News

TTS Group ASA Wins Hurtigruten Contract
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

TTS Group ASA has been rewarded a contract for sideloading systems for Norway-based expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten. TTS Group has also won a contract for ships equipment to another buyer. Total value of the orders is approximately MNOK 38.

Hurtigruten, the world’s largest and most sustainable expedition cruise line, is expected to install the advanced TTS sideloading systems on six different ships during 2019-2021.

Corvus Selected to Supply Battery Systems for Five Ferries
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

Corvus Energy is pleased to announce that the company has been selected by Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to supply lithium ion battery-based energy storage systems (ESS) for five new all-electric ferries being built by Havyard for Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1.

“Fjord1 continues to forge a very progressive path towards environmentally sustainable operations with these additional all-electric ferries,” says Stein Ruben Larsen, Senior Vice President Sales at NES, a total system integrator of electric systems for the global marine market. With respect to their ESS selection, he remarks, “The proven reliability, safety and performance of the Corvus ESS was important in awarding this contract to Corvus Energy.”

“Corvus Energy is honoured to once again be selected by NES to provide Energy Storage Systems for Fjord1 ferries,” says Roger Rosvold, Vice President Sales at Corvus Energy. “NES are skilled and experienced electrical system integrators, and our close partnership with them in designing and delivering these innovative solutions is key to accelerating the adoption of energy storage systems.”

The leading manufacturer of energy storage systems for maritime applications, Corvus Energy provides battery power to more ferries than all other providers of energy storage systems combined. Beginning with the first zero-emission ferry, Ampere, Corvus Energy’s ESSs have now been selected for over 40 similarly sized car ferries globally.

Fjord1’s fleet modernization is impressive—the result of winning a number of tender competitions where low- or zero-emissions were specified by Norwegian authorities in an effort to reduce emissions from the ferry fleet. To date, Corvus Energy has supplied ESSs on eight Fjord1 electric ferries operating on four Norwegian coastal routes.

“It is a pleasure to work with the technical team at NES. They are highly experienced in integrating batteries into electric power and propulsion systems, and easy to work with to calculate energy storage capacity correctly,” says Tommy Sletten, Team Leader Technical Sales Support at Corvus Energy.

These five latest all-electric ferries are of Havyard 932 design and will be built in Havyard Shipyard in Leirvik, Sogn. Each ferry is 67 meters in length, holds 50 cars and will be equipped with air-cooled Corvus Orca Energy ESS that will supply electrical power to the ferry’s NES all-electric power and propulsion system. The Corvus equipment is scheduled for delivery in 2019 and all five ferries will be fully operational on four additional routes in Norway by January 1, 2020.

Siemens Opens Robotized Battery Module Factory in Norway
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

Together with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Siemens today opened one of the world's most advanced and robotic battery module factories in Trondheim, Norway. In the future, 55 battery modules per shift will be assembled every day for the marine and offshore market. "We expect this market to grow significantly in the future. That is why we have invested in the development of safe and reliable battery solutions," says Bjørn Einar Brath, Head of Offshore Solutions at Siemens. The factory comprises a robotized and digitized production line with eight robotic stations with a capacity of up to 300 megawatt hours (MWh) per year. From unpacking the incoming production parts to testing the finished battery module, the whole factory is completely automated. One battery consists of nine battery modules, each module consists of 28 battery cells.

So far, Norwegian companies have led the way in the electrification of shipping. Due to the global decision to invest in maritime battery systems, interest in Siemens battery solutions is also growing on the international market. "We also see interest in such solutions outside Norway. The new battery factory will therefore also serve an international market," says Brath. Due to Norway's pioneering role in electrification and Siemens Trondheim's technology and production environment for electrical solutions in ships and offshore applications, Trondheim was chosen to be the location. 

"In Trondheim, we have established a competence center for electrical and hybrid solutions with years of experience. This has impressed global management so much that we are now responsible for the development of new battery systems," says Anne Marit Panengstuen, CEO of Siemens AS. Siemens was also encouraged by its closeness to ambitious customers in the Norwegian maritime industry and by the policy offensive for low-emission solutions.

Great electrification potential

Until now, the market has been largely driven by electric ferries, but fishing boats, workboats for aquaculture and offshore plants also offer great potential for the future. The factory recently received its first order to assemble batteries for use on a drilling rig. West Mira, a drilling platform of the international drilling company Northern Drilling, will thus be the first drilling rig in the world to be operated with a modern battery solution. For such a drilling rig, it is estimated that a battery solution can reduce annual fuel consumption by twelve percent, annual carbon dioxide emissions by fifteen percent and annual nitrogen oxide emissions by twelve percent.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Venezuelan State Oil Firm PDVSA
by Reuters
Monday, January 28, 2019
By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Monday imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil firm PDVSA, the toughest U.S. financial measure so far against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The sanctions were announced to ratchet up pressure against Maduro and demonstrate U.S. support for Juan Guaido, the […]

Seafarer to Meet his Baby for the First Time After Months at Sea
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

It’s one of the biggest moments of a man’s life: holding his first-born in his arms for the first time.

But four months since his son Ezrah was born, Leo Laurente still hasn’t had the chance to cuddle him, and has only been able to coo at him on video calls.

Leo, 31, is a seafarer and was thousands of miles from home, on a nine-month contract transporting cars around Europe, when he learned his wife, Ethil, had given birth.

He sailed from Portbury this week and is finally on his way home to the Philippines to meet his son.

Leo said, “I’m very excited, I can hardly sleep at night imagining I will soon meet my baby. I feel like the last few days on board have been like a month, I really want to kiss and carry my baby, that’s how excited I am to be with them.”

Leo last saw his wife Ethil in April last year, when she was about three or four months pregnant. They had been married for just seven months when he set off to sea. “Leaving her was hard because I knew I wouldn’t be there to see her give birth to our baby,” he said.

While seafaring can be a lucrative profession, many of the seafarers on ships serving the U.K. come from some of the world’s poorest communities and see the job as necessary to support their families.

Stuart Rivers, CEO of international maritime charity Sailors’ Society, which supports seafarers and their families, understands the sacrifices seafarers like Leo make. He said, “Phones, computers, cars, 90 per cent of everything we use on a daily basis comes by sea, transported by an often-invisible workforce like Leo, who miss many of the things we take for granted.”

Before becoming a seafarer 10 years ago, Leo had numerous different jobs; dicing fruit in a mall, working in a warehouse and delivering parcels. “Working away at sea is hard. But I need to do it to secure my family’s future and to support their needs,” Leo said.

Life at sea can be dangerous and seafarers face crises such as abandonment, piracy and terrorism. It also means missing key life events, like the birth of your first-born.

Leo, unlike many of his fellow 1.6 million seafarers, has Wi-Fi access on board his ship, the Emerald Leader. “If the signal is good, Ethil and I chat every day. When Ezrah is awake, we try and video call,” he said.

Although better than nothing, it’s not the same as spending time with your child. Seafarers who don’t have onboard Wi-Fi access will often make a beeline for a reliable connection when they’re docked in port.

While docked at Portbury, Leo met Sailors’ Society chaplain Steve Loader, who was able to provide him with practical and emotional support, as well as a teddy to take back to Ezrah.

Leo said, “It’s a big help knowing that there is someone out there, like Steve, who is interested in your story and can give advice and inspire you.”

Playing Serious Games with Virtual Reality
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

The vivid experiences created using virtual reality technology offer unsurpassed scenario-based training opportunities. Now easily deployable at sea or on land, seafarers can play “serious games” with an autonomous device that generates interactive games designed to achieve specific training goals.

SQLearn has opened up this fascinating world on its Dolphin Platforms, focusing on the seafarer's active participation in the learning matrix while reducing the time and cost of the training process.

Virtual Reality, the simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real way, is not to be confused with augmented reality that simply superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. Training using virtual reality can be as good as on a real life training situation. 

Combining virtual reality technology with innovative e-learning resources has been shown to be particularly effective in industries that require familiarization with situations that would be dangerous, expensive or even impossible to simulate in real life. 

Moving beyond the initial impact of the scenario, re-experiencing a mistake through simulation enables trainees to react again and build up their confidence and practical skills. 

Applications of virtual reality technology in the maritime industry include ensuring crew have the experience they need to safely and efficiently deal with situations such as mooring operations, machinery adjustments, galley fires or engineroom explosions.

These “serious games” also help build resilience, a concept that focuses on a person’s ability to achieve goals under a large variety of conditions, both anticipated and unexpected. A less resilient person is more likely to feel overwhelmed; a more resilient person is better able to maintain poise as well as a healthy level of physical and psychological wellness in the face of life’s inevitable challenges.

SQLearn’s technology can be deployed using either Oculus Rift headsets or Oculus Go - an autonomous device that offers maximum portability. Both can be used both ashore and on board.

SQLearn has created VR familiarization walkthroughs using basic sections of a tanker vessel, most notably the bridge, various parts of the engine room and the deck. The company's interactive games address specific training situations such as a fire drill scenario.

A Greek company founded in 2006, SQLearn is a specialized provider of e-learning services, including custom e-learning solutions, integrated Learning Management Systems development, instructional design and custom e-learning content development, game based learning, serious games development, 3D training simulations, mobile learning and e-learning consultancy services.

SQLearn created Dolphin Platforms, a complete suite of specialized services for the shipping industry. Dolphin Platforms include a range of innovative and effective products, using flexible, interactive and reflective learning techniques.

SQLearn’s e-learning facilities and e-learning courses are certified according to relevant ABS standards and to ISO 9001:2015.
 

Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) Appoints Commercial MD
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) is delighted to announce the appointment of Joachim Brack as Finance and Commercial Managing Director, with effect from February 1, 2019.
 
Brack’s appointment follows the departure of Mads Soerensen to pursue new challenges and is in line with the company’s ongoing commitment to Germany and to develop and grow its client base in the European and Scandinavian markets. He will work alongside overall office Managing Director and Group COO Carsten Sommerhage and Technical Director Pablo Mussi out of the company’s Hamburg offices.
 
Brack is an experienced entrepreneurial finance and shipping professional. He has held senior positions in a number of shipping companies. He was Head of Finance at Lloyd Fonds and for the past eight years has been Managing Director of Hellespont Ship Management, overseeing that company’s change from KG owner to third-party-manager.
 
Columbia Shipmanagement President Mark O’Neil stated: “Joachim will be a tremendous asset in our continuous drive to provide our clients (small and big) with the best quality and tailored service in the ship management and maritime services sector, and in our development of the European and Scandinavian markets. A true professional, he shares our absolute focus on client service and partnership and will continue the great work started by Mads Soerensen.”
 
Brack’s appointment follows the recent opening of Columbia Shipmanagement’s state-of-the-art Performance Optimisation Control Room which will allow its commercial shipping, cruise, and super yacht clients to optimize all aspects of their vessel and crew performances.

Sales Account Manager - Weathernews
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

On behalf of our client Weathernews, MARPRO is looking for a Sales Account Manager to focus on the Shipping market in Scandinavia. We are looking for an eager professional with sales experience to help expand and grow the business within the weather service industry.

You are an experienced Maritime Professional ready for a new challenge - perhaps with a background in a shipping company from a chartering department or similar. You will receive initial job training and have an opportunity to build relationship with staff in Copenhagen and at our headquarter in Japan to better understand corporate culture and the big picture of our business plan. 

To succeed, you will need to create a comprehensive sales plan of your area and analyse existing and potential customers. 

Weathernews is offering a challenging job in a vibrant team based in Copenhagen. Our services help customers safely navigate at sea, optimize their performance and make better deal estimates. 

Your key responsibilities:
• Analyse and understand the drivers of the shipping market 
• Prospect and hunt new opportunities 
• Retain and open new opportunities within existing accounts 
• Maintain a high level of relevant domain knowledge to have meaningful conversations with prospects 
• Make presentations to senior managers and decision makers 
• Draft and deliver proposals 
• Establish and keep a close relationship with key stakeholders 
• Drive the entire sales cycle from initial customer engagement to closed sales and to after service 

As our new Sales Account Manager your main task is to understand what is driving the market, your customers, their challenges and needs, and how our solutions fit to create sustainable business value. Your role is an important factor in expanding our business and opportunities for within the shipping market. 

Your qualifications
• Ability to act individually but work as a team 
• First class relationship management skills 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written 
• Can-do attitude and strong execution skills 

Essential Skills and Experience
• Language skills requirements: Fluent in English, Danish or Norwegian 
• 3+ years of sales experience
• Previous shipping industry knowledge is an advantage 

Application:
If you are interested in this position, please apply online before February 21st, 2018. We take applicants in for an interview on a running basis and we will take the job ad down, once the right candidate is found.

For questions, please contact Managing Director Jakob le Fevre, MARPRO Search & Selection at +45 6160 6062.

WEATHERNEWS INC. is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the provision of content services related to weather information to corporate and individual users. The Company provides various business support services and disaster prevention services based on weather predictions, to companies in the fields of marine transportation, road, railway, air transportation, retail and distribution, agriculture, construction, communication, port and others, as well as and municipalities. The Company is also engaged in the provision of mobile content services that provides weather contents to individual users, the operation of Internet Website under the name Weather News, as well as the provision of content services to satellite broadcasting (BS) digital broadcasts, broadcast stations, radio stations, cable television stations and Internet

Hamburg: HHLA Puts First Hybrid Straddle Carriers into Operation
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

New energy-saving, low-emission technology at the Port of Hamburg: two straddle carriers with environmentally friendly hybrid engines are now transporting containers between the ship, the yard, the rail terminal and the truck gate at the HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT). The two prototypes are expected to use at least 15 percent less diesel than their predecessors. This will significantly reduce emissions of CO2, nitric oxide and particulate matter.

The principle behind the hybrid technology is simple: the straddle carrier stores surplus energy, which is for example generated during braking or while the load is being lowered, in a high-performance lithium-ion battery. As it drives, the vehicle uses this energy from the battery. This significantly eases the load on the combustion engine.

The effect is striking: the manufacturer Konecranes promises annual fuel savings of at least 15 percent per hybrid straddle carrier compared with the diesel-electric model most recently supplied to the CTT. This significantly lowers emissions. Konecranes forecasts an annual reduction of 30 to 50 tonnes of CO2 per straddle carrier.

The two prototypes represent a further step by HHLA towards adapting their heavy machinery to increasingly environmentally friendly technologies. CTT’s Managing Director, Dr. Thomas Koch, explains, “With the new hybrid straddle carriers, we are cutting our energy costs and reducing emissions. This is further evidence that HHLA is a consistent supporter of cutting-edge technology and intelligent solutions. The company, the environment and the employees all benefit.”

The two hybrid-battery Konecranes Noell Straddle Carriers were developed and tested at the Konecranes plant in Würzburg. Hubert Foltys, Director of the Business Line Straddle Carrier at Konecranes, is proud that the new generation of straddle carriers with hybrid-battery propulsion is being deployed for the first time at Tollerort in Hamburg. “HHLA and Konecranes are united by a long-standing partnership which has often involved pioneering work to introduce innovative container handling solutions. With the new hybrid-battery generation, Konecranes is taking the propulsion technology for straddle carriers to the next level and enabling HHLA to make further significant improvements to the economy and ecology of container handling at Tollerort.”

Sustainability is a key component of HHLA’s corporate strategy. The company has set itself several targets in this regard, including cutting CO2 emissions per container handled by 30 percent between 2008 and 2020. It had already succeeded in bringing about a 28.9 percent reduction by 2017. HHLA uses innovative technology to achieve this ambitious target, which it often develops with the manufacturer. The technology is subjected to its first hard reality check in around-the-clock operations at HHLA’s facilities. For instance, in 2009, HHLA and Gottwald Port Technologies – which has also been part of Konecranes since 2017 – successfully tested the world’s first battery-powered container transport vehicles together at the Container Terminal Altenwerder. The vehicles have been in operation ever since. 

NSSLGlobal and Teekay Sign New Four-Year Satcom Contract
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

Award-winning global satcom provider NSSLGlobal has today announced a record breaking four-year, multi-million enhanced contract for communication and entertainment services with Teekay, one of the world’s largest marine energy transportation, storage and production companies.

The latest contract will provide an upgraded bandwidth capability across the Teekay fleet alongside the installation of NSSLGlobal’s new virtualized Cruise Control+ appliance and the rollout of CrewVision, its crew entertainment service. The new contract cements the longstanding relationship between NSSLGlobal and Teekay dating back to 2004. The winning formula stems from NSSLGlobal’s commitment to prioritizing key client relationships and working closely with Teekay to align its developments to Teekay’s everyday needs and longer-term strategic objectives.

The Cruise Control+ upgrade provides Teekay a complete end-to-end solution for the seamless integration of communications, entertainment and IT services on board its vessels. New security features include an embedded VPN, an integrated Unified Threat Management (UTM) with enhanced Layer 7 firewall, gateway anti-virus, deep packet inspection, intrusion detection and prevention capabilities. To give comprehensive cybersecurity control, overview and management of all devices being connected to Teekay’s vessel networks, there is also a SIEM and Log Management capability which ensures network security logs are centrally notified, monitored and reported.

The Cruise Control+ now also comes with CrewVision, a crew entertainment service that provides live news, and the latest films, sports and TV programs — all optimized to work efficiently over a satellite connection without affecting the vessel’s bandwidth.

Teekay wanted a holistic view of their core operational and performance data on one platform. The solution was provided through INSIGHT, a single state-of-the-art intuitive Management Overview Portal. Working in collaboration with Teekay, NSSLGlobal developed INSIGHT to empower Teekay’s central management to track its VSAT IP@SEA service 24/7 across the fleet and per vessel. INSIGHT allows Teekay to instantly filter its business-critical data to manage one of the largest fleets in the world. The constantly evolving platform is responsive and, at a click, the unique custom-built central dashboard provides graphical real-time visibility of each vessel, including VSAT status, UTM Layer 7 traffic, data usage and billing.

“We’ve been working hard on a smooth transition of our recent acquisitions into the NSSLGlobal family, and our people in Singapore, UK, Norway and Germany have produced a winning formula of how we work seamlessly as a team to support our global customers,” said Sally-Anne Ray, CEO, NSSLGlobal. "Digitalization and cybersecurity is now an everyday reality for Teekay and we’re extremely proud that NSSLGlobal will continue to play a key role in Teekay’s ability to manage all vessel comms, safety, security and crew welfare benefits for the next four years. Maintaining such a strong 15-year relationship can never be taken for granted. It is built firmly on an absolute commitment to customer service and an agile approach to innovation that ensures we’re laser-focused on engineering the value-added services and breakthrough technologies like our Satlink modem, our Cruise Control+ and our INSIGHT Portal that set us apart from the competition.”   

Deborah Sloan, Contract/Category Specialist, Strategic Development, Teekay, said: “As a communications partner to Teekay for 15 years, NSSLGlobal has developed a hugely valuable understanding of our business and have proven their ability to deliver a robust and flexible service that continues to exceed expectations and to plan for future requirements. The cybersecurity assurance and IT managed services provided by the Cruise Control+ upgrade will help us to eliminate some of the challenges created by digitalization and give us more freedom to focus on each vessel’s operational and crew welfare priorities.”

Teekay’s core deliverables already include NSSLGlobal’s full VSAT IP@SEA service, which combines an extensive Ku- and C- Band coverage with some of the fastest speeds in the industry and service assurance via L-Band for complete service availability. Because NSSLGlobal fully owns and controls its own network and with SatLink (it’s hubs and modems state of the art technology) it can offer more flexible and bespoke solutions.

Priya Patel, APAC Regional Sales Director, NSSLGlobal said: “With nearly 50 years years of maritime satcoms experience, technical expertise, 24/7 technical support and global in-country service engineering capability, this contract allows us to provide Teekay with a true “one stop shop” for all its current and future requirements. I’m delighted that this new contract is testament to the close personal relationship we have developed over the years with Teekay. We have a strong team here and by working closely with our colleagues across NSSLGlobal we have provided Teekay with peace of mind that the company as a whole will support them globally. With this contract upgrade, Teekay can depend on our outstanding service and support for many more years to come.”