three-prong
strategy specifically for manning
the LNGCs. These are:
1) Harnessing existing
experience in steam turbine,
LNG and LPG operations.
2) Training is undertaken over
and above statutory
requirements, including sea
time and practical experience
on board Teekay Spain's
LNGCs. Also LNG
competencies under the
company's SCOPE scheme
(see page 18), plus certified
STCW and simulator training
at its own in-house training
centre.
3) Supplementing the seafarers
with ready-made LNG
experienced personnel.
“
To address the current
worldwide manning problem,
Teekay takes a longterm approach
on how to run a quality operation
and develop staff accordingly.
John Adams, managing director,
Teekay Marine Services
”
17
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Page 4
SHIPMANAGEMENT
In-house training
Although training establishments
are also used throughout Europe,
including the UK and Norway the Norwegian training facilities
used by Teekay have a specific
focus shuttle tanker training
and operations - the core
training is undertaken at a
purpose built centre housed
within Teekay's Glasgow
regional headquarters.
This centre has its own
permanent instruction team. It is
also fitted with an LNG simulator
and Teekay offers its own
accreditation to its employees
once trained. The centre is also
flag state approved for oil tanker
training. There is also a liquid
cargo handling simulator for both
oil and gas, which can be
accessed by up to five students
and an instructor simultaneously.
Seafarers are regularly
validated by the company by
using in-house software, which
enables their progress to be
plotted and all the necessary
paper work, such as certificates
and endorsements, kept up to
date, which Teekay calls a
seafarer competence for
operational excellence (SCOPE)
scheme. "We operate the world's
first accredited competence
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CQN&cccZU_Z[^Z[1YMUX&\[_`,ZU_Z[^Z[<T[ZQ& #!!! !
18
management system, which was
endorsed by DNV," Adams
claimed.
Teekay has identified in excess
of 400 best practices and more
than 3,000 knowledge areas and
each seafarer has his or her
'continuing professional
development portfolio'. "We have
raised the bar and gone beyond
the STCW," Adams claimed. "It
has been well received by the
seafarers who are keen to
improve themselves."
Speaking about TMSA, Adams
claimed that Teekay was one of
the first companies to submit its
procedures. Two audits have
already been completed by
major customers. "We are far
down the line with it," Adams
said. Teekay already had what it
calls a marine operations
management system (MOMS) in
place and also has ISM, ISO
9000, ISO 14,000 and ISO
18,000 all in one system. "We
use the 'Demming Cycle' plando-check-act theory," he
explained, "which is a good fit
with the TMSA's plan-actmeasure-improve approach".
Adams also thought that
TMSA was a good fit generally
for what Teekay already
undertakes and said that the
company already had an in-house
version in place. "Being a market
leader, we are proactive, rather
than reactive," he said.
Teekay also operates a
computerised system called Structural Integrity Management
System (SIMS), which was
developed in co-operation with
the class societies. Each vessel
carries a specific ship inspection
manual that guides the crew,
Teekay's in-house inspectors and
third party contractors through
inspection cycles of different
areas of vessels'structures.
In co-operation with the
University of British Columbia,
Teekay has designed a package Toolbox for Operational Risk
Analysis (TORA) - whereby data
is disseminated to analyse
incident patterns against
TO
operational factors.
p15-25.qxd
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11:51
Page 5
See us at
SMM Hamburg
stand EG.254
Hall 10
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Interbond® 808
Proven, high performance anticorrosive technology. Excellent sealing properties. Light coloured tar free epoxy. Surface
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www.international-marine.com
, International and Interbond are trademarks of or are licensed to Akzo Nobel
© Akzo Nobel, 2006
p15-25.qxd
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Page 6
SHIPMANAGEMENT
Compartmentalisation
leads to greater
exposure
S
hipmanagers are
faced with an
abundance of codes,
regulations,
legislation and various other
requirements, all of which must
be complied with. For example,
the ISM Code, the ISPS Code,
flag state and port state
requirements, SOLAS, and
MARPOL, to name but a few. In
addition, charterers not only
expect the ships they charter to
meet the highest standards, but
back this up with various
vettings, inspections and other
schemes, such as CDI vettings,
SIRE reporting and Tanker
SO9001:2000: why it should
be implemented in the
shipmanagement sector*
Management Self Assessment
(TMSA).
Why then should a ship
manager choose to impose further
impositions on themselves by
voluntarily implementing
ISO9001:2000 throughout their
organisation?
The answer lies in the very
abundance of requirements and
the complex nature of
shipmanagement itself. These
two factors have led many
Bill Lunn emphasised that compartmentalisation was becoming a
problem.
20
shipmanagers to become
compartmentalised, with areas of
speciality developing within the
organisation, for example,
purchasing departments, crewing
departments, technical
departments, marine
departments, as well as
specialists in sale and purchase,
insurance, travel, training, safety
and security.
The increase in size of many
shipmanagers due to organic
growth, mergers and
acquisitions, as well as the
growth in third party
management has also led many
organisations to experience
greater degrees of
compartmentalisation.
The outcome of this
compartmentalisation is often
departmental defensiveness, and a
'not my job' attitude among
employees.
Consider the various
departments of a typical ship
management company involved
in the routine task of arranging
for an officer to join a vessel to
allow the office on board to go
home for leave. They could
include:
The personnel department will
be keen to choose a port for
his joining the vessel, which
will match its relief schedule
and accommodates its forward
planning. This will ensure that
no costly standby payments
have to be made.
The technical department
would like the officer to join
in a port where the time
alongside will be several days,
so that the relief officer can
get a good handover.
Alternatively, this department
might wish for the on board
officer and his relief to sail
together for a short period.
This will help to ensure that
no costly mistakes are made
by the new joiner, due to lack
of first hand knowledge of that
particular ship and its
equipment, the department
believes.
The travel department will be
keen to minimise the cost of
air fares, hotels etc, and may
be influenced to arrange
flights, which require several
transfers, rather than choose a
more direct but more
expensive route.
The marine department, on the
other hand, feel it is necessary
to have the officer call into the
office for a briefing on
security and the companies
reporting procedures, etc.
How then can the management
system ensure that the reliever is
put on board the vessel at an
appropriate port, sufficiently
rested prior to commencing his
duties and properly briefed and
familiarised with his
responsibilities, and yet without
incurring unnecessary expenses?
In the above example, each
department has come to adopt a
very narrow interpretation of its
role within the organisation. They
have become poor team players
and fail to see the big picture.
A system has to be put in
place, which both encourages
p15-25.qxd
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Page 7
SHIPMANAGEMENT
“
Traditional definitions of quality
...fail to deliver the necessary
mindset among employees to
promote their active participation in
helping the company achieve its
objectives.
and empowers all staff to
participate fully in the company's
business plans.
Staff need to consult each
other, and to understand the value
of their contributions to the
company as a whole. Needless
inefficiencies need to be exposed
and corrected, as do unnecessary
or avoidable costs.
Traditional definitions of
quality such as 'fit for purpose'
and 'right first time, right every
time' fail to deliver the necessary
mindset among employees to
”
promote their active participation
in helping the company achieve
its objectives.
ISO9001:2000, however, has
moved on from this narrow
interpretation of quality. It has
adopted the 'process approach'.
This approach ensures not only
ongoing control over the
connections between the various
processes within the system, but
also helps an organisation
understand and control the
combination and interactions of
these processes.
This approach emphasises the
importance of:
Understanding and fulfilling
customers' (and legal)
requirements.
Considering processes in
terms of the value they add.
Recording the results of
process performance and
effectiveness.
Using objective measurements
to ensure continual
improvement of processes.
Section 4.1 'General
requirements' of the code outlines
the various steps required to
establish, implement and
maintain a process approach
management system and to
continually improve its
effectiveness.
The remainder of the standard
can be considered as giving the
necessary detail required to
ensure each of these steps are
fulfilled and that planned results
and continual improvement of the
processes are achieved.
By implementing a
management system as required
by ISO9001:2000, costly
mistakes, oversights and errors
are reduced or eliminated and by
striving for continuous
improvements, profitability is
improved due to increased
efficiencies.
The new InterManager
publication 'Guidelines on
implementing ISO9001:2000 for
shipmanagers and crew managers'
(see page 32) explains how such
an organisation can develop its
management system, using a 'top
down' approach.
Each of the various elements in
the standard are addressed, with
useful hints and tips, as well as
giving examples of customer
expectations.
TO
*By Bill Lunn, MIQA,
chairman of the InterManager
best practices committee.
Be part of a winning team
Our team is a dedicated team. A team dedicated to bringing the best to your ships. At Eurasia
we believe excellence can only be delivered through a dedicated training regime and constant battle for greater heights of success.
Only the best individuals make up the best teams. Headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in 7 different time zones,
Eurasia works in partnership with its customers to offer complete ship management solutions.
Overall Winner - HKMA Quality Awards 2003
Best Ship Manager in Asia 2002 & 2003 - LLMA Awards
Winners of the Best Practice Awards 2004 - Supply Chain Management
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
Better People. Better Ships.
GLOBAL MARITIME SOLUTIONS
SILVER JUBILEE YEAR
www.eurasiagroup.com
21
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Page 8
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Page 9
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Page 10
SHIPMANAGEMENT
ASP reorganises
operations
Leading shipmanagement concern, ASP Ship Management Group has reorganised its
worldwide operations into various ship type groupings.
M
anaging director
and CEO Europe
Matt Dunlop
explained that
previously the group had been
structured with the objective of
having all the various skills,
including drycargo, tanker, bulk
etc, available in all the fleet
management offices. One of the
main objectives for doing this
was to have the ability for the
management to be as close
geographically as possible to the
client. However, this needed to
be changed.
Under the new structure,
tankers under ASP management
are handled from Melbourne,
Mariehamn and Singapore. "It
has become evident that as far as
tankers are concerned our original
objective of having the
management close to the client
was not the appropriate structure.
"The main driver behind this
conclusion is that the effective
'client' behind tanker management
and operations are the oil majors
and as a result, so is the level of
audit and documentation required
to support those operations. This
position has been reinforced by
the oil majors declining to accept
some of our offices for term
business while Melbourne, for
example, is already approved,"
Dunlop explained.
Tanker rationalisation
ASP decided that it had to
rationalise its tanker management
structure to cope with this
relatively new situation and also
to establish a sound base for
future development. To do this
24
the group executive agreed to
rationalise the tanker
management operations in the
following way 1. Melbourne is currently the
only office that is fully oil
major approved for all aspects
of tanker management.
2. To focus the tanker
operations primarily on two
offices, Singapore for
operations east of Suez and
Mariehamn, Finland for
operations west of Suez. A
third tanker operation will be
maintained in Australia
specifically to cover
Australian cabotage
requirement and specialised
Pacific Island trades.
3. To facilitate these changes a
new company has been
established called ASP Tanker
Management. Ultimately, all
tanker approval, certification
and management will be
ASP Tanker Management Organisation
1. The company will hold all
approvals and documentation that
is not specifically and essentially
required to be held in the Branch
Office.
2. Singapore will be responsible for
all documentation, procedures,
procurement, approvals and overall
management of ASP Tanker
Operation teams along with
technical management of tanker
contracted east of Suez.
3. Mariehamn will be responsible for
all tanker technical management
contracted west of Suez.
4. Australia will be responsible for
the technical management of
tankers operating in the Australian
cabotage Trade or in specialised
Pacific Island Trades.
5. Each Branch is responsible for the
business development of the
Tanker Management company
ASP Tanker Management Ltd
Singapore Branch
Mariehamn Branch
Australia Branch
p15-25.qxd
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Page 11
SHIPMANAGEMENT
handled by this company.
4. The change in the structure
will take place progressively
so as to ensure that the
approvals held by the
Melbourne (and any other)
office are not disturbed. CEO
Australia Bob Bird will be
responsible for the
reorganisation east of Suez
and Matt Dunlop, managing
director and ceo Europe will
supervise the process in the
Western hemisphere.
“
It has become evident that as far
as tankers are concerned our
original objective of having the
management close to the client was
not the appropriate structure.
”
Matt Dunlop, managing director and ceo
Europe, ASP Ship Management Group
5. In Europe, all the tanker
activities will be
progressively focused in
Mariehamn and as part of this
process the Oslo office tanker
technical management has
been transferred to
Mariehamn.
6. Similarly in Europe, any
tankers managed out of
Glasgow will also move to
Mariehamn.
7. In due course the tanker
operations in all the locations
referred to above will become
branches of ASP Tanker
Management Ltd, which will
simplify documentation and
approvals procedures. The
central management point for
all of these activities will be
based in Singapore. This also
has the added advantage of
being in close proximity to all
the oil majors Singapore
operating offices.
8. The target date for
completion of these activities
was 30th June 2006, which
TO
was achieved.
Matt Dunlop
A
wareness of our Ship Owners/Operators needs
S
afety of the Vessel, Crew and Environment are paramount
P
roactive Management rather than reactive
We ‘listen’ to your Ship Management needs and provide real Solutions!
Contact our Commercial Managers for an obligation free discussion on how we can improve your operations:
Brian Griffin, ASP Ship Management, Glasgow - Tel: +(44) 141 332 8118
Susana Germino, ASP Ship Management, Hamburg - Tel: +(49) 172 10 12 003
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
25
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
TMSA discussed at
length
TANKEROperator organised another in its successful series of conferences about the
Tanker Management Self Asssessment (TMSA) code, produced by oil majors as a means
of encouraging shipping companies to continually improve their management systems.
The latest conference was held recently in Singapore. The following are a few extracts
from the conference where they directly apply to shipmanagement.
“W
hen we
first read
TMSA,
we
thought, this is crazy," said John
West, operations manager of
Unicom Shipmanagement in
Cyprus. "But by the third day we
realised, this is quite a good
document."
Like Unicom, much of the
shipping industry initially gave
TMSA, the oil companies' guide,
a cool welcome.
They are also gradually
beginning to understand the
dynamism of TMSA, almost a
market conversation and
framework for improvement
across the whole business, rather
than a one-off list of rules to be
complied with.
But many are starting to see
how it can help tanker operators
get rewarded for their competence
and compete on their competence,
something that has arguably not
been happening in the past.
It is gradually becoming clear
in many sectors of the shipping
industry just how big a
modernisation force TMSA might
be in the shipping industry.
Remember how over hyped
ISPS was, with so many industry
conferences, talk about how the
shipping industry would have its
vessels detained, so many
vendors and security consultants
getting excited, and when the
deadline passed, it was a
complete non-event as all the
shipping companies had their
pieces of paper - and afterwards
26
forgot all about it?
TMSA is the opposite. There is
absolutely no hype at all - indeed
many tanker operators are saying
that since they aren't forced to do
it, they won't do it - yet major
shipmanagement concerns and
shipowners, such as ITM and
BW Shipping, are re-organising
their entire company structures
around it.
Some shipmanagers and
owners (including Anglo
Eastern), that operate both tankers
and drybulk vessels are also using
the system for their drybulk
vessels, rather than have different
management systems for different
ships in their fleet.
Similarly, many vetting
inspectors who inspect both
tankers and drybulk vessels are
also seeing it as a useful
framework to audit drybulk
vessels against.
Information technology
TMSA is not specifically about
information technology - indeed
information technology is only
mentioned once in the document
- but there is a very strong IT
angle here.
As shipping companies get
more proactive in trying to
improve the quality of the
operations, the information
technology and communications
budgets will start to open up; no
more 'we're only spending money
on this if we have to.'
Shipping companies will have
an incentive to spend money on
improved management systems,
better ship-shore communication,
computer based training tools and
simulators, electronic charts and
crew communications facilities.
There's more - one of the
trickiest systems in TMSA is the
one on change management,
where tanker operators are asked
to have systems in place to make
it easier to change.
Patrick Slesinger
Information technology, as
Wallem's CIO Patrick Slesinger
said, is a tool for change
management.
As part of their change
management systems, shipowners
will be encouraged to realise that
just because something was a
good idea when they were at sea,
it doesn't necessarily mean it is a
good idea now. Can you hear the
IT budgets unzipping?
How far to go
Oil companies are likely to look
for a minimum compliance with
Stage 1 and perhaps to Stage 3
for long term time charters or
coas (contracts of affreightment).
This does not mean that
everybody has to be Stage 3.
Oil majors will take whatever
they can legally charter rather
than let people's cars run out of
fuel. "Recently I had heard one
oil major who had conducted a
few audits saying that he has
rarely come across any company
which has crossed stage 1 in most
elements," said Capt R.
Janardhanan, QHSE manager,
Anglo Eastern Singapore.
"Charterers seeking a level 4
ship are likely to have to pay a
high premium for it," said KK
Kumar from NYK
Shipmanagement. "Only a small
proportion of the fleet will reach
level 4. To reach this is very
difficult and it will take a long
time. When you reach it charterers will be very happy to
charter your vessel."
KK Kumar's recommendation
was that companies should
certainly comply with level 1, and
then subsequently gradually build
themselves up the levels like
building blocks. "Aim for level 4
in the due course of time," he said.
However, the idea of TMSA
level 1 being equivalent with ISM
level is a myth, said Captain
Brown of consultants JCP
Marine, or if it is true, there are
plenty of vessels out there which
are not ISM compliant.
To provide an indication of the
general level of shipping
companies he has reviewed,
Brown talked about TMSA and
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
management audits that he has
carried out over the past two to
three years with various Asian
shipping companies, including
Thailand (two companies),
Indonesia (two), Japan (four),
Malaysia (two), Philippines
(two), South Korea (three) and
India (five).
K.K. Kumar
The companies each operated
between one and 25 vessels,
totalling 32 products tankers, 30
bulk carriers, 20 general cargo
ships, 34 chemical / oil tankers,
19 crude oil tankers, two offshore
support vessels, one deck cargo
ship and two passenger vessels.
While TMSA does not strictly
speaking provide any calculation
method for developing an exact
score, Brown tabulated the results
and levels of compliance. The
results overall indicated the
majority of operators (60%) failed
to fully comply with Stage 1: 40%
scored between 0 to 0.4, 20% 0.5
to 0.9 and 40% 1 to 1.4, he said.
The highest scoring elements
were chapter 2, recruitment
management of shore based
personnel (average 1.3), chapter
11, emergency preparedness and
contingency planning (1.0) and
chapter 5, navigation safety (0.9).
The lowest scoring elements were
chapters 7, management of
change, chapter 8 - incident
investigation and analysis,
chapter 9 safety management and
chapter 10, environment
management. The lowest four
scoring elements scored about
0.6, that is only 60% of Stage 1
elements were complied with.
Costings
Both ITM and Teekay said that
TMSA would have very little
additional costs in their
companies, since they were doing
most of it anyway.
"We've really had most of these
best practises in our system in the
past. It's not really costing the
owner much," said ITM's
Kauchhur. "The owners have not
seen any increase in their budgets.
You need to have your reporting
incorporated in your existing
systems. We always did have a
planned maintenance system."
"The only cost we would
emphasise is some amount of
training," said Janardhanan.
"Owners are well aware of it."
NYK, by contrast, is expecting
to spend around $20,000 per
vessel, which is mostly spent on
training, including onboard
training (CBT, videos and roving
trainers), plus shore training
(seminars, simulators, courses).
There is also some additional
manpower requirements, and
documentation.
The company also developed
its own training programs, and
has some incentive programmes
for staff based around risk
assessment and management.
Kumar said he did not think
shipmanagers would be able to
cover the costs of the necessary
investment out of their
management fees. "There's no
way a management fee can pay
for this. You have to find it
yourself, or from the owners.”
West said that Unicom was
planning to spend $40,000 per
vessel on TMSA. "We will
implement TMSA and take
standards of recruitment and
employment forward," he said.
Brown said he had noted that
shipowners do a lot better at
TMSA if the pressure to do it
comes from within the company,
not outside. "In particular it needs
management commitment from
the highest level," he said.
No-one is expecting the TMSA
document to stay static. "I'm sure
TMSA will be revised in the not
too distant future," said
Kauchhur.
"OCIMF does welcome
suggestions for improvements,"
said Brown. "You can submit
feedback to the appropriate
OCIMF committees."
It will be a while before the
industry knows exactly what the
reward will be for reaching the
upper levels, but the industry
should be thinking about it,
otherwise it is just another
compliance system, said
conference chairman Dimitris
Lyras.
A thorough check
TMSA does hold up a lot of hope
for being able to provide oil
majors (and indeed, ship
operators) with a more realistic
view of what happens onboard
ship than with the current ISM
plus inspection systems.
Brown said that he was not
entirely confident in TMSA, and
whether it was impossible for a
corrupt tanker operator to pull
the wool over a vetting
inspector's eyes.
"It depends on the operator," he
said. "Someone who was just lying
will continue to do so. "Are we
saying an irresponsible operator
will do the same with TMSA?" he
was asked. "I would suggest it is a
possibility," he replied.
Julian Brown. left, and John West.
MEET US AT SMM
Hall 10.EG.240
Need anchors and chains?
www.wortelboer.nl
September 2006
TANKEROperator
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
There was sceptism expressed
in the conference about whether
TMSA would actually lead to
reduced inspections. "They say TMSA will lead to reduced
inspections. How far it will be
true, we have to see," said
Janardhanan.
Tricky aspects
The trickiest aspects of TMSA,
most speakers agreed, were the
change management, risk
assessment and incident
reporting.
"We're finding management of
change one of the most difficult
elements - we're struggling to get
our heads around it," said West.
"Oil majors are still trying to get
their heads around it."
"Management of change is one
element which stands out from
the rest of TMSA," said BW
Shipping's Captain Vibhas Garg.
"You have to ensure changes
don't lead to unnecessary risks."
"Management of change is
difficult," said Janardhanan.
By 'change management', what
TMSA actually means to do, it
emerges, is kill off the attitude
prevalent in shipping companies,
'we didn't do that when I was at
sea'. People who take this attitude
are not very good at change
management.
ITM has implemented change
management procedures. For
example, if it is moving into a
new trade, it will take on people
with experience in that trade. "We
all need a common understanding
of the management of change,"
said Kauchhur.
"We believe management of
change will be the toughest one,"
echoed Kumar.
Implementation of risk
assessment should be done in a
structured way so as to have
consistency of application across
the fleet," said Kauchhur. "We are
working on how we are going to
make this happen effectively."
There were suggestions that
tanker companies should get
seafarers more involved in risk
assessment and root cause
analysis, rather than seeing it
as for something for the shore
office to do.
Equal across a fleet
For management purposes it is
probably easier to maintain all
Capt R Janardhanan
your fleet at the same level, rather
than have a 'star vessel' which gets
a higher score but run at a
standard you can't keep up with,
on your other ships, said Slesinger.
"We're operating mixed fleets TMSA applies across the whole
fleet - you can't have two
separate standards," said West.
"Best practice has got to be fleet
wide."
"If you look at our group - the
Singapore office manages tankers
and gas carriers. But the decision
at the top management is that it
has to be implemented across the
fleet," said Janardhanan, talking
about Anglo Eastern.
Seafarers
Kauchhur said that in his view,
the continuous improvement
would make it easier to attract
and improve management of
seafarers.
This view was echoed by John
West, who said. "I think TMSA is
blue-ic.com
;Å7H;ÅDEJ
...part of the
problem
www.tankermanager.com
INTERNATIONAL TANKER MANAGEMENT
- BEYOND COMPLIANCE -
28
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
a driving force in better personnel
management than has existed in
the past.
Garg said "I think that seafarers
would like to work for a quality
operator."
It is not clear at this stage how
much TMSA will help improve
manning levels on ships or
ensure that seafarers are taking
adequate rest.
It does encourage shipowners
to make a much greater check
that seafarers are making
adequate rest, and it does include
a large amount of work, which
will need extra people to do.
However, shipmanagers are
still being given vessels to look
after on the basis that they can
make things work at the
minimum manning levels.
Legal issues
Oil companies do not accept any
additional legal responsibility for
tanker operators, which have
implemented all of the best
practice guides.
Many sceptical tanker
operators see TMSA as a way for
oil companies to pass the liability
for accidents onto them, as in, 'we
chartered you because you said
you were doing certain things'.
If an oil major ever charters a
ship, which has a major accident,
the oil company is likely to be
more worried about its loss of
public image than any legal
action, and the general public is
unlikely to treat an oil company
nicely because of how it
chartered its ships.
However, most tanker
companies would like to be
judged on the diligence of their
operations after a tanker accident,
rather than the fact that the
accident happened, because they
acknowledge that even good
companies have accidents.
Due diligence means doing
everything reasonable to reduce
;Å7H;
Dimitris Lyras with Nicholas Iliopoulus
the risk of accidents, and doing
everything reasonable afterwards,
such as making sure it doesn't
happen again.
TMSA does provide an
excellent framework for due
diligence, and being able to
demonstrate to authorities that
you did due diligence.
"The management has to
provide proof that they have
investigated and can provide
preventative action," said Eagle
Shipmanagement's Mustaffa
Bakri.
Janardhanan echoed these views.
"It does not say anywhere [In
TMSA] that you are not supposed
to have an incident," he said. "The
point is, if you have an incident
blue-ic.com
...part of the
solution
Distinction. With over 100 cadets on its
training roster, ITM places two cadets
RQERDUGHDFKRILWVYHVVHOV,702IÀFHUV
not only meet the requirements set in
67&:· EXW DUH WUDLQHG OHDGHUV UHDG\
to assume full responsibility for the
operation and management of ships of
great value. We are actively providing
TXDOLÀHG PDQQLQJ«ZH DUH %(<21'
&203/,$1&(
www.tankermanager.com
INTERNATIONAL TANKER MANAGEMENT
- BEYOND COMPLIANCE -
September 2006
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
you have to follow up and show
due diligence. A manager has to
show that he used all his resources
to mitigate the situation."
Many defects?
Conference chairman Dimitris
Lyras raised the issue of how
honest shipping companies
should be about their defects,
bringing up a story mentioned at
TANKEROperator's Athens
conference last February about an
old vessel just brought into
management, where the company
had found 300 items it wanted to
fix (essentially a 300 defect list),
but none of the defects were
serious enough to warrant taking
the ship out of service.
"Would you have that list
available to an inspector - would
it put you in a good light or a
poor light?" he asked.
"I think that the simple answer
is that it is better to be frank and
honest rather than have third
parties finding out," said
Slesinger. "If I find something
you haven't detected I will
believe you are trying to hide it.
If you say these are known issues
and what we're doing about it - I
think that's a far better stance."
"If you tell oil companies you
have 300 item deficiency list,
they will say very good, give us
a call when it's fixed," said
Brown. "Don't be too surprised if
they ask to inspect your ship
again" he added.
"If you take a ship into
management with 300 defects the
price would have to be very
attractive - or you should look
into it on your risk assessment,"
said West.
Non believers
So far industry reaction to TMSA
have been divided up into
believers and non-believers / wait
and see attitude. The TMSA
disbelievers think that since they
are not forced to do TMSA, they
won't necessarily do anything.
They want to see how the dust
settles before making any move.
They have learnt to play the
shipping system, just doing the
30
minimum to pass the rules, and
know that any system which shines
a spotlight on tanker companies
which do a lot more than that will
not do them any favours.
The TMSA disbelievers think
this is just a way for oil
companies to pass liability onto
tanker operators, so, after an
accident, they can say, 'we
chartered you because you said
because a higher scoring vessel is
more likely to get a charter if the
customer has a choice.
Slesinger said that he did not
believe tanker companies should
set themselves a target to reach a
certain level, but instead should
use it as a framework to gradually
improve. "People say - we want a
3 - fundamentally this is wrong,"
he said.
He stressed the importance of
not losing the core data which
you use to develop indices about
how well things are going, in case
you need to change the
calculation method. Tanker
companies work out where they
stand on something like 12 key
performance indicators, using
several thousands of pieces of
base information, which has to be
processed.
Many shipping companies have
maintenance systems which are
very poor and not able to do the
things TMSA is asking for,
Slesinger said, particularly on the
reporting functions, where
shipping companies are asked
what the percentage of overdue
ship maintenance tasks are on
their fleet.
"Planned maintenance systems,
many set up in 1994-1995, were a
missed opportunity, just to tick a
box and say 'I've got it'", he said.
"People purchased the system and
realised the implementation cost. It
costs $5,000 for a system; it would
cost $5,000 to implement data."
sort of best practice.
"People want more
transparency," he said. "There's
no such thing as kicking the dust
under the carpet anymore."
However ITM believes the
document could be clearer in
certain aspects. "There are times
when we don't understand a few
things," he said.
ITM continually assesses how
well each vessel complies with the
different elements, and has already
done three or four TMSA reviews.
"Every time we change a few
of no to yes, and maybe a few yes
to no. We jump from yes to no
anytime if we find it not fully
implemented," he said.
"If we try to reach a stage very
fast we might drop a lot of things
between the tables, which we
don't want do to," he said.
There are 12 items out of all
TMSA elements 1-4 which the
company does not fully comply
with, he says, of which three are at
level 3, so currently the company
considers itself at level 2, he said.
"The biggest problem we feel
is implementation," he said. "We
feel that people at sea and ashore
should also be equipped with
management skills, not just
technical or operational skills".
The company is involving
many of its ship staff when
amending procedures.
"We get people soon to be
promoted to master / chief
engineer offshore for three
months, bring them into the
office, and get them involved. We
have ship staff coming in to assist
us in projects," he said.
“We teach them what a
superintendent does, what
operation people do. When they
get back on board they perform a
lot better.
"If we place a person in a
bigger position than his actual
responsibility, he will appreciate
this responsibility more," he said.
ITM’s answer
Kauchhur, marine manager /
marine safety quality and
security, ITM, said that his
company sees TMSA as a good
Anglo Eastern’s take
Anglo Eastern (AESM) is fully
supportive of TMSA and we are
committed to the success of the
implementation," said
The panel discuss the complexities within TMSA.
you could do x, y and z'.
The TMSA disbelievers are
cynical about industry initiatives
to date, such as ISM, ISPS and
ISO, seeing them as a bunch of
forms to be filled in, or hoops to
jump through, rather than having
any positive benefit to anyone
and they think TMSA is just
another one.
The TMSA disbelievers cite the
tanker industry's excellent
improvement in its accident
record over the past few years as
evidence that whatever is
happening in the tanker industry
to reduce risk is working, and no
further initiatives are necessary.
Biggest change areas
Slesinger said he thought the
biggest areas of TMSA were
"culture and change management,
not bare face compliance and
under duress."
"With continuous improvement
things will be continuously
changing," he said. "You need
an ability to accept change, not
say that's how I did it when I was
at sea."
People are also looking at
TMSA in the wrong way if they
see it as a marketing tool, he
said, although there are
commercial pressures involved
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SHIPMANAGEMENT
Janardhanan.
AESM has 700 shore staff and
operates over 190 vessels,
including 33 gas, chemical and
oil tankers out of Singapore.
It has had two TMSA reviews
from oil majors so far. "We did
fairly well," he says. "There was
no benchmarking and they did
not tell us where we are, they just
said, 'you're compliant'."
"TMSA is a tool for operators
to measure and report their own
management systems," he said.
"They can do critical self
evaluation."
Janardhanan cited a few
elements of TMSA, which may
need some extra looking into.
He said; "Element 3 - need a
competent crew capable of working
as an effective team. Element 10 efforts to improve safety and
protection of the environment.
Element 7 - management of change
- a coherent system to manage
temporary and permanent change you need to define level of activity
required for approval of change,
you need a risk assessment to
evaluate impact off any change. A
change management process is in
place throughout the office and
fleet to reduce operational risk.
When you have a new type coming
in to management- you have to do
a change management," he said.
People say when you change
the master there could be a
requirement of a management of
change," he said. "You need a
risk assessment to evaluate the
impact of any change, for
example, new people. It's a grey
area we are all looking into."
Element 8 - incident
investigation - you have to have
comprehensive procedures for
incident management - the 'no
blame' report. You have to get
into the root cause of the incident
and take measures so it never
occurs again."
Element 9 - identify each risk
or hazard that might lead to a
preventable accident. You have to
identify this hazard and try to
minimise operational risk," he
continued.
"Environment management.
September 2006
You have to have a plan for
systematic identification and
assessment of all sources of
pollution, and actions are being
implemented," Janardhanan said.
He also said that in his view,
some of the guidelines are not
defined precisely enough.
"For example, element 3B procedures to ensure working
hours are in line with STCW
guidelines and accurately recorded.
“A possible interpretation
would be: develop procedures to
ensure hours of rest hours are as
required by STCW, recorded by
ship staff, verified during ship
visits by the superintendent and
monitored by the office to
confirm compliance," he said.
“What if - for the first part, the
master just sends reports saying
'STCW hours compliant for
January 2006'? Don't we still
need to believe it?", he asked.
AESM has developed a pocket
risk assessment guide which is
given to all seafarers, with
instructions such as 'Is there a
risk of being struck by or against
an object? '.
"We have what is known as the
10 commandments - a pocket size
page - given to every seafarer. They
can stick their wife's photo on the
back. They are questions to ask to
see if he has to consult a supervisor
before doing a job," he says.
"If he answers any of the 10
questions positive (put slide in
magazine) he should consult a
TO
supervisor," he concluded.
MARINE EQUIPMENT
SMM 2006
Hall 12 EG, Stand 531
Deck Machinery
Compressors
Steering Gears
World-wide Service
TANKEROperator
Uetersener Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
[email protected]
www.hatlapa.de
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SHIPMANAGEMENT NEWS
RINA launches training systems certification
Italian-based
classification society
RINA has launched a set
of rules for the
certification of training
management systems
(TMS) and has already
certified the courses run
by V Ships.
These rules are designed for
shipowners who intend to certify
their own system dedicated to
the training and re-qualification
of shore and shipboard
personnel.
"This scheme was developed
by RINA to meet the growing
demand for certification from
shipping companies," said
Roberto Cazzulo, deputy director
of RINA's marine division.
"The TMS rules are aimed at
proving that the specific
personnel training and
qualification system chosen by
shipowners meets national and
international regulations. It can
certify for sea staff to STCW
convention standards and can be
extended to shore personnel. The
TMS should take into account the
training needs and characteristics
of the personnel employed,
guaranteeing high qualitative
standards and regular updating,"
Cazzulo explained.
V Ships is a major global
company in the management
sector and has realised the
importance of having a system,
which makes the criteria for the
training and qualification of its
personnel transparent and
verifiable. This solves an
apparent contradiction between
the need to have an entirely
customised internal training
system and the need to
demonstrate that the training of
the personnel meets high
international qualitative
standards.
Cazzulo said, "Certification of
the training and qualification
system of the personnel of V
Ships, applicable to all the
companies in the group, which
manage more than 900 ships
operating worldwide, from cargo
to passenger ships, was an
important opportunity for RINA
to calibrate its certification
system against the specific needs
of shipping companies."
RINA's TMS imposes neither
course content, nor type of
course. It simply provides
objective assessment criteria and
organisational suggestions,
envisaging continuous training.
This includes both theoretical
and practical aspects and a final
exam, conducted by the
shipowner, to assess the real
skills of the personnel and any
need for re-qualification and rule
updating.
This initiative for the
certification of TMS systems
was designed to fit alongside the
RINA Academy, set up to offer
training and updating courses on
topics with a high technical
content.
TO
InterManager launches
code guide
Teekay makes offer for
Petrojarl
A definitive and
implementation guide to
ISO9001:2000 for the
shipmanagement sector
was recently published
by InterManager, the
trade association for the
world's in-house and
third party
shipmanagers.
Appealing to owners, managers,
crew managers and consultants,
the Guidelines on the
Implementation of ISO9001:2000
for Ship and Crew Managers has
been fully cross-referenced with
the elements of the Tanker
Management and Self Assessment
(TMSA) best practice guide for
ship operators.
Containing a foreword by IMO
secretary general Efthimios
Mitropoulos, the guide draws on
more than 15 years experience in
tuning management systems put
together by InterManager's best
practices committee. It provides
a wealth of hints and tips to
securing ISO9001:2000
certification and advises on how
At the end of August,
Teekay announced that
it has acquired, through
its wholly owned
subsidiary TPO
Investments AS, over
40% of the shares of
Petrojarl ASA (Petrojarl),
which is listed on the
Oslo Stock Exchange
(OSE: PETRO) (see also
page 17).
Teekay said that it intends to
launch a mandatory bid for the
remaining shares of Petrojarl
within the next four weeks, under
the terms of the Norwegian
Securities Trading Act.
Petrojarl is a leading operator
of North Sea FPSOs. It owns and
operates four FPSOs in addition
to two shuttle tankers and one
storage tanker. In February of this
32
best to avoid the traps and
pitfalls. It provides an extensive
source of useful advice on full
scale initiation of a quality
management system in an
organisation.
With this guide, InterManager
said that it aimed to offer a source
of assistance both in managing
change and in self-assessment to
ensure customer expectations are
being met.
Details: ISBN - 0-9553326-0-5;
Publication - July 2006; Price £40.00; InterManager members £30.00; Fleet discount-POA
InterManager will be holding
its annual meeting on 13th
October in Limassol, Cyprus.
For further details contact
general secretary Stephen
Chapman at secretary@
intermanager.com or telephone
+44 (0) 1403 733070.
Meanwhile, another five new
members were welcomed into the
fold recently. These were Eastern
Mediterranean, Dobson, Seaspan,
Eagle Shipmanagement and Gulf
TO
Energy Maritime.
year, Teekay entered into a joint
venture with Petrojarl to pursue
FPSO projects.
"We are excited about the
opportunity to expand our
existing relationship with
Petrojarl," commented Bjorn
Moller, Teekay's president and
ceo. "Petrojarl's offshore
engineering expertise and
reputation as a quality operator of
FPSOs is a great fit with Teekay's
existing offshore operations and
will allow us to better serve our
customers in the growing
offshore oil exploration and
production market."
Petrojarl said that the board
will issue a statement regarding
the mandatory offer no later than
one week prior to the expiry of
the offer period, as stipulated
TO
under Norwegian law.
TANKEROperator magazine
The definitive magazine for today’s
tanker executive
See insert for subscription details
TANKEROperator
September 2006
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OPERATIONS REGULATIONS
Annex II and the new
IBC Code
I
t's been a long time coming,
but after more than 10-years
planning, the revised
Marpol Annex II and the
IBC Code (the International Code
for the Construction and
Equipment of Ships Carrying
Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk)
will enter into force in January
2007. But what will the new
regulations mean to operators of
chemical/product tankers?
Norwegian classification society
Det Norske Veritas (DNV) expects
the revision will have far reaching
consequences on the market for
chemical/parcel tankers because
most of the current Annex II
products that can be transported in
oil product tankers will need to be
carried by chemical tankers
holding a Chemical Carrier Code
Certificate of Fitness (CoF). They
will also have to comply with
more stringent tank stripping
requirements.
DNV's head of section, cargo
handling, piping systems and gas
carriers, Kåre Klokke anticipated
With entry into force just months away,
Patrik Wheater reports on how the new
regulations will impact upon the
chemical/parcel tanker segment
that "as the chemical tanker
domain increases, oil product
tankers will lose many of its
cargoes".
This is because the
amendments will introduce a new
cargo categorisation system to
align them with the Globally
Harmonised System for
classification and labelling of
chemicals. It will almost certainly
prove challenging to the sector as
a number of existing ships will
inevitably need conversion and/or
complicated retrofit work.
Kåre Klokke warned
shipowners to consider the
commercial effects of the new
code as many more
owners/operators will have
tankers verified for hazardous
chemicals while charterers may
want to utilise such tankers for
New operational
requirements from
January 2007
1. Old Certificate of Fitness
no longer valid.
2. Old Addenda no longer
valid.
3. Old Tri-partite agreements
no longer valid.
4. P & A manual outdated
for cargoes loaded after 1
Jan 2007.
5. No longer 'oil-like'
substances.
6. Revised Ship Type for a
large number of products.
7. Revised Pollution
Category for all products.
September 2006
8. Carriage prohibited
unless the product has
been (at least
provisionally)
categorised and assessed.
9. Pre-wash required for a
large number of
additional products:
For all Category X
For Category Y if
solidifying
For Category Y if high
viscosity ( > 50mPas)
(No pre-wash for
Category Z)
TANKEROperator
more cargoes than owners are
comfortable, or indeed competent
enough to handle.
In its current form the IBC
Code includes five categories but
from January 2007, following the
that products defined as 'floaters'
and 'persistent floaters', which
include vegetable oils, will be
assigned to Category Y, which will
mean they will have to be carried
in IMO Type II chemical carriers.
Shipowners beware: On the 1st
January 2007, when the new
Code enters into force, all current
CoF and NLS certificates will be
invalid. From this date, all ships
will need to hold on board an
For products carriers, read chemical tankers
revision of existing Marpol Annex
II products by the GESAMP
working group on the Evaluation
of the Hazards of Harmful
Substances, existing products will
be re-categorised into a new '3
plus 1' system: X, Y, Z + OS.
Essentially, most current
Category A products will become
Category X; most Category B and
C products, Category Y; and most
Category D and Appendix III
products will fall under Category
Z of the new rules. The fourth
new category, OS (other
substances), contains only eight
harmless products (apple juice,
clay slurry, coal slurry, dextrose
solution, glucose solution, kaoline
slurry, molasses, and water).
In a document being issued to its
customers to provide background
information and explanations to
the new rules, Intertanko explained
endorsed CoF or NLS certificate
issued under the revised
requirements, in addition to a
revised procedures and
arrangements manual.
So shipowners taking delivery
of newbuilds or conversions in
December 2006, for instance, will
have to certify their ships for the
carriage of noxious substances
under the old regime and then
again from 1st January 2007 with
a new P &A manual and a new
certificate for the new list of X, Y
& Z products.
The revised Annex also
includes a number of other
significant changes.
Improvements in efficient tank
stripping technology have made it
possible to lower permitted
discharge levels of certain
products and these have been
incorporated into Annex II. So for
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Hamworthy in pole position to benefit
from new Annex II
With more than a
quarter of a century as
one of the leading
suppliers of cargo
pumps to the global
tanker fleet, Hamworthy
Svanehøj could benefit
hugely from the new
Annex II and IBC Code
rulings, should
shipowners see the
commercial advantages
of converting existing
tonnage.
The Denmark-based company
has seen demand increase for its
electrically-driven cargo pumps
as an alternative to conventional
hydraulically-driven units. Sales
director Hans Høyer Jensen told
TANKEROperator that he can
ships constructed after the date of
entry into force, the maximum
permitted residue in the tank and
its associated piping left after
discharge will be set at a
maximum of 75 litres for
products in Categories X, Y & Z.
As previous limits set a
maximum of 100, 300 and 900
litres, depending on the product
category, it is likely that more
vessels will need to be retrofitted
with deepwell cargo pumps in
order to comply.
In addition, for ships with their
keel laid before January 2007,
underwater discharge
arrangements for tank washing
water is required for X & Y
products. Newbuilds will need to
have such arrangements for all
product categories meaning that
for all Chemical Code CoF ships
an underwater discharge outlet
becomes mandatory.
Under the revised arrangements
a pre-wash will be required after
all unloading of Category X
substances and after unloading of
Category Y substances that
solidify or have a high-viscosity.
DNV believes that the new
stripping performance
requirements will have a major
34
see a move to electric drive
systems and that the pump room
could become a thing of the past
for small product tankers.
Hamworthy Svanehøj, which
has already supplied systems for
a number of vessels that have
undergone conversion in time for
the entry into force of the revised
regulations, is pushing its CKL
and DL deepwell pump products
as retrofit solutions to the IMO
requirements.
The CKL range is based on
the company's established DL
pump technology and consists of
four major components: electric
motor, deck arrangement,
pipestack and pump head.
Designed for operation with
frequency converter or other
means of variable speed
regulation, the CKL pump is
claimed to be particularly suited
for handling different types of
cargoes within a wide range of
specific gravity and viscosity. It
also has an built-in stripping
facility that requires only a
supply of compressed air or inert
gas/nitrogen.
When the cargo tank is empty,
the stripping line valve is
opened, the main discharge valve
closed. Stripping down to half a
litre residue is possible with an
additional stripping system. Mr
Jensen said that the company
normally operates on a six to
eight month lead time for one-off
jobs, from design right through
to installation.
impact on those chemical tankers
currently certified for the carriage
of Category D substances such as
caustic soda. In effect, the
Norwegian society's Class
Notation: Tanker for Caustic Soda
"will become meaningless".
plating at centreline, not less than
the vertical extent of damage
specified in Ch. 2.5.1.2.3, (B/15
or 6 m whichever is less), and
nowhere less than 760 mm from
the shell plating. This
requirement does not apply to the
tanks for diluted slops arising
from tank washing.
Drydocking required
What's more, as the replacing of
the current product categories
with the new regime has an effect
on what products can be actually
be carried in the different IMO
ship types, it is likely that a
number of vessels will require
drydocking to reconfigure cargo
tanks. If owners haven't done so
already, converting a nonchemical tanker to chemical
tanker is in most cases a major
conversion and any conversion or
upgrading will need to be
completed, reported and resulting
certificates issued before January
2007.
For IMO Type 1 chemical
tankers, tanks are to be located
from the side shell plating, not
less than the transverse extent of
damage specified in IBC Code
Chapter 2.5.1.1.2, (B/5 or 11.5 m
whichever is less), and from the
moulded line of the bottom shell
Type II tanks
For Type II ships, tanks will be
located from the moulded line of
the bottom shell plating at
centreline, not less than 6 m and
nowhere less than 760 mm from
the shell plating. Again, the
requirement does not apply to the
tanks for diluted slops arising
from tank washing. For Type III
ships there are no such
requirements.
A modern double hull oil
tanker fitted with deepwell
pumps, a conversion to a
chemical tanker, though still a
major undertaking, would not be
as complex as the conversion of
an older single hull tanker with
pump room to double hull
chemical tanker.
But here the stripping
requirements may be difficult to
accomplish without installing
separate stripping lines. Other
upgrading requirements will
include:
Increase in the height of high
velocity tank vent outlets to 3
m above deck or gangway;
cargo pump room ventilation
to be increased.
Access to and through cargo
tanks, ballast tanks and
cofferdams.
Ballast systems for permanent
tanks are to be independent of
cargo systems.
Ship damage stability: IMO
Ship Type III and II ships will
be more stringent than for oil,
with a wider range of loading
conditions.
Alcohol resistant foam will be
required for deck fire fighting,
with increased application
rates and capacities.
All-welded cargo piping/
sliding-type expansion
elements will no longer be
acceptable.
Stop valves required inside
each cargo tank (except for
homogenous cargo).
Emergency showers and eye
washes.
Redundant tank venting also
for NF and High Flashpoint
products. The arrangement to
allow relevant vapour phase
separation between cargoes.
For shipowners like the UK's FT
Everard & Sons, who introduced
double hulls to its coastal tankers
in 1979, the IBC Code "won't
impact on us as much as it will
those operating in marginal
trades, or those operating older
tonnage," said managing director
William Everard, whose company
largely trades in the clean
petroleum products market.
Neither will it greatly affect
Crescent Marine Services, the
technical management arm of
Clipper Wonsild Tankers. Quality
manager Gordon Stuart said how
his company is "ahead of the
game" and has invested resources
into the relevant divisions to deal
with the changes in the
legislation. The four Bulgarianbuilt and six Turkish-built IMO
Ship Type II tankers that will join
TANKEROperator
September 2006
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Page 4
the Clipper fleet over the next
four years will all be built to
comply with the new rules.
With only chemical carriers in
its fleet, Odjfell too doesn't have
many concerns with the new
rules. Most of its ships have full
double hull, while all have double
bottom. "But one issue may be
the fleet capacity with double
skin (full double hull) for the
older ships," says Jan D Lorentz,
Odfjell's senior vice president,
quality management.
As such, Odfjell has chosen to
convert one ship series to full
double hull in order to meet the
revision of the Marpol Annex II
regulation, which requires
enhanced hull protection for a
number of bulk liquid cargoes.
"Among the products affected
we find, for instance, vegetable
oils that must be carried in
tankers with double hull,
corresponding to recent changes
in the requirements to carry
mineral oil products. Accordingly,
a number of tankers will become
commercially less suitable" says
Odfjell's Helge Olsen, senior vice
president, ship management.
Because Odfjell's KSEC class,
built in Korea between 1986 and
1988, has no protection of its
wing tanks, the Norwegian
shipowner would be facing a
reduction in the range of products
allowed to be carried in these
ships. However, as the vessels
otherwise have a technical
standard that should allow trading
for many years, Odfjell assessed
the feasibility of upgrading to
comply with the new rules.
Evaluation of the technical
feasibility and economics of
upgrading the five sister vessels Bow Puma, Bow Panther, Bow
Lion, Bow Leopard and Bow
Cheetah - began in August 2005.
The project involved a
multidisciplinary team, including
internal and external specialists,
as well as required participation
by the classification society DNV
to review and approve the design.
The initial engineering design
was approved in February this
year, and Chinese shipyard
Nantong won the order to carry
out the conversion work. The
upgrading of each vessel will
involve the removal of the existing
shell plating in way of the cargo
section and replacing it with
blocks of prefabricated steelwork
to create double skin ballast tanks
on each side. The width of the
new double sides will exceed
requirements to facilitate
operations and maintenance, and
the increased scantling will
enhance the vessels' strength.
Each vessel is expected to
spend around 50 days at the yard
for this combined upgrading and
general docking work. Within this
tight schedule, the yard will also
blast and repaint the vessels'
entire hull, including necessary
restoration of cargo tank coatings
that is affected by the conversion.
All in all, it is envisaged the
new ruling shouldn't greatly affect
the sector. The UK MCA, for
instance, believed that if there
were concerns, objections would
have been noted at IMO. But
"shipowners or the International
Chamber of Shipping haven't
approached us about any
problems," said the MCA's David
Macrae. However, he did say that
indications suggest that a number
of Ship Type 1 vessels will
convert to Ship Type II or III, but
it won't be known whether there is
an over- or under-supply of oil
tanker tonnage until it happens. TO
The application of THESIS Bow-Ties in marine safety
management*
In an industry which is
moving further towards
demonstrable and
accountable risk
management, the
THESIS Bow-Tie tool is
gaining greater
acceptance. The
methodology is proven
by track record in the
offshore, process and
security risk industries
and the tool
continuously adapted to
suite the need.
THESIS (The Health,
Environment, Safety Information
System) is a software tool that
can effectively demonstrate how
a facility's Safety Management
System can be implemented. It
assists companies/operators in the
analysis and management of the
hazards and risks to which their
business is exposed, and
graphically displays and
illustrates the relationship
between hazards, controls, risk
reduction measures and a
September 2006
business's HSSE activities.
Regulators and stakeholders
across the world are progressively
expecting more information to be
included in the documentation
used to demonstrate that an
operation/asset has an effective
safety management system. This
is becoming increasingly evident
in the marine industry in the form
of equivalent safety cases which
aim to confirm that:
all credible hazards have been
identified;
appropriate standards have
been set and met;
adequate safety features are in
place;
all significant assumptions
have been identified, verified
and validated;
all instructions, limits and
conditions required to
maintain operations within
specified margins for safety
have been met.
In addressing these aims, a
number of documents would be
traditionally generated. These
TANKEROperator
documents inherently become
increasingly complicated with the
onus on fulfilling the requirements
and the explanation of all the
interactions between these
documents becomes more difficult
to explain to the workforce,
regulator and stakeholders.
This can, however, be made
much easier with the help of an
interactive graphical
representation. This graphical
REQUIREMENTS
Safety Policy
Strategic Objectives & Targets
ELEMENTS
Policy & Strategic Objectives
Organisation, Responsibilities,
Resources, Standards & Docs.
Hazard & Effects Management
Process
Planning & Procedures
Implementation & Monitoring
Audit
Review
Organisational Structure &
Responsibilities
Management Representatives
Resources
Competence
Contractors
Communication
Identification of Hazards &
Effects
Risk Evaluation
Recording of Hazards & Effects
Objectives of Performance
Criteria
Asset Integrity
Procedures & Work Instructions
Management of Change
Contingency & Emergency
Planning
Monitoring
Records
Non-Compliance & Corrective
Action
Incident Reporting & Follow-Up
Internal Audit
Independent Audits
Management Review
Figure 1: Typical elements and requirements of a facility's risk
management system
35
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Page 5
OPERATIONS
Escalation
factors
Control of
escalation
factor
Control of
escalation
factor
Escalation
factors
Failure of p/v
arrangement
Threat
Regular maintenance. Pre-operational
inspections, certification and company
form E116, E490.
Hazard
Threat
that could
release
hazard
P/V breaker. Common IGS line
Escalation Factor
Recovery
preparedness
measures
Top event
Locking arrangements
Failure of repeater of
pressure indicator
Consequences
Barriers to
prevent
threat
Pressure indicator: Common IGS line,
CCR. Monitoring of repeater in bridge
Failure of locking
arrangements
H-01.S01
Hydrocarbons
Escalation Factor
Discharge at sea.
Pollution
Consequence
Maintenance of locking arrangements
Hull flooding. Potential for
loss of stability
Consequences
Loc.:
TE:
Failure or freezing of p/v
breaker
Escalation Factor
Sea
Loss of
containment cargo
tanks (Sea)
Consequence
Fire/explosion
Monthly inspection program (E116,
E480). Precautions during cold
weather.
Consequence
Consequences
Personnel injury/fatality
Consequence
Corrosion
Threat
Classification society surveys will
monitor wastage and remedial actions
taken if limits exceeded. Strength
analysis (CAP) as per current new
building criteria.
Coating protection on ballast and
cargo tanks, cathodic protection to
ballast tanks
Daily inspection and maintenance
program (E-116)
High and high-high level alarms
Pressure/vacuum relief valve
p/v breaker: Common IGS line
Thermal expansion of
cargo
Threat
Procedures to allow for cargo
expansion: tanks to be filled 98% of
their capacity.
Activities & tasks
= HSE-critical task
Figure 3: A partially expanded THESIS Tow Tie for a Loss of Cargo
Containment
Figure 2: A typical bow-tie display
representation has become to be
known as the THESIS bow-tie
methodology. By building in a
risk matrix, effectiveness ranking
and performance data for the
control measures then the bow tie
methodology also becomes a semiquantitative risk assessment tool.
THESIS Bow-Tie
Methodology
THESIS can be used to
demonstrate how effective a
marine facility's safety
management system is performing
and also to complete gap analyses.
A typical management system is a
quality management system for
managing risks within a company,
to assure the protection of the
company's people, assets,
reputation and for protection of
the environment the company
operates within. A typical safety
management system would
comprise of the elements shown in
Figure 1, previous page.
The bow tie can be used to
demonstrate how the pertinent
safety management system
element requirements are met
with respect to the control and
management of hazards and risks.
Bow-ties depict the relationship
between hazards, threats, barriers,
escalation factors, controls,
consequences, recovery
preparedness measures and
critical tasks (Figure 2, above).
This has been an area of fault or
weakness in many organisations using this method can help to
display all the interactions and
36
links that are often found to be
loosely related over a number of
various documents.
Essentially a bow-tie is a
combination of the traditionally
used fault and event trees,
whereby the fault tree constitutes
the left hand side of a bow-tie and
the event tree the right hand side.
What a bow-tie presents in
addition however, are the
'barriers' in place that prevent
'threats' from releasing a hazard
and 'recovery preparedness
measures' that reduce the severity
of the hazard consequences.
identified from the organisation at
the time of undertaking the work
and should remain, at the least, at
a supervisory level. The
procedures and standards
necessary to support that task are
captured at the same time.
The advantage of adopting the
THESIS approach is that it is an
extremely powerful representation
of the hazard analysis and risk
management processes that is
readily understood at all levels in
an organisation; bow-ties can be
used in the boardroom as well as
in a tool box talk.
Critical Tasks
Once the threats, consequences,
escalation factors and all controls
have been identified, supporting
tasks to ensure that the integrity
of each barrier, control and
recovery preparedness measure is
maintained need to be assigned.
These are termed Critical Tasks,
and are required to be performed,
undertaken or executed by
responsible and competent
persons. Such tasks could
include:
Design Tasks;
Inspection and Maintenance
Tasks;
Operational Tasks; and
Administrative Tasks.
Case Example
Figure 3 illustrates a
representation of one of the many
hazards that faces a cargo
containing vessel at sea.
The left hand side of the bowtie shows a number of possible
threats that could potentially
release hazardous cargo and thus
produce the top event. Some
engineered and procedural
barriers have been put in place
here to illustrate typical
protection measures that would
prevent the threat from releasing
the hazard. Escalation factors
have been expanded in Figure 3
to show the controls put in place
to manage the escalation factor.
The right hand side illustrates
the consequential outcomes of the
top event. Recovery measures
are not illustrated further.
It is possible within the 'case
file' to also:capture the integrity of
Assigning Personnel to
Critical Tasks
Once the critical tasks are defined,
personnel are assigned the
responsibility for the execution of
the tasks. Such persons are
barriers,
capture system shortfalls and
set remedial action plans
define the tasks and personnel
for managing barriers and
indeed assign them
set task frequencies
assign documentation and
standards
populate a risk matrix and
illustrate the risk profile
produce reports for use in
supporting documentation eg.
safety manual, audit, training,
appraisal etc.
THESIS Summary
THESIS is an application,
originally developed by Shell and
now jointly with ABS Consulting.
It has been developed based on the
Bow-Tie concept to visually
display how hazards are controlled
and how the risk associated with
them is reduced to As Low As
Reasonably Practical (ALARP). It
documents the provenance of
information and the reference
sources from which the
information is obtained, i.e. it is an
ideal audit tool.
It is an extremely flexible tool
and simple tool whose application
extends from safety, health and
environment risk into any aspect
of business exposed to hazards
and risks. It is frequently used to
build management systems from
concept as well as capture and
refine those that already exist.
* By James Phipps, principal
risk consultant, ABS Consulting
TO
Ltd (Warrington, UK)
TANKEROperator
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Page 1
TECHNOLOGY GAS DETECTION
A
Gas measurement
spelt out
pumproom contains
the largest
concentration of
cargo pipelines of
any space within the ship and
leakage of a volatile product from
any part of this system could lead
to the rapid generation of a
flammable or toxic atmosphere. It
may also contain a number of
potential ignition sources unless
formal, structured maintenance,
inspection and monitoring
procedures are strictly followed,
said the latest edition of ISGOTT.
The guide said that there were
two categories of hydrocarbon
vapour measurements on tankers
The new ISGOTT guide also gives
chapter and verse on gas measurement
on board ship. The following are
extracts from the text.
and terminals.
1) The measurement of
hydrocarbon gas in air at
concentrations below the
lower flammable limit (LFL).
This is to detect the presence of
flammable and potentially
explosive vapours and to detect
hydrocarbon vapour
concentrations that might be
harmful for shipboard personnel.
These readings are expressed as a
percentage of the LFL and are
usually recorded as % LFL. The
instruments used to measure this
percentage are catalytic filament
combustible gas (CFGC)
indicators, which are normally
called flammable gas monitors, or
explosimeters.
ISGOTT warned that a CFGC
indicator should not be used for
GAS MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS LTD
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measuring hydrocarbon gas in
inert atmospheres.
2) The hydrocarbon gas
measured as a percentage by
volume of the total
atmosphere being measured.
On board a tanker, this is usually
carried out to measure the
percentage of hydrocarbon
vapour in an oxygen deficient
(inerted) atmosphere. Instruments
used to measure these vapours in
an inert gas atmosphere are
specially developed for this
purpose. The readings obtained
are expressed as the percentage of
hydrocarbon vapour by volume
and re-recorded as % Vol.
PORTABLE
INSTRUMENTS
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SYSTEMS
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e-mail:
[email protected]
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Moder n Gas Detector s for Moder n Fleets
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
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Instrument types
The instruments used to measure
hydrocarbon vapours in inert gas
are the non-catalytic heated
filament gas indicators, usually
referred to as tankscopes and
refractive index meters. Modern
developments in gas detection
technology have resulted in the
introduction of electronic
instruments using infra-red
sensors that can perform the same
functions as a tankscope.
Explosimeters, or modern
flammable gas monitors, have a
poison resistant flammable
pellistor as the sensing element.
Pellistors rely on the presence of
oxygen (minimum 11% by
volume) to operate efficiently and
for this reason flammable gas
monitors should not be used for
measuring hydrocarbon gas in
inert atmospheres, warned
ISGOTT.
As for tankscopes, the
instrument's sensing element is
usually a non-catalytic hot
filament. The composition of the
surrounding gas determines the
rate of heat loss from the filament
and hence its temperature and
resistance.
The sensor filament forms one
arm of a Wheatstone Bridge. The
initial zeroing operation balances
the bridge and establishes the
correct voltage across the
filament, thus ensuring the correct
operating temperature. During
zeroing, the sensor filament is
purged with air, or inert gas that
is free from hydrocarbons. As in
the explosimeter, there is a
second identical filament in
38
“
The composition of the
surrounding gas determines the
rate of heat loss from the
filament and hence its
temperature and resistance.
another arm of the bridge, which
is kept permanently in contact
with air and which acts as a
compensator filament.
Hydrocarbon presence changes
the resistance of the sensor
filament and this is shown by a
deflection on the bridge meter.
The filament's heat loss rate is an
on-linear function of hydrocarbon
concentration and the meter scale
reflects this non-linearity. The
meter gives a direct reading of %
volume hydrocarbons.
Manufacturer’s advice
When using the instrument,
manufacturer's detailed
instructions should be followed,
ISGOTT advised. After the
instrument has been initially set
to zero with fresh air in contact
with the sensor filament, a sample
is drawn into the meter by means
of a rubber aspirator bulb.
The bulb should be operated
until the meter pointer comes to
rest on the scale, usually within
15-20 squeezes, then aspirating
should be stopped and the final
reading taken. It is important that
the reading should be taken with
no flow through the instrument
and with the gas at normal
atmospheric pressure.
”
The non-catalytic filament is
not affected by gas concentrations
in excess of its working scale.
The instrument reading goes off
the scale and remains in this
position as long as the filament is
exposed to the rich gas mixture,
ISGOTT warned.
Meanwhile, the refractive index
meter, or inferometer, is an
optical device that utilises the
difference between the refractive
indices of the gas sample and air.
In this type of instrument, a
beam of light is divided into two
and these are then recombined at
the eyepiece. The recombined
beams exhibit an interference
pattern that appears to the
observer as a number of dark
lines at the eyepiece.
One light path is via chambers
filled with air. The other path is
via chambers through which the
sample gas is pumped. Initially,
the latter chambers are filled with
air and the instrument is adjusted
so that one of the dark lines
coincides with the zero line on
the instrument scale. If a gas
mixture is then pumped into the
sample chambers, the dark lines
are displaced across the scale by
an amount proportional to the
change of refractive index.
The displacement is measured
by noting the new position on the
scale of the line that was used
initially to zero the instrument.
The scale may be calibrated in
concentration units, or it may be
an arbitrary scale whose readings
are converted to the required
units by a table or a graph. The
instrument's response is linear
and a one-point test with a
standard mixture at a known
concentration is sufficient for
checking purposes.
The instrument is normally
calibrated for a particular
hydrocarbon gas mixture. As long
as the use of the instrument is
restricted to the calibration gas
mixture, it provides accurate
measurements of gas
concentrations.
Measurement of the
hydrocarbon gas concentration in
an inerted atmosphere is affected
by the carbon dioxide present
when flue gas is used for inerting.
In this case, the use of soda lime
as an absorbent for carbon
dioxide is recommended,
provided the reading is corrected
appropriately.
The refractive index meter is
not affected by gas concentration
in excess of its scale range. The
instrument reading goes off the
scale and remains in this position
as long as the gas chambers are
filled with the gas mixture.
Finally, an infra-red sensor is a
transducer for the measurement
of the concentration of
hydrocarbons in the atmosphere,
by the absorption of infra-red
TO
radiation.
p37-46.qxd
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Page 3
Routine verification
of gas monitors will
save lives
T
he indictment charged
that the tank cleaning
operation was
supposed to involve
the flushing of the cargo tanks
with a small amount of sea water,
the pumping out of the resulting
sea water and cargo residue
mixture, the ventilation of the
tanks and, once the atmosphere in
the tanks was tested and found to
be within safe parameters for
manned entry, the entry of crew
members into the tanks to mop
out the remaining cargo residue.
In December 2004, Captain
Gilbert Thurston was found not
guilty of criminal negligence. A
full report of the Thurston case
can be read in Sidelights, the
journal of The Council of
American Master Mariners, pages
5 and 6, volume 34, number 1,
Spring 2005.
The SOLAS chapter II-2
regulations that apply to all
vessels built after 1st July 2002,
prescribe that action must be
taken to detect and measure
hydrocarbon gas concentrations
in the pump room on tankers. It
also refers to the need for
'suitable portable instruments for
measuring oxygen and flammable
vapour concentrations', without
defining the exact requirement.
Neither SOLAS nor the IMO,
however, makes reference to a
requirement for the detectors to
be validated or calibrated at
specific intervals; but lays
responsibility for this on the flag
states.
The International Association
of Classification Societies (IACS)
does not apply a unified policy
September 2006
z
In February 2002, the US Department of
Justice reported that the chief officer of the
SS Liberty had been indicted by a grand
jury for causing the death of a subordinate
crew member, writes Brian Warshaw.
relating to gas monitoring. DNV
is in the process of updating its
requirements on gas detectors;
but currently demands a
minimum yearly calibration, with
additional calibrations based on
the manufacturer's
recommendations, in order to
maintain the accuracy required.
Lloyds Register (LR) includes the
IMO's IBC and IGC Code
requirements within its
classification rules, which specify
that testing and calibration should
be carried out at regular intervals.
However, LR confirmed that
these operational matters were
ultimately the responsibility of
the flag administration. ABS has
a series of rules relating to
portable gas monitors, and its
Onboard Routine Maintenance
Check Sheet has questions asking
if oxygen and flammable gas
detectors have been calibrated.
The International Safety
Equipment Association (ISEA),
which was formed in 1933,
highlighted that inaccurate gas
monitoring equipment due to
improper or irregular calibration
can lead to serious accidents.
ISEA said that as the instruments
are designed to protect crew
members from unseen hazards
that may exist in enclosed or
confined areas of the tanker, it is
TANKEROperator
vital to worker safety that these
instruments are maintained and
calibrated properly.
Two forms of testing are
recommended by the ISEA. The
first, known as the 'bump' test, is
performed daily, or prior to each
usage, and in this the instrument
is subject to a known
concentration of gas. Exposing
the instrument to the test gas will
show whether the detector
responds accurately, and if the
alarms operate correctly.
The second test is a full
calibration to check the range of
the detector. This is undertaken
at specific intervals, typically sixmonthly or annually, in
accordance with the specifying
authorities, and also after the
instrument has been repaired.
Many gas monitor
manufacturers will also supply
test gases. Gas Measurement
Instruments (GMI), sells
calibration gas through its
network of distributors and repair
centres, that are located on the
major shipping routes. The
cylinders are disposable
pressurised cans, approximately
the size of a two-litre soft drinks
bottle, and each contains 103
litres of gas. Cans are supplied in
a single concentration, typically
50%, so for hydrogen sulphide,
which is measured over a range 0
to 100 ppm, the test gas is 50
ppm. For hydrocarbons being
detected in the range 0-100% of
the lower explosive limit (LEL),
GMI offers methane, butane,
pentane and other gas at 50%
concentration.
The 'bump' test requires the
instrument reading to be
compared with the actual quantity
of gas present as indicated on the
test gas cylinder. The ISEA
guidance document states that, 'if
the instrument's response is
within an acceptable tolerance
range of the actual concentration,
then its calibration is verified.
Instruments should be 'zeroed'
before the 'bump' test in order to
give a more accurate picture of
the results. When performing a
'bump' test, the test gas
concentration should be high
enough to trigger the instrument.'
It recommends that the
manufacturer of the detection
instrument be consulted as to an
acceptable tolerance range.
If the 'bump' test indicates that
the instrument is not within the
acceptable range, a full
calibration must be performed.
For this, the instrument's reading
is adjusted to coincide with a
known concentration of
calibration gas. The calibration
gas should be certified by, and
traceable to, an accredited
international standards authority,
and only used if it is within the
expiry date shown on the
certificate.
Both the full calibration and
'bump' test should be conducted,
according to the Safety and
39
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11:45
Page 4
Health Information Bulletin
Verification of Calibration for
Direct-Reading Portable Gas
Monitors, in a clean fresh air
environment. The guide is
published by the US Department
of Labor and can be downloaded
from www.osha.gov/dts/shib/
shib050404.html; it is based on
ISEA recommendations.
GMI was the first company to
provide an easy, secure method to
calibrate gas detection equipment
on board vessels. Its Calibration
Station System was introduced in
1998, enabling the designated
crew member to insert the
instruments into the station and
through a series of automatic
instrument checks, zero the unit,
test for leaks, and re-calibrate it
over the range. The calibration of
the gas monitor is completed
within a couple of minutes. A log
of the results is produced and
retained on the computer, which
allows a new calibration
certificate to be printed or viewed
at the time of inspection. The
calibration station is provided
with a fully interactive CD-ROM
that demonstrates the operation
and through various modules,
achieve more
Save time and money on cargo handling
The BM 70M Precision cargo level radar offers unique features making life easier
for tanker operators
Closed cleaning An integrated cleaning facility allows to clean the antenna
without opening tank. Cleaning may be performed fully loaded.
Stand alone radar The unit makes all level calculations locally, and transmits
a corrected level to the cargo system for monitoring. Hence, a computer problem
will not stop cargo operations, as cargo level is always displayed on the integrated
display on the unit.
Visit our radar stand No. 326
for more information.
Visit us in Hall 2 / Booth 104
in the Norwegian Pavillion
40
www.krohne-skarpenord.com
tests the crew on their
competency and understanding of
the system.
Until a few years ago, GMI
exclusively promoted this system,
which, when operated correctly,
is a simple apparatus for
satisfying on board inspection
procedures at ports throughout
the world. Turnover in crew
members, however, and the need
to update software, meant that
some shipowners and operators
encountered difficulty in retaining
the competency of the testers, and
consequently checks could be
compromised. As a result, GMI
developed a more basic software
program that guides the crew
member through the procedure,
while maintaining the efficacy of
the calibration tests, record
keeping and production of the
calibration certificate.
Both automated and manual
systems are currently available
from GMI, and each meets the
requirements of coastguard and
other regulatory authorities in
providing verification for
operation and routine
recertification.
Ultimately, it is the tanker's
captain or the responsible officer
who accepts the blame for an
undetected faulty gas monitor.
With the surfeit of good advice
available from the manufacturer
and the ISEA, among others,
there is no need for them to face
the problems that beset Captain
Thurston or the unfortunate
pumpman who died.
In truth, however, the case
against Captain Thurston was not
that of allowing the use of an
inaccurate gas detector; but that of
allowing the crew member to enter
the enclosed space without
causing the tank to be tested for
gas before doing so. Nevertheless,
it demonstrates the inherent risk
from gas or oxygen depletion in
many areas of a tanker, and
without the routine of regularly
verifying the accuracy of gas
detection equipment before each
day's use, the lives of the crew and
the vessel itself, will be put in
TO
jeopardy in a needless way.
p37-46.qxd
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Page 5
TECHNOLOGY TANK CLEANING
More reliable machine
enters the market
T
he latest addition to
Alfa Laval's line of
Gunclean Toftejorg
products launched
earlier this year is the Gunclean
Toftejorg i65 S, a single-nozzle
tank cleaning machine. This new
machine incorporates low-wear
materials and advances in
mechanical design, such as a
hysterisis clutch that the company
claims resolves the operating
issues associated with magnetic
clutches.
Explaining the difference, Alfa
Laval said that in most modern
tank cleaning machines, a
magnetic clutch is used to engage
the gear transmission. This
involves two strong magnets, one
on the turbine side and another
One of the world's leading tank cleaning
experts is Alfa Laval. This Swedish-based
company is home to the original Gunclean
and Toftejorg tank cleaning technologies,
which together represent over 50 years of
tank cleaning experience.
opposing it on the gear side.
These two magnets have to be
synchronised before the machine
can operate. However, they can
slip and remain disconnected in
the event of water hammering, or
sudden surges in pressure. If this
happens, the machine does not
rotate and the cleaning cycle
stops.
The hysterisis clutch in the new
machine is claimed to be a far
more reliable solution.
Comprising of a hysterisis plate
on one side and six super
magnets on the other, it creates an
even magnetic field that does not
require synchronisation.
This more stable construction
lets the hysterisis clutch act as a
soft starter. Even when water
hammering or pressure surges
Enraf
occur - as is common at the start
of a cleaning cycle - the clutch
engages the gear transmission. As
a result, the Gunclean Toftejorg
i65 S operates reliably and avoids
any false starts, Alfa Laval said.
In addition to increasing
operational efficiency, the
hysterisis clutch allows design
changes to be made to protect the
tank cleaning machines against
leakage and cross-contamination.
This is made possible as the
speed adjustment mechanism is
built into the clutch itself.
When a standard magnetic
clutch is used, the speed of the
machine must be adjusted on the
turbine side. Access is created by
a speed adjustment shaft, which
adds a deck penetration. This
Tanksystem
0ORTABLEæCLOSEDGASæTIGHT
%LECTRONICæGAUGE
æ.OæCALIBRATIONæREQUIRED
æ4EMPERATUREæACCURACY ¢æª#
æ#ONTINUOUSæTEMPERATUREæREADING
æ4APEæACCURACY ¢ææMMæææM
æ7EIGHTæWITHææMæTAPEææKG
ææYEARSæGUARANTEE
(%2-ETICæ
54)METERæ'TEX
)NTRINSICALLYæSAFEæEQUIPMENT
Enraf
&ORæSAFETYæANDæPRECISION
&ORæMOREæINFORMATION
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
WWWTANKSYSTEMCOM
41
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11:46
Page 6
GT i65 S is a single nozzle
machine.
second penetration is a potential
source of seal failure, which
increases the risk of gas leakage
and the contamination of
sensitive cargo.
By using a hysterisis clutch,
the need for an additional shaft
is eliminated. Rather than being
adjusted on the turbine side, the
speed of the new machine is
easily changed topside by
adjusting the relationship
between the magnets and the
hysterisis plate.
Long-lasting
components
Although Alfa Laval said that
the hysterisis clutch is the star
feature of the Gunclean
Toftejorg i65 S, other
improvements have also been
42
made. Using advanced design
and new materials, Alfa Laval
has optimised individual
components to increase the
machine's working lifetime.
One example is the turbine,
which is turned by the flow of
cleaning media to drive the
movement of the cleaning head.
Alfa Laval has performed
extensive studies to fine-tune the
turbine design, which has
resulted in better power
transmission and a reduction of
long-term wear.
In addition, certain
components have been made
from high-tech ceramics, rather
than teflon or steel. By using
ceramic balls and plates instead
of traditional ball bearings, Alfa
Laval has cut back on gear
system friction and the resulting
consumption of spare parts.
Even when an advanced tank
cleaning machine like the
Gunclean Toftejorg i65 S is used,
the final cleaning result will only
be as good as the weakest link in
the tank cleaning system. For this
reason, Alfa Laval recommended
designing the installation properly
from the beginning, taking into
account everything from the
boiler to the tank walls.
G-Pass, Alfa Laval's unique
software used in preparing
shadow diagrams, is central to
this design optimisation. G-Pass
allows Alfa Laval to evaluate the
proposed cleaning solution,
creating a three-dimensional
image of the tank and its
corrugations, stringer platforms
and other internal obstructions.
This image can be viewed from
any angle, revealing any
'shadows' that are not directly hit
by the cleaning jets.
Because G-Pass accounts for
the tank's design and the position,
quantity, jet length and jet hit
angle of the cleaning machines, it
also provides a thorough
assessment of the tank cleaning
performance, Alfa Laval said.
Somewhat surprisingly, only
DNV and ClassNK determine the
effective jet length when
cleaning, otherwise the
manufacturers dictate this
important feature.
Alfa Laval pointed out that a
tanker of the size of a VLCC
contains many internal structures.
If the tank cleaning operations
fail on such a ship then it will be
unable to sail as it will not be in a
fit condition to load its next cargo
and will no doubt fail the cargo
tank inspection.
The new machines were tested
by three tanker owners, one of
which had already agreed to
replace the existing tank cleaning
machines on 16,500 dwt chemical
tankers. The use of cold and hot
water as a cleaning agent purely
depends on the cargo, Alfa Laval
said. In the case of fatty acids and
palm oil, hot water needs to be
used. Some owners have even
developed their own chemicals
for tank cleaning.
Expounding the benefits of the
Alfa Laval system, the company
said that some tanker owners and
operators still use scaffolding
inside the tank, a process which
can take days to complete.
Alfa Laval saw its prime sales
pitch as aimed at the
newbuilding market, but said
that more and more retrofits
were being handled. Last year,
Alfa Laval started to
manufacture tank cleaning
machines at its Jiang Yin factory
in China. In just over a year, the
company has produced more
than 1,000 machines at its
Chinese facility.
Its Chinese factory is being
expanded by an additional 2,250
sq m of floor space to cater for
the assembly of the S-separator.
The Chinese facility also
produces 85,000 small and large
heat exchangers annually in
addition to the tank cleaning
machines.
The company said that this
forms part of its strategy to
streamline its global supply chain.
For example, all the S-separators
manufactured in China will be for
the Asian market, while other
separators are built in Monza,
Italy for delivery to European
shipyards and yards in other parts
of the world.
Complementing Alfa Laval's
product line is the new Pseparator launched this year and
designed for cleaning lube oils
and marine diesel oils. This piece
of equipment is manufactured in
India and Poland.
TO
A hysterisis clutch - a more reliable system
p37-46.qxd
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Page 7
A more technologically advanced tug was needed in
North Puget Sound. Check out Crowley’s Response.
“Our Markey tow winch was built just for the Response.
In full power mode, it can still winch in a line against a
250-ton resistance. There’s nothing else out there like it.”
~ Ron Rubright • Chief Engineer of the Response
To meet the challenges of oil tanker escort and assist work
in the rough waters of North Puget Sound, Crowley created
a tug like no other. We took the basic technology of our
Harbor Class tugs and modified it to create a vessel specially designed for the task at hand: the Response. Its two
powerful CAT engines, together with enormous 5-blade Voith
Schneider propulsion units, generate up to 155 tons of
indirect force at 12 knots. Its huge skeg is forward and the
cycloidal units are in back, focusing its immense power
where it’s needed most. And its 10" amsteel blue tow line is
rated at one million pounds, which is strong enough to keep
even the biggest tankers in place. The bottom line? The
Response performs the fastest, most efficient assists and
escorts on North Puget Sound.
There’s one more necessary element: an exceptional crew.
Take Ron Rubright. The Response’s chief engineer joined
Crowley 26 years ago, so it’s safe to say he knows his way
around a Crowley tug. Rubright also participates in extensive training courses on CAT engine technology. Plus, he
and the rest of the crew take part in rigorous on-board and
shoreside training sessions and safety drills.
Need more information about our services in the
harbors of Los Angeles/Long Beach, San Diego, Oakland,
Tacoma, Seattle, North Puget Sound and Prince William
Sound/Valdez, Alaska? Call Crowley Ship Assist & Escort
at 800-248-8632. Or visit www.crowley.com.
Liner Shipping • Worldwide Logistics • Petroleum & Chemical Transportation • Alaska Fuel Sales & Distribution • Energy Support •
Project Management • Ship Assist & Escort • Ship Management • Ocean Towing & Transportation • Salvage & Emergency Response
© Crowley Maritime Corporation, 2006
CROWLEY is a registered trademark of Crowley Maritime Corporation
www.crowley.com
p37-46.qxd
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Page 8
Vecom returns to the
table
A
t the end of last year,
an opportunity
presented itself,
which enabled
Vecom to re-enter the shipping
business. One of the main areas
that the company has re-engaged
with is cleaning agents in the
form of chemicals.
This opportunity came in the
form of a co-operation agreement
with Greek ship supply concern
Unimarine. Unimarine had
expanded to about as far as it
could without incurring huge
debts and was in need of a cash
injection.
Vecom decided to enter into
what it called a strategic alliance
with the Greek concern, thus
Vecom Marine re-emerged. A key
element in this project was the
fact that a clause in the Drew sale
contract, which forbade Vecom
from re-entering the shipping
business for 10 years, had
expired.
Basically, the marriage came
about as Vecom had the financial
clout while Unimarine had the
contacts in the marine business.
Vecom also had a large agency
and representative network,
which Unimarine could plug into.
During the third quarter of this
year, the marine division's name
will be officially changed to
Vecom Marine Alliance and
several of the products will be
rebranded.
The range of products
currently being marketed under
the new regime is very similar to
those on offer before the sale of
the business. That is the delivery
of chemicals and equipment for
cleaning and maintenance, gas
and cooling, welding and cutting
and fire fighting, plus the supply
of gas bottles. These can be
offered as a complete package,
44
Since selling the marine division to Drew
Ashland about 11 years ago, Vecom has
concentrated its efforts on the land-based
industrial sector. However, the situation
has come full circle.
or piecemeal.
Since the sell-off 11 years ago,
regulations had changed, there
were new products and more
would be developed down the
line, Vecom said.
Vecom’s Rein Breeman
Vecom Marine is now
supplying the following products
and services: Cleaning and maintenance
chemicals.
Gases and refrigerants.
Electrodes and welding
equipment.
Fire fighting and safety
equipment.
Unimarine manufactures the
chemicals and equipment on site
in Greece, while Vecom's
headquarters at Maassluis, near
Rotterdam, manufactures
equipment and chemicals of 25
litres and over, leaving smaller
packages to its Greek partner.
Vecom managing director Rein
Breeman described the operation
as a 'mid-size'. He told
TankerOperator that there was
nobody positioned in the middle,
behind Unitor and Nalfleet and
there was a market for another
player. He explained that there
were several other smaller players
in local chemicals supply
markets, many of which were
spin-offs from Vecom. He
thought they were not big enough
to offer an alternative service to
the alliance and that they fell
down on quality issues, despite
offering a very cheap price.
He also said he was looking to
further strengthen the agency
network and would welcome
other partners who wished to
join the strategic alliance.
Vecom also has a manufacturing
plant in the US and is looking to
set up in China, either by buying
a local company or starting from
scratch. Breeman explained that
the main markets served from
Maassluis are Holland,
Germany, the UK, Belgium
(Antwerp) and Greece.
Breeman also promised not to
make the same mistakes as in the
past and said that the alliance
wouldn't grow too fast as; "…you
cannot pre-finance chemicals for
a year." He said the staff was
increasing again, but everything
would be done "step by step".
However, the long term goal was
to build up a network of
worldwide partners. An example
of staff increases was marketing
manager Bart Jongenotter, who
had only been with the company
for six weeks at the time of
TANKEROperator's visit to
Maassluis earlier this year.
To keep overheads to a
minimum, in the future the sales
and distribution functions would
be co-ordinated for the members
of the alliance. Breeman also said
that the added value function,
such as after sales, was another
very important aspect for the
future of the alliance as the
technical knowhow on board was
reducing with the result that an
owner had to rely on more and
more networks.
Unimarine’s Jason Georgiou
Breeman has taken on the role
of director of both companies Vecom Marine and the Vecom
Group. Unimarine founder Jason
Georgiou continues as co-director
TO
of Vecom Marine.
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Page 9
Tank cleaning do’s and don’ts
When considering tank
cleaning, a tanker owner,
operator or manager
should take advice given
in the recently launched
fifth edition of ISGOTT
(see page 4), the tanker
industry's bible on ship
and terminal operations.
The following are
extracts from the
ISGOTT
recommendations on
tank cleaning.
All tank washing operations
should be carefully planned and
documented. Potential hazards
should be systematically
identified, risk assessed and the
appropriate preventive measures
put in place to reduce any risk to
'as low as reasonably practicable
(ALARP)'.
As has been seen even recently,
the main risk is fire or explosion
arising from simultaneous
presence of a flammable
atmosphere and a source of
ignition. Therefore, the focus
should be to eliminate one of
more of the hazards, namely the
sides of the fire triangle of
air/oxygen, ignition source and
fuel (flammable vapours),
ISGOTT said.
Providing the lowest risk is tank
washing in an inert atmosphere.
The tank must meet the SOLAS
requirements for inerting of the
cargo tanks and reducing the
atmosphere's oxygen content in
each tank to a level whereby
combustion cannot be supported.
Failure to prove by direct
measurement that the tank is
inerted means, by default, that the
tank must be considered to be in a
non-inert condition, the guide said.
The guide recommends
procedures to adopt to control the
fuel in the tank atmosphere both
before and during washing.
Before washing
The tank bottom should be
flushed with water, so that all
the parts are covered and then
stripped. It should be
undertaken using the main
cargo pumps and lines.
Alternatively, permanent
pipework extending the full
depth of tank should be used.
The flush should not be
undertaken using the tank
washing machines.
The piping system, including
cargo pumps, crossovers and
discharge lines, should be
flushed with water. This
should be drained to the tank
designed or designated to
receive slops.
The tank should be ventilated
to reduce the gas
concentration of the
atmosphere to 10% or less of
the lower flammable limit
(LFL). Gas tests must be
made a various levels and due
consideration should be given
to the possible existence of
pockets of flammable gas, in
particular in the vicinity of
potential sources of ignition,
such as mechanical
equipment, which might
generate hot spots.
Tank washing may only
commence once the tank
atmosphere reaches 10% or
less of the LFL.
During washing
Atmosphere testing should be
frequent and taken at various
levels inside the tank during
washing to monitor the change
in LFL percentage.
Consideration should be given
to the possible effect of water
on the efficiency of the gas
measuring equipment and
therefore to suspension of
washing to take readings.
Whenever possible,
mechanical ventilation should
be continued during washing
and to provide a free flow of
air from one end of the tank to
another.
Mechanical ventilation
concurrent with tank washing
is recommended, but where
this is not possible, the
monitoring of the tank's
atmosphere should be more
frequent as the likelihood of
rapid gas build up is increased.
The tank atmosphere should
be maintained at a level not
exceeding 35% LFL. Should
the gas level reach 35% LFL
at any measured location in
the tank, washing operations
must immediately cease.
Washing can be resumed when
continued ventilation has
reduced and is able to
maintain gas concentration at
10%, or less of LFL.
If the tank has a venting
system that is common to
other tanks, this tank must be
isolated to prevent ingress of
gas from other tanks.
ISGOTT also gave
recommendations as to how to
control the ignition sources
within a tank. Different washing
methods give rise to differing
risks and ISGOTT recommended
several precautions for tank
washing in non-inert conditions.
For example, re-circulated water
must not be used, while heated
wash water can be used, but it
should stop if the gas
concentration reaches 35% of the
LFL. A hot wash for a low
flashpoint product should only be
undertaken following a full top to
bottom cold wash cycle.
Following this, the guide gave
certain precautions to look out for
while tank washing, including the
use of portable tank washing
machines and hoses, portable
hoses for use with both fixed and
portable tank washing machines,
tank cleaning hose testing, the act
of tank cleaning simultaneously
with cargo handling, the
avoidance of water free fall,
water spraying, the exclusion of
oil cargo from the engine room,
plus a listing of special tank
cleaning procedures.
Also covered were vessels
regularly carrying leaded gasoline
and the removal of sludge, scale
and sediment and the cleaning of
contaminated ballast spaces.
Other chapters related to tank
cleaning included gas freeing and
TO
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September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
45
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DNV modifies notation
Leading class society
Det Norske Veritas (DNV)
has modified its 10-year
old voluntary Effective
Tank Cleaning (ETC)
notation. A new version
was published in July.
Head of section Kare Klokk
explained that the notation had
been revised at the request of
shipowners, especially those who
wished to change between
carrying white oils and black oils.
This required improved surface
requirements for carrying different
cargoes and also created a need for
more control over tank cleaning
machine standards to DNV-
certified performance levels.
“This,” explained Klokk, "was
mainly a commercial issue before
a vessel loads the next cargo,
rather than a safety issue." He said
that the IMO COW system was
not now good enough for chemical
and products tankers. For
chemical tankers and compliance
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46
with MARPOL Annex II, there
were requirements for pre-wash
and stripping performance that are
to be modified from the beginning
of 2007.
The tank cleaning challenges
facing the tanker industry was
finding the right level of skill in
machine operators on board ship.
The operation tends to be time
consuming and invariably there is
a lack of hot water available to
carry out the process properly.
Also the machines themselves lack
the capacity needed and sometimes
not enough of them are fitted on
board ship, Klokk said. He also
thought that there were too many
shadows in a cargo tank to enable
the tank to be cleansed effectively.
Another problem that crops up
from time to time is that sometimes
the coatings’ material in the piping
systems is not found to be
compatible with the cargo.
Fixed machines
More modern tonnage tends to
have fixed machines, while older
tankers still used portable
washing machines.
DNV's ETC requires: Cargo tanks to be stainless
steel or coated, in general without
internal structures, such as
corrugated bulkheads.
Cargo piping and heating coils
to be of stainless steel or
equivalent materials.
Cargo tanks to be served by
individual in-tank cargo pumps
and have suction wells placed to
ensure optimum drainage results.
Cargo tank washing with hot
water with a minimum
temperature of 85 deg C with a
capacity to at least wash the
largest cargo tank.
As for the tank cleaning machines
the revised notation says:Permanently installed tank washing
machines machines must give a
minimum coverage of 96% based on
DNV Certified Jet Length at normal
operating pressure and a minimum
10 deg jet angle hit. Shadows caused
by the pumps stacks are to be
TO
included in the shadow area.
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Page 1
TECHNOLOGY SHIP-TO-SHORE INTERFACE
T
Mooring safely
hese included the
assessment of limiting
environmental criteria
for safe operations
and issues associated with the
provision of a safe means of
access between the ship and
shore.
Operations requiring special
procedures are described,
including the double banking of
ships and loading and
discharging of cargo utilising
tidal increases in depth of water,
called 'over the tide'. The guide
also included a brief explanation
of the phenomenon of pressure
surge in pipelines and discussed
the manner in which it may be
controlled.
As well as a host of other
recommendations, ISGOTT provided
information on a range of terminal
operational procedures and activities
that influence the safe receipt and
handling of ships.
As for pre-arrival
communications, terminals
should provide ships visiting their
berths with information on all
pertinent local regulations and
terminal safety requirements.
Mooring equipment should be
appropriate for the sizes of ship
using the berths. The equipment
provided should allow the ship's
mooring arrangement to hold the
sized for the ships visiting the
berth. The Safe Working Load
(SWL) of each mooring point or
lead should be known to the berth
personnel or marked on each
mooring point.
Where shore mooring lines are
provided, the terminal should
have test certificates for the lines
and the berth operating personnel
should be aware of their SWL.
Mooring equipment should be appropriate for the size of ship using the berth - ISGOTT.
The section on pipeline flow
rates provided guidance on
precautions necessary to control
static electricity generation in
receiving tanks on board or
ashore.
September 2006
ship securely alongside the berth
in the weather and tidal
conditions expected at the berth.
The terminal should provide
mooring bollards, mooring bitts
or mooring hooks positioned and
TANKEROperator
For each berth, terminals
should establish weather
operating limits defining the
thresholds for stopping cargo
transfer, disconnecting cargo (and
bunker) hose connections and
removing the ship from the berth,
taking into account the SWL of
the mooring system components
and, if appropriate, the operating
envelopes of the loading arms.
Operating limits will normally
be based on ambient
environmental conditions, such
as: wind speed and directions,
wave height and speed, speed and
direction of the current and swell
conditions that may affect
operations at the berth, electrical
storms, environmental
phenomena, for example river
bores of ice movement, and
extremes of temperature that
might affect loading and
unloading.
These environmental limits
should define the thresholds for:
manoeuvring during arrival and
berthing, stopping loading and
discharging, disconnecting cargo
hoses and hard arms, summoning
tug assistance, removing the ship
from the berth, and manoeuvring
during unberthing and departure.
Information on environmental
limits should be passed to the
ship at the pre-cargo transfer
conference and, where
applicable, be formally recorded
in the ship/shore safety checklist. Routine local weather
forecasts received by the
terminal should be passed to the
ship, and vice versa.
Wind critical
The terminal should, if possible,
have its own locally installed
anemometer for measuring wind
speeds. Alternatively, other means
may be used, for example wind
reports from a reliable local
source, such as a nearby airport
or a ship.
Equipment for the
measurement of other
environmental factors should be
considered, as appropriate.
Means of access between ship
and shore are addressed by
national regulations, usually by
47
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TECHNOLOGY SHIP-TO-SHORE INTERFACE
the port state or by the ship's flag
state. Any means of access must
meet these regulated standards
and should be correctly rigged by
the ship or by the terminal, as
appropriate.
Personnel should use only the
designated means of access
between the ship and shore.
Responsibility for the provision
of safe ship/shore access is jointly
shared between the ship and the
terminal.
At locations that commonly
handle ships, including barges,
that are unable to provide a
gangway due to the physical
limitations of the berth or the
nature of the ship's trade, the
terminal should provide a shore
based gangway or alternative
arrangements to ensure safe
ship/shore access. In any case, the
preferred means for access
between ship and shore is a
gangway provided by the
terminal.
When terminal access facilities
are not available and a tanker's
gangway is used, the berth must
have sufficient landing area to
provide the gangway with an
adequate clear run in order to
maintain safe, convenient access
to the tanker at all states of tide
and changes in freeboard.
Irrespective of whether it is
provided by the terminal or the
ship, the gangway should be
subject to inspection as part of
the ship/shore safety checks that
are carried out at regular intervals
throughout the vessel's stay at the
berth.
Ship safety management
and liabilities weigh
heavily on operating
companies and crews.
Reliable guidance for the
mooring arrangements,
especially at
unsheltered locations, is
critical.
The Tension Technology
International (TTI) group has
launched and is now leading a
joint industry project (JIP) to
advance the design of marine
rope moorings.
The JIP has drawn extensive
international sponsorship and
interest from gas and oil
companies, shipmanagers,
designers of jetties and vessels,
port authorities, maritime civil
engineers, fibre and rope
manufacturers, equipment
manufacturers and representative
organisations such as OCIMF/
SIGTTO.
There is as yet no industry
48
Cargo transfer
ISGOTT also laid down
recommendations for cargo
transfer equipment, for example,
hard arms and flexible hoses used
to make the ship/shore
connection. The type of
equipment is described, together
with recommendations regarding
its operations, inspection and
testing. If not properly engineered
and maintained, this equipment
will provide a weak link that may
jeopardise the cargo system's
integrity.
The topics addressed include:
metal cargo arms, forces on
manifolds, tanker manifold
restrictions, inadvertent filling of
arms while parked, ice formation,
mechanical couplers, wind forces,
precautions when connecting and
disconnecting arms, precautions
while arms are connected, and
powered emergency release
couplings (PERCs).
As for cargo hoses, they
should conform to recognised
standard specifications, or as
recommended by OCIMF and
confirmed by established hose
manufacturers. Hoses should be
of a grade and type suitable for
the service and operating
conditions in which it is to
be used.
Special hoses are required for
use with high temperature
cargoes, such as hot asphalt, and
also for use with low temperature
cargoes.
The information on cargo hoses
is condensed from British
Standards BS EN 1765 and BS
1435-2 ('Rubber Hose Assemblies
for Oil Suction and Discharge
Services'). It is provided to give a
general indication of hoses that
may be supplied for normal cargo
handling duty, commonly referred
to as 'dock hoses'.
Reference may also be made to
OCIMF publication 'Guide to
Purchasing, Manufacturing and
Testing of Loading and Discharge
Hoses for Offshore Moorings' for
information on hoses commonly
used at conventional buoy and
single point mooring (SPM)
facilities.
For normal duty, there are three
basic types of hose: rough bore,
smooth bore and lightweight. TO
consensus, guideline or code of
practice applicable to ship
moorings exposed to waves and
swell. To highlight the need for
such a practice, recent work has
shown that longer tails* (than at
present adopted in practice) are
necessary to make an exposed
ship mooring safe where vessel
motions are significant.
The aim of the JIP will be to
provide a better understanding
of a range of issues that
influence a mooring system.
These include the properties especially fatigue - of the most
suitable materials for mooring
lines and tails plus their
inspection and retirement
criteria. Using TTI's Optimoor
software, it will also analyse and
report the effects of ship size,
hull shape, load condition, under
keel clearance (UKC), wave
exposure on vessel motions and
forces resisted by the moorings.
Another important issue being
addressed is the wear of synthetic
lines through fairleads. High
modulus polyethyelene ropes are
now commonly replacing steel
wire rope on winches since they
have the same strength at the
same diameter. To optimise the
life, reliability and safety of the
ropes, the sensitivity to fairlead
surface roughness and material
has been evaluated with
important findings.
Project deliverables due later
this year, will include;
1) A stand-alone program to
calculate ship motion for
open water and piled jetty in
six degrees of freedom for a
range of monohull
geometries.
2) A stand-alone program to
estimate fatigue life of
mooring lines.
3) Draft guideline for the
selection of tail material,
length, and construction to
optimise vessel response and
rope fatigue life.
4) Draft guidelines for the
examination, inspection, and
retirement of fiber rope
mooring lines and tails.
A new feature to be included in
Optimoor will be the fatigue life
calculation for mooring lines and
fibre tails.
Optimoor is available in three
versions - Standard, Plus, and
Dynamic. A Seakeeping option
can be added to any version.
Licence purchase and leasing
options are available for all
programs.
Formed in 1985, Tension
Technology International (TTI) is
an independent consulting group
specialising in flexible tension
member systems.
*Tails are additional line
segments which can provide
greater variation in line elasticity,
especially important for
controlling the excursions of gas
TO
carriers and oil tankers.
TANKEROperator
September 2006
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Page 3
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p47-60.qxd
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Page 4
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Software house expands and wins key contracts
US-based nautical
software provider Veson
Nautical has expanded
its operations and won a
major order for its
flagship vessel
operations system.
Basically Veson offers
software for vessel
chartering, operations,
accounting in one
package, while another
software package is
aimed at terminal
vetting processes.
Veson's core business revolves
around the Integrated Maritime
Operations System (IMOS),
which is aimed at providing a
tool to manage commercial
marine operations in three areas chartering, operations and
financial management. The
software can be used separately,
or as a complete package.
The most recent release was
IMOS v4, in which Veson uses a
Microsoft.NET framework. It is
claimed that a user needs minimal
training to use the upgraded
software. Examples of the
workflow in the chartering mode
are - cargo planning, voyage
estimating and fixture
notification. For operational
requirements the end user can
compute vessel scheduling,
voyage management and fleet
scheduling, which includes a
map. The financial side of the
package can be integrated to the
corporate accounting function.
In 2004, Veson introduced
VELAS, which the company
claims is a user friendly, webbased tool that has been
designed to manage the work
flow of the vessel and the
terminal vetting procedures. It
was the result of a joint venture
between Veson and Maritime
Information Systems (MIS).
This software enables
authorised users to:
From any location access
information ranging from
inspection reports to historical
evaluations.
Integrate with Q88.com to
electronically receive
validated questionnaires
directly from owners.
Quickly assess a vessel's
acceptability in an easy to use,
graphical format.
Use company defined business
rules to rate vessels and
terminals.
View system generated
recommendations based
on facts, such as vessel
parameters, terminal
and cargo.
Automate the importing
of third party data, such
as casualty information,
ownership, vessel particulars,
etc.
Set specific user access
controls via the security
module.
Link to IMOS for tracking
voyage actuals.
One of the latest companies to
take advantage of Veson's IMOS
package is the National Shipping
Corporation of Saudi Arabia
(NSCSA). IMOS will manage
NSCSA's chartering and
operational activities for its
growing fleet of tankers,
including VLCCs, operating
worldwide in the global tanker
markets.
NSCSA owns and operates
nine double-hulled VLCCs, each
with an individual capacity of 2.1
mill barrels, technically managed
by its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Mideast Ship Management,
Dubai.
These vessels will be accessing
IMOS remotely to track daily
voyage operation activities and
actual voyage costs. NSCSA's
office in Dubai will host IMOS
and will perform the
commercial/chartering functions,
as well as oversee voyage
financials; the head office in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will
leverage IMOS for voyage P&L
reporting purposes.
NSCSA evaluated IMOS for
six months prior to its decision to
license the software. The
company said that IMOS
provided one integrated, common
platform to share commercial
information across various
company sites and would scale up
quickly to accommodate the
company's dynamic expansion
plans.
Veson’s president John Veson
"The VLCC fleet has been
growing steadily; in fact, by the
year-end 2005, we had
transported approximately 27 mill
tonnes or 200 mill barrels of
crude oil with our ships that have
completed more than 100
voyages on the spot voyage
markets since 2002. Our VLCC
fleet will grow from nine ships to
17 ships in 2009," explained
Michael Hudson-Davies, vice
president commercial of NSCSA,
Dubai. "Our strategic plan
provides for further expansion of
our VLCC fleet and to
continuously meet our goal of
providing our customers with
operational excellence. We
expect Veson Nautical's IMOS
software to provide us the
platform to more efficiently
operate our commercial
management operations,
seamlessly integrated with our
technical and operations manager,
Mideast Ship Management and
report financially and
administratively to our Riyadh
corporate headquarters."
Another client, PMI®
Comercio Internacional, based in
Mexico City, is a trading
company involved in the
transportation of oil, gas and
other products around the world.
Similar to any company involved
in the commercial maritime
shipping industry, PMI needed a
reliable and user-friendly
database to manage record
keeping for vessel clearance
processes.
Max Córdova, PMI's marine
safety assistant director
explained, "The clearance
process for ships involves
several steps, such as receiving
requests from the commercial or
chartering staff, consulting
information from different
sources regarding the
performance of the ship,
answering these requests and
maintaining files for review.
"An accurate database
containing historical data is
crucial, since the risk of not
having access to this information
can be high. There is the very real
possibility of dealing with substandard ships that can place
human lives, the environment, the
facilities, the cargo and the
company's reputation in danger;
or simply having a quality ship
not suitable for a specific marine
facility. These costs can only
be qualitatively predicted, but
they can be a significant amount,"
he said.
In 2003, PMI carried out a
benchmarking study with other
oil majors. One of the activities
was to review the software
developed by those companies
and to identify areas of
improvement for its own system.
After analysing the information
collected, PMI started the process
of reviewing a number of
different products to fulfill its
requirements.
Córdova explained, "One of the
results of our study was that it
was necessary to install an
information system that would
continued on p52
50
TANKEROperator
September 2006
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Page 5
PRES-VAC ENGINEERING A/S
SVANEVANG 3-5
DK-3450 ALLERØD
DENMARK
PHONE: +45 48 17 40 55 • FAX: +45 48 17 17 88
E-MAIL: [email protected] • WEB: pres-vac.com
REDUCE VOC LOSS BY 80-90%
3rd generation
The new generation type HS-ISO is designed in every aspect according to ISO 15364:2000 with a view to minimize
maintenance and enhance in-service reliability. Inspection of the inside as well as maintenance is a 100% on-deck event.
Replacement of all wear parts is done legally without interruption of operations on a 1 minute-valve-year-basis by a single
crewmember, and – best of all - the unit is back to as new condition without lapping.
ISO 15364:2000 is not a test standard, but the owner’s checklist for in-service quality and performance assessment.
TYPE HS-ISO - MAIN FEATURES:
9
9
9
9
Adjustable opening and closing pressure
All maintenance done from the outside
All time high fouling tolerance
Constant tank pressure for VOC loss reduction
by 80-90%
9
9
9
9
9
Inspection done from the outside
Non-oscillating performance
No inside maintenance
No pressure peaks
No loss of tank pressure
On deck replacement of all wear parts
for a 1000 m3/h unit. No lapping needed.
Done in 1 minute.
Inside maintenance equal to that of the piping.
Setting adjustment nut.
p47-60.qxd
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Page 6
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
continued from p50
assist the user in identifying
differences on vessels against inhouse business rules. The system
would import electronic data to
eliminate re-keying information
for the ships, would have the
capability of producing statistics
based on the historical records,
and it would have a job board for
the pending and completed daily
work, while assigning priorities
by deploying human resources to
attend to other projects."
PMI chose VELAS as the
company wanted to create a
turnkey solution. VELAS was the
result of input from the software
provider and the end user. "Veson
Nautical staff worked with us to
install a reliable and user-friendly
database that fully met the
marine safety department's
requirements, plus our internal
customers", said Córdova. He
World’s largest tanker
company signs up for
TradeNet
Ship supply trader
ShipServ Americas'
operation has signed up
close to 200 new
vessels to ShipServ
TradeNet, which is
claimed to be the
world's largest ecommerce portal for
ship supplies trading.
By far the largest of the new
clients is Vancouver-based
Teekay Shipping, which has
committed its global fleet of
over 120 tankers. Other recent
additions include offshore
specialist Helix Energy
Services, LMS
Shipmanagement, Liberty
Maritime, and Buenos Airesbased fishing concern EstreMar.
ShipServ said that further
announcements are imminent as
the rate of adoptions keep
accelerating. Peder Arstorp,
ShipServ America's director of
sales commented; "We have
clearly reached a point where
the operational savings speak
for themselves. The market is
taking note of our clients'
successes with ShipServ
TradeNet, and the word is
getting around."
The shipping industry
operates on such tight margins
that e-commerce is fast
becoming a routine decision.
With benefits such as 25%
52
productivity increase as more
vessels can be handled by each
purchaser, 10-20% savings on
spot purchasing, and shortened
cycle times throughout the
supply chain, no one can afford
to ignore such bottom line
impact," he claimed.
Teekay's Norwegian operation
has used ShipServ TradeNet since
2001. With this new agreement,
all e-procurement activity from
Teekay's operations in Sydney,
Singapore, Houston, Madrid,
Glasgow and Grimstad will be
routed through ShipServ
TradeNet.
"The benefits of having a
single e-commerce solution will
allow us to standardise our
process internally, therefore
providing our suppliers with a
common platform to transact
orders on a global basis," said
Rob Sarro, Teekay's director of
procurement services.
LMS Shipmanagement has
been using ShipServ TradeNet for
over two months and the
efficiency increase is equivalent
to removing the work load of one
full time purchaser.
"It is now company policy for
all new spare parts vendors to
quote via ShipServ, or else we
will not use them," explained
Ed Seoane, director of
procurement, LMS
Shipmanagement.
TO
also said the PMI takes
advantage of the electronic
updating of information, such as
vessel names, casualties and
ownership. The questionnaire is
uploaded automatically from an
Excel file directly to VELAS,
which avoids re-keying the
information received via e-mail.
Last July, Veson opened an
office in Rotterdam, the
company's second new office in
12 months. It is headed by
technology sales and customer
care manager Ramon Lagrand.
This office's prime function is to
serve customers and market its
services to northern European
customers. Existing key
customers, such as Neste, now
have a point of contact for postimplementation work, ongoing
requests and customerisation of
TO
the software.
‘Portable Classrooms’
introduced
Kongsberg Maritime has
developed a new way to
train its customers
wherever they are in the
world. This takes the
form of a 'Portable
Classroom', which is
intended to be used at
customer sites,
Kongsberg Maritime
sites and also on board
vessels.
A 'Training Box' is at the core of
the Portable Classroom concept.
This easy to transport box is
equipped with a single remote
control system (RCU) and the
classroom was a one-week
operator and technical training
course in Integrated Automation
Systems (IAS) for MaranGas in
Athens. Some of the comments
received included: "It was great
to train on the same kind of
equipment as used on board,"
and: "We weren't expecting to be
able to practice on our own
operator stations."
Kongsberg Maritime's courses
and training activities are based at
company headquarters in
Kongsberg with training centres
for different products in Horten,
Trondheim, Aberdeen, Macaé,
A classroom atmosphere on board ship.
most common remote input/
output (RIO) modules, which are
interchangeable, depending on the
type of equipment installed in the
vessel to be trained for.
Additionally, 10 fully loaded
laptop PCs are included, to act as
operator stations during training.
The first outing for the portable
Houston, Singapore, Busan and,
as from this autumn, Dubai.
The Training Centre in
Kongsberg was one of the first in
the world to be approved by the
Nautical Institute. Last year, a
total of 2,500 customers
participated in Kongsberg
TO
Maritime courses.
TANKEROperator
September 2006
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Page 7
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own name, you’ll always find someone home if you run into a problem.
Physical Supply · Global Trading · Risk Management
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Ice Class Shipping Review
a
TANKEROperator special supplement
Fea tur es:
Gr eeks see an oppor tunity
Design and pr opulsion issues
Aker Ar ctic tec hnolo g y
StealthGas pr of ile
R ussians a t the f or efr ont
T he Manha ttan stor y
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© Hans Strand
Ask us about…
ship operations in cold climate
Det Norske Veritas has over the years gained unique experience related to ship operations in cold climate.
The current DNV-classed fleet of vessels built for operation in cold climate consists of around 1750 vessels
of all types. DNV has the highest market share of oil tankers built for operation in cold climate; around 400
vessels, or close to 40% (dwt). Almost 50% of all tankers on order with ice strengthening are to DNV class.
“In all vessels that may have to steam through ice, the frames at the extreme forepart are to be closer than here directed,
or some other sufficient additional strengthening of the vessel’s forepart must be adopted.”
Abstract from DNV’s Rules and Regulations, November 1881.
Det Norske Veritas,
NO-1322 Høvik, Norway,
tel +47 67 57 99 00,
www.dnv.com
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ICE CLASS SHIPPING REVIEW
More ice please!
According to a leading
UK broking house,
although the orderbook
for ice class tankers has
slowed this year, the
investment was still
running at over $8 bill.
There are well over 200
ice class vessels of
more than 12.5 mill dwt
on the order books, due
to be delivered by 20082009. Nearly 150 of
these are being built to
Ice Class 1A.
The broker also estimated that by
2008, 10% of the tanker fleet will
have some form of ice class
(There are different
classifications depending on the
severity of the weather likely to
be encountered). The so called
high-spec fleet (1A and 1A
Super) is set for massive growth
figures, while the low spec will
show marginal growth.
These impressive figures are
driven by the massive increase
in oil exports from ice effected
ports, or fairways. The Baltic
alone is expected to be
exporting 2.1 mill barrels per
day by 2008, up from 500,000
barrels per day in 2005. The
Sakhalin 2010 output is put at
250,000 barrels per day, while
northern Russia (Barents Sea
area) could be contributing
760,000 barrels per day.
On the downside, taking an
aframax size vessel (the
maximum that can go through the
Baltic fully laden on a draught of
15 m) an ice class vessel will cost
more (+5%-+10%), will be
heavier, will need more bunker
fuel and will have different
specifications, which leaves it at a
disadvantage from its non-ice
class counterpart when trading
outside ice covered areas.
Much of the interest in large
crude carrying ice class tankers is
down to the emergence of oil
loading terminals in the Baltic
(Russia, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania and Poland, plus shipto-ship transfers off Denmark),
Barents Sea and Sakhalin Island,
built to export Russian oil. The St
Lawrence River and the Great
Lakes are other areas where ice
class is needed during the winter
months.
There are also large discharge
terminals in Denmark, Poland,
Finland, Norway and Sweden to
serve local refineries. However,
western Norway's North Sea
loading terminals at Mongstad
and Sture are ice free due to the
Gulf Stream as are the North Sea
offshore loading terminals.
Examples of fleet expansion
include the Greeks, who have
been very active in ordering ice
class tonnage (see page II); Stena
has joined together with
Sovcomflot in a sort of pooling
arrangement, which also includes
specialist crew training. Both
Novorossisk Shipping
(Novoship), Primorsk (Prisco)
and Sovcomflot have ice class
tankers as has Lukoil. They are
all paying attention to seafarer
training.
Added to this, there are literally
hundreds of small-ish
products/chemical tankers
controlled by Scandinavian
companies and others operating
in northern Europe, for example
Rotterdam-Sweden.
Such is the demand that Stena's
ship management arm Northern
Marine Management recently said
that it has only taken on trainees
for ships operating in ice
TO
conditions.
Contents
II
Greek investment
leads the way
Twelve months ago Greek had
the hots for ice. In the months
leading up to Christmas 2005,
Greeks had placed orders for
some 44 ice-class tankers, an
investment which cost them
near $1.5 bill.
VI
Let’s make it ice and
easy!
The implications on the
design, propulsion and
operation of a vessel trading
in Arctic regions are many. We
highlight a number of areas
that should be carefully
considered.
September 2006
XIII
Finland’s Aker Arctic
continues Arctic ship
developments Aker Arctic
Technology Inc (AARC) in
Finland is owned by Aker
Yards together with minority
shareholders Wärtsilä, ABB,
and Norwegian Aker Kvaerner
Engineering.
Register
XIV Russian
helps develop Polar
Rules
As befits its geographical
status, the Russian Maritime
Register of Shipping (RS) has
been actively involved in the
development process of the
Polar Ship Rules, substantially
contributing to ice
strengthening aspects. This
work formed the basis for the
current IACS studies.
Ice Class Shipping Review TANKEROperator
XVI
Arctic Tanker
Technology
Arctic ship technology has
been developed if Finland for
decades and new improved
products have been introduced
in the market on a regular
basis. We look at the latest
newbuilding projects.
XIX
Stealth on Ice
The intentions of the ambitious
Nasdaq-listed, Athens-based
StealthGas to cover the entire
needs of the gas market sector
in ships of up 8,000 cu m were
clear early on and have been
well documented.
XX
Looking back in time
The concept of ice class
tankers is not new - the
Manhattan story.
I
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Greek investment
leads the way
Twelve months ago Greeks had the hots for ice. In the months leading up to Christmas
2005, Greeks had placed orders for some 44 ice-class tankers, an investment which cost
them near $1.5 bill, writes David Glass.
I
f proof was ever needed of
the growing Greek interest
in ice-class shipping then it
was offered at a one-day
seminar in Athens at the end of
last year.
The December sun outside the
Athens Intercontinental Hotel was
abnormally hot for that time of
the year, but the discussion inside
was all about snow and ice. More
than 100, mainly technical
people, packed into the seminar
under the board heading of 'ice
operations' given by US class
society, ABS.
A glance around the room
identified the reps of more than
half a dozen tanker companies
with newbuilding projects
involving ice-class ships. It was
also easy to see why many of
them were there, they wanted to
learn all they could about
operating ice class ships.
Since then, the rush to order ice
class tonnage has cooled. Most of
the ships booked are medium
range (MR) chemical and
products tankers with a sprinkling
of aframax and suezmax tonnage.
As 2005 progressed much was
being said about the rush into iceclass shipping. This was
especially so in the case of the
Greeks who were seen to be
joining a band of specialists, most
of whom were brought up in icy
conditions.
The Greeks had purchased the
odd ice class tanker on the sale
and purchase market, and indeed
still do, but after they spotted the
growing need for new higher class
ships as regulations on ice trading
II
One of Hellespont Hammonia’s recently acquired suezmax tankers
went through a special survey at Lisnave.
tightened, they made their move.
Several of the owners, most
notably Andreas Martinos with
his Minerva Marine, had also
experienced first hand the drama
associated with navigating the
floes having had ships trapped.
So, as often happens Greek
owners were at the head of the
rush for ice class. By moving
early, ships were ordered before
the rise in building prices and the
shortage of building berths.
Greeks are now busily taking
delivery of their ships and most
will be trading by 2007.
Few ice-class tankers have
been booked by Greek interests in
the past 12 months, a good thing
perhaps as all told there are over
400 product tankers on order,
many of them ice-class with peak
delivery time in late 2007 into
2009. Indeed, many analysts are
suggesting the icebreaking tanker
sector could be set to struggle as
the fleet continues to expand.
"Many of the Greek owners
wanted to replace old tonnage
and went for ice-class ships
realising there will be a shortage
on independently-owned tonnage
in this bracket. The orders were
placed early and many of the
ships will trading before this ice
season and thus should be able to
cement their place in the market,"
said Athens-based broker Dinos
Perros, of DLP Maritime.
At the peak of the 2005
ordering frenzy, London
shipbroker EA Gibson said just
over 200 ice-class tankers of 16
mill dwt were on order, about 120
of them products tankers. Of the
tankers on order some 150 are to
high specification ice-class 1A
with about 50 of them to deliver
in 2006.
Nicos Tsakos and Tsakos
Energy Navigation (TEN) and
George Economou at Drytank
have opted for large 1A class
ships while Evangelos Maranakis
and his family's Capital Maritime
have ordered MRs. Martinos and
Minerva Marine are building
handymaxes and aframaxes as is
Constantine Angelopoulos/
Arcadia Shipmanagement.
Greece's two biggest players,
TEN and Minerva identified the
likely demand for ice-class ships
early and placed orders
anticipating a strong demand
from oil companies and charterers
in Russia, Finland and Canada.
When ordering two
162,400dwt suezmax double-hull
1A ice-class tankers at Hyundai,
for delivery first half 2007 at a
cost of around $60 mill each,
Tsakos said in March 2004: "The
innovative design of these
environmentally friendly, 1A iceclass vessels, like the handysize
contracts announced late January,
means that we expect these
vessels will have the opportunity
to earn a significant premium for
their unique capabilities."
TEN's management believed
the ships will be in heavy demand
as oilfields and ports are
developed in Russia, Eastern
Siberia and Alaska and will carry
a substantial freight premium.
Strategic alliance
Indeed, as the short Arctic
summer season was opening end
June, TEN announced it had
entered a strategic co-operation
with Finland's Neste Oil, a leader
in ice-class trades. On 1st August,
TEN confirmed its arrangement
with Neste had been enhanced.
The initial collaboration with
the Finnish oil refining and
marketing company involves twoyear charters for the three
September 2006
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recently acquired 2006-built
116,000 dwt LR 1A ice-class
product tankers, Proteas,
Promitheas and Propontis, the
largest ships in their class. The
enhancement came through the
three-year employment of the
2005-built MR product tankers
Ariadne and Apollon.
The five tankers came as part
of a nine-ship $530 mill deal
TEN struck with Western
Petroleum in February. The deal
involved five ice class 1A 2005delivered MR products tankers
and three ice class 1A aframaxes
at the time under construction at
Hyundai, with commissioning set
for between May and October
this year.
TEN said the timecharters
called for a minimum rate "well
above the ships' all-in breakeven
rate, with a 50:50 profit split on
the upside". The five ships will be
on charter by October and TEN
calculated the charters, "just by
earning the minimum rate",
would generate gross revenues in
excess of $100 mill.
“
optimistic this partnership will
further flourish to include other
operational synergies highlighting
each company's strengths."
TEN operates 37 ships and its
newbuilding programme
comprised 14 ships, including
two LR aframax products
carriers, four aframax crude
carriers, two suezmaxes, five
handysize products carriers and a
LNG carrier.
By the end of 2007, TEN will
have invested over $1 bill in the
24 ice class tankers in the fleet.
Versatile fleet
Versatility is a major asset of the
icebreaking tanker said Tsakos.
The company had up until
recently done little ice trading.
The Proteas, entered a spot
related voyage carrying naphtha
on its commissioning from
Hyundai and TEN's 1A ice-class
36,660 dwt products tanker
Antares upon leaving Hyundai
Mipo Dockyard, entered a threeyear timecharter with an
unnamed, but major Asian entity.
the market, it will develop and we
will be part of that."
Tsakos says TEN's strong
position in ice-class capability
"gives an edge in serving this
rapidly growing market with
particular emphasis on the
dynamic petroleum products
segment. Expansion in scale is
also helping to combat the
pressures of rising costs of
operation and overhead expenses".
TEN had displayed this
determination all along with the
chase and purchase of the
Western Petroleum operation
being a classic example. Buying
the Geneva-based Western
Petroleum, which has close links
with Russia's LUKoil, not only
demonstated TEN's keenness to
become a leading owner of
modern ice-class tankers, but it
also showed the New York-listed,
Athens-based owner knows when
to move and what it wants out of
the sale and purchase market.
The deal had brokers buzzing,
with Braemar Seascope
commenting the $530 mill paid is
It used to be a closed club and it wasn’t easy
to tell what the going freight rate was. Now
with more players getting into the market,
it will develop and we will be part of that.
George V Saroglou, vice president and coo, TEN
"We are proud to enter into this
co-operation with one of Europe's
premier independent oil
companies with significant iceclass experience which directly
complements TEN's ice class
fleet, one of the largest in the
world," said TEN's president and
ceo Nikolas P Tsakos. "This
venture further confirms our
strategy to employ our vessels
with distinguished end-users.
These charters provide us with
steady income over and above the
vessels' all-in breakeven costs
while simultaneously allowing us
to take advantage of upside
market opportunities. We are
IV
However, like the aframaxes,
Antares' timecharter was for a
minimum rate that exceeded the
ship's all-in breakeven rate. The
charter also called for a 50:50
split on the upside if rates
exceeded a specified level above
the minimum and, TEN estimated
that for the duration of the
charter, Antares minimum rate
should provide an additional $16
mill in gross revenue.
George V Saroglou, TEN's vice
president and coo said of the
icebreaking market: "It used to be a
closed club and it wasn't easy to
tell what the going freight rate was.
Now with more players getting into
”
clear evidence "TEN have
managed to secure a fantastic
price".
With brokers believing this,
buying Western Petroleum also
demonstrated how the relevant
value of tankers had changed in
the past couple of years. For
example the nine Western
Petroleum ships were contracted
in 2003, reportedly for around
$335 mill.
Second biggest player
Minerva Marine, run by Andreas
Martinos, the youngest of the three
Martinos brothers, is Greece's
second largest operator of ice class
tankers, having over the years
built 17 of them ranging in size
from 105,000 dwt aframaxes
down to 50,000 dwt tankers.
Eldest brother, Thanassis of
Eastern Mediterranean has left ice
class alone, while brother Dinos,
boss of Thenamaris (Ships
Management), has had a small
number in the fleet of aframax
size, however, ice strengthened
rather than ice class.
Minerva was among the first
true cross-traders to order ice
class tankers, booking two
suezmaxes of 147,100 dwt at
Samsung in 1998, which were
delivered during mid-2000.
There has been a steady flow of
ice-class ships over the past three
or so years from South Korean
yards, which now accounts for 17
of the 28 ship in the all tanker
fleet. But the first two are the only
large ice-class ships.
"We studied the ice trades very
carefully after the first two ships
and believe the aframax size is
best suited for ice class. With the
suezmax there are navigation
problems in the cleared channel,"
explained Georgios Kavounis, a
superintendent in Minerva's
technical department.
He said the 51,000-tonners
were next best, with the intended
trade and cargo extremely
important when determining what
ships to build.
Minerva had contracted 12
aframaxes and six 50,900 dwt
products tankers in the last three
years. The last two of the 50,900tonners are to deliver in
September and November from
STX Shipbuilding.
"We are involved in the project
right from the inception, design,
construction and trials. There are
standard designs but we support
these with innovations of our own
which have been developed as the
company has different operational
experiences," said Kavounis.
"Mistakes must not happen
for even small mistakes can
cause big operational problems.
With ice-class ships this is
especially so.
September 2006
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Hot water system
He said Minerva has developed a
number of different arrangements
for dealing with common problems
faced in the ice trades. Kavounis
explained: "For example, de-icing
the upper decks. We believe the
use of steam, the usual way, can be
dangerous and we have developed
shipowner ordered two suezmax
tankers at Hyundai with delivery
in the first half of 2007.
Drytank/Economou placed an
order for a 105,000 dwt aframax
tanker at Shanghai Waigaoqiao
Shipbuilding (SWS). She is set
for delivery in 2007. No price
was revealed for the ship, which
One of Minerva's 51,000 dwt ice class tankers
a hot water system."
He said there is no such thing as
a patent on a design idea. "There
is a sharing of ideas and if the
owner is prepared to pay the extra
an idea will cost, then it is
implemented. We think about how
best to share common problems."
However, he said all shipowners
building ships today are concerned
about the pressure being put on
shipyards to deliver ships. The
fear is "quality many give way to
quantity". He noted that should
there be a delay, catching up on
delivery times could mean "minor
items are not up to standard and
there can be a problem".
Kavounis recently warned a
delegation of South Korean
shipbuilders visiting Greece that
"quality is dropping all round and
the only thing to do is improve
productivity".
Constantine Angelopoulos and
George Economou agree with
Minerva on the optimum size of
an icebreaking tanker.
Angelopoulos' Arcadia
Shipmanagement and
Economou's Drytank have
extended their newbuilding
programmes by ordering aframax
tankers. Arcadia booked two
115,000 dwt ice-class 1A tankers
at Samsung for delivery in the
second half of 2007 at around
$62 mill each. Just prior to
placing this order, the Greek
September 2006
is the fifth aframax ordered by
the Greek company at SWS with
two, Lovina and the Corcovado
already delivered. SWS is also
building eight 175,000dwt
capesize bulk carriers for
Economou's management arm
Cardiff Marine with delivery
running from 2006 to 2008.
By mid-2004, the fastexpanding group run out of
Piraeus by Evangelos Marinakis
had committed over $500 mill to
newbuilding projects involving
some 36 tankers, many of them
to trade in niche markets. Since
then much of the shipbuilding
programme had been dropped
with Maranakis claiming some of
the projects in Chinese yards had
failed "due to the inability of the
shipyards to provide re-fund
guarantees".
One of the projects which
remained on course, involved six
ice-class 47,000 dwt chemical/
products carriers at Hyundai Mipo.
In all, the Maranakis group
(Barclay Shipping and Capital
Ship Management) currently has
an orderbook in South Korea for
13 ice-class double hull ships and
two chemical/products carriers in
PLA China, worth a total $386
mill to be delivered by
November 2007.
The six unit order breakdown
involves six 47,000 dwt tankers at
Hyundai Mipo, three of 51,000
dwt at STX Shipbuilding, four of
37,000 dwt also at Hyundai Mipo
and two of 12,000 dwt at PLA
Shipyard, Qingdao.
The ice-classed products tankers
feature enhanced steel scantlings
and paint thicknesses in critical
areas, as well as extensive
machinery upgrades. When
delivered, the tankers will make the
group one of the largest operators
of this ship type in the world.
S&P market investments
In addition, Greeks have been
buying ice strengthened tanker
tonnage in the sale and purchase
market.
In 2005, some 22 ice
strengthened tankers were
purchased for an investment of
around $412 mill. In the first
seven months of 2006, eight iceclass tankers were purchased for a
total investment of $208 mill. Ten
shipowning groups were seen to
be buyers with five of the 30 ships
involved being LPG carriers.
Among the buyers was Basil
Papachristidis/Hellespont who,
mid-2005 splashed out $68.5 mill
and $69.3 mill on two 1996-built
148,000-tonners. The sellers were
the Martinos brothers, Minerva
and Eastern Mediterranean
respectively.
The fast-expanding Nasdaqlisted StealthGas bought three of
the LPG carriers at the turn of
2005 for an investment of about
$32 mill. In all, the Harry Vafiascontrolled by StealthGas (see page
XIX) has paid around $220 mill
in developing a fleet of some 28
LPG carriers, ranging in size from
1,600 cu m to 8,000 cu m and is
ranked number one in the world in
the 3,000 to 8,000 cu m sector.
StealthGas financed the fleet
with the $115 mill raised when it
became only the second LPG
operator to float in the US. PreIPO, StealthGas, established early
2005, operated nine LPG carriers,
including the ice class ships, and
like others eyeing the sector,
Vafias said: "We believe there
will be an increase in demand for
gas and that freights will remain
at high levels."
The Gas Arctic and Gas Ice are
both 3,200 cu m and ice class 1B,
while the larger Gas Courchevel,
4,380 cu m, is ice class 1C. The
market for ice class LPG ships of
this size is an extremely small one
and thus three units makes
StealthGas a prime player in a
sector, which is close to its clients.
Being close to the market is
vital. Kaj Riska, a professor from
Finland and an authority of ice
class ships and trades, said it is
extremely important for owners
of ice class ships to identify the
trade they wish to chase. "Iceclass ships must be designed in
accordance with the requirements
of the intended trade," he
emphasised at the ABS gathering,
last December.
"In the Russian Arctic there are
not very many icebreakers so this
must be taken into account in
ship design," said Riska. "In the
Baltic there are always
icebreakers to escort merchant
ships and this is also something
that must be taken into account."
Riska said that in principle iceclass ships should have mass and
power. However, while ship
design options and equipment
requirements seem to abound
there is, as in the gas sector, a
lack of experienced crew and this
is posing a problem. He said that
crew must not only be qualified,
experience is also needed.
He noted that as financiers are
already being seen to be
restricting lending to projects
involving high-spec ice-class
ships to companies with
experience in ice-class ship
operation and ownership, it is
important the crew know what it
is doing when trading in ice.
"I have been involved in tests,
which show just how important
an experienced crew, especially
the master is," said Riska. "It is a
very big factor and tests have
shown that a master experienced
in trading in ice can carry out
manoeuvres in half the time of
that required by a master new to
ice, even a long serving one." TO
V
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N
Let’s make it ice
and easy!
atural resources in
the Arctic and subArctic regions are
in abundance and
the Russian Federation alone is
sitting on top of 31% of the
world's known and unexploited
natural gas reserves. Indeed,
Russia's economic boom, which
saw a 7.1% increase in Russia's
GDP in 2005, surpassing the
average growth rate in all the
other G8 countries and marking
the country's sixth consecutive
year of economic expansion, can
be intrinsically linked to the
increase in the country's oil and
gas production and the success
of exporting seven million
barrels of oil products a day to
the world markets.
This is expected to increase
and the global demand for Arctic
oil and gas is driving the $4.5 bill
investment shipowners are
ploughing into the development
of ice-class or 'winterised'
tonnage.
Yet the dynamics of ship
operation in these most
challenging of environments is
changing - ice-going vessels are
increasing in size and new
players are entering a market
hitherto the domain of specialist
ship operators. There is also a
dire shortage of competent crews
trained in arctic ship operation.
Presently, the number of ships
built according to ice-class
standards is 262 (4.2 mill dwt)
with the vast majority of which,
nearly 80%, are under 20,000dwt.
Yet the fleet is set to double in
both number and size over the
next decade. However, according
to UK-based classification society
Lloyd's Register, which is
developing 'winterisation'
VI
The implications on the design, propulsion
and operation of a vessel trading in Arctic
regions are many. Patrik Wheater
highlights a number of areas that should be
carefully considered.
guidelines and products, there is a
need for class to strengthen its
capability in a number of aspects
for ship operation in Arctic
conditions.
Class guidance
Rob Tustin, LR's technical
manager - new construction, said:
"To adequately deal with new
operating scenarios, technologies
and trades within icy and cold
environments, class must not only
provide basic guidance on
research institutes to develop new
services and to formulate
meaningful guidance to help
ensure that new opportunities can
be taken advantage of while
maintaining the safety of
seafarers, ships, cargo and the
environment in icy and cold
operating conditions."
LR pointed out that ice and
cold operation comprised the
confluence of three principal
elements: the ice and cold regime,
ship operation and the ship itself.
wind and weather, currents and
presence of land-fast ice, while
ice management contained
information relating to icebreaker
assistance, the availability of ice
forecasts and the provision of
routeing advice.
The implications on the design,
propulsion and operation of a
vessel trading in Arctic regions
are many, not only in respect of
choice of ice class, but also in the
scope of 'winterisation' that
should be applied to the design
and operation of the vessel.
Ice effects
LR warned that risk of damage to
the hull of a vessel operating in
ice is usually a combination of
factors such as the ice sheet
thickness, pressure in the ice
Class is looking at ship operations in low temperatures.
compliance with minimum
requirements for ice class, but go
beyond this to provide advice on
operational aspects. We are
working with industry
participants, including existing
and potential owners of ice-class
tonnage, national authorities,
equipment manufacturers and
The ice and cold regime consisted
of the prevailing environmental
conditions and the ice
management offered by the
relevant national authorities.
Environmental information
included temperature, ice
thickness, pressure, degree of ice
ridging, duration of ice season,
sheet, encounters with ice ridges
and large chunks of sea ice, and
the manoeuvring and speed of the
vessel in these waters.
"Particular care is needed when
entering the ice field, and
operating a vessel in broken ice
requires careful control to ensure
that the hull, rudder and propeller
September 2006
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are not damaged. Icing is a
specific issue for vessels trading
in cold regions, and the ship's
master needs to apply measures
to combat this and to be aware of
the effect icing will have on the
vessel's stability and operating
draft and trim," said LR.
Frozen sea spray or snow that
forms a layer of ice over the ship
has a major impact on the stability,
safety and general operation of a
vessel. For instance, excessive
icing can affect stability of the
ship's centre of gravity, while safe
navigation can be impaired due to
radar equipment being out of
operation and icing on wheelhouse
windows.
Ice accumulation can also
completely disrupt the
functioning of certain deck
equipment. For example, it might
be impossible to get rescue
equipment such as lifeboats and
liferafts out of storage due to
icing preventing release
mechanisms or davits from
September 2006
working. Anchor operation too
could be hampered.
Air pipes could become clogged
with ice and other valves might
cease to function. Gangways and
railings covered in ice make it
dangerous and almost impossible
to move round safely, and
scuppers in bulwarks may be
reduced in size, even completely
clogged. The most obvious risk
comes from the increased loads on
the ship through ice contact. This
applies not only to the hull, but
also to the propulsion system and
related appendages such as the
rudder. In addition, low ambient
temperatures reduce the ductility
of the ship materials and, together
with the ice, can reduce the
effectiveness of many components
critical to safe ship operation.
Submerged sea suction inlets are
particularly susceptible to failure.
Classification society American
Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
believed that while reinforcement
in the bow design is the primary
concern, attention should also be
given to mid-body and aft areas
of the hull form, which must also
handle the ice-strengthened
propulsion requirements and
compressive ice pressure should
the vessel become trapped.
Double-acting designs
Typically, when naval architects
design hull forms for ice
operation, there is a delicate
balance between optimising openwater operation and ice-going
performance, says LR in the first
issue of its Ice Focus newsletter.
The ultimate expression of the
compromise in hull design
between these modes, however,
is the double-acting tanker
design adopted by Neste Oil in
its aframax tankers Mastera and
Tempera. These two aframaxes
were delivered by Sumitomo
Heavy Industries in 2002 and
2003.
The double-acting-tanker
(DAT) concept works by allowing
the vessel to proceed forward in
thin ice and astern in heavy ice.
Based on an Azipod propulsion
configuration, the DAT vessel can
turn through 180 deg. As a result,
the forward region of the hull is
optimised for open water,
retaining a bulbous bow, while
the stern is ice strengthened to
optimise ice-breaking and
efficient and safe navigation.
Operation astern in level ice is
possible due to the combined
effects of a decrease in hull ice
resistance, due to lubrication of
the hull by the water flow from
behind the propeller and a
decrease in buoyancy of the ice
sheet ahead of the ship due to the
water flow into the propeller,
making the ice easier to break. Ice
ridges can also be navigated as the
milling effect of the propeller cuts
a path for the vessel.
Tempera and Mastera, which
recently underwent their first
drydockings and intermediate
surveys carried out by LR,
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operated successfully during one
of the worst winters on record in
the Northern Baltic. During the
winter of 2003/2004, the vessels
continued to operate without
encountering any significant
difficulties. Likewise, the
Azipods are claimed to have
functioned without incident.
According to the Mastera's
master, Captain Sastamala, the
capability of the vessel has not
only met but exceeded
expectations. "The benefits of the
double-acting concept truly show
themselves when the vessel
encounters an ice ridge. A
traditional ice-class ship, upon
encountering a ridge, would need
to back up, perhaps many times,
and ram through. With the
Mastera, you simply let the
propeller do its work until you
break through," explained Capt
Sastamala.
To counter the unique risks
involved in Arctic shipping increased loads, low ambient
temperatures, reduced
effectiveness of components,
long hours of darkness and poor
weather conditions - winterised
vessels incorporate heavier
scantlings in the side shell
structure in the vicinity of the
waterline; possible changes to
the design of the bow
(particularly for icebreaking or
multi-year-ice vessels); larger
diameter shaft to accommodate a
thicker propeller blade root; and
ice knife concepts to prevent
possible rudder and steering
gear damage when manoeuvring
astern.
Four-strokes better than
two?
In the extreme, temperatures can
plummet to in excess of -50 deg
C and if a vessel operates super
charged engines, then the density
of the ambient air could have a
negative effect on the firing of
the engine.
There is also a growing trend
towards the use of four-stroke
diesel-electric propulsion in iceoperating vessels other than icebreakers, which in itself poses
challenges in determining
minimum/maximum power
requirements.
The four-stroke arrangement is
claimed to have significant
advantages over two-stroke
applications where ships operate
in heavy ice as the four-stroke
engine can provide 100% torque
at low rev/min, a favourable
proposition in Arctic operations.
Wärtsilä Propulsion's director
of technology Teus van Beek says
the difference is in ice going
capability. "A low speed engine
with a fixed pitch propeller would
Several Stena P-MAXES will be delivered to 2008.
VIII
require a lot of thrust which could
potentially overload the engine;
this is why tankers with fixed
pitch propellers usually require a
fairly large amount of icebreaking assistance."
However, the cost of hiring icebreaking pilots is not the only
factor that puts a dent in the
operator's budget: the highlyskewed trailing edges of fixed
pitch propeller blades are found
to be more susceptible to damage
in ice than their cp propeller
counterparts, thus more money
needs to be set aside for repair. A
cp propeller on the other hand,
because the direction of the
rotation is one-way, the leading
edge of the blade interacts more
positively with the ice.
Podded propulsion and the
DAT concept is of course an
option and in ice probably the
optimum though more costly
solution. But the time spent
actually navigating through icecovered seas is the deciding
factor, although dependent on the
actual operating route, a recent
study has shown that the amount
of time spent in ice can be just
20% of the total voyage time. So
in open seas the cp propeller is
said to be the optimum solution
and can give an almost unlimited
power level for ice strengthened
applications.
E-hub cpp
For the ice-going ship Finland's
Wärtsilä is pushing a propulsion
package based on its W38 or
W46 medium-speed engines
driving via reduction gears its
novel E-Hub controllable pitch
propeller.
E-Hub is a cp propeller that
incorporates a smaller sized hub
designed to reduce drag and fuel
consumption, but without
affecting propulsive power.
Introduced in 2004 specifically
for ice class vessels and ropaxes,
it provides increased stability
while maintaining good engine
loading without over-torque.
Torque is reduced through the
change in propeller pitch.
This is achieved through new
developments in propeller hub
design. Wärtsilä has
manufactured the 2.8 m diameter
hub with a flush outer contour to
afford optimal cavitation
resistance, reliability and
maintainability, while the blade
seal, of established double lip
design, prevents oil seepage. For
additional strength the yoke is
cast in bronze instead of cast
steel, while the blades are cast in
steel as opposed to traditional
bronze. Actuating is separated
from the hub design.
During bearing behaviour
comparison trials between the EHub and Wärtsilä's C and CPStype hubs, the hydrodynamic load
and local pressure peaks were
shown to have reduced
substantially for the new hub
design.
For ice strengthening, cp
propellers are preferred due to the
high torque requirements
operating the ship at low speed in
ice channels. Hydrodynamic
loads are dominant especially for
larger powers and recent cp
references have shown very good
efficiency characteristics for 1A
ice class (no efficiency loss
versus fp propeller).
Canada's Thordon Bearings
warned operators to beware the
forces experienced on the shaft
and stern tube when propellers
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It takes knowledge
and experience to operate
in extreme conditions
Stena Bulk is familiar with the harsh
environment of the North and knows
how to make navigation in icy waters
safe. Each year, substantial sums are
invested in developing routines and
technology, to achieve maximum
safety. Advanced technology,
together with an experienced crew,
is the only way to master icy
conditions. In order to understand
the vessel´s limitations and be able to
handle unforeseen risks, masters are
trained at the Makarov Academy in
St. Petersburg. The Stena ice-classed
fleet offers safe performance in
extreme conditions.
Stena Bulk is a leading international
tanker owner. The company controls
a fleet of about 70 tankers from offices
in five countries. Stena Bulk is part of
the Stena Sphere with more than 14,000
employees. For further information,
please visit www.stenabulk.com.
GOTHENBURG
Stena_bulk_TANKER_OP_IS.indd 1
•
HOUSTON
•
LONDON
•
MOSCOW
•
SINGAPORE
•
BEIJING
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cut through the ice. "It affects the
shaft bearings and after seals,"
said Campbell Cunningham,
Thordon's European sales
manager, who advocated the
company's COMPAC system for
ships operating in these
conditions.
"With our COMPAC water
lubricated bearings there is no
after seal so this problem is
eliminated. One of the main
attributes of our polymer
materials are their resilience,
which helps in absorbing the
forces experienced in ice."
Thordon Bearings had supplied
its water lubricated systems to
number of Murmansk Shipping
Company and USCG ice
breakers, all of which regularly
sail in heavy ice. Some are
nuclear-powered ice breakers
operating off the Northern Coast
of Russia.
Take the right coat
Hull and tank coatings should
also be taken into careful
consideration. For while
traditional anti-corrosive systems,
including pure epoxy solutions,
are tried and tested in warmer
climes, they are not resistant to
ice abrasion and ice can abrade or
gouge into the paint system
exposing the steel substrate,
leading to corrosion and other
problems.
Joey Keasberry, Sigma Marine
and Protective Coating's market
intelligence manager said that in
the permanently immersed areas
an impressed current, or
sacrificial anode cathodic
protection system, will prevent
serious pitting corrosion but in
the boot-top belt where the
surface is periodically exposed to
the marine atmosphere, pitting
corrosion can occur. In order to
protect against such damage,
special anti-abrasion coatings
should be used."
Sigma has its SigmaShield
1200 for ships operating in Arctic
conditions. This is a solvent-free
epoxy with special anti-abrasion
pigment which, the company
X
claims, gives the coating
'excellent resistance' to ice
damage.
"In the past, coatings for
outside hulls on ice-going ships
have had to be applied by hot
twin-feed airless spray. In
contrast, the SigmaShield 1200
can be applied by single feed
airless spray and has a long and
“
properties control mechanical
damage and hull roughness,
saving on future maintenance and
repair costs. A reduction in steel
thickness at the ice belt leading to
reduced overall vessel weight and
improved fuel efficiency is also
claimed achievable.
Specifically designed for ships
trading in the Baltic Sea region,
One of the main attributes of
our polymer materials are their
resilience, which helps in absorbing
the forces experienced in ice.
”
Campbell Cunningham, European sales manager,
Thorndon Bearings
successful track record for this
specialised service," said Sigma's
Joey Keasberry.
Yet, while ice class vessels
trading in first-year-ice do not
require complete coating of the
underwater hull, they should, as a
minimum, be coated in the 'ice
belt' region. Norway's Jotun
Paints suggested that as different
regions of the ships hull have
differing ice-impact experiences,
"it might be possible to make
different coating specifications
for different ice class notations
and regions on the ship."
Consequently, Jotun has
developed a number of coatings
for different areas of the icegoing vessel. These are Marathon IQ; Marathon; Jotacote
Universal and Jotamastic 87 GF;
and Safeguard Universal ES (with
an anti-fouling).
International Paint, meanwhile,
has its Intershield 163 Inerta 160.
This system is said to provide up
to two and half times the impact
and erosion resistance of standard
epoxies and has been specially
formulated for operation in
temperatures down to -50 deg C.
IP said its low frictional
resistance controls fuel costs and
improves operating efficiency,
while its abrasion resistant
the paint has now been applied to
over 1,000 vessels trading in ice.
One owner to favour the paint is
Neste Oil Shipping: "We have
used it for many years on our ice
strengthened vessels and have
noticed that this paint applied at
newbuilding is a good investment
due to low friction and abrasion
resistance in ice conditions," said
Markku Lumme, senior technical
adviser, ship management, Neste
Oil Shipping.
IP's own research has shown
that a steel hull with a traditional
anticorrosive system trading in
ice can, as a result of abrasion
and subsequent corrosion,
experience an increase in average
hull roughness in the first year
from 100 to 225 microns
resulting in an increase of up to
4% in the power required to
maintain the same vessel speed.
The manufacturer claims that
demonstrable annual fuel savings
of between seven and 10% have
been achieved from using the
system.
Recent contracts for the coating
system have been secured for the
application of the paint to two of
the world's largest ice-classed
tankers, Stena Antarctica and
Stena Atlantica. The first vessel,
Stena Antarctica, was blasted and
coated with the system on the
vertical sides at Dubai Drydocks,
in June. But with steel
temperatures up to nearly 50 deg
C, Stena was initially
apprehensive about the
application of such a specialised
product at that time of year. Yet
despite the high temperatures the
first application was a success.
"We are now looking forward
to the application of the second
vessel, Stena Atlantica, which
will be entering Dubai Drydocks
during October", said Jim Brown,
IP's marketing operations
manager.
More Maxes
These ice-class 1A Super tankers,
designed to Stena/Concordia's
acclaimed V-MAX design, joined
the Stena Bulk fleet in November
end December last year for a
charter to Russia's Sovcomflot to
ship oil from the Gulf of Finland.
The company took delivery of the
first in the series, Stena Arctica,
in 2005.
These aframaxes built by
Hyundai, were the first of 10 icestrengthened vessels will be
handed over to the Swedish
shipowner during the next few
years. The vessels, mostly PMAX vessels, pencilled in for
delivery between 2006 and 2008
include: Stena Polaris (2006: IceClass 1A); Stena Poseidon (2007:
Ice-Class 1A); Stena Provence
(2006: Ice-Class 1B); Stena
Primorsk (2006: Ice-Class 1B);
Stena Performance (2006: IceClass 1B); Stena Progretra
(2007: Ice-Class 1B) and Stena
Progress (2008: Ice-Class 1B).
However, since these vessels
were ordered, Stena has been
working on a number of new
'Max' series designs. One of
which, the E-MAX, or EuropeanMAX, is a 14,800 dwt twin-skeg
shortsea tanker designed to iceclass 1A standard with a 19,600
cu m capacity.
Capable of a service speed of
13.5 knots, this design, like all
the ships in the Max class,
features full and separate
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redundant propulsion, with
engine rooms separated by a fire
and watertight bulkhead; a
complete double hull; shallow
draught and a wide beam. There
are no tanks containing fuel oil,
lubricating oils or contaminated
water in the outer skin making
the Max series environmentally
safer than other ships of
comparable sizes.
In 2004, Stena Bulk said a
number of oil companies were
looking at the E-MAX design, but
it has since transpired that the EMAX project has been
temporarily shelved.
The next stage in the
development of the ice-class
tanker is however complete. And
following two years development,
Stena announced earlier this year
a letter of intent to jointly
develop with Russian operator
Sovcomflot a new type of tanker
called the B-MAX.
September 2006
The B-MAX ship, for Black or
Baltic Sea trade - hence the 'B'
prefix - has been designed with
economy of scale very much in
mind. For example, for Black Sea
operations the 299 m long, 66.5
m wide vessel would be able to
transport 60% more cargo than a
suezmax and 120% more than an
aframax. The deadweight of the
vessel for Black Sea trade would
be 250,000 tonnes. Operations in
the Baltic would allow for 82%
more cargo than an aframax with
a dead weight of up to 200,000
tonnes.
Its design would also allow for
discharge at all VLCC and the
majority of suezmax ports. The
design means that just one BMAX would equate to the
transportation of an extra 6 mill
tonnes of crude oil annually.
Once again, the B-MAX design
incorporates all the features
inherent to earlier MAX ships:
double hull, twin skeg, complete
propulsion redundancy and high
manoeuvrability. The hull form
and redundancy arrangements
have been designed to safeguard
against a major oil spill,
especially in the Baltic Sea where
restricted water flow through the
narrow Danish Belts and the
Sound would be catastrophic as
the extreme low temperature
preserves pollutants.
Sergey Frank, Sovcomflot's
president said at the time of the
announcement: "We have clearly
communicated our intentions to
focus more on the Russian oil
exports. The B-MAX project is
aimed at reducing freight costs
for our clients whilst increasing
safe transportation in the Baltic
Sea - we like this equation."
So does Stena Bulk president
& ceo Ulf Ryder. "Our objective
of providing ever safer tanker
transportation is clearly visible in
our newbuilding programme. We
have a special focus on the traffic
in our home waters. Designing
vessel with superior cargo intake
on draught and higher safety is a
Stena speciality and there are
currently 10 vessels of our
'MAX- concept' contracted to
leading oil companies. Working
jointly with Sovcomflot on the BMAX is a natural step for us - we
share the same commitment to
the Baltic Sea." First B-MAX
production could start by the end
of this year.
Arctic LNGCs
Stena is also looking at the
feasibility of a liquefied natural
gas carrier designed to the MAX
concept - presumably G (gas) MAX - which Stena claims could
save $15,000 per day in
operational costs.
Norwegian shipowner Leif
Höegh has also carried out
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research into the intended arctic
trading conditions for LNGCs,
with its findings manifest in the
two recently delivered LNG
carriers Arctic Princess and
Arctic Lady, which were built by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for
the Snøhvit project.
One of the most important
intended trade routes in the
Snøhvit project includes the
trading between the loading
terminal located at Melkøya, on
the North Cape and the North
Eastern seaboard of the US. This
trade can be regarded as one of
the most severe as far as the risk
for deck icing and hull damage is
concerned.
The design assessment for
these specialised ships focused on
reducing the risk of hull damage,
due to Arctic weather conditions;
to ensure the safe access to vital
safety equipment's, such as the
lifeboat, in case of an icing
situation; to ensure the safe
access to important deck
equipment, such as mooring
winches, in case of an icing
situation; and to ensure the safe
operation of the vessel's
navigational equipment in case of
severe Arctic conditions.
As such, the 'winterisation' of
the two Snøhvit vessels are,
apart from the structural
modifications as result of the
extended FEM analysis, mainly
focused on the deck heating
systems. The vessels have a
combination of electrical and
steam heating systems. The deck
heating, located at the mooring
areas forward and aft, as well as
the manifold area, is produced
through large numbers of
insulated steam radiators located
under the deck plating. Steam
heating is also used for the
heating of the fly-bridge, but
heating of the final access to the
tank domes is electrical.
Access to lifeboat areas and
other safety routes, including
access doors, are heated by
electrical heating cables. The
forward mooring area from
accommodation is provided by
XII
steam heated under deck passage
ways on the port and starboard
side. The lifeboat and MOB boats
diesel engines are also electrically
heated.
The results of the evaluations,
which were incorporated into the
design and operational envelope
of the 2005-built vessels, include
the following features:
A hull design modified in
accordance to the results of an
extensive FEM analysis,
performed with a wave
spectrum corresponding to the
actual trading conditions (the
northern part of the North
Atlantic).
Access heating (deck, door,
ladders, etc), designed for
Arctic conditions, for various
safety routes, to be used by
crew in emergency situations.
Access heating, designed for
Arctic conditions, for the safe
access to major deck
equipment, as mooring
winches, flybridge area, tank
domes, etc.
High visibility orange coating
used on hull topside and tank
covers.
Enclosed navigating bridge
including electrically heated
windows and electrically
heated exposed navigational
equipment.
Focus on Arctic operation and
navigation through
participation in the Tromsø
University College, Norway,
Arctic navigation programme.
Specialised training courses
for Arctic conditions such as
basic personal care, clothing,
nutrition, Arctic impact on
safety equipment and mental
preparation.
Indeed, according to LR's Tustin,
it seems likely that exploitation of
the giant natural gas fields on the
Yamal Peninsula and Yamal
offshore in the Western Arctic
regions of Russia will further
precipitate the development of
Arctic LNG shipping.
Over the last five years, he
said, there has been significant
technical development in the
LNG and ice-class tanker
sectors, such as the introduction
of the first large double-acting
ice-class tanker designs,
development and first orders for
large LNG carriers of 200,000
plus cu m capacity and the
development gas turbines and
the introduction of new dual-fuel
electric propulsion systems on
LNG carriers.
Tustin argued that each
technical development, although
representing a maturing of earlier
research projects, when combined
could facilitate and enable the
development of viable future
large Arctic LNG ship designs for
Russian Arctic service.
He said that such issues are
indicative of the depth of frontend engineering design activity
“
of current and projected vessels
required, some 4,000 cold
climate-trained seafarers will be
needed.
Most operators of ice-breaking
ships have to train their crews
themselves, but Russia has
expressed an interest in becoming
the centre of excellence for ice
crew training.
The country has special 'ice
schools' in Vladivostok and
Murmansk; areas that in the
severe Russian winter provide the
right conditions to train the
world's seafarers in ice-ship
operations. Indeed, Norwegian
classification society DNV, which
has a welter of ice-strengthened
ship classification experience and
has entered into a dual class
agreement with the Russian
Most operators of ice-breaking
ships have to train their crews
themselves, but Russia has
expressed an interest in becoming
the centre of excellence for
ice crew training.
likely to be required for future
Arctic LNG ships and include ice interaction scenarios and
direct design approaches; iceclass selection; qualification and
risk reduction on application of
new technologies; LNG cargo
containment system integrity
with hull ice interaction; hull
structure fatigue strength for
extreme wave environments; and
winterisation.
Skill shortage
Another, though less considered
safety issue for cold climate
operation, is the shortage of
skilled ice crews, which
according to some, takes as long
to train an ice master as it does to
train a qualified surgeon in brain
surgery - eight to 10 years.
A number of ice-class vessels
on order are for crews averaging
20 persons, but with the number
”
Register of Shipping, believes
that a dearth of competent crews
will limit safe operation.
The head of DNV Maritime's
business and marketing
department, Wilhelm Magelssen,
said the skill and experience of
the crew will have a significant
and direct impact on the safety
level. It is particularly important
that crew members are prepared
to react and function in the
conditions in which they find
themselves, he said. When a ship
is operating in ice, the major
increase in noise and vibration
will affect their ability to get
proper rest when off duty, and
hence reduce their ability to
work safely while on duty. The
vessel must be truly 'fit for
purpose', and have structures and
equipment of a material quality
that is appropriate for low
TO
temperatures.
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Finland’s Aker Arctic
continues Arctic ship
developments
Aker Arctic Technology Inc (AARC) in Finland is owned by Aker Yards together with
minority shareholders Wärtsilä, ABB, and Norwegian Aker Kvaerner Engineering,
writes Henrik Segercrantz.
T
he Arctic maritime
engineering and R&D
company continued
the operations of the
ice model basin of Masa-Yards
Arctic Research Centre (Marc),
which followed the first western
facility for testing model scale
ships in ice, established in
Helsinki in 1969. The recent
increase of activities in the Arctic,
particularly in Russia, has kept the
new company busy with design
and engineering tasks, ranging
from the Arctic shuttle tankers
newbuildings at Admiralty
Shipyards and Samsung, to
various other design and ice model
testing tasks of ships and oil rigs
and offshore structures for various
clients, including shipping
companies, leading oil companies,
shipyards and authorities, such as
the USCG.
A new model basin was
inaugurated last winter and is now
in full operation. It has a length of
70 m (old: 77.3 m), width of 8 m
(6.5 m) and a depth of 2.2 m (2.3
m). The width of the new basin
was increased to allow better
possibilities for modelling of
offshore operations. Typically,
such model tests included docking
trials of ships with icebound
offshore platforms, or oil or gas
loading structures to test the ship
design, or the design of the
caisson or both. Along the entire
length of the basin floor there is a
September 2006
A model of Stena's B-MAX in the new test basin.
glass window, to allow
unobstructed visual data gathering.
In its daily work, AARC can
rely on the fact that there is no
other facility in the world with
such a large full-scale test
correlation database, which is the
one most important asset for
correctly predicting real world
physics from model testing.
AARC's track record includes
some 200 full scale field tests and
expeditions, 300 model test series
and 160 published papers at
conferences and in journals. The
facility uses its own developed
fine-grain model ice, which has
proven to provide the best
existing physical and strength
scalability with different and
varying real ice conditions in the
Arctic, Baltic, rivers and in the
Antarctic.
In addition to the Russian
Arctic shuttle tanker projects
already mentioned, recent work
by AARC included the
development of the Arctic
container vessel Norilskiy Nickel,
the double-acting icebreakersupply ship FESCO Sakhalin,
development and testing work of
the US Coast Guard Great Lakes
icebreaker Mackinaw.
Current work includes a project
for Houston-based Frontier
Drilling USA, which is modifying
its drillship Frontier Discoverer to
suit operation in the Beaufort and
Chukchi Seas. AARC is
undertaking the conceptual design
of the hull form and protection of
the riser, and assisting in
developing an ice management
plan involving several icebreakers.
Another task, for Shell Exploration
& Production, is a feasibility study
of refurbishing and converting
the drilling platform Kulluk
with own propulsion. Shell last
year acquired Kulluk for its
planned 2007-2009 summer
exploration drilling campaign in
the Beaufort Sea.
TO
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Russian Register
helps develop Polar
Rules
Ships operating in the Russian Arctic prefer to have RS ice class
A
s befits its
geographical status,
the Russian Maritime
Register of Shipping
(RS) has been actively involved
in the development process of the
Polar Ship Rules, substantially
contributing to ice strengthening
aspects. This work formed the
basis for the current IACS
studies.
DNV, LR and RINA. However,
ships operating in the Russian
Arctic prefer to have the RS Ice
Class, the register claimed.
Most class societies' ice rules
are based upon the Finnish/
Swedish rules, but the Register
said that it had a different
approach, which is a combination
of the research developments and
practical experience gained from
investigation as it was not
covered by the requirements.
The ice load distribution on the
stern area required more work to
be undertaken, as well as the
response on the structure of the
AZIPOD induced forces.
RS has a highly qualified team
of specialists who are involved
in updating the rules and
guidelines at the same time
“
Most class societies' ice rules are based
upon the Finnish/ Swedish rules, but the
Register said that it had a different approach,
which is a combination of the research
developments and practical experience gained
from Arctic operations.
RS said it is open for further
co-operation with classification
societies, governmental bodies
and international associations
with a view to improving the
requirements currently available.
At the same time, the national
regulations as laid down in the
register's Ice Rules as a
minimum safety standard for ice
class ships to follow that are
operating in Russian waters will
be kept.
Dual class arrangements are
already in place with GL, ABS,
XIV
Arctic operations.
The organisation is involved in
classing the newbuilding double
acting tankers (DAT) currently
under construction at the
Admiralty yard in St Petersburg.
They will be designated RS LU6
Ice Class. The Register said a few
challenges were faced at the
design stage pertaining to the
stern section where the
azimuthing AZIPOD thrusters
were to be fitted.
The newly designed stern
section needed further
”
paying attention to complying
with the requirements of
international standards on
maritime safety and
environmental protection.
Both model and operational
testing research is carried out by
the Register in co-operation with
Russian research institutions. To
give an idea of the scale of the
research, 295 researchers, two
correspondent members of the
Russian Academy of Sciences,
63 professors and 105 doctors
are today members of the RS
Scientific and Technical Council
chaired by the Register's director
general Nikolay A Reshetov.
RS has a history of looking
after ice class vessels. Since the
early 1970s, the Register has
handled literally hundreds of ice
class vessels, some of which are
still trading. Most of the high ice
class vessels, including
icebreakers, built for the northern
sea route are Russian flag.
Today, the Register is looking
forward to the further
development of the Russian ice
class tanker fleet to meet the
growing demand of safe energy
transportation in low
temperatures.
RS has produced a series of
papers on the current
requirements for vessels sailing in
ice conditions, which were
presented at the second Arctic
Conference held in St Petersburg
last April. The Register chaired
the conference. The organisation
said that these papers pointed to
the need for uniform
requirements for Arctic vessels.
The Register publishes a
magazine - Transactions - on an
annual basis. Last year's edition
contained papers entitled
'Methodology of Assessment of
Equivalency of Existing Ice
Classes', 'Domestic Welding
Materials for Welding of
Structures Operating in the
North' and 'Promotion of ColdResistant Welded Steels
TO
Manufacture'.
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Arctic tanker
technology
Arctic ship technology has been developed in Finland for decades and new improved
products have been introduced in the market on a regular basis. The latest developments,
which have helped to drastically improve the efficiency in icebreaking, are related to the
so-called 'double-acting' ship (DAS) technology, which was introduced in the early 1990's
by Kvaerner Masa-Yards, now Aker Yards, Helsinki. Henrik Segercrantz looks at the
latest newbuilding projects.
T
he ship application
where the vessel could
in continuous mode
penetrate ice using the
stern first approach and using the
traditional bow for open water and
light ice conditions, was made
possible by the development of the
azimuthing propeller-rudder
device, called Azipod.
Azipod was developed by the
yard and its Arctic Research
Centre in Helsinki, together with
ABB in Finland. The Azipod
drive has the electric motor inside
the propeller hub. In really heavy
ice conditions, the electric drive
with its beneficial torque curve is
the only practical propulsion
motor and the idea of placing it in
an azimuthing device gave the
shipbuilders new possibilities. As
a result, manoeuvrability is
drastically improved and the
ships resistance in ice much
reduced. The double-acting ship
technology was developed by the
Arctic Technology Centre in
Helsinki, today Aker Arctic
Technology.
Norilskiy Nickel
sets the path
carriers, the Uikku and Lunni
were converted to Azipod
propulsion. They also operated in
the Russian Arctic, carrying gascondensate from Ob Bay. In
1997, Uikku was also the first
non-Russian vessel in modern
times to sail through the entire
North-east Passage.
The latest vessel, and the first
newbuilding reference of an
Arctic cargo vessel where the
double-acting principle has been
utilised, is the 14.500 dwt Arctic
container vessel Norilskiy Nickel,
delivered in April this year by
Aker Yards Helsinki to Russian
mining company MMC Norilsk
Nickel.
She operates between Dudinka
on the Yenisey River and
Murmansk on a year-round basis.
The ship is part of an investment
programme of a fleet of five new
ships, by which the owner can
minimise its dependency of
expensive icebreaker assistance in
its exports of nickel semiproducts. Four further sistership
newbuilding orders were recently
placed at Aker Yards by MMC
Norilsk Nickel for Eur320 mill.
The order also includes an option
for a fifth vessel.
The first tanker newbuildings
built to the DAS concept, were
two 106,000 dwt crude oil
carriers for Neste Oil Corp,
Tempera and Mastera, built in
2002 for Baltic trading. In the
1990's, two 16,000 dwt products
Double-acting Arctic
tankers
Tanker operators focusing on
Arctic traffic have followed the
successful operations of
Norilskiy Nickel with interest, as
XVI
did the Russian Maritime
Register of Shipping, to which
class the ship was built. Current
shipping projects for the Russian
Arctic include the shuttle crude
oil carriers under construction for
carrying the oil from Gazprom's
Prirazlomnoye oil fields 60 km
offshore in the eastern Barents
Sea, plus the planned oil exports
from the joint onshore oil fields
of Lukoil and ConocoPhillips
through the offshore loading
facility at Varandei, on the coast
of Pechora Sea.
Sovcomflot has received the
order for shipping the oil in both
these projects and is building two
shuttle tankers for Prirazlomnoye
at Admiralty Shipyards in St
Petersburg and three shuttle
tankers for the Varandei traffic at
Samsung in Korea. These ships
are part of Sovcomflot's fleet
investment programme, estimated
by the company to be worth $920
mill for years 2006-2009.
Varandei
terminal
The potential oil reserves of
Lukoil's and US ConocoPhillips'
joint venture oil field
development in the Russian
Timan-Pechora region are
estimated at up to 10 bill barrels.
Crude transportation from the
Varandei terminal is to be
increased to 12 mill tonnes per
year (240,000 barrels per day) in
2007 and to reach a projected
annual maximum of 16 mill
tonnes in 2013. Varandei already
has a 3 mill tonnes per year
terminal with 65,000 cu m
onshore storage capacity.
Lukoil started crude oil exports
from the terminal about five years
ago, loading the oil cargo
offshore on board 20,000 dwt
shuttle tankers, by-passing the
state pipeline monopoly and
preserving the high quality of the
crude. Due to shallow water in
the area, the oil is loaded on the
tankers from an offshore oil
platform.
In October 2005, Lukoil
revealed that Samsung would
soon receive an order for three
70,000 dwt (525,000 barrels)
shuttle tankers for Varandei
exports. A fourth vessel was
believed to be planned once the
company boosts production in the
Timan-Pechora oil province. In
November 2005,
Naryanmarneftegaz, the joint
venture company, signed a 20year-long contract with
Sovcomflot for the oil
transportation from Varandei
using three 70,000 dwt shuttle
tankers. Oil deliveries are to
begin from late 2007.
A day later, Sovcomflot
revealed that it had placed an
order for the three 70,000 dwt
tankers at Samsung. The value of
the contract, according to the
South Korean builder, is $430
September 2006
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Sovcomflot is building three Arctic shuttle tankers at Samsung for exports of crude oil from the
Varandei terminal. Aker Arctic Technology assists the shipyard with the design.
mill. The delivery of the vessels
is scheduled for December 2007,
April 2008 and March 2009
respectively. An export insurance
MOU with Korea Export
Insurance Corporation was
recently signed by Sovcomflot.
Technical data
The DAT crude oil tankers are
intended for an independent
shuttle operation to Murmansk,
and probably also elsewhere.
They will be built to ABS class
except the hull, which is built to
Russian Maritime Register of
Shipping ice class LU 6. The
tankers will fly the Russian flag.
They will be equipped with an
Azipod propulsion system, a
dynamic positioning system, a
helipad and an Arctic bow
loading system. The total length
is 256 m, length between
perpendiculars is 234.7 m,
breadth 34 m, design and
scantling draught is 14 m and the
depth is 21 m. Samsung will
work under a co-operation and
licence agreement with Aker
Arctic Technology, according by
which Aker Arctic will support
the builder in designing and
constructing the vessels.
The main diesel-electric
machinery comprises two dieselalternators sets of 11,200 kW
each plus one 4,200 kW dieselalternator. In addition there is one
1,000 kW harbour generator and
a 640 kW emergency generator.
They will each receive twin 10
MW Azipod drives. In addition to
the Azipod propulsion units, ABB
will deliver the main alternators
(two 13,180 kVA and one 4,940
kVA), main 6.6 kV switchboard,
two 11,700 kVA propulsion
transformers, two ACS6000
frequency converters for the
propulsion drives, distribution
and propulsion excitation
transformers, propulsion control
and remote control systems, to
each vessel all built to ABS class.
The Azipod units are built to
RMRS LU6 ice class. In order to
facilitate dynamic positioning, the
vessel is equipped with one 2000
kW CPP-type tunnel thruster
forward. The system voltages are
AC 6,600V/440v/220V 60Hz.
Cargo tank capacity in the
70,000 dwt ships will be 85,300
cu m, including slops. The ballast
water capacity is 38,000 cu m,
while the HFO capacity is 3,500
cu m, diesel oil capacity 200 cu
General arrangement of Sovcomflot's newbuildings for the
Varandei oil export traffic.
September 2006
m and fresh water capacity 400
cu m. Both tanks and underwater
hull will receive epoxy coatings.
Cargo in two segregations can be
carried.
There are 10 sets of 800 cu m
per hour x 135mlc deepwell
cargo pumps and two sets of 400
cu m per hour x 135mlc deepwell
slop pumps. The installations
comprise a series of loading, slop
oil tank and ballast deepwell
pumps by Dutch company
Marflex, linked to a series of
variable drives by Siemens. Their
power varies between 220 and
390 kW and capacities between
400 and 2,500 cu m per hour.
Cargo heating is attained by
stainless steel heating coils.
The water ballast system is
arranged in two main lines, with
two sets of 2,500 cu m per hour x
25mlc deepwell pumps. Steam is
generated with two sets of two
tonnes per hour, plus one set of
one tonne per hour exhaust gas
economizers and two sets of 15
Arctic Shuttle Tankers for
Varandei
Principle Particulars
Owner
Sovcomflot
Builder
Samsung Heavy Industries
Type
Arctic (double hull) shuttle tanker
Delivery
Hull No 1660: December 2007
Hull No 1661: April 2008
Hull No 1662: March 2009
Contract value, approx
$430 mill ($144 mill per ship)
Flag
Russian Federation
Loa
256 m
Breadth, mld
34 m
Depth, mld
21 m
Draft, mld
14 m
Deadweight
70,000 dwt
Service speed
- open water
16 knots
- in ice (thickness 1.5m) 2 knots
Cargo/slop tanks number
10/2
Cargo holds and slop tanks 85,300 cu m
Unloading rate
10,000 cu m per hour
Main engines
Wärtsilä two x 16V38 / 1x6L38
Main generators
ABB two x 13,180 kVA and
one x 4,940 kVA
Output
Max 27,550 kW
Fuel consumption
189 g/kWh
Propulsion system
2 x 10,000 kW Azipod units
Bow thruster
1 x 2,000 kW
Dual classification under the Register of Shipping of Russia (hull)
and ABS class: KM +LU6 1A1 "Oil Tanker" (ESP) with exclusive
approval for the shaft power /+A1(E), Oil Carrier, SH, SHCM,
+AMS, +ACCU, VEC, SPM, NIBS, ESP, B1, B1, Baltic Ice Class
Equivalent to RS Ice Class LU6 Ice Breaking Tanker
XVII
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Page 3
tonne per hour auxiliary boilers.
The bow loading system, supplied
by Aker Kvaerner Pusnes, has a
capacity of 10,000 cu m per hour
and is of a type first delivered in
2005, to five shuttle tankers for
ExxonMobil's Sakhalin project.
The vessels, pipelines and
equipment will be built for air
temperatures of -40 deg C to +30
deg C with an extreme
temperature of -45 deg C.
Insulation covering and heating is
available and anti-icing of escape
routes and life saving appliances
is also possible. They will be
capable of operating in winter
through 1.5 m of solid level ice,
both moving ahead and astern,
without the assistance of
icebreakers, with a minimum
contracted speed of two knots.
The open water service speed is
about 16 knots.
A bi-directional navigation
bridge will receive integrated
navigation system an ECDIS, an
ice navigation radar and a night
vision camera. The antenna
domes are temperaturised. The
external communication system is
of GMDSS(A3)-type. L-2
Valmarine supplies the
automation systems for the
vessels. The complement of the
vessel, accommodated in the
deckhouse, is 36 persons plus
space for six Suez Canal crew.
Prirazlomnoye
shuttle tankers
Prirazlomnoye is the pilot
offshore project on the Russian
Arctic shelf. The construction of
the offshore oil field has been
delayed several times, but the
steel/concrete platform fitted with
a converted Hutton TLP topside,
under construction at the
Sevmach plant in Severodvinsk,
is expected to be towed to the 20
m deep site in 2007. The operator
is Sevmorneftegaz, a subsidiary
of Gazprom.
The project cost estimate was
recently raised by
Sevmorneftegaz to $1.6 bill. The
platform provides storage of
XVIII
109,000 cu m of oil prepared for
transportation, which complies
with five-six day's capacity
during maximum extraction
period. Production during the 25year project is planned for 74.6
mill tonnes of oil with annual
production to peak at 7.55 mill
tonnes.
In December 2004, Admiralty
Shipyards (Admiralteiskiye Verfi)
and ZAO Sevmorneftegaz signed
the original contract to build two
70,000 dwt ice-class tankers, to
Aker Arctic Technology design,
for the Prirazlomnoye field.
The tankers, intended for
shipping oil from the
Prirazlomnoye field to the
Belokamenka floating storage and
offloading tanker in the port of
Murmansk, were originally to be
Artist's impression of the 70,000 dwt Arctic shuttle tanker, loaded
with Prirazlomnoye oil, leaving the production platform stern first.
delivered in 2007.
In August 2005, Aker Arctic
Technology, the holder of the
'double-acting' licence, signed the
design and technology licensing
contract with Admiralty
Prirazlomnoye Arctic
shuttle tankers
Principle Particulars
Owner
Sovcomflot
Builder
Admiralty Shipyards
Type
Arctic (double hull) shuttle tanker
Delivery
Hull No 2750: April 2009
Hull No 2751: August 2009
Contract value, about
$123 mill
Flag
Russian Federation
Loa
257 m
Breadth,mld
34 m
Depth,mld
21 m
Draft,mld
13.6 m
Deadweight
70,000 dwt
Service speed
- open water
16 knots
- in ice (thickness 1.2 m) 3 knots
Cargo/slop tanks number
10/2
Cargo holds and slop tanks 86,700 cu m
Unloading rate
10,000 cu m per hour
Main engines
Wärtsilä four x 6L46C
Output
Max 26,000 kW
Fuel consumption
74 g/kWh
Propulsion system
2 x 8,500 kW Azipod units
Bow thruster
2 x 2,000 kW
Dual classification under the Register of Shipping of Russia and
Lloyd's Register: KM+LU61A1"Oil Tanker"(ESP) / + 100A1
Double Hull Oil Tanker, ESP, ShipRight (SDA, FDA, CM), Ice
Class (RMRS LU6), LI, +LMC, UMS, NAV1, IBS, ICC,
Centralised Operation Station for Liquid Cargoes, DP(AA), VECS,
EP(P), ShipRight (PCWBT), BLS, SPM, Helicopter Landing Area,
Winterisation D (-40), IFP
Shipyards. In October 2005,
Sovcomflot signed an agreement
with Gazprom and its subsidiary
Sevmorneftegaz to ship the
Prirazlomnoye oil, which is
expected to be a maximum of 6.5
mill tonnes of oil produced per
year (133,000 barrels per day),
starting at the end of 2007, or
early 2008.
In May this year, a new
shipbuilding contract was signed
with Admiralty shipyards, with
Sovcomflot, for the two Arctic
shuttle tankers intended for
shipping oil from the
Prirazlomnoye field. In late June,
Sovcomflot and Sevmorneftegaz
signed a 25-years time-charter
contract, based on the co-operation
agreement of October 2005.
Transportation of the oil to the
floating storage and offloading
system (FSO) in Murmansk is
scheduled to begin in 2008. The
delivery dates of the two vessels
from Admiralty Shipyards are
thought set for April and August
2009 and the reported price per
ship is $123 mill.
Technical data
The ice-class 70,000 dwt doubleacting (DAT) tankers (Hull Nos
2750/2751) will have an overall
length of 257 m, a moulded
breadth of 34 m and draught 13.6
m. The height of the hull is 21 m.
A diesel-electric power plant
consisting of four main dieselgenerators comprising four
Wärtsilä 6L46C main engines
each connected to an alternator
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Page 4
will be fitted. The total power
will be 26 MW supplying
propulsion power of 17 MW for a
pair of 8,500 kW Azipod
propulsion drives. The vessels
will receive two 2,000kW bow
tunnel thrusters each.
Flying the flags of the Russian
Federation, the tankers will be
built in compliance with the
Rules of dual classification under
the Register of Shipping of
Russia (for hull and Azipod
propulsion) and LR. They will be
assigned LU 6 ice class (1A
Super in accordance with
international classification).
The shuttle tankers will receive
a dynamic positioning system, a
helipad and a bow loading system
designed for the specifically
demanding Arctic conditions in
the area. The tankers are
contracted to operate year-round
in 1.2 m thick ice without the
need for an icebreaker escort,
with a continuous speed of three
knots. The speed in open water is
16 knots.
The Prirazlomnoye area is
typically ice-free for 110 days of
the year. The annual average
temperature is -4 deg C but can
drop at times to -50 deg C and
the level ice can reach a
thickness of up to 1.7 m, whereas
rubble ice fields can be some 20
times thicker. The tankers will be
fitted with 10 cargo tanks and
two slop tanks with a total
volume of 86,700 cu m. The
cargo handling capacity is 10,000
cu m per hour.
Sovcomflot is also building a
series of 47,000 dwt products
carriers at Admiralty Shipyards.
Contracts were signed last spring
to increase the current series to
nine vessels. The seventh and the
eighth tankers will be delivered in
2007 and the delivery of the ninth
vessel will take place in 2008. TO
operator, Armement Fouquet
Sacop for an en bloc $21 mill,
while the larger Gas Courchevel,
(ex Fernando Clariana), built in
1991 and of 4,280 cu m, is ice
class 1C and was purchased from
Lauritzen Kosan A/S, in late
2004 for $11 mill.
The market for ice class LPG
ships of this size is an extremely
small one and three units makes
StealthGas a prime player in a
sector. Having said this, Vafias
admits the Gas Arctic and Gas
Ice have not traded in ice since
they were purchased.
"They have been on charter to
Italians and working in the
coastal trades," said Vafias. "The
charters run to 2008 and 2009
and we will see what happens
then," he explained.
Indeed, he said the Gas Arctic
and Gas Ice are very flexible in
that they are strong ships "built
by Appledore [Shipbuilders] of
the UK".
The Gas Courchevel,
commissioned from Spain's SA
Juliana Constr Gijonesa, has been
trading in the Baltic region for
the past nine months, prior to that
she was on charter to Dow
Chemicals trading in South
America.
"The charter is nearing an end
but we would like to keep her up
there as the winter season is soon
to start. Of course future
employment and where she trades
depends on the charter rates
available," said Vafias.
"There is great demand for this
type of ship which is larger than
the typical ice class LPG carrier.
Her size allows the charterer to
top-up with another 1,000 cu m."
Vafias said the attraction of the
ships is their flexibility as they
can trade in most environments
and "we are confident there will
be a demand for them" just as
there will be for all the ships in
our fleet.
StealthGas is not hunting to
buy more ice class ships, but is
keeping an eye out for any LPG
ships that may come on to the
market.
"While not specifically chasing
ice class tonnage we're aware
there are in fact none for sale that
hold an interest for us in the size
we are looking for," said Vafias.
"We are always watching the
secondhand market just as we
always strive to ensure the
requirements of our clients are
met," he said.
A larger fleet is doing the job
for StealthGas. The company has
just reported lifting second
quarter 2006 profits by some 64%
despite a three-fold increase in
expenses. Net income for the
three months ended June 30, 2006
was $4.6 mill on voyage revenues
of $17.2 mill. Second quarter
2006 expenses rose to $11.7 mill
from the $3.8 mill in the
corresponding period last year,
while ship operating expenses
more than doubled from a year
ago to $4.7 mill, and depreciation
costs almost trebled to $3.1 mill.
"Our operations in the second
quarter were affected by the
softness in the spot market
coupled with more extended
drydockings," said Vafias.
However, he said the company
has since increased the fixed
period employment of our fleet to
81% of our operating days for
2006 and to 43% for 2007.
For the first six months period,
StealthGas said revenues
amounted to $34.2 mill, while net
income was $11.6 mill in 2006
compared with revenues of $11.7
mill and net income of $4.5 mill
in the 2005 period.
The results impressed Cantor
Fitzgerald analyst Natasha
Boyden who is predicted future
earnings for StealthGas should
"benefit from a stronger than
average LPG rate environment,
given the company's period
charter strategy and aggressive
expansion programme". Boydon
also noted that "following
delivery of all 28 vessels, the
company still maintains a
moderate long-term debt to total
capital ratio of 46%, leaving
room to make further
acquisitions".
Even if no additions are made
in the s&p market, Brave
Maritime, StealthGas' affiliated
company has ordered eight LPG
newbuildings for delivery in
2008/2009, four ships in Japan
and four in at Romania's
Severnav shipyard.
TO
Stealth on Ice
The intentions of the
ambitious Nasdaq-listed,
Athens-based
StealthGas to cover the
entire needs of the gas
market sector in ships
of up 8,000 cu m were
clear early on and have
been well documented,
writes David Glass.
Prior to becoming the first pure
LPG owner to float in the US, the
Harry Vafias-driven company was
building its fleet and pre-IPO,
StealthGas, established November
2004, operated nine LPG carriers,
including three ice-class ships
purchased end-2004/early-2005.
In the scheme of things, the
$32 mill invested in acquiring the
three 1991/1992 built doublehull/semi refrigerated units is
considerably more than the
average $7.86 mill per ship spent
on building the 28-ship fleet,
underwritten by the $116 mill
raised by the IPO in October
2005.
In all, StealthGas has paid
around $220 mill (excluding
newbuildings controlled by
affiliates) developing a fleet
ranging in size from 1,600 cu m
to 8,000 cu m, ranking it first in
the world in the 3,000 to 8,000 cu
m sector.
The 1992-built Gas Arctic (ex
Cap Anne), and Gas Ice (ex Cap
Patricia), built 1991, are both of
3,200 cu m capacity and ice
class 1B. The pair were
purchased from French coastal
September 2006
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Page 1
B
Looking back in
time*
ack in 1969, an ABSclassed 1962-built
twin screw 115,000
dwt tanker
Manhattan was rebuilt to
undertake two unique passages
through the Northwest Passage.
One of the main reasons for the
experiment was that oil had been
discovered at Prudhoe Bay on
Alaska's North Slope a year
earlier.
This privately funded project,
estimated at $54 mill, involved
four shipyards, an international
team of experts and three oil
majors. Once oil had been
discovered, Humble Oil, a
subsidiary of Esso, (now Exxon)
sparked a national debate whether
to transport the oil from Prudhoe
Bay by pipeline or by specialised
ice breaking tankers.
It was decided to convert the
Manhattan, which had been built
during the changeover from
empirical, experienced-based
design to first principals
engineering aided by the new
fangled computer. As ABS put it,
'the ship combined the daring size
of the future with the
conservative robustness of the
past.' Esso provided the primary
financial backing with BP and
Arco supplying additional
funding for the project.
She was built by Bethlehem
Steel and was fitted with a steam
turbine propulsion system giving
43,000 shp, meaning she had
considerably more horsepower
per deadweight tonnes than any
other commercial vessel afloat.
Its short tank length gave the
tanker a substantially greater rigid
structure than was found in more
modern designs.
Her scantlings were so heavy
that the bottom plating, deck and
XX
The concept of ice class tankers is not new.
upper hull structure were of
normalised, or heat-treated steel,
which by nature had very
favourable low temperature
characteristics.
the Manhattan for Arctic trading.
Only one shipyard, Sun
Shipbuilding of Chester (Pa) was
willing to take on the conversion
work. This had been tendered
Iron Works.
All the work was undertaken
under the watchful eye of ABS'
surveyors.
In addition, transverse
bulkheads were strengthened by
adding doublers, installed in way
of the welded connections of
Way ahead of its time, Manhattan breaks the ice. Photo credit - ABS
In December 1968, a team
from Wärtsilä approached Esso
and offered to share everything
they new about ice breaking
technology. At that time Wärtsilä
was the world leader in this
particular sphere having built
60% of the world's icebreaking
fleet.
This experiment lasted for 20
months. Wärtsilä advised on the
project at virtually every step from vessel conversion to testing
and finally to the modelling and
design of future ships for
transiting the Northwest Passage.
When the project was approved
very little was known about the
extent of work needed to convert
only as 'extensive modification'
requiring the strengthening of the
hull and the installation of an
icebreaking bow, propellers and
rudder protection.
The project proved so big that
to complete within the set time
frame, Sun suggested that four
shipyards be used, thus: The 493 ft aft section
remained at Sun for
modification.
The 122 ft forward section
was taken by Newport News.
The 264 ft mid-body went to
Mobile's Alabama Dry Dock.
The icebreaking bow was
built in two sections - one at
Sun and the other at Bath
horizontal girders, while heavy
I-beams were placed at every
web frame across the width of
the ship.
A 9ft-wide sloping steel belt,
similar to a large triangular blister
in shape, was added to the
Manhattan's sides to increase
strength and to deflect the deadly
pressure ice typically found in the
region. The ice belt actually came
in useful during the second transit
when the sloping sides caused the
ice boulders to fall back and
away onto the ice flows.
Other modifications included
the fitting of a helideck; the
renewal of the shafting with
higher strengthening materials;
September 2006
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Page 2
Manhattan's unique icebreaking bow paved the way for icebreaking technology. Photo credit - ABS
the attaching of a shearing
coupling to protect the lowpressure turbine rotor against the
shock of ice loads; installing
underwater rudder guards and
higher strength propellers;
building a double hull for the
machinery and steering gear
rooms; reinforcing the machinery
for extra stability; and installing a
special 'liquid phase' heating
system to circulate heated oil to
warm the deck machinery. Every
modification was proved to be
necessary during the transits.
The most distinctive feature of
the 'new' Manhattan was her new
bow. It was a design that had not
seen the light of day before, but
still influences icebreaker design
today. Its forepart was sloped by
18 deg, curving gently down to
her bottom where it was plumb.
Another innovation adopted
following the successful
Manhattan project was for
forward shoulder, which was the
area where the bow section met
the ship's parallel body. It was
made several meters wider than
the hull to cut a wide swathe
through the ice and reduce
friction on the vessel. When this
system was adopted on later
September 2006
icebreakers, it was called a
reamer.
On her first 4,400 mile voyage
in the late summer of 1969,
Manhattan had 126 people on
board, of which 45 were crew.
The rest were mainly scientists,
journalists and politicians. The
Polar pack ice can exceed 3 m
thickness. It drifts around in vast
floating plains, which can be
miles across. As they crash into
Manhattan broke through thicker
ice than any other ship before her.
She carried no cargo on her first
voyage. However, her tanks were
filled with water to simulate a
laden tanker. Esso then sent the
vessel on a second transit the
following April to test her against
Arctic Winter ice. Unfortunately,
she encountered very thick ice,
which she could not break
through into the Northwest
“
This programme proved
conclusively that it would be
technically and commercially
feasible to undertake year round
transits by tanker through the
Northwest Passage
one another, the floes form huge
rubble hills and undersea ridges,
some of which can reach 30 m
deep.
To pass through this type of
ice, a traditional icebreaker rams,
rides up and breaks through by
pressing down on the ice.
By using this method,
”
Passage. Instead, she went to
Pond Inlet, near the top of Baffin
Island, where icebreaking tests
were conducted to gather
additional data.
During the voyages, Manhattan
was fitted with all kinds of
instruments with strain gauges
throughout the hull and the most
up-to-date electronics available at
the time. They were housed in a
container on deck.
Following the voyages, a
model of the Manhattan was built
in Wärtsilä 's new ice model
basin. This was constructed
specifically to support the whole
project but became instrumental
in Finnish/Soviet co-operation on
the subject of ice technology.
Voyage data was compared
with the model tests and
calculations to calibrate the basin
and its test results were later used
by Wärtsilä and Esso to design
further ice class tankers.
This programme proved
conclusively that it would be
technically and commercially
feasible to undertake year round
transits by tanker through the
Northwest Passage. However in
1970, the experiments were
suspended in favour of a pipeline
solution for the export of North
Slope Oil.
As for the Manhattan, she was
originally built for Niarchos and
when delivered in January 1962
was the largest ship afloat.
However, as happened in those
days this distinction didn't last
long as the world's tanker fleet
got bigger and bigger, both in
terms of numbers and size of
vessels.
Apart from carrying crude oil,
she was even used to lift grain aid
cargoes in the mid 1960s often to
Bangladesh. Following her Arctic
adventures, she returned to the
grain trades for several years until
she returned to Alaska in 1977 to
load at Valdez for the west coast
US refineries.
However, she came to an
untimely end in 1987 when a
typhoon drove her aground in the
Far East and she was scrapped
still sporting her distinctive ice
breaking bow.
*This article was written with
reference to ABS' Low
Temperature Operations - Polar
Class Guidance pamphlet and to
Intertanko's TANKER
newsletter, January 2000. TO
XXI
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Digital Ship and TANKEROperator
have organised five conferences during SMM
at the Hamburg Congress Centre
on 27th and 28th September, 2006
Wednesday 27th September
Digital Ship will be
presenting a day long
conference entitled
Maritime Satellite
Communications, chaired
by Chris Courard, an
independent maritime
communications consultant.
Running simultaneously will
be another Digital Ship
conference with the theme
of Systems and Software
for Seafarers. This will be
chaired by LR's principal
human factors specialist
Jonathan Earthy
Meanwhile,
TANKEROperator’s
conference will take a look at
LNG Shipping Operations
under the chairmanship of
Kirsi Tikka, ABS' vice
president special projects.
Speakers include:
Damian Harrington, maritime
marketing manager, Inmarsat
Brent Horwitz, Maritime
Telecommunications Network
Mary Ellen Kramer, Broadband
Maritime
David Walker, Livewire Connections
Frode Stensaa, Virtek
Don Black, SeaWave
Victor Barendse, Wired Ocean
Stephen Brunskill, Altobridge
Jan Erik Norli, MCP.
During the evening, Inmarsat will be
hosting a party for all speakers and
delegates.
Speakers include:
Stephan Polomsky, deputy managing
director, Essberger
Simon Gaskin, UK Royal Navy
Capt Margareta Lutzhoft, Swedish
National Road and Transport Research
Institute
Prof Brian Sherwood, Lloyd’s
Register
Erik Styhr Petersen, Lyngsoe
Nick Webb, UKHO
Dimitris Lyras, Ulysses Systems
Speakers include:
Joachim Bakke, BW Gas
Iain Campbell, V Ships
Sunit Das, Anglo Eastern (UK)
Per Sunden-Cullberg, LNG Shipping
Solutions
Tore Lunde, Hamworthy Gas Systems
Bob Watson, Rolls Royce
Mirella Zalar, Bureau Veritas
Jan Koren, DNV Yung Sup Shin,
ABS.
THURSDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
TANKEROperator's conference takes
the theme of Ice Tanker Operations,
which will be chaired by GL's Seppo
Liukkonen.
Digital Ship's conference takes the theme of
Reducing Fuel Costs. It will be chaired by
Dr Zabi Bazari, LR's principal consultant
engineer.
Speakers include :
David Sharp, Unicom
Management Services
Mikko Niini, Aker Arctic
Technology
Ilmari Aro, Finnish
Maritime Administration
Atso Uusiaho, Ice
Advisors;
A speaker from the Admiral
Makarov Training Academy;
Robert Bridges, Lloyd’s
Speakers include:
Dr Pierre Sames, GL
Jan Erik Granhodt, DNV
Per Sorensen, MAN Diesel
John Miele, Micad Marine
Daniel Kane, Propulsion
Dynamics
Register
Morten Mejlender Larsen,
DNV.
There will also be a paper
presented on Arctic Tanker
Design, written jointly by
Samsung's Hoseong Lee and
Jae-Woong Choi, plus
Vladimir I Evenko from the
Russian Register and read by
Dr Kirsi Tikka
Dimitris Theodossiou,
Danaos Management
Consultants
Lasse Wallerstedt,
Transas Scandinavia.
For more information see www.thedigitalship.com
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
German investment
boom
There is a definite smile appearing again on the faces of German shipowners and
operators. Although registering vessels at home is still not without its problems,
the huge investment funds available and the Government's generally helpful attitude
towards the tonnage tax system are paying dividends, despite the possibility of
another review being on the cards.
E
xamples of German
expansion in the
tanker sector include,
a leading Greek
concern setting up shop on the
banks of the Elbe, albeit in a joint
venture; Ahrenkiel moving most
of its key functions back to
Hamburg from Limassol; while
Cypriot-owned Interorient now
has a large presence in the city,
which is due to get even larger in
the near future on the back of
expansion plans. These initiatives
would have been unheard of even
a couple of years ago.
Although there are some large
crude oil tankers controlled and
September 2006
z
managed by German interests,
most notably Dr Peters/DS
Schiffahrts, it is in the smaller
chemical, products and LPG
sectors where much of the
investment is taking place. Even
LNG has found a niche with
Pronav.
Funds looking for a
home
The popular German 'KG'
financing scheme whereby a
group of shareholders join
together to own a ship through a
finance house traditionally found
favour with Germany's massive
build up in the containership
TANKEROperator
market. However, this particular
market has slackened off and the
fund houses, which are generally
awash with money, are looking
for other outlets to invest in, such
as the tanker/gas sector.
Most operators spoken to by
TankerOperator used the scheme
to build up or replace their fleets.
The one stipulation to qualify, is
that the management company
needs to be resident in Germany.
Given the German Government's
current positive attitude to
shipping, this does not pose a
problem for them. One
commentator said that the current
cross-party agreement on
shipping is a good thing as no
matter who is in power, the
parties will still agree a policy
and stick to it.
According to local analysts
Scope Group, the volume of ship
equity placed by Germany's KG
houses kept stable this year
despite earlier fears of a drastic
slowdown, the company was
recently reported as saying.
Half-year figures produced by
the analyst show that while the
number of KG shipping funds
dropped by 36% year-on-year,
equity volumes remained littlechanged at just below Eur3 bill.
Illustrating the ongoing
61
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
investment in the liquid bulk
sector, the most recent orders
reported include three LPG
carriers for Hartmann at
Severnav, two 8,250 dwt
chemical carriers for Wappen at
Damen Shipyards Galatz, eight
16,500 dwt chemical tankers for
newcomer TB Marine-Hamburg
GmbH and four 17,000 cu m
LPG carriers for GasChem
Services GmbH at Meyer Werft.
Last May, the GasChem
Shinano was launched for
GasChem at the Severnav
Shipyard. She was due to join the
GasChem-Gasmare Pool in early
August and is the first of a series
of four 6,500 cu m gas tankers
earmarked for the pool.
Meyer Werft was recently the
recipient of a two ship order by
Harpain Reederei GmbH & Co
KG of Hamburg, a joint venture
between Harpain Shipping GmbH
and Hansa Hamburg Shipping
GmbH & Co KG. This marks the
second LPG market joint project
by the two companies and their
investment bankers.
Among the other German
companies known to be involved
in tanker/gas carrier fleet
replacements, or expansion
programmes are Ahrenkiel, Conti
Reederei, German Tanker
Shipping, Hanseatic Lloyd,
Harren & Partners, Hartmann
Schiffahrts, Konig & Cie, Neu
Schiffahrts, Rigel Schiffahrts,
Bernhard Schulte, Sloman
Neptun, United Product Tankers
and W-O Shipmanagement.
German flag problems
The advantage of the German
tonnage tax system is that
companies can forecast and
account for their liabilities well in
advance instead of being subject
to a fluctuating tax scheme. This
particular tax scheme comes
under the spotlight each year
around December time through
an organisation called the
National Maritime Conference,
which includes representatives of
the national and regional
governments, shipowners and
unions.
62
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
has published a report on the
scheme looking at both sides of
the argument and the initial
findings were positive. The
Verband Deutscher Reeder
(VDR) (German Shipowners'
Association) claimed that the
government picked up a bonus of
Eur160 mill from the scheme as
more ships and
shipowners/managers returned
and were returning to Germany.
PwC is to investigate the scheme
again in the near future to check
on how it is working.
Although the number of vessels
controlled by German interests is
growing fast, the numbers flying
the German flag is declining.
There are two major problems.
The first is the German law that
every master on board a German
flag ship should be a German
national. This has upset the
bureaucrats in Brussels who
through the European Court of
Justice have come out against it
citing freedom of employment.
As a compromise, the VDR
and the unions have agreed that a
master need only speak German
and would have to pass a test
proving he or she could
understand German maritime law.
This has been labeled as crazy by
several shipowners and managers
contacted by TANKEROperator.
At present, the VDR is trying to
get it written into the German
statute books. A spokesman for
the VDR said an officer could
achieve the necessary
qualifications by attending a twoday course after which a
certificate could be issued. A
master could take the course on
board ship by using CD-ROM
and on-line tuition.
The second problem is that like
several other European countries,
there is a lack of potential
German masters and other
experienced seafarers in the
pipeline, despite recruitment
drives during the past few years.
Expertise on board ship and in
the office is currently at a
premium, the shipowners and
managers all agreed.
Several new shipping
companies involved in the tanker
and gas tanker sector have sprung
up in the Hamburg/Bremen area
during the past 10 years or so,
most of which built up their fleets
on the back of the 'KG' system.
This feature contains interviews
with several of the leading
concerns, broken down in
alphabetical order.
Ahrenkiel back
on home turf
Expanding shipping group
Ahrenkiel has consolidated most
of its activities back in its original
home in Hamburg.
Indeed, the 56-year old
company is expanding so fast that
it has already outgrown its
current offices and is rebuilding
its former offices at An der Alster
where Ahrenkiel will house about
200 employees by the beginning
of 2008. The current office at
Burchard Street is just an interim
measure, the company explained.
However, the holding company
Ahrenkiel Holding, is based in
Berne in Switzerland and is
headed by Christian J Ahrenkiel,
the second generation owner.
During the past few years,
Ahrenkiel has expanded its tanker
interests from just chemical and
LPG to crude oil and products
carriers to give the company a
broader spectrum, explained joint
managing director Christian Suhr.
Today Ahrenkiel manages 18
tankers - nine products, seven
chemical carriers and two LPGs.
Five more 73,400 dwt panamax
products tankers are under
construction at New Century
Shipyard for delivery in 2007.
The average age of the fleet is
currently 7.13 years. All the
vessels are timechartered to first
class charterers, while both the
technical and commercial
management functions are
undertaken in the Hamburg
offices. The only function now
handled from the Limassol office
is the recruitment and
management of ratings and third
party crew management.
All but one of the vessels flies
the Liberian flag - the exception
is a vessel which flies the
Luxembourg flag. The masters
are eastern European and German
while the rest of the crew are
Ahrenkiel at a Glance
1950 - Founded by 46-year
old Christian Friedrich
Ahrenkiel. Acquires its first
ship.
1955 - Takes delivery of first
newbuilding, a 5,200 dwt
'tweendecker.
1961 - First car carrier enters
the fleet - a bulk carrier with
removeable car decks.
1971- Enters the
containership market, which
today is an important string to
its bow.
In the same year, the first
chemical tanker entered service
under Ahrenkiel management.
1974 - Opened an office in
Limassol, Cyprus, which ran its
own vessels and took on third
party management.
1977 - Ahrenkiel branched
out into the reefer market.
1980 - Supervised the
construction of two 133,000 cu
m LNGCs at Kockums in
Malmo.
1982 - Set up a regular liner
service, which was expanded in
1992.
1992 - ISO 9002 certification
of the tanker fleet is carried
out.
1993 - Upon the death of the
founder, Christian F Ahrenkiel,
his son Christian Juergen
Ahrenkiel took over and since
1997 has been the sole owner
and chairman of the group.
2001 - Set up Fonds Haus
Hamburg and Fonds Haus
Treuhand to finance vessels
using the KG system.
2004 - Odfjell Ahrenkiel
Europe chemical tanker pool
formed.
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
eastern Europeans and
Philippinos.
Ahrenkiel is a believer in cadet
training. Suhr explained that the
company had a close relationship
with the Bulgarian Maritime
Academy at Varna and uses
training institutions in Manila,
Tuvalu and Russia. The crew are
trained under the guidance of
Ahrenkiel personnel. The
company is also a user of the
Seagull training and assessment
guide and training is given to
everyone from the masters to the
stewards. Regular in-house
seminars are also held, while the
company set up a 'no blame'
policy several years ago.
Pool set up
On 1st January 2004, Odfjell
Ahrenkiel Europe GmbH was set
up as a chemical carrier pool with
its base in the Hamburg office. At
present, the 50:50 joint venture
consists of eight 6,000 dwt parcel
tankers and one 8,000 dwt vessel.
One of Ahrenkiel's chemical tankers.
Odfjell owns five of the vessels.
These vessels are the natural
size for European trades, the
pool's chartering director Olav
Naess claimed. One of the main
reasons for setting up the joint
venture pool was that Odfjell
wanted to get a toe hold in
northern Europe, having
established an Asian fleet and
services between North America
and South America. "An InterEuropean trade was the next
logical step," Naess said. Earlier
this year, the company formed
another pool, this time with larger
units of 19,000 dwt, which were
sold by Ahrenkiel to Odfjell with
the German partner retaining the
management. Ahrenkiel will
provide six units into the pool.
Ahrenkiel's 6,000 dwt vessels
are built to IMO Class II and are
fitted with 20 stainless steel tanks
each. They are also built to GL
Ice Class E3. As most of the
vessels are in the chemical trades,
the new IBC rules will not affect
them, Suhr explained.
Suhr said that Ahrenkiel
operates well beyond the
statutory requirements and in
1992, the ISO 9002 certification
was carried out on the then tanker
fleet operation, which was one of
the first in the world to receive
this accreditation. Since then ISO
9001:2000 and the ISM and ISPS
Codes have been successfully
introduced at the same level
across the whole fleet.
Ahrenkiel representatives
visited Shell last year to discuss
the TMSA scheme, while
ExxonMobil's affiliate
International Maritime Transport
energy
at work
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September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
Our branch
offices:
Europe / Africa
Hamburg
Bremerhaven
Kiel
Rostock
Scandinavia
London
Rotterdam
Madrid
Gibraltar
Ceuta
Las Palmas
Malta
Athens
Tallinn
Novorossiysk
St. Petersburg
Cape Town
The Americas
Houston
New Orleans
Delaware
Norfolk
Buenos Aires
Rio de Janeiro
Ecuador
Far/Middle East
Singapore
Hong Kong
Shenzhen
Shanghai
Taipei
Seoul
Mumbai
Fujairah
63
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
German Shipowners' Association
(VDR), is chairman of the
Liberian Shipowners' Council and
a board member of the German
Masters' Association.
Responsibility for the
commercial side of the tanker
business falls on the shoulders of
Guenther Elsner. He is described
as an expert in chartering and
operations for crude oil and
related products tankers. He has
sat on Ahrenkiel's board since
2003 and reports to joint
managing director Frank
Westphal.
Christian Suhr
(IMT) was also contacted. The
company will be in a position to
give an update by November of
this year, Suhr said. By the end of
September, all the KPIs should
have been defined for each area
of operation. Suhr explained that
some of Ahrenkiel's charterers are
already demanding KPIs on
office and vessel performance. To
this end, the company has
invested in software and has a
separate IT department, as well as
an emergency response room as
laid down in TMSA.
To cope with the proposed fleet
expansion and to gain access to
KG type funding, in 2001
Ahrenkiel founded Fonds Haus
Hamburg (FHH) and Fonds Haus
Treuhand (trust company). These
finance vehicles are also
marketed to third party businesses
for financing and raising capital
and this year entered into real
estate. Up to December last year,
FHH had raised nearly Eur400
mill equity capital and facilitated
an investment volume of around
Eur1,000 mill. Suhr explained
that Ahrenkiel was looking for
opportunities to raise finance both
for newbuildings and secondhand
vessels.
Suhr is a former Ahrenkiel
master and is also a qualified
master mariner. He chairs the
advisory board of GL
Certification, is a member of the
working committee of the
64
Carl Buttner
considers
newbuildings
One of the oldest German tanker
companies, Bremen-based Carl
Buttner, celebrated its 150th
anniversary in May of this year.
The company currently
controls eight GL classed IMO
Class II chemical/products
tankers and two GL classed pure
products tankers, which are
mainly operating in European
waters carrying refined products,
such as gasoil, gasoline, diesel
and naphtha.
Overall there are two
companies - Carl Buttner GmbH
& Co KG and Carl Buttner
Shipmanagement GmbH.
Whereas Carl Büttner GmbH &
Co KG is responsible for the
commercial operation of the
vessels and chartering as well as
for newbuilding projects, Carl
Buttner Shipmanagement GmbH
takes care of the technical
management for the 10 vessels,
which range in size from 12,500
dwt to 24,000 dwt.
Managing director of
Shipmanagement GmbH,
Winfried Schumann told
TANKEROperator that the ideal
fleet number was between 10 and
15 vessels. He said the company
was observing the market before
deciding whether to re-enter the
newbuilding market. However,
he said that further newbuilding
activities are likely to materialise
by end of this year and will be
decided by Carl Buttner GmbH &
Co KG.
Unlike some of its rivals,
Buttner currently has no intention
of entering the larger
products/chemical tanker
markets, but is quite happy with
the range of vessels it operates.
"We won't go into another market
right now as we are settled in the
one we operate in", Schumann
said.
Most of the vessels operate
under coas to the oil majors and
other 'blue chip' clients, while the
remainder are on the spot market.
As mentioned, most of the
tankers are operating in northern
European with occasional
voyages undertaken to the
Mediterranean. The majority are
therefore ice class for Baltic
operation.
Four of the earlier vessels in
the 12,500 dwt to 13,000 dwt
range were products of the
Lindenau Shipyard, but since
2002, the six larger 24,000 dwt
were built at the '3 Maj' Shipyard
in Rijeka, Croatia, where Buttner
now has considerable influence
through its own manning affiliate
CB Maritime doo. Indeed, seven
of the 10 vessels are manned by
Croatians. The larger vessels also
have redundant propulsion
systems built in.
The manning is handled by two
companies - the Bremen
headquarters and the company at
Rijeka, which is fully controlled
by Carl Buttner.
Cadets are trained on board all
the vessels, as the worldwide
shortage of qualified tanker
officers to operate sophisticated
products/chemical tankers is
becoming a major concern.
Buttner uses German and
Croatian nautical schools and
training institutions to train its
cadets. In total, Buttner has about
260 German, Croatian and
Philippino (mainly ratings)
seafarers and about 25 cadets on
its books.
Three vessels fly the German
flag, while the other seven are
under British registry with
homeport Gibraltar flying the Red
Ensign. Buttner uses the KG
system as well as the normal
financial services on offer in
The 24,000 dwt Aurora was built by 3 Maj in 2004.
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
Carl Buttner at a Glance
1856 - Founded by 25-year
old Carl Diedrich Buttner
(1831-1913) in Leer as a
forwarding and shipping
agency.
1879 - Started a steamship
business with the 573 gt Stadt
Leer.
1892 - Founded branch office
in Bremen.
1929 - Carl Diedrich's
grandson, also Carl, took over
Bremen office and started a
fuels and lubes business.
1945 - Following the War, the
Buttner family managed to find
their bunkering vessel Biene,
Germany.
As for the TMSA, Schumann
claimed the company was around
70 - 80% compliant.
Buttner described itself as quite
optimistic for the future, but for
the main trading area Northern
Europe, it does not expect the
volume of products transported
by sea to grow significantly.
All of the technical and
commercial operations are
conducted in-house. Although
international brokers are used,
most of the charters are
concluded on a direct basis.
which had joined the fleet in
1937, on the River Weser,
virtually undamaged.
1947 - Acquired the vessel
Emsland from the ruling
military administration.
1950 - Set up a branch office
in Duisburg-Ruhrort to expand
the inland waterway operations.
1980s - Dropped inland
operations and started on a
newbuilding tanker programme.
First double bottom 10,000 dwt
tankers Butt and Dorsch
delivered in 1980. In 1984, the
first double hull tankers entered
the fleet.
vessels are still marketed under
their own name from the
company's office in Dordrecht.
Essberger and Broere
contribute chemical tankers in the
2,500 dwt to 6,500 dwt size
range. There are also two 8,500
dwt tankers chartered in from
Italian interests on a three year
timecharter deal. In addition,
deputy managing director,
shipmanagement Stephan
Polomsky confirmed to
TANKEROperator that Essberger
is in the market for 4,600 dwt
Mediterranean.
The vessels are chartered to oil
and chemical majors, including
BP, Shell, Huntsman, Dow
Chemicals, Borealis, BASF and
DuPont.
The charterers have set a 25year age limit on the vessels they
employ.
One problem for the smaller
chemical tanker operators is a
change in OCIMF's SIRE vetting
form. Previously the form
contained boxes, which could be
filled in as 'not applicable'. This
has disappeared into a
straightforward 'Yes/No' format,
which Polomsky believed did not
put chemical carriers' case
sufficiently to potential
charterers. "We have a lot of extra
work to do to convince
charterers of the suitability of our
vessels for the business being
quoted," he said.
Tank cleaning
When calling at three ports per
day, tank cleaning becomes a
very important consideration. On
some voyages, three or four
parcels of chemicals can be
discharged and two loaded
simultaneously. In this situation,
tank cleaning timing becomes
critical.
flies the Madeira flag, which is in
effect the Portuguese open
register. However, one flies the
Portuguese flag as it operates in
and around the Azores, while
another couple are under the
German flag. As for the Broere
fleet, they are 100% Dutch
registered.
Essberger's chemical fleet is
classed by GL, while Broere's
fleet is a mixture of LRS and
DNV.
Polomsky is a great believer in
working with the relevant
authorities and shipping bodies
and is a council member of
Intertanko and sits on the
technical committees of both GL
and LRS. "If you have a
complaint, you need to be
proactive," he explained. "You
have to be able to influence any
decision, if necessary," he
continued.
Class societies came for some
criticism by the way they had
become more consultancy led.
Polomsky said that they should
stick to newbuilding class matters
and not get involved in other
areas. One class society initiative,
which came in for severe
criticism was the 3D imaging of
vessels' hulls for inspection
purposes. "We need to see it (the
Essberger in
the market for
newbuildings
Another well established German
tanker company is privately
owned John T Essberger, part of
the Deutsche Afrika-Linien/John
T Essberger group of companies.
The group is owned by the
Essberger/von Rantzau family
and Essberger is responsible for
the tramp shipping and
shipmanagement functions, while
DAL concentrates on the liner
shipping side of the business.
Essberger operates 26 small
chemical tankers in the Broere
Essberger ChemPool. A couple of
years ago, Essberger bought out
its pool partner.
However, the Dutch controlled
September 2006
z
Broere was bought by Essberger, but retained its Dutch heritage.
newbuildings.
All the vessels are of double
hull construction and some of the
Broere and all of the Essberger
vessels are ice class as their main
area of operation is in the Baltic
and northern European sectors.
Occasionally, they trade into the
TANKEROperator
Essberger does not use heating
coils in the cargo tanks but
instead opts for heating ducts. In
developing the ducts idea,
Essberger sat down with the
shipyards involved and class
society GL.
Much of the Essberger fleet
hull) live and not in virtual
reality," Polomsky asserted.
Polomsky also said he was a
great believer in keeping the
shipping industry self-regulating.
For example, he urged the IMO
to get on with the Recycling
Code, otherwise the EU would
65
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
ride roughshod over the IMO
with its proposed blanket ban on
waste export. "We must keep the
EU out of it," he said.
Essberger also had several
other vessels under various
degrees of third party technical
management and Polomsky was
keen to expand the portfolio
without compromising the level
of service. The company used to
manage eight VLCCs/ULCCs for
Vela until 1996 and currently
manages two VLCCs for Oslo
Shipholding.
The company is also currently
undertaking the construction
supervision of two newbuilding
ice class aframaxes -Urals
Princess and Urals Queen.
Polomsky stressed that Essberger
was looking for more long term
third party business, but said he
would not compromise on
standards to win business. He
admitted that his fees were a bit
more expensive, due to the higher
standards adopted.
Ice class
As for ice class training, this is
undertaken on board the vessels.
The tankers need special
equipment fitted to cope with
temperatures that could be as low
as minus 35 deg C. Hydraulic
fluid can also change at these
temperatures, while the
accommodation needs insulating
against the cold. For example, the
two aframaxes have fully
enclosed bridge wings, protecting
the officers at all times, including
during berthing manoeuvres in
low temperatures. The quality of
the steel used for fittings and
valves was also important,
Polomsky said.
As for ballast tank coatings,
these can be a problem due to
heating of the cargo in adjacent
tanks. All Essberger's vessels
have been designed to operate for
25 years.
Polomsky was a believer in
what he calls "easy technology on
board". "We need to keep it
simple, as after 10 years we often
cannot service the equipment as
there are no spare parts. There
66
needs to be a dialogue between
manufacturers and end users," he
concluded.
Hellespont
arrives on the
banks of the
Elbe
Illustrating the favourable
investment and ship operational
climate in Germany today is the
arrival of a leading high level
Greek company Hellespont,
which has set up shop along the
banks of the Elbe.
The Piraeus-based concern
50% of the shares in Hellespont
Hammonia. This company is
wholly owned by Hellespont
Marine Services, which in turn is
owned 100% by Hellespont
Holdings. The founding
Papachristidis family still retains
control of all the Hellespont
companies. Other ship
management companies in the
group include Hellespont
Steamship Corp and Seatramp
Tankers.
Hellespont Hammonia
managing director Spyros
Vlassopoulos explained that in
order to tap into the KG financing
funds. At present, the Hamburg
office is responsible for the
management of four suezmaxes
and one aframax tanker.
Chinese panamaxes
Another six fully coated panamax
products tankers are under
construction in China, the first of
which, the 73,630 dwt Hellespont
Pride, was recently named at the
New Century Shipbuilding at
Jingjiang, closely followed by the
second, Hellespont Progress.
Claimed to be of a high standard,
the cargo tanks are fitted with
laminate epoxy coated tanks and
Hammonia Hellespont's white hulls help illustrate they are maintained to a high standard.
formed a limited partnership Hellespont Hammonia - in July
last year with a registered share
capital of Eur1 mill. The partners
in the project are Hellespont
Holdings (50%), German
shipowner and manager Peter
Doehle and Hanseatische Capital
Invest (HCI), who each have a
25% stake. The company's goal is
to become an active member of
the German shipping community.
HCI is a leading German
finance house and reportedly
financed over 397 vessels with a
total investment of Eur8.2 bill as
of 30th June, last year. Peter
Doehle owns or manages around
200 vessels, mainly
containerships and smaller bulk
carriers.
Hellespont Deutschland owns
system, the company needed a
presence in Germany as it had
decided to continue to manage its
fleet rather than farm the vessels
out to third party ship managers.
Hellespont's philosophy is that an
owner's credentials depends
principally on its competence as a
ship manager. This, the company
believes, is more pronounced in
the tanker sector than anywhere
else. Were the company to
transfer the management of its
ships to an independent concern,
it would no longer play a role in,
or add value to, service
performance. It's value would be
reduced to that of a broker.
By September 2007, the
Hamburg office will have 11
tankers on its books all financed
through KG private investment
heating coils to cope with
different grades of cargoes. As on
all Hellespont vessels, anodes
will also be fitted in the tanks,
while the ballast tank coatings
will be checked regularly. "We
take no short cuts," Vlassopoulos
asserted. The sextet were all
financed through HCI.
Vlassopoulos also explained he
was looking to expand the
operation in Hamburg.
He also explained the reasoning
behind Hellespont's vessels' hulls
being coated with white paint.
"The vessels are maintained to a
high standard and this helps
illustrate the point," he said.
All the vessels, including the
newbuildings, are long term
chartered to Sanko Steamship.
The aframax Hellespont Tatina
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
Hellespont at a Glance
1946 - Phrixos Papachristidis
acquired his first ship in
Canada. Company based in
Montreal.
1955 - Ordered first tankers,
two 20,000 dwt vessels built in
Belgium.
1957 - Ordered 45,000 dwt
tanker Emerillion from a
Canadian shipyard under a
long term contract with Shell.
1960-1965 - Ordered six
26,000 dwt 'lakers' in Canada.
1972 - Sold 'laker' fleet due
to uncertainty in Great Lakes
trade, thereby disposing of last
Canadian vessels.
1970s - The company went
through a restructuring
programme after embarking on
a shipbuilding programme.
1981 - Hellespont Holdings
was formed.
1985-1986 - What are
called the 'Watershed Years'.
This period saw Hellespont
was chartered in from Salamon
for eight years in late 2004 and
was relet to Sanko for five years.
The suezmaxes have been taken
by the Tokyo-based concern for
eight years, while the
newbuildings are also fixed to
Sanko for seven years.
At the time of
TANKEROperator's visit, the
company had just completed a
trio of second special surveys,
two in Lisnave and the other in
dock at Sembawang.
Manning is of crucial
importance for the company,
which has offices in Manila with
full training facilities. The ships
are crewed by Philippinos from
top to bottom, Vlassopoulos
explained. At the moment, he is
recruiting cadets. The company's
philosophy is to train youngsters
to 3rd Engineer, or 3rd Mate level
and then put them though their
various certificates needed for
promotion.
In the Hamburg office the
technical department consists of
September 2006
z
transform itself from a
provider of equipment to the
shipping industry to a provider
of ocean transport services
through dedicated chartering
arms - Seatramp Tankers and
Probulk Carriers. Bulk carrier
interests sold and tanker fleet
expanded under Seatramp
banner.
1988 - Hellespont Tanker
Fund formed.
1990 - Bought six ULCCs
from the Loews Corporation.
1999 - Ordered four 303,000
dwt VLCCs and four 442,000
dwt ULCCs. The VLCC
contracts were subsequently
sold.
2004 - ULCCs sold for a
good profit. Added a 1999-built
aframax to its fleet. Ordered
six panamax products tankers.
2005 - Acquired four
suezmax tankers. Hellespont
Hammonia formed.
ex-master mariners and chief
engineers who are employed as
superintendents. Both the
operations and technical
departments are run by Greek
nationals. A superintendent
engineer and a port captain sit in
the Greek office, which today
acts more as a consultancy.
Interorient to
expand tanker
operations in
Germany
Another company expanding its
empire in Hamburg is Interorient.
This Cyprus-owned company
celebrated its 25th anniversary
last year and is expanding its
empire in Germany this year
under the guise of INC Interorient
Navigation Hamburg GmbH &
Co KG.
During the past 16 months or
so, the number of staff has grown
from 17 to 35 employees
encompassing seven nationalities,
resulting in the office language
TANKEROperator
being English. The company
intends to move to larger
premises soon. The Hamburg
office now looks after 17
handysize 37,000 dwt tankers,
two 51,000 dwt tankers and a
7,000 dwt coastal tanker. Several
of the vessels carry either an Ice
Class A or B notation. The entire
fleet is of double hull
construction.
Another two 51,000 dwt
tankers, Arctic Breeze and
Blizzard Breeze, are due to be
delivered this year and next,
while the group has around 20
tankers on order, or under
construction. The duo were
purchased as resales this year and
are under construction at South
Korea's STX shipyard. They are
high ice class products carriers
built for operation in the Baltic
when necessary. INC uses the
Cypriot and Maltese flags.
“
better. There is enough capital in
the German financial markets for
sustained growth and the tax
regime is on a much more
beneficial path than before.
Gierga said that one of the
main advantages of forming a
pool was giving the operator
flexibility. For the time being
both partners were happy to keep
the set up as it is, but
nevertheless, "it is an open pool,"
he said.
Much of the company's
business is now conducted from
the Hamburg office, which now
operates full management
activities. The office is structured
as a separate company under
German law, but still comes
under the umbrella of the
Limassol headquarters, which
manages a few vessels from
Cyprus.
INC raises the cash by using
...one of the main advantages
of forming a pool [is] giving
the operator flexibility.
”
Carsten Gierga, commercial director,
INC Interorient Navigation
Hamburg GmbH & Co KG.
The company inaugurated a
pool with Danish operator
Norden last year on a 50:50 joint
basis. The Norient Product Pool
A/S now contains 26 vessels and
more than 15 will join this year. It
is run from Denmark. The vessels
normally operate in northern
Europe, the Baltic and in the
Atlantic basin. Around 40% are
timechartered while the rest
operate on the spot market. INC
normally timecharters tankers for
up to three years and are mainly
concluded with oil majors, such
as BP.
Investment optimism
INC's Hamburg-based
commercial director Carsten
Gierga said he agreed with the
other operators in that the current
investment mood in Germany has
changed considerably for the
the German KG system using
project fund house GEBAB to put
the schemes together and
Hannover-based Norddeutsche
Landesbank as its lead bank.
As for the thorny question of
the TMSA, Gierga said, "we are
learning from it." It is being taken
as guidance for training on the
back of BP's ideas. Oil majors
have been invited into the office
and on board INC vessels. The
company is keen to receive
feedback from its seafarers and
trains them accordingly.
INC uses a Transas full mission
bridge simulator located in Riga
where the company has its main
crewing hub for the tanker fleet.
The simulator was installed this
year. Latvian and Russian officers
are usually employed on board
the ships, while the ratings come
from the Ukraine and Romania.
67
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
Due to the probability of trading
in ice, the company does not
employ many Filipinos. Other
crewing outlets exist in Manila,
St Petersburg and Odessa.
Training is also carried out on
board ship using PCs and
Videotel. Gierga thought that
video style training was gradually
dying out in favour of the PCbased training.
As for specialist ice training,
this is conducted externally. This
takes the form of a type of risk
assessment posing the question what is going to happen in ice?
This is best achieved in a seminar
type environment. If an officer
encounters ice for the first time, he
or she will have an experienced
person alongside him or her.
Gierga said that INC is a great
believer in looking after the
vessels' coatings properly. The
vessels undergo intermediate
drydocking with the longest being
a 36-month schedule. The vessels
are continuously monitored, he
claimed.
Many of the tankers are
standard 37,000 dwt products
carriers. As for spare parts, INC's
policy is not to keep a spares
pool, except for expensive items,
such as turbochargers and
propellers. A number of spare
propellers are kept at both
Rotterdam and Szczecin. "We can
save a lot of money by not being
off-hire," Gierga said. "The
service rendered to an oil major
pays back in the long term," he
continued.
The Hamburg office intends to
stick to what it knows best, that is
the products carrier market. He
admitted that like elsewhere,
recruiting expertise was a problem
to the company. Sufficient
superintendents are hard to come
by. INC is already employing
extra superintendents for the
vessels due for delivery in 2007.
The INC group has expertise in
almost all areas and apart from
Hamburg and Limassol has a
management office in Miami.
Gierga said the company is open
for third party business, but not in
the tanker crewing department as
68
this would be a conflict of
interest, as there is such a
shortage of seafarers.
Wappen orders
another four
SCOT types
Wappen-Reederei GmbH & Co
KG is based on the banks of the
Elbe just across the road from the
famous Landungsbrucke. WappenReederei was formed in January
2002 and took delivery of its first
ship - Wappen von Hamburg - in
November of that year.
This proved to be the first of
eight 'SCOT 8000' products/
chemical tankers that are now in
service. A further four have been
ordered from Damen Shipyards
Galatz for delivery 2007-2008.
The current fleet was designed by
Lindenau Shipyard at Kiel, but
built at Galatz in Romania.
Each of the sister vessels are
fitted with a high level of
redundancy having two
propulsion and steering plants
and twin engines housed in their
own machinery spaces. They are
also built to Ice Class E under GL
classification and fly the British
flag. They are also of double hull
construction, which includes
double hull bunker tanks.
Propulsion is provided by two
MAN B&W Alpha medium speed
diesel engines, while the
auxiliaries were provided by
“
and crew management in-house,
while Poseidon Schiffahrt takes
care of the commercial side of the
business.
The vessels are fitted with
Sperry navaids, Transas ECDIS
and the company recently signed
up ChartCo to update the
electronic charts automatically.
However, Panitzki said that there
were still areas of the world
where paper charts are necessary,
so all the vessels carry both
paper charts and ECDIS under
the IMO regulations.
Being chemical tankers, the
cargoes are changed regularly so
tank cleaning has become a
priority. Wappen uses the ScanJet
system with two fixed tank
cleaning machines fitted in each
cargo tank. The vessels are also
fitted with Framo deepwell
pumping systems. The pressure
monitoring, tank gauging and
tank radar systems were provided
by French concern Auxitrol.
The vessels' automation system
was provided by Kongsberg and a
Kongsberg Fleetmaster system
transmits remote readings to the
office by which the company can
monitor the vessels' performance
enabling Wappen to undertake
trend analysis, anticipate failures
and take on a sort of trouble
shooting role.
Wappen uses an Inmarsat B
satcoms system and is fitting a
Fleet system on the newbuildings.
It’s important to have back up
from the flag state.
”
Jan-Eric Panitzki, managing director,
Wappen-Reederei GmbH & Co KG
Cummins and the vessels also
make use of a power take off
system. Managing director JanEric Panitzki admitted there was
a slightly higher maintenance
costs involved with such a high
level of redundancy built in, but
the extra cost was worth it in
commercial terms.
Wappen handles the technical
The crew have access to an
Iridium telephone system, which
connects the office to the ship and
they are also issued with pre-paid
phone cards for their private use.
Two of the vessels are long
term timechartered to ST
Shipping & Trading, part of
Swiss-based Glencore empire
operating on the South, Southeast
and Southwest African coasts,
mainly loading out of Cape Town
or Durban. They mainly lift
heavy fuel and CPP on behalf of
oil majors, such as BP. Ship-toship transfers are also conducted
off Mozambique from time to
time. The other vessels are
trading in northern Europe, the
Baltic, Central/South America
and Southeast Asia.
Wappen's offices are regularly
visited by the oil majors and one
has already audited the company
with respect to the TMSA
scheme. The company, although
reasonably small, has even set up
an emergency response room as
recommended in the TMSA
scheme.
Panitzki claimed that the
vessels were of an ideal size
range being of 8,250 dwt and
having a capacity of 8,890 cu m.
"They are handy for the Baltic
trades and smaller ports," he said.
He also thought that there were
not too many newbuildings in this
size range, making them unique.
He described the relationship
with the UK's Maritime &
Coastal Agency (MCA) as good.
The agency recently audited
Wappen's ISM status. Panitzki
said he liked the MCA's single
point approach and the support
that the company received. "It's
important to have back up from
the flag state," he said. Panitzki
said under the UK flag any
nationality could be employed on
board ship providing his or her
certificates were up to date,
unlike the German system where
at present a German master must
be employed. However, he
qualified this by saying that it
was not good practice to save
money just for the sake of it on
sophisticated vessels.
Wappen undertakes its own
training and uses certain crewing
agencies, but likes to retain its own
crew for the sake of continuity. He
claimed that the crews' rejoining
rate was running at around 80%.
"You save time by having a good
crew," he said citing the case of
tank cleaning, which can take
TO
about three days.
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
GL leads the way on
several fronts
D
uring a visit to the
Hamburg office
recently,
TANKEROperator
was informed of several ongoing
initiatives, including work on
ballast tank coatings, which has
become a focus of attention at the
IMO. GL is focusing on large size
ballast tanks and in addition work
is underway on cargo tank
coatings.
The European Maritime Safety
Agency (EMSA) has asked IACS
to prepare proposals and submit
them to the IMO. These are now
under development.
About 18 months previous to
this move, GL started to develop
guidelines for tankers, especially
crude oil carriers as chemical
tanker coatings are well defined,
GL explained. This was a new
departure for a class society as
coatings manufacturers had
always been the source of
information, as they know how
to prepare a surface and the
limits of application needed for
each tank.
GL believed that any
problems should be solved as a
team with shipowners and
shipbuilders joining the debate.
"There should be a special aim
and approach to the problem,"
GL's Daniel Engel said.
The result is a special notation
CTC (Cargo Tank Coating) for
crude oil tankers, which entered
force on 1st January this year.
This voluntary notation
regulates all aspects of coatings,
indicating where and how
coatings are carried out,
covering surface preparation and
the relevant survey processes.
The condition of anti-corrosion
coatings will be regularly
monitored and reported on.
If repairs become necessary,
Classification societies have become more
like consultants down the years and
Hamburg-based Germanischer Lloyd
(GL) is no exception.
GL will offer a consultancy
service and all work will be
carried out under the supervision
of a class surveyor. In oil tanks
corrosion is almost inevitable, GL
said. "This might help raise the
standard for owners and the
vessel's safety", Engel said.
However, shipyards tended to
complain if standards are raised
purely on cost grounds. "But, if
there are low standards, there are
no benefits," Engel asserted.
The standards can be selected
voluntarily and the technical
specification defined, including
the coating thickness, which is
the basis on which to start. "It is
up to the owner to lay it on the
table at the shipyard", Engel said,
"so that the shipyard has the
correct specification."
He thought as the number of
tankers on GL's books was
increasing, this special class
notation was seen to be a good
marketing tool to persuade
others to join the class society.
Any size of tanker can be
covered by the new notation.
Another plus, according to GL,
was that the resale value of the
tanker could be enhanced by
having such a notation. Problems
exist with humidity and salt
content in certain parts of the
world when coating, making it
difficult for some shipyards to
comply with the specifications.
In these cases, monitoring is
essential.
As for the question of void
spaces and ballast tank coatings,
GL is representing German
interests at the IMO in
formulating performance
standards for newbuildings.
Maintenance recommendations
when refitting are also possible,
Engel thought, but this may take
some time to come to fruition.
means of access (PMA) is not
mandatory on existing vessels,
but mandatory on newbuildings,
enabling surveyors to have a
close up view of the tanks and
void spaces literally at arm's
length.
Often the tank's height is more
than 6 m and so there should be
a gallery attached to the
longitudinal frame complete with
railings and a fixed device for
attaching a portable ladder to
give a 3 x 3 m viewing area.
GL helped Wappen to achieve its goal of designing and
commissioning the successful SCOT type tankers.
Georg-Alexander Martin,
tanker department manager,
explained the process further by
saying there is a need for prepreparation before a coating. A
couple of surveyors will be
needed for the coatings inspection
process, which starts with the
preparation process, for example,
rounding off any sharp edges,
cleaning the weld seams and
grinding where necessary.
A coating can become cracked
and so constant inspection is
needed. To avoid corrosion in
empty tanks, they should be
constantly inerted. One of the
problems in void spaces and
ballast tanks is that a permanent
"What we are trying to do in
general is to find a practical
solution, which is cost effective,"
Martin said.
Martin also said that this
initiative is a joint effort, as
shipyards such as some of those
in China need a little help, as they
are increasingly becoming
involved with tankers.
As for the new chemical
regulations due to come into
force next year, Martin said that
owners are telephoning GL on a
regular basis to discuss problems
for example with vegetable oils
and biofuels. "We will support
them in reading the regulations,"
Martin said.
TO
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German Report Saacke
Bremen-based heat
generation equipment
supplier Saacke Marine
Systems celebrated its
75th anniversary earlier
this year.
Such is the current demand,
production is running at full blast
at its manufacturing plant located
near Bremen. Last year, the
company posted a turnover of
Eur130 mill across its three
disciplines and it now employs
nearly 1,000 people in 20
countries worldwide.
In the early days, Saacke
started manufacturing combustion
equipment for use with high
capacity steam boilers on board
ship. In those days the diesel
engine was still in its infancy and
most vessels were powered by
steam.
The company continued to grow
and in 1954 expanded into the land
market. Today, land accounts for
75% of Saacke's turnover, while
the marine business accounts for
just 25%. In 1997, a separate entity
Saacke Marine Systems was
formed as the company was split
into three divisions, looking after
industrial combustion systems,
process technology and the marine
sector. Two years later, Saacke
became a complete supplier of
boiler systems with the integration
of TPK Nova of Croatia.
Marine systems manager Peter
Breidenich told TANKEROperator
that today, more than 4,000
vessels are fitted with Saacke
burner systems. In the liquid bulk
sector, the company has developed
burner equipment for LNGCs,
FPSOs, crude oil and products
tankers. Conversions are also
undertaken on old oil and gas
burners fitted on board ship.
For the LNG carrier market,
Saacke designed the gas
combustion unit (GCU) in 2002.
The following year, the first unit
was installed on the LNGC Gaz
de France Energy. This unit can
be used by those using dual-fuel
engines, or slow speed diesel
engines with reliquefaction
plants, as no matter what the
choice is, there is still a need for
Saacke - A supplier of boiler systems.
70
a redundant system for the safe
combustion of the boil-off gas.
Breidenich claimed that the
company was the market leader in
this technology. He explained that
the standard design 143,000 cu m
capacity LNGC was still being
ordered with a steam propulsion
unit despite not being as energy
efficient as a diesel engine, or a
combination alternative.
Saacke claimed in its publicity
brochure that its twin KLN/VIC
boiler system with a capacity of
up to 2 x 40 tonnes per hour is
tailor made for oil tankers with a
high steam demand. This system
features burners with a turn-down
ratio of up to 1:20 with a low
oxygen content for inert gas
operation.
The company manufactures
burners and boilers for power
ranges from 1MW to 85MW. For
example, the Gaz de France
Energy's GCU is rated at 45MW.
This specific unit was installed in
the LNGC's stack to avoid taking
up space in the main engine room
and for ease of maintenance.
Like any equipment
manufacturer today, after sales is
an important consideration for
Saacke. There are around 70
service engineers in Germany and
100 worldwide for both land and
marine operations. Breidenich
said the company operates a service on demand - policy. A
large storage area is available in
Bremen from where most of the
spares are air freighted as they
tend to be not so large. A wear
and tear small stock plant was
also opened in Singapore.
To promote sales in Asia, a
marketing office was opened in
South Korea in July 2005.
Previously, Saacke had delivered
burners to a local boiler company,
but since the introduction of the
GCU, the company has thought it
worth having its own presence,
due to the plethora of LNGC
orders in South Korean yards.
In 2004, the company opened a
production facility in Qingdao in
a joint venture, which
manufactures boilers. Another
office in Shanghai looks after
sales, marketing and services.
The Qingdao plant as a clear
height of 18 m and this year,
Saacke planned to double the size
of the facility, Breidenich said.
The trouble with an average GCU
is that it is 6 m in diameter thus it
cannot pass under normal road
bridges on a trailer, he explained.
Breidenich said the company
sees three key areas for its
operations - Europe as most of
the developments are carried out
in Germany, including the GCUs;
China with the new production
facility in Qingdao and South
Korea where many of the tankers
and most of the LNGCs are being
built.
As for certification, Saacke has
approvals from most of the major
classification societies for its
shipboard equipment. However,
due to the varied size and
capacity of the equipment
supplied, these cannot be type
approved, but are dealt with on an
individual basis.
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FOCUS ON GERMANY
Navigation training available in Hamburg
As a result of customer
demand, US giant
Northrop Grumman has
opened its first
shiphandling and bridge
operation training
simulator in its Sperry
Marine training centre in
Hamburg.
This 160 sq m training centre
offers instruction in all aspects of
shiphandling and bridge
operation. The courses include
classroom instruction with
multiple computer workstations
and a complete integrated bridge
system (IBS) and ship simulator.
The new simulator system
includes three projectors that
provide a full-motion seascape on
a 4.2 m-wide, 120 deg panoramic
screen. The bridge controls,
which are linked to the ship
simulator, provide realistic
shiphandling scenarios for
various types of ships under a
variety of sea conditions.
A Sperry multi-console IBS
installation mimics a typical
ship's bridge, including electronic
chart display and information
system (ECDIS) with Sperry's
proprietary voyage management
system, radars, adaptive autopilot,
manual steering, engine and bow
thruster controls, heading and
speed indicators and other related
systems.
"This is the first Sperry
Marine training centre in Europe
providing comprehensive
programs for shiphandling and
bridge operation instruction," said
J Nolasco DaCunha, director of
Sperry Marine Systems. "Its
purpose is to provide
watchstanders with training on
Sperry Marine products in a
controlled environment with
certified, expert instructors. This
will increase their confidence,
provide the necessary skills when
they operate the real thing at sea
and ultimately enhance safety."
"The training centre at the
Hamburg office was chosen for
the new shiphandling and bridge
operation training simulator
Berthing a large vessel on the big screen.
because of its importance as a hub
for the European shipbuilding and
maritime industries and its
convenient central location, which
is easily reachable from anywhere
in Europe."
Sperry's curriculum meets
international requirements for
ECDIS training under the STCW95 code. The syllabus follows the
IMO model course 1.27 for the
operational use of ECDIS, and all
courses are taught by certified
instructors.
Northrop Grumann Corp
Electronic Systems' international
marketing manager Brian
Johnson explained that by using
the equipment in the training
complex, a shipowner/manager
can save time and increase the
level of navigator safety
awareness before joining a ship.
As on board ship, the common
language in the classroom and the
simulator room is English.
Bridge personnel will normally
be sent on a week long course three days using the ECDIS and
two on the simulator, but the
timings can obviously be flexible,
Johnson explained. The simulator
consists of Transas components
under a business arrangement and
Sperry's navigation equipment.
The main areas simulated for
training purposes on the large
screen are the Gothenburg
fairway through the winding
archipelago and as an alternative,
berthing a large vessel in
Rotterdam with tugs. The latter
tests the skills of the navigators in
wind and tidal conditions using
tugs, Johnson explained. The
English Channel and Malacca
Strait are other areas that can be
simulated.
With the modern day training
technology becoming cheaper,
some shipowners/managers are
investing in their own simulators
and other sophisticated training
tools, Johnson thought.
Northrop Grumman employs
67 people in its Hamburg offices,
which opened in 2003. The
Hamburg base stocks new
products and spares and includes
a new generation VisionMaster
FT IBS on its premises for sales
and marketing purposes. A
separate office has been put aside
for IBS sales and marketing.
The complex includes an
engineering applications
department and a computer aided
design (CAD) office. Sperry also
does a lot of its own software
design, as well as the hardware.
Other functions undertaken in
Hamburg include purchasing and
service administration, whose
staff file records of everything
that Sperry has installed on board
a vessel. As for maintenance, this
is usually carried out on board a
vessel, or the equipment is
retrofitted as necessary, Johnson
explained.
Sperry operates an internal
information system whereby all
of its 250 locations worldwide are
linked. Hamburg handles sales
and marketing plus other
functions for northern European
markets together with New
Malden and Sperry's office in
Norway.
Johnson explained the need for
regional offices by saying that
some of the contracts can become
very complicated by way of
export/import laws, VAT and
varying local regulations in
TO
different countries.
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SMM PREVIEW
SMM is upon us once
again
Later this month, some 40,000 people will congregate in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg
to attend the bi-ennial SMM exhibition and its many attendant conferences and
meetings. The exhibition is already a sell out and an extra tented area has been erected to
cater for the demand, effectively forming a 12th hall.
M
any of the 21
countries
represented with
national pavilions
at SMM 2006, such as the UK,
Canada, Norway, Russia and the
US, will hold official receptions
for invited guests, linking the top
event of the world shipbuilding
sector with their own maritime
functions.
At the exhibition itself, the
1,055 exhibitors will represent
over 50 countries.
The Spanish maritime industry
will also be very well
represented. The Basque
Maritime Forum will present the
'Basque Engine Room' on 27th
September at 12 am in Hall 7.
This has been organised by
various Basque marine equipment
suppliers, whose core business
includes manufacturing
components and plants for the
ship's engine room.
Financial Times Deutschland
(FTD) will stage a conference
'SHIP FINANCE' in co-operation
with SMM 2006. The event will
highlight the problem of how to
unburden the balance-sheets of
maritime companies. The lectures
will deal mainly with the
restructuring of the global
shipping industry, ways of
improving firms' capital situation
and secondhand financing
through German ship funds.
Other topics covered will include
means of financing types of
vessel other than containerships,
the traditional focus of German
ship funds.
The European Marine
72
Equipment Council (EMEC) will
also hold a conference. This will
be examine the ways of
expanding the network of marine
equipment suppliers established
at the end of 2005 at European
level, as well as strengthening
relationships between members
and improving co-operation
between marine equipment
suppliers and shipyards.
This year's traditional CIMAC
Circle of SMM is looking far
ahead. Experts will discuss the
'Next Generation Marine Diesel
Engines', the outlook for the
marine diesel in the next 10
years. The focus will be on the
performance and aspects of the
combustion of future fuels,
emissions and the increasing
significance of electronics.
The two-day PCE Marine
Coatings Conference, staged by
the British specialist magazine
Protective Coatings Europe
(PCE) along with Mülhan and
SMM, will also consider future
trends in the field of marine
coatings. PCE is inviting the top
marine coating companies and
experts from Europe and the US
to discuss their ideas and
findings. The programme will
cover all of the important areas of
coatings for newbuildings and
maintenance and repair work.
Subjects to be dealt with include
innovative coating technologies,
new methods of corrosion
protection, coating standards for
ballast and cargo tanks and
quality assurance.
The Marine and Offshore
Equipment Industries within the
German Engineering Federation
(VDMA) and the German
Shipbuilding and Ocean
Industries Association (VSM)
will also once again focus on
advertising for engineering
recruits at the SMM this year.
The 'Think.ING' promotional
campaign is targeted at school
pupils of the 11th and 12th grades
(aged 16-17) at grammar and
comprehensive schools in the
north German federal states.
Exhibition
Preview
The following pages contain a
brief look at some of the leading
exhibitors in strict alphabetical
order.
Alfa Laval -
healthier oceans,
healthier business
In response to industry needs,
Alfa Laval has focused on
environmentally friendly
products, collectively referred to
as 'Pure Thinking' solutions.
These will be the focus for the
company's stand at SMM 2006.
In addition, sulphur emission
control areas (SECAs) and new
fuels will be prove the need for a
marine separation performance
standard.
Alfa Laval will also premiere
two other products: the new Pseparator and the new Gunclean
Toftejorg i65 S tank cleaning
machine (see page 41). Based on
the S-separator platform, the P-
separator generates less sludge
than conventional models and
therefore has less impact on the
environment as well as reduced
costs for sludge disposal, the
company claimed.
For the first time ever, all three
Alfa Laval 'Pure Thinking'
solutions will be on display. The
products include environmentally
friendly solutions to treat
crankcase gas, bilge water and
ballast water.
For example, EcoStream is an
IMO-certified bilge water
separator that effectively
removes oil and other
contaminants from emulsified
oily wastewater on board ships.
The bilge water separator
generally reduces the oil content
of bilge water to between 0 and
5 ppm - even when subjected to
oil shock and severe conditions.
This makes it a reliable solution,
claimed Alfa Laval, that offers
good safety margins. A high
speed centrifugal separator also
generates far less sludge for
disposal on land than other
competing technologies.
PureVent is an extremely
compact air separator that
effectively removes oil mist from
crankcase gases in the crankcase
ventilation with 98% efficiency.
This revolutionary new product
occupies just 30 litres of space,
but handles any engine size. Low
operating costs, two-year service
intervals and the absence of waste
add to its appeal.
PureBallast is Alfa Laval's
ballast water treatment solution
for the future. It uses advanced
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SMM PREVIEW
oxidation technology to ensure
that invasive species are not
released into foreign waters
through the discharge of a ship's
ballast water. No chemicals are
added and no undesirable
residuals remain after the
cleaning process. Simplicity of
operation and a small footprint
are other attractive features. Alfa
Laval is working to release the
system and make it available for
commercial operation.
Fuel and lube oil
cleaning
Alfa Laval has continued to
invest in other products. This
spring, Alfa Laval unveiled a dual
approach to oil treatment, which
included the launch of the new Pseparator. Displayed side by side
for the first time at the SMM, the
P-separator and its sibling the Sseparator enables shipowners to
choose a solution to meet their
needs, economy and automation
requirements for fuel and lube oil
September 2006
z
treatment.
Alfa Laval's S-separator
effectively addresses the process
issues associated with heavy fuel
oils. In contrast, the P-separator
meets the requirements of
cleaning marine diesel oils and
lubricating oils.
The introduction of SECAs
puts new demands on fuels and
on fuel sulphur levels. Tests
conducted by DNV Petroleum
Services indicate that processing
low-sulphur fuels may lead to
additional quality problems and
increase the level of catalytic
fines in the fuel. This will put
greater demands on separation
performance.
At the Alfa Laval stand the
latest findings will be presented
on how the separation
performance standard (SPS),
referred to as CWA 15 375,
helps to ensure that equipment
used to clean fuel oils will offer
better safety margins and protect
the engine from damaging
TANKEROperator
The S-seperator
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SMM PREVIEW
catalytic fines.
Visitors to the stand will also
be able to obtain a copy of the
industry guide relating to SPS,
which is a collaborative effort
written by MAN B&W, BP
Marine and Alfa Laval.
New tank cleaning
machine
The new high impact tank
cleaning machine, the Gunclean
Toftejorg i65 S will also be
exhibited. This new machine
incorporates low-wear materials
as well as advances in mechanical
design, such as a soft-starting
hysteresis clutch, which
eliminates the slippage associated
with traditional magnetic
clutches. A gas-tight, leakage-free
construction and a removable
gearbox are also innovative
features, which will be shown in
the fully operational test tank at
the Alfa Laval stand.
74
Caterpillar
Marine
Caterpillar Marine Power
Systems (CMPS) has been
successfully participating in
SMM for many years, and the
MaK brand has been on show
since the very first SMM back in
1960.
The focal point of CMPS'
SMM display will be 'Integrated
Solutions', on some 300 sq m of
exhibition space, located directly
in the centre of the Propulsion
Hall A3.
'Integrated Solutions' reflects
Caterpillar's 'Vision 2020'
strategy and the company's aim to
provide the best return on
investment for its clients. Marine
'Integrated Solutions' ranges from
project design, through sales, to
the commissioning of complete
propulsion systems. It covers ship
financing and customer support
agreements and includes a variety
of logistics, re-manufacturing and
related services for shipowners
and operators worldwide.
Many of these solutions will
be demonstrated at SMM 2006,
using exhibits, displays, video
demonstrations and, most
importantly, the knowhow of
experts on hand from CMPS,
Caterpillar Financial Services and
the Caterpillar® dealer network.
The eye-catcher on the stand
will be a MaK™ 6 M 32 C
medium-speed marine engine,
equipped with Caterpillar
Common Rail (CCR), a wellproven element of Caterpillar's
ACERT™ Technology. Following
extensive research on engine
durability with Heavy Fuel Oil
(HFO) operation and careful
evaluation of field experience
with competing solutions, CCR
will combine cutting-edge
technology with best-of-class
reliability.
Starting with the MaK M 32
engine series, CCR will be
available eventually for the whole
MaK medium-speed portfolio
comprising M 20 C, M 25, M 32
C, and M 43 C engines.
Demand for new engines is still
strong and CMPS today is
already working on orders for
2009 and beyond. However, in
order to build long-term
relationships with customers, the
organisation is increasingly
focusing on product support and
spare parts service for both new
vessels and the existing Cat and
MaK engine population.
Caterpillar offers a network of
200 independent dealers with
1,741 dealer branch stores, plus
some 400 authorised marine
dealers located in harbours and
marinas - in total more than 2,100
dealer locations worldwide. A
multitude of well-trained
employees support vessel
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SMM PREVIEW
operators in minimising their
owning and operating costs.
During SMM, the programmes
for Caterpillar genuine parts, remanufactured parts and exchange
parts will be on display. So too
will be the many options for
customer support agreements in
oceangoing vessels each tailormade to individual customer
needs.
Individual personal contact
with dedicated marine experts
follows every product sold. In
addition to CMPS' staff, all major
MaK and Cat marine engine
dealers will have their sales
representatives on the stand.
Hatlapa
Headquartered in Uetersen, just
outside Hamburg with a staff of
230, Hatlapa manufactures deck
machinery, compressors and
steering gear. These can be
found on all types of merchant
vessels.
Constant presence on site is
guaranteed by 42 sales agencies
in 35 countries, as well as by
subsidiaries in Singapore and
Shanghai, UK and Cyprus.
On the stand Hatlapa will be
exhibiting a low pressure
hydraulic motor for mooring,
towing and offshore winches. A
trial run will take place at
Uetersen during SMM.
An example of Hatlapa's
diversity came earlier this year
when the Columbia
Shipmanagement controlled
35,159 dwt chemical tanker
Cape Bradley collided with a
cargo vessel off the French
coast. The whole foreship was
damaged including the winch
equipment.
After docking at Lloyd Werft,
Bremerhaven, the winch
fragments (supplied in 2004 to
Hyundai Mipo Shipyard by a
Norwegian company) were
forwarded to Hatlapa's Uetersen
factory.
In only two weeks, Hatlapa had
manufactured new starboard
winches to its own design. The
components were tested and
approved on the company's test
bench on a Sunday, by DNV and
Columbia.
Cape Bradley received two
new roller chain stoppers, a
windlass part for 70 mm stud link
chain, a double drum mooring
winch for a pull of 150 kN and a
winch gear with high-pressure
hydraulic drive.
The Hatlapa team in their
respective departments operated
24/7, depending on progress,
proving their flexibility in the
maritime field.
Hatlapa also built a deep-sea
towing winch of 84.5 tonnes in
weight, to a 'waterfall' design,
that is two rope drums arranged
one above the other to
accommodate the towing ropes.
The dynamic pull of the winch is
200 tonnes and the static holding
load 320 tonnes. The upper rope
drum is belayed with a towing
wire (76 mm diameter) of 1,200
m in length. The lower drum has
a towing wire of the same
diameter but 1,600 m long.
The towing winch is driven by
the 'stepless drive', which has
been developed and patented by
Hatlapa. Frequency inverter
controlled electric motors and
corresponding controls allow
stepless operation of the winch,
otherwise known from hydraulic
drives. Thus protective operation
at very high rope speeds of up to
31 m per min is guaranteed.
Additionally, the winch is
equipped with two cable lifters
for a 76/127 mm stud-link chain.
The winch will be installed on
a deepsea tug, which is presently
being built by the Mützelfeldt
Shipyard in Cuxhaven. The
order was placed by Ferrostaal,
Essen and Harms Bergung,
Hamburg who will operate this
tug for all kinds of deepsea
transport, offshore work, salvage
and SAR. This oceangoing tug is
the first of four being built in
Germany
In co-operation with Ferrostaal
and Harms Bergung it was
possible to arrange the transport
of the winch from the port of
Uetersen to the Mützelfeldt
Shipyard in Cuxhaven.
Imtech and
HDW Hagenuk
Schiffstechnik
The Imtech group will be well
represented at SMM. The group,
or cluster, will present the
capabilities of Imtech Marine &
Offshore (IM&O) and HDW Hagenuk Schiffstechnik (HST),
while the HVAC specialist Imtech
Schiffbau & Dockbau can be
found on another stand.
The cluster acts as marine
system integrator, focusing on
four market segments: naval,
yachts, special vessels (offshore
and offshore-related vessels,
dredging and coast guard), and
merchant vessels (cargo and
container ships and inland
navigation vessels).
IM&O and HST are specialists
in digital integrated bridge
systems (IBS) and navigation
equipment, communication
systems, engine room automation
and integrated platform
management systems power
generation and distribution,
dynamic positioning systems and
electrical installations, and last,
but not least, diesel-electric
propulsion systems.
Cape Bradley's winch before and after Hatlapa replaced it.
76
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SMM PREVIEW
The group claims to have a
suitable solution for any client;
from specialised products,
complete systems, to total ship
solutions.
IM&O and HST will present a
complete bridge console for use
on commercial vessels. The group
will show the UniMACS 3000
IBS using the futuristic MOAC
technology demonstrator,
specially configured for the SMM
with a real-time visual simulation,
and a steering stand fitted with
dynamic positioning.
Both IM&O and HST are also
heavily involved in switchboard
manufacture. As an example, a
drive panel for a diesel-electric
propelled ship is among the items
on display at the stand.
HST will also spotlight
communication systems. For
instance, there will be a GMDSS
console with HST's latest global
marine communications product
on display, along with a carefully
selected grouping of marine
navigation, communications and
safety equipment from first-class
suppliers.
A short summary of all
products and systems represented
during SMM includes:
Two complete IBS; one with
real-time visual simulation.
A large variety of
communication systems.
Switchboards.
Drive panel for electric
propulsion.
Both Imtech Marine & Offshore
The widest range
of marine equipment
Stromme manufactures and supplies a complete range of quality
marine products. Stromme guarantees On time response and delivery.
With Stromme you only need one supplier.
Lifesaving Equipment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Totally Enclosed Lifeboats
Partially Enclosed Lifeboats
Freefall Lifeboats
Open Lifeboats
Rescue Boats
Fast Rescue Boats
Ship and Rig Davits
Fast Rescue Boat Davits
Rescue Boat Davits
Life Raft Davits
Automatic Release Hook
Immersion Suits
Fire, Rescue and Safety Equipment
Deck Equipment
•
•
•
•
Marine Cranes
Offshore Cranes
Fi-fi Pump Sets
Fenders
Other Equipment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reverse Osmosis Plants
Marine Compressors
High Pressure Cleaning System
Cargo Hold Cleaning System
Tools & Workshop Equipment
Tank Ventilation Fans
Various Maritime / Offshore Equipment
– a part of the Stromme Group
www.stromme.com
Head office: tel. + 47 67 52 60 60, [email protected]
NME office: tel. + 47 53 47 95 00, [email protected]
Branch offices: United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Singapore and USA
78
and HDW Hagenuk
Schiffstechnik are members of
the Imtech Group.
HDW-Hagenuk Schiffstechnik
is the partner for shipborne
electrical and electric systems and
equipment, backed by an
extensive range of services.
HDW-Hagenuk Schiffstechnik
joined the Imtech group in
December 2004.
The areas of competence
encompass not only development,
planning, engineering and project
management but also delivery,
installation, commissioning,
maintenance and after sales
support. The key performance
strength is the wide range of
systems, engineering, logistics
and after sales services offered to
a national and international
clientele.
Aside from the traditional
home market HDW-Hagenuk
Schiffstechnik primarily
concentrates on the shipbuilding
markets in China. The GermanChinese Joint venture company
HHEC produces electrical
switchgear, while the Shanghai
representative office supports all
marketing activities.
Imtech Marine & Offshore is a
marine systems integrator. Its
services focus on all phases in the
life cycle of a ship or platform.
Imtech Marine & Offshore
assumes full responsibility for
design, production, installation
and maintenance; in the field of
electrical engineering,
automation, instrumentation and
HVAC.
Imtech has been engineering,
designing, manufacturing and
installing equipment, machinery
and complete systems on board
vessels since 1860. Being a
marine contractor, Imtech
provides a wide range of products
and services worldwide.
Imtech Marine & Offshore has
sales, engineering and production
facilities in the Netherlands,
Germany, France, Singapore,
China, UK and in the US,
together with sales
representatives throughout the
world.
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Purchasing
Asset Management
Please visit us at
Hall 7 Stand 32
Maintenance & Stock Control
Personnel Management
Quality & Safety Management
E-mail & Communications
Consultancy & Training
SpecTec – your global IT Partner
Working together for efficiency,
productivity and profitable asset management
www.spectec.net
[email protected]
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SMM PREVIEW
Kittiwake
to unveil latest
sensor technology
Under increasing pressure to
lower operating costs, one of the
key areas for shipowners to
concentrate on is the maintenance
function. Ad-hoc budget cuts
often result in unreliable vessels
while short-term savings do not
offer any long term gain.
If the vessel is to increase time
at sea, reduce in-service
maintenance costs, retain or
improve its reliability and extend
service performance, then there
are some basic principles that
must be adhered to. Good
maintenance practices will help
avoid accelerated wear and
prevent catastrophic failure, but
where marine engineers continue
to face problems is in the field of
condition based monitoring.
In terms of oil analysis at least,
undertaking regular checks of any
root-cause condition is usually a
hurdle and the remote location of
a vessel often makes it difficult
for regular laboratory testing to
be valid. One option is for the
vessel to carry a basic set of oil
analysis tools. However, this
requires staff skilled in the use of
the instruments for it to be
meaningful and assumes that time
is freely available for such tasks.
Kittiwake, already well
established in the marine fuel and
lube oil testing market, has taken
steps to try to address the issues
of oil analysis at sea. As a result,
the company recently launched
the ANALEXrs range of remote
online sensors for lubricant and
machine condition monitoring.
The sensor range aimed at critical
fluids, includes total ferrous wear
debris sensors, particle content,
oil condition and moisture
sensors.
Kittiwake claimed that the
ANALEXrs online sensors go
beyond the normal protection
devices enhance the root-cause
monitoring approach to reliability.
The sensors have completed
extensive trials on board vessels,
while testing laboratories along
with major oil and engine
80
Kittiwake's remote sensor range.
manufacturers have reported
extremely positive results.
Speaking at a recent
conference, Chris Leigh-Jones,
managing director, said "Remote
online sensor technology is the
way forward in the 21st Century
for the Marine Industry. With the
emphasis on cost effective
reliability, the ANALEXrs range
will put real time lubricant and
machinery condition information
in the hands of the engineer.
Remote online sensors improve
the overall analysis process,
allowing for accurate trending
through more consistent and
frequent measurements, which
can only result in a more
profitable and proactive
maintenance strategy." He added,
"The technology would also
reduce the safety and
environmental hazards associated
with sampling in many
applications, as well as benefiting
many remote sites where the
logistics of shipping samples is
frequently a non-starter."
To ask our experts how an
online proactive condition
monitoring approach can save
money, explore the results and
view the sensors in action, visit
the Kittiwake stand.
Kittiwake was set up in 1991 to
provide a range of rugged,
portable tools for fuels and
lubricant analysis in the marine
industry. The company purchased
Analex in 2003 to enhance the oil
analysis product range and has
since expanded the PQ instrument
range to now include the Analex
remote sensor range.
MAN Diesel
group
underlines wide
capabilities
Renamed MAN Diesel's exhibits
will underline its propulsion and
power generation capabilities for
a wide spectrum of vessel types,
as well as its expanding after
sales activities under the new
MAN Diesel PrimeServ brand.
However, the main news is that
the company officially changed
its name to MAN Diesel SE. This
is down to the company
converting itself into a European
Company (Societas Europaea, or
SE for short), which was
successfully concluded at the end
of August.
By adopting SE status, the
executive board intends to make
the Diesel Engine Division of the
MAN Group an even more
international player showing a
single face to the customer. As
Håkan Samuelsson, MAN ceo,
explained, "Our markets are
global and we are now in an
optimum position to serve them.
Being an SE makes us a true
front-runner in Germany."
Meanwhile at SMM, a
highlight will be the showing of a
32/44 CR, MAN Diesel's first all
electronic four-stroke diesel
engine employing the company's
own common rail system with
pressure controlled injectors as
standard equipment. The first
orders for the 32/44 CR have
been received, illustrating the
market's ready appreciation of the
economic and emissions benefits
of common rail.
In the two-stroke sector,
pistons and valves from the
K98ME-C engine, designed by
MAN Diesel in Copenhagen and
currently the highest output diesel
available, symbolise how MAN
Diesel power is keeping pace
with ever bigger tankers, bulkers
and, particularly, containerships.
The MAN Diesel turbocharger
business is exhibiting its own
response to this same upward
spiral with the running gear of its
new TCA88-25 device. This
uprated version of the established
TCA88-20 features a revised
compressor design, enabling only
three TCA88-25 units to
turbocharge MAN Diesel's top of
the range 12K98ME-C two-stroke
diesel engine.
The MAN Diesel PrimeServ
brand unites all after sales
activities under a single banner,
and a central theme will be its
expanding network of highquality, readily accessible service
centres. Since PrimeServ's early
2006 launch, five new branches at
Houston, Los Angeles, Dubai,
Guangzhou and Mumbai have
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SMM PREVIEW
already started operations. Also
on display is a vital cornerstone
of PrimeServ strategy: customer
qualification in the service and
maintenance of MAN Diesel
engines at the worldwide network
of MAN Diesel Academies.
Complementary themes will be
presentations on the new 1,000
kW per cylinder 51/60 DF dualfuel four-stroke for LNG carriers,
and a strong emphasis on MAN
Diesel's offshore sector successes.
Along with four-stroke engines
from Germany and Denmark,
finely tuned engines, reduction
gear and propeller packages from
Frederikshavn, Denmark are
gaining ground in vessels like
PSV's and FPSO's.
The stand is completed by two
virtual exhibits. MAN Diesel's
design support capabilities are
demonstrated in a 3-D film on a
project to install a 58/64 main
engine and 32/40 auxiliary in a
tanker. An interactive ME engine
simulator enables visitors to
experience the dynamic response,
emissions and fuel consumption
behaviour of a powerful ME twostroke with advanced electronic
fuel injection technology.
As a result of the forming of a
European SE company and the
renaming, MAN will offer its
services in three distinct brands:
MAN Diesel - Four-stroke
engines, turbochargers.
MAN B&W - Two-stroke
engines.
MAN Diesel PrimeServ After sales service.
Martechnic
sees the future with
dynamite
Hamburg based Martechnic
GmbH is pleased to announce its
participation in the European
Commission sponsored Integrated
Project 'Dynamic Decisions in
Maintenance' (DYNAMITE).
This three and a half year
programme led by the Finnish
technological centre VTT is
dedicated to advancing the state
of the art and general
understanding of industrial
maintenance. Studies over the last
20 years have indicated that
around Europe, the direct cost of
maintenance is equivalent to
between 4% and 8% of business
turnover with indirect
maintenance costs (quality, lost
productivity, consequential
disruption across wider systems,
etc) likely to be at least a similar
amount.
The DYNAMITE project, with
a budget of Eur6.1 mill, focuses
on key strategic problems in
technical and managerial areas of
maintenance and on some
specific devices. It addresses the
need for a flexible, universal
infrastructure to host technologies
for global e-maintenance
embracing 'smart tags' (intelligent
labels identified by radio
frequency), mobile computers
(PDAs), low cost wireless
communication devices
(Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM, UMTS).
and sensor systems covering a
broad range of techniques and
applications.
Martechnic joined 16 other
companies and organisations
(including Fiat's research centre
and Volvo Technology AB) in
addressing these issues bringing
to the table its specialised
expertise and experience in
maritime fuel, lube and hydraulic
oil testing and monitoring.
Within the context of the project,
Martechnic will participate in the
development of micro-sensors to
monitor the condition of
lubrication where the generated
data is transmitted via various
means to remote intelligent
processors and data management
systems.
The company provides
products and services to the
maritime and transportation
industries for fuel, lubes and
hydraulic oil analysis, monitoring
and related maintenance areas. It
claims to offer innovative
solutions, field test kits and
sensor systems for operating,
Automation Technology
From Lyngsø Marine and SAM Electronics
Plea
se
SM visit u
26-2 M 20 s at
Hall 9 Sept 06
e
12,
Boo mber
th 2
60
Machinery Monitoring
Remote Control
Cargo Management
Lyngsø Marine A/S
SAM Electronics GmbH
2, Lyngsø Allé
2970 Hørsholm . Denmark
Phone: +45 45 16 62 00
Fax:
+45 45 16 62 62
E-mail: [email protected]
www.lyngsoe.com
Behringstrasse 120
22763 Hamburg . Germany
Phone: +49 40 88 25 24 33
Fax:
+49 40 88 25 41 16
E-mail: [email protected]
www.sam-electronics.de
The 2200 Automation Series – Lifecycle Solution for Your Ship
September 2006
z
TANKEROperator
81
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SMM PREVIEW
maintenance and regulatory
requirements.
For additional information on
DYNAMITE visit Stand 331 in
Hall A1.
recommended by IMO. However,
QMI's Brian Smith said that this
latest requirement from OCIMF
seemed to come out of the blue.
Quality
Monitoring
Instruments
(QMI)
introduces a smaller
monitor
OCIMF has requested that all its
oil major members and owners or
managers of vessel that they
charter should use oil mist
detectors in the area of the
hydraulic pack. Although it is a
recommendation, it seems that the
inspectors are enforcing this
request with great vigour.
For the past 17 years, QMI has
been supplying the standard
Multiplex system for oil mist
detection in all vessel machinery
spaces, which is now being
82
QMI's oil mist monitor.
As there are very few
companies that can deal with this
parameter, QMI is introducing a
new downsize Multiplex monitor
which can service up to three
detectors only.
This new model will be
officially introduced at SMM on
stand A3.331. QMI claimed to
have been swamped with orders
and enquires as a result of this
requirement and having to use our
Multiplex unit with up to 3
detectors because of the demand
right now.
The extract from ship
inspection report in the OCIMF
SIRE programme states:
11.25 - Where hydraulic
aggregate pumps are located
within the main engine
compartment, is an oil mist
detector fitted?
Note: In vessels fitted with
deep-well pumps driven by
hydraulic pressure packs,
pressure in the transmission
pipes can be very high. If the
aggregate pumps are located
within the engine compartment it
is advisable that an oil mist
detector be fitted.
While this is a
recommendation, it tends to
become a requirement, hence the
rush, Smith explained.
Radio Holland
International maritime electronics
company Radio Holland, part of
the Imtech Group, will present its
global network of more than 50
owned branches and will also
announce new additions to the
network at SMM in several
countries.
Radio Holland's strategy remains
to expand its unique global service
network, to be able to support ship
owners on site, 24/7. Also new
Radio Holland services in airtime
will be presented and announced,
among which the launch of
innovative broadband solutions.
Through its Global Service House,
Radio Holland presents its
international service capabilities, a
Global Service Database delivering
management information for
shipowners to manage their
equipment on board. Also various
flexible service contracts are
possible. Radio Holland will also
show various electronic
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SMM PREVIEW
RH's compact (S)VDR solution.
innovations, such as the Imtech
BlueLine bridge system, the latest
Tokimec navigation electronics,
new and innovative, compact
(S)VDR solutions and innovations
in inland shipping electronics, such
as a docking system and padpilot.
Radio Holland will also launch
its new broadband services, which
the company claimed are ideal for
oceangoing vessels that require
'always-on' satellite
communications with high
bandwidths. In addition, the
broadband services are suitable for
private corporate networks with
requirements for a variety of
applications, including file and
image transfer, video conferencing,
e-mail, Virtual Private Networks
(VPN), and database backup. The
package Radio Holland presents
consists of hardware, airtime and
value added services (VAS).
Despite joining up in March of
this year, Radio Holland had
already been doing business with
Imtech for some years. For
example, the company supplied
and installed the Imtech BlueLine
IBS for various shipowners.
SAM
Electronics
SAM Electronics, recently
purchased by L-3
Communications, is exhibiting a
wide-ranging series of newSeptember 2006
z
generation automation,
navigation, safety, power supply
and energy distribution systems
designed for ships of all types
and sizes.
Major exhibits include a new
bridge control assembly featuring
complementary automation and
navigation functions and
comprising a new range of
ergonomically-designed
standardised consoles and unified
panels collectively providing
improved system redundancy, in
addition to optimum ease of
operation and maintenance.
New navaids include an IMOcompliant Debeg 4620, a
competitive dual-channel
echosounder and compact
companion model to the existing
4630 version, a Dolog SAM 4682
dual-axis doppler log, and a highprecision SAM 4642 EM Log for
determining speed in conjunction
with a universal digital display
unit, UDT SAM 4900.
They are featured alongside a
latest Chartpilot 1100 ECDIS
demonstrating real-time updating
via e-mail or the internet while an
all-purpose Debeg 4300 Series
VDR will similarly demonstrate
wireless remote control of shipto-shore data in association with a
NACOS integrated navigation
command system.
Energy and drive activities will
be highlighted by latest diesel
TANKEROperator
electric propulsion systems, a
new SAMCon ecological power
connection system and the latest
version of the GPM 500
generator protection module for
combined generator and network
protection.
A new EGS 2200 electronic
governor system featuring a
governor panel and state-of-theart actuator with digital response
for main engine speed is being
shown as part of a PCS 2200
propulsion control system
designed either for stand-alone
use or integration as part of an
MCS 2200 integrated monitoring
and control system.
Additional systems for
improving ship safety and
navigational decision-making will
also be featured.
Finally, automation systems
will be featured from parent L-3
company, such as the L-3
Valmarine, as well as
comprehensive product
presentations by EUROATLAS
and JOVYATLAS.
Solar Solve
Marine
Solar Solve Marine, a leading
manufacturer of SOLASOLV®
anti-glare, heat rejecting roller
screens for navigation bridge
windows, is attending SMM for
the eighth time.
During use, SOLASOLV®
screens allow a clear outward
view with true colour rendition
helping to ensure safer navigation
during sunny and bright
conditions and a more
comfortable working environment
for the crew. All of Solar Solve's
product ranges will be displayed
for visitors to try on their newly
developed foldaway exhibition
display stand.
Both electric and manual
versions of the SOLASOLV®
range will be on show along with
the ROLASOLV® range of fabric
roller and blackout blinds for
accommodation area windows.
SOLASOLV® screens reject up
to 87% of the sun's heat for a more
comfortable working environment
and up to 93% of glare so
electronic charts and VDU screens
can be easily seen. To-date, more
than 65,000 SOLASOLV® screens
have been supplied to 6,500
vessels worldwide. They are
claimed to be instantly retractable,
reliable, simple to install and easy
to operate, and are constantly reassessed to ensure they comply
with the latest marine legislation.
SOLASOLV® is the only antiglare screen on the market to be
Type Approved by LR, ABS
and DNV.
Transas Group
Transas will be showing its
intelligent bridge navigation
system (HTiBS), which has
become the first system in the
world to be type-approved as INS
class C. Designed in full
compliance with the IEC61924
standard, it has recently been
certified by DNV.
Complementing this system is the
Transas Light INS - a simplified
single workstation INS which
intends the non-conventional use
with ARPA/RADAR and ECDIS
capability, and also provides a
common and easily supported
cartographic database.
Transas ECDIS is the
combination of all the chart data
on a single display, allowing the
quickest possible situation
assessment and decision making.
The Transas S-VDR 3100, is
designed to meet and exceed the
requirements of the IMO
resolution MSC.163 (78), the
performance standards for SVDRs. In order to obtain the
maximum benefits from S-VDR,
the unit is supplied with NaviSailor ECS. The latter is specially
developed to improve the
operational safety and security of
a water craft.
Another Transas product Navi-Radar 3000-I- performs all
the functions of radar, ARPA, and
can overlay electronic charts on
the radar picture.
Transas will also present the full
scope of its training solutions
comprising: navigational simulator
83
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Navi-Trainer Professional 4000,
GMDSS simulator TGS 4100,
engine room simulator ERS 4000,
liquid cargo handling simulator
LCHS 4000, oil product terminal
simulator, and oil spill response
simulator all integrated in a
common virtual environment.
Up-to-date shore-based system
Navi-Harbour VTMS has been
designed as a modular structure
with centralised integrated data
processing. All data integrated
processing is performed by the
system server, allowing the
independent operation of many
workstations connected via a
standard TCP\IP network.
UKHO -
ECDIS seminars and
question time at
SMM
The United Kingdom
Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is
organising its usual daily 'mini'
84
seminars on the UKHO Admiralty
stand throughout the week,
addressing ECDIS regulations, the
Admiralty ECDIS Service and
digital publications. Exhibition
visitors are also invited to put
forward any questions they have
on subjects relating to ECDIS,
current legislation or general
issues relating to the electronic
charting systems.
"The UKHO is offering its
services as an international
resource for ECDIS information
here at SMM, Hamburg. Our
seminars are organised in
response to regular feedback of
questions and issues from marine
decision makers working within
the SOLAS sector " explained
Keith Spalding, commercial PR
manager, UKHO.
To book an appointment or
attend the 20 min seminar on the
UKHO Admiralty stand call
01823 337900 (ext 1404) or visit
the stand.
Westfalia
Separator offers
SeaProtect
Solutions
The IMO and national
legislative authorities have
issued strict laws and directives
to protect the ecosystem in the
oceans involving fines running
into eight digits in the event of
failure to comply, even in minor
cases.
Westfalia's new BilgeMaster,
SludgeMaster and CombiMaster
systems from the SeaProtect
solutions line of Westfalia
Separator Mineraloil Systems
are claimed to secure the
oceans' sensitive ecosystems
extremely effectively and
also provide protection for the
value of the shipowner's
investment.
At SMM, Westfalia will be
presenting a new BilgeMaster
series, which is specifically
tailored to the requirements
of shipping, offering a
favourable price-performance
ratio.
Instead of the sizes
1,500, 3,000 and 6,000 litres
per hour, the BilgeMaster
series has now been subdivided
into nine intermediate sizes
ranging from 1,000 to 7,000
litres per hour.
For this purpose, the three
basic models WSD 8, WSD 18
and WSD 35 were combined
with five different size
absorption filters to
produce a total of nine
customised variants.
In addition, the three basic
self-cleaning separator
models were converted from
gearwheel-driven drive to belt
drive. As a result, Westfalia
Separator achieved a
significantly higher speed and
hence a higher centrifugal force
and more efficient separation
results.
TO
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Powerful force in Marine Technology
Imtech and HST; your partners in delivering:
Visit us at SMM at stand 12.OG.240
■ Integrated Bridge Systems
■ Engine Room Automation
■ Power Generation and Distribution
■ Electrical Propulsion Systems
■ Electrical Installations
■ Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems
■ Communication and Navigation Systems
■ Warning and Safety Systems
W W W. I M T E C H M A R I N E . C O M
W W W. H D W H A G E N U K . D E
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