tanker operator magazine(august/sept 2010)
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P.O. Box 50110, Hidd, Kingdom of Bahrain
T: +973 1767 1111 F: +973 1767 0236
E: asryco@batelco.com.bh
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010 www.tankeroperator.com
TA�KEROperatorTA�KEROperator
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August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 01
ContentsMarketsA look at the LNGC sector
German Report� German flag aid reduced
� Hellespont reshapes operation
� A ‘green’ SMM
Shipmanagement� BSM reinvents itself
� InterManager expands
� Waste trials ongoing
Commercial Operations� Dutch short sea newcomer
� Vessel traffic system
� TORM signs up Veson
� Avoid adverse weather
P&IChina on pollution
Technology53 CBT in vogue 55 Bunkering� New English Channel hub
04
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34
Front cover photo During the first three months of this year,Bahrain-based ASRY’s shiprepair salesreached $33.8 mill and 35 vessels werehandled at the yard. The complex iscurrently being expanded by way of an $80mill quay wall having a length of 1,200 m.P.O. Box 50110, Hidd, Kingdom of Bahrain
T: +973 1767 1111 F: +973 1767 0236
E: asryco@batelco.com.bh
Queens ChannelAnchorages
Oikos Storage
Tongue AnchorageHolding area
Falmouth
Portland
PLA Boundary
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57 Communications� Teekay signs up MTN
59 Profile� Martek increases offerings
61 Tank Servicing� Effective tank cleaning
� ‘Green’ cleaning chemicals
� VOC emissions
70 Ice Class Tankers� St Petersburg tankers
� ABS updates guide
� API supplies ice tanker
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With news of yet more successful US Coast Guardprosecutions under MARPOL, which has cost theindustry several million dollars in fines, onewonders why those in charge on board ship andashore don’t take action to limit their chances ofbeing caught out for whatever reason*. Even the most experienced crews can make errors in the mandatory oilrecord book entries and it is only a matter of time before a portinspection finds them. As we know the penalties can be massive,usually fines of millions of US dollars and even custodial sentences ofindividuals held responsible. In addition, offending vessels may bebanned from entering territorial waters.
But the fines are set high for a reason. With so many deliberateinfringements – anecdotally referred to as the magic pipe syndrome-coastal authorities inevitably consider any irregularity in the records assuspicious and seemingly afford little leniency in circumstances ofsimple errors. Maybe it is no surprise given the complexity andregularity with which, the data is manually entered into an oil recordbook. The argument is simply that these records are the only proof ofMARPOL compliance, so they must be right.
Doubtless, the threat of such huge penalties should be more thanenough to force owners and operators to be more responsible and takecontrol. How can they do so? After all, most ships are fitted withoil/water separation plant and parts per million (ppm) overboarddischarge meters.
The problem is the operations and data remain on board as manualrecords and even the most responsible and careful shipmanagers cannever really be sure about the actions on board. Crew changes,pressures and constant new manning procedures inevitably lead tomistakes, short cuts and sometimes willful expedient illegal discharges.Managers may have confidence in their operations, but it is a matter ofrecord that violations occur right across the spectrum of ownership.
A solutionAs mentioned in TA�KEROperator, August/September, 2009, page 37,when a major Danish shipowner was prosecuted by the USCG thecompany approached PSM Instrumentation to develop a solution thatwould simply monitor the whole ODME process.
By ‘throwing a blanket’ over the entire process, PSM claimed thataccidents and mistakes in records entry can be eliminated. The solutionhad to be acceptable to the USCG. The minimum requirement was,
first, for a logic system to monitor the entire ODME and bilgeoperations process with a continuous inviolate log. Second, it must havethe ability for remote monitoring of the entire operation in real-timesuch that a series of critical alarms would provide a forewarning ofserious problems directly to the vessel managers head office.
PSM whose, core business is in shipboard monitoring, developedCLEARVIEW® in response. It is a secure encrypted data monitor butwith a satellite data link capable of alerting shoreside staff in the eventof any irregular occurrence to the ODME operation.
The CLEARVIEW® logic compares and processes the manyparameters of the entire oily/water separation and discharge plant givinga simple flag state guidance to crew and advance warnings to the bridgeand to operators desk of a serious fault condition occurring .
If the serious fault remains unchecked, the ship can be automaticallyprevented from polluting by initiating valve closures/divert operations.Data in full support and validation of the ORB can be printed or copied,both on board and remotely as required.
The feature to remotely operate or auto ‘geo-fence’ the vessel’soverboard discharge valve inside territorial limits provides addedreassurance for fleet managers who also stand risk of prosecution. Toensure the product was made commercially viable to owners, the systemuses a low cost satellite data transmission using an embedded D+ link.The data is mainly taken from existing sensors on board and, therefore,can be installed quickly and economically while the vessel is in service.
The CLEARVIEW® solution has proven to the authorities and to theUSCG in particular that the technology is available to close the door onthis contentious problem. As a result of extensive trials it is widelyexpected that USCG will be calling for further regulation for vessels toprove MARPOL compliance. From the owners perspective fitting suchequipment sends a message of their accreditation as responsible owners.
The ships will gain greener credentials by the ability to produce ahistory log of two to three years of good operation and clean waterdischarge. The owners and crews have the peace of mind that theirvessels cannot pollute the sea either unwittingly or willfully.
CLEARVIEW® is believed to be the first system of its kind to besuccessfully installed on existing ships and to meet the specialrequirements and acceptance of the USCG.
Looks like a ‘no brainer’.
*This comment piece was written with the help of PSMInstrumentation.
COMMENT
Pollution prevention– proving Marpol compliance
TO
TANKEROperator � August/September 201002
TANKEROperatorVol 9 No 8Tanker Operator MagazineLtd2nd Floor, 8 Baltic Street EastLondon EC1Y 0UP, UK www.tankeroperator.com
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INDUSTRY - MARKETS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201004
In this issue we take a look at theLNGC sector courtesy of leadingLondon-based shipbroker BraemarSeascope’s director of energyservices, Debbie Turner. Despite several factors impacting on the speedof project completions worldwide, resulting inan abundance of gas carriers chasing too fewcargoes, the charter market is far from dead.
Charterers are currently taking advantage ofthe fact that freight levels for short termcharters are very low and a number of vesselshave been fixed for periods of between onevoyage and one year, Turner explained.
However, there are no benchmark rates, asthey are realistically the rate at which a chartereris prepared to fix at. There have been somedeals done whereby the rates are ‘flexible’ inthat there is no fixed level and these can be saidto be benchmarked against current spot levels.
Fortunately, for the charter market only one neworder has been confirmed recently. This contractwas for another in the series of 145,000 cu mLNGCs for the Chinese domestic market, placed atHudong and was under discussion for someconsiderable period of time before being firmed up.
Turner said that it was also thought thatNigeria could well be considering theresuscitation of its projects, which could leadto more gas carrier orders.
Nobody is prepared to take the plunge andorder speculatively. Turner explained; “In thecurrent market conditions, why would anowner risk his own capital to finance a vesselwhich is just returning above OPEX costs?”
As for the future, Turner said; “We havealways held the view that from 2011 the marketwould begin to strengthen slowly as vesselsbecame absorbed into trades. We believe thiswill become more evident from the end of 2012and by 2014 there could potentially be a shortageof available spot vessels as spot tenders evolve”.
There are several LNGCs anchored offFujairah giving rise to the rumours of storageas happened in the crude and products sector.
However, Turner said that a move to storagecannot realistically be viewed in the context ofhow many vessels are sitting off Fujairah.“The reasons behind this, is that many ofthose vessels parked are currently Q-Flex andQ-Max types owned by Qatar, which somehave cargoes on board and some do not. Thestorage play depends totally on the forwardcurve for the price of LNG,” she explained.
In the US, shale gas production has become asource of energy that some regard as rivallingfuture LNG imports and impacting on the growthof this particular sector in North America.
Turning to the Iranian potential in the lightof recent sanctions, Turner confirmed that noorders had been placed by NITC for LNGCs,despite the reported articles to the contrary.
Iran will produce LNG as seen in the pastwith petrochemicals, if they want to do it, shesaid. Iranian projects may be delayed, but theywill happen. The country is extremely rich inresources and it must be remembered that Iranconstitutes the other half of the North Dome(Qatar) field, she continued.
In Russia, Gazprom will continue to developgas resources for LNG as opposed to pipelinegas, such as Shtockman. Barents LNG will notcause a problem as future vessels earmarked forthe project will need winterisation rather than iceclass and in addition, the project is more likelyto now come to fruition in 2016 at the earliest.
With regard to the Yamal project, conditionsare harsher and certainly a new type of LNGCwould have to be considered, but this is nowin the realms of 2020, or perhaps a littlebefore, Turner said.
As for the future, it will be extremelydifficult for LNGC shipowners to justify theirexisting vessels without ordering additionalunits to meet any potential growth in the spotmarket from 2013 onwards.
Existing spot ships are now beginning to beabsorbed into the long term projects and wehave seen the first newbuilding orders in thelast couple of months since April 2008.
Older ladies (over 25 years), which are comingoff long term charter are finding it increasinglydifficult to find charters where they arecompeting with more modern tonnage and manyof these have now gone into lay up in the hopethat they may be converted to FSRUs.
“We would love to see an adventurousowner decide that he was committed to longterm shipping of LNG without a charter, butwith rates so low and no immediateimprovement on the horizon, it is verydifficult to justify this,” Turner concluded.
There is life in the LNGC market yetTurner thought that the jury is still very much
out over the future of shale gas and its impact onthe LNG market with three different schools ofthought – ‘yes it will’, ‘no it won’t’ and ‘it may do’.
“If the US Department of Energy figures wereto be believed then yes, shale gas would have adirect impact on LNG imports. However, we havehad a more pragmatic view of LNG in that wehave not believed that LNG imports would everreach the forecast figures in the short term, due tothe ability of the US being the swing market.
“We saw last year that US imports rose, inspite of shale gas primarily due to the fact thatimports were cheaper than domestic production.The new shale gas is close to the highconsumption markets of the east coast and thiswill have a direct effect on any new importprojects, which may have taken place. However,it is unlikely that it will affect existing projectsand similarly we have seen a curtailment inmany planned import projects,” she said.
With regard to floating LNG (FLNG) andoffshore terminals – these are more prevalentout of the US. The Excelerate FSRU offshoreterminals are primarily trading models. Theseare working successfully in Brazil and moreseasonally in Argentina and Kuwait, sheexplained.
There are new projects in Italy and Dubaiwith longer term interest in Indonesia andJamaica and potentially Pakistan. Argentina islooking to expand its system and in general,FSRUs will continue to expand worldwide.
There are other projects on the drawingboard, most notably compressed natural gas(CNG) and FlexLNG.
Flex is a floating LNG production unit.Shell has recently ordered a 3.5 mill tonnesper year producer unit for the Prelude projectin Australia. Gaz de France is also about toorder a unit while Shell will probably order asecond unit, Turner said.
There is one firm order and three options inplace, but thus far no contract has been awarded.The contract is for a unit with a maximumcapacity of 2.5 mill tonnes per annum.
Stranded gasCNG is a totally different ball game. This hasa maximum transport scope of about 800miles and is before LNG where there is noexpensive regasification terminal required.These vessels will generally transportconsiderably less product than LNG and atambient temperature. The whole purpose of aCNG project is to get stranded gas to marketas quickly and as efficiently as possiblewithout huge investment and logistical costs.
Braemar Seascope’s Debbie Turner.
TO
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TANKEROperator � August/September 201006
INDUSTRY - NEWS
Following its first commercialorder for exhaust abatementtechnology, HamworthyKrystallon claimed that it wasfinding shipyards eager toincorporate sulphur emissionabatement technology.The decision by Italian owner IgnazioMessina to place first commercial orders forseawater scrubbers has prompted leadingshipyards to align themselves with thesupplier - Hamworthy Krystallon.
The auxiliary engines and boilers on boardfour new 45,000 dwt ro-ro ships, to be built byDaewoo, will burn residual fuel oil in port butstill meet EU directive EC 2005/33 port rulesdemanding sulphur emissions equivalent to just0.1% fuel-sulphur content. The alternative is aswitch to costly low sulphur content fuel.
Meanwhile, the Emissions Control Areas(ECA) defined by IMO see maximum sulphurcontent in ship fuels falling to 0.1% from2015, or demand that owners burning heavyfuel oil commit to exhaust gas cleaning.
Weighing up the alternatives, the
International Petroleum Industry EnvironmentalConservation Association said recently thatproducing enough low sulphur contentdistillates to meet the IMO 2015 target on mainengines would be “difficult” and “significantlymore expensive”. Meeting later targets wouldneed “major refinery investment” and may “notbe economically feasible”.
“On that basis the question is not why fit ascrubber on auxiliaries and main engines, butwhen,” said Hamworthy Krystallon managingdirector Sigurd Jenssen. Trials have shown thatthe company’s seawater scrubber cuts emissionsfrom plant burning residual oil by up to 98%.
To date, Hamworthy Krystallon seawaterscrubbers have been trialled on P&O Ferries’Pride of Kent and on the Holland AmericaLines cruise ship Zaandam. They have alsobeen installed in land-based facilities inGreece and Japan.
Among those with experience of thetechnology is the UK’s A&P Group. A&PFalmouth managing director Peter Child said:“We worked on Pride of Kent and have agood idea of the work and costs involved.
This places the A&P Group in a commandingposition as the first choice for retrofitinstallations of the Hamworthy Krystallonexhaust scrubber. We look forward to thechallenging times ahead and working withHamworthy Krystallon in assisting theshipping industry to take the steps to complywith pending emissions regulations in thebuild up to 2015.”
Also alive to the opportunity is SembawangShipyard (SSPL), Singapore. SSPL technicaldirector, Roy Varghese, said: “We are in themidst of discussions with HamworthyKrystallon for a potential retrofit project onseawater scrubbers. Although the SWS systemfrom Hamworthy Krystallon is new, theretrofit works involved are not something newfor SSPL.”
Jenssen said that Hamworthy Krystallonwas bringing expertise drawn from the widerHamworthy group to bear on developingpartnerships. Hamworthy Baltic DesignCentre (HBDC) has developed installationlay-outs specific to several different vesseltypes, including tankers.
Hamworthy Krystallon lines up yard partners
TO
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INDUSTRY - NEWS
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 07
It is often said that there is nosubstitute for on-the-job training,especially in areas such asbunkering operations, wherepractical, hands-on work is thenorm. However, there are many in the industry whomay never get their hands dirty on a bunkerbarge, oil terminal or receiving vessel butwho, nevertheless, still need to understandexactly how the industry works. This is whereNigel Draffin’s latest book - An Introductionto Bunker Operations* - comes into its own,the publishers claimed.
The book is filled with photographs, chartsand diagrams intended to help the readervisualise important aspects of bunkeroperations. It covers everything that needs tobe understood and remembered, fromplugging scuppers to fastening bolts on abunker flange and covers storage, measuring,delivery, sampling and handling of bunkerfuels and de-bunkering.
Draffin examines each of the key elementsinvolved, from ordering the right type and
amount of fuel, to making sure it is safelydelivered and properly accounted for. Hecovers the paperwork that needs to be done andlooks at the various regulations now in place,including MARPOL Annex VI and theInternational Ship and Port Facility Security(ISPS) Code.
The book includes a vast amount ofinformed detail on some of those areas thatare often ignored – sometimes to great costand inconvenience – such as variations inflange and hose sizes.
As with his earlier books, the author hasincluded comprehensive indices and appendices,as well as a ‘where to go for help’ section.
Draffin explained; “I know from thequestions I have been asked over the years thatfor most of us, the operations involved seem tothrow up problems and restrictions that we donot understand. This book is intended to explainand put the whole process into context.”
The forward was written by Capt Cees deKeijzer, president of the World Ship SocietyRotterdam branch and former senior policyadviser and bunker co-ordinator at the Port
of Rotterdam. He said; “Beyond question, marine fuel is
regarded as the lifeblood of shipping and, withthe high prices and all the changes that are stillto come, we should be always aware of howmany thousands and even millions of dollars areinvolved every time a ship receives bunkers”.
Future publications from Petrospot includeAn Introduction to Bunker Credit Risk, byAdam Dupré, managing director of OceanIntelligence (previously managing director ofMRC Business Information Group), which isdue this month.
Later this year will also see the publicationof a book by barrister and legal consultantTrevor Harrison. Legal Issues in Bunkering:An Introduction to the Law Relating to theSale and Use of Marine Fuels, which willoffer a wealth of information on the key legalaspects of bunkering, including contacts,defaults, ship arrest and dispute resolution.
*An Introduction to BunkeringOperations by �igel Draffin MIMarEST, First Edition, 2010, Publishedby Petrospot - www.petrospot.com/books
THE FULL PICTURE
Book reviews – Bunkering made easy
TO
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TANKEROperator � August/September 201008
INDUSTRY – NEWS
Superintendents and other formerseafarers seeking shoreside jobsare being prevented from doing sobecause of work permit and visarestrictions said a leadingrecruitment consultant.In spite of a widely perceived shortage offormer master mariners and chief engineerswhen seeking to fill jobs ashore, restrictionson the issue of visas and work permits hamperthe work of getting such jobs filled.
“It’s not about race,” said Spinnaker’schairman Phil Parry. “It’s not even so muchabout immigration rules where the job’s based,but practicality – travel to visit vessels oftenhappens at short notice. Some nationalities,particularly westerners, need fewer visas, someget them quickly…others don’t.
“It’s common knowledge that manyemployers insist on having a certain numberof western superintendents to ensure they haveenough people to travel quickly. Oneemployer also recently pointed out toSpinnaker the remarkably high cost ofobtaining visas for other nationals each year –it ran into many many thousands of dollars.
“After all, if you need to attend an incident,it is not possible to wait three weeks for visaclearance,” Parry said. He believes it is vitalthat maritime trade organisations lobbygovernments hard to address this issue.
This isn’t a new issue, but as seafarershortages continue to bite and the westerndemographic continues to lessen there must bea very real risk that shipping companies willbe unable to get in-house technical expertiseout to vessels in the event of an incident.
As time goes on, there is also a risk thatsalary discrimination along nationality lines
will re-emerge. “The gap between westernstaff and those from developing nations hasgot smaller in recent years,” said Parry, “butunless travel visa rules for shipping companiesare made more user-friendly the gap couldwiden again.”
Given the number of newbuildingsscheduled for delivery, even if there arecancellations or delays, there remains asubstantial shortfall of seafarers to man thenew ships and to fill shore-side positionswhen they come ashore.
Spinnaker is participating in the 2010BIMCO/ ISF Manpower Study, which is dueto deliver its findings later this year on theextent of the supply/demand imbalance. Basedon the current shipyard orderbook, someestimates put the number of new seafarersneeded at between 100,000 and 130,000.
The issue of shortages has been talkedabout ad nauseam for so many years that ithas become white noise for some. Ships arestill sailing and with many in layup some havebegun to suggest that there isn’t really aproblem. “This is irresponsible,” warnedParry. “This last decade has been witness tothe early consequences of the problem –owners and managers have found itincreasingly hard to fill shoreside technicalpositions, poaching has increased, seagoingand shoreside salaries and bonuses have risen(in 2000 to 2001, superintendents wereearning around 55% of what they earn now),senior seagoing officers are getting youngerand liability insurers have been pointing toaccidents caused by inexperience for a fewyears now. It’s no coincidence that TOTS wasdeveloped to provide a universal crew matrixfocusing on verifying experience levels.”
BonusesThe supply and demand situation has alsoencouraged the use of bonuses, according toParry. Shipmanagers and shipowners whoemploy both technical and commercial staffare recording bonuses at very similar levels,commonly in the range 10-30% of base salary,despite an understandable fall in 2009.
Spinnaker acts as the secretariat for theMaritime HR Forum, which is used by some35 major shipping employers to benchmarksalaries and benefits packages for 40shorebased jobs. According to the Forum’smanager, Sharon O’Ryan, “It remains a pointfor debate as to what difference the bonusmakes to individual performance and theability to recruit new personnel when thefocus tends to be on base salaries. However,once people get used to bonuses it’s very hardfor employers to stop paying them.”
Visa and work permits becoming a problem
Spinnaker’s Phil Parry.
TO
ShipArrestor system passes musterOslo-based Miko Marine hassuccessfully completed the firstfull-scale test of its ShipArrestorsystem on board an LNGC. This enables a helicopter to attach a seaanchor on a tow line to an unmanned vesselsuch as a tanker or gas carrier that is driftingwithout power. By reducing the speed of theship’s drift, the ShipArrestor increases thetime available for rescue tugs to reach thevessel before it runs aground with potentiallysevere environmental consequences.
The trial was undertaken in association withthe Norwegian Technical Institute andNorway’s Coastal Administration and recently
took place off the north coast of Norway usingthe 147,000 cu m LNGC Arctic Princess,which was made available by Hoegh LNG and Statoil.
The tests were conducted in two phases, thefirst being with a helicopter operated byLuftransport that successfully ‘lassoed’ thewinch gear and bollards on the foredeck of theArctic Princess. This was easily accomplishedwith a replica of the connecting ring and thelightweight chain that will be used in reality.
The second phase of the trial was completedshortly afterwards. It tested the performanceof the sea anchor itself and was completelysuccessful. A 30 m diameter nylon parachute
anchor was deployed from the Arctic Princessby a tug. It then turned the LNGC into thewind in less than 20 minutes and reduced itsrate of drift by 58%.
Claus Christian Apneseth, Miko Marine’sproject manager said: “The weather during thetrial was very benign and it would have beeninteresting if it had been more demanding,” hesaid. “Our pilot had no difficulty placing thering but he was confident that the operationwould remain feasible in rougher conditions.Although they would have been more of achallenge, it was probably better that our firstfull scale trial was performed in manageableconditions.” TO
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INDUSTRY – NEWS FOCUS
IGC revision comes a step nearer
TANKEROperator � August/September 201010
Co-ordinator SIGTTO and the IGCCode revision steering group,headed by the MCA’s DavidMacRae, ‘tidied up’ certain
anomalies before presenting the document tothe IMO a few weeks ago.
This will ensure that the draft revised code ispresented for review at the 15th session of theBulk Liquid and Gases sub-committee (BLG15) due to take place in February next year.
If the IMO consultation process, includingthe BLG 15 review, goes according to plan, itis anticipated that the final draft of the revisedcode will be endorsed at BLG 16 in March2012 and then sent to the Maritime SafetyCommittee (MSC) for comment and approvalat its May 2012 meeting, enabling it to beadopted by the MSC in May 2013 and finallyentering into force in July 2014.
Following the BLG sub-committee’sFebruary 2008 decision to invite the industrysector to review and update the code, SIGTTOinvited experts from all sectors of the LNGshipping industry to participate in the project.
As a result, 129 participants from 18countries, representing 48 facets of theindustry, which included shipowners, classsocieties, shipyards, gas engineers, charterersand consultants among others, volunteered to help.
They were split up into nine workinggroups to undertake the work. Each group wasallocated specific IGC Code chapters forreview. In addition, a 10th group was formedto look specifically at emergency shutdown(ESD) systems. The working groups reportedto the steering group, which mainly comprisedof working group chairmen, all of whom weresenior industry figures.
The full technical review has involved 37working group meetings, each taking aroundtwo days with an average of 14 membersattending. The meetings were held in 14different countries, where the host’s marineadministrations were also invited to attend.
An estimated 990 man days were spent inthe working group meetings and an
incalculable number of hours ‘homework’ wasundertaken by individuals. SIGTTO said thatthe enthusiasm was demonstrated by the factthat the attendance at the meetings remainedconstant throughout.
Fundamental overhaulSIGTTO’s general manager Bill Wayneexplained that the code needed a fundamental‘root and branch’ overhaul. The IMO couldnot handle the task as it was of a highlytechnical nature. Likewise, SIGTTO had onlyobserver status at the IMO so had to produce ajoint paper with the UK’s MCA being a flagadministrator.
He explained that the original code waswritten in the late 1970s and again in 1983with further amendments being added in thelate 1990s.
In the Autumn of 2007, SIGTTOapproached the MCA to assign the work to theBLG sub-committee. This was accepted thefollowing year. Wayne said that by involving
various sectors of the industry in the revisionprocess, SIGTTO as co-ordinator of theproject, tried to keep a balance of all theinterested parties.
The revised document presented to the IMOwas translated into six different languages. Astandard was established for each chapter andthe high level goal was explained in the firstand second sentences of each chapter. Wayneexplained that the Chemical Code uses thesame structure. The code does not cover CNG,or hydrates. A CNG Code would be a separateproject, he said.
As for SIGTTO, the organisation haswelcomed two new members – GazpromGlobal LNG and Polskie LNG, which bringsthe membership up to 117 full members, 59 associate members and 20 non-contributory members.
At last November’s annual general meeting,president Mark Ross stepped down after fouryears in the chair. He was replaced by BGLNG Services’ Allyn Risley.
Work on the technical review of the International Code for the Construction and
Equipment of Ships carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) is nearing completion.
LNGCs have moved on technically since the last IGC was written.
TO
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 13:54 Page 10
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p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 13:55 Page 11
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 13:55 Page 12
INDUSTRY - GERMAN REPORT
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 13
Following a summit held on 5th July,
the conservative-liberal coalition
said it would cut the wage
subsidies for German-flagged
vessels to €28 mill per year, from €56 mill.
The money was used to reimburse social
insurance costs for seafarers and training
expenses for engineer apprentices. The halving
of the subsidies followed the maritime meeting
at which government and owners failed to
reach an agreement on administrative barriers
preventing most owners from accessing the
Berlin’s credit and loan guarantee scheme.
The cuts were thought to be part of a wider
austerity programme to address Germany’s
spiralling sovereign debt. The aid was
originally granted to partially offset the
perceived disadvantages in German labour and
training costs, compared with other flag states.
In response to the cuts, the German
Shipowners’ Association (VDR) said that this
move would put the German shipowners at an
economic disadvantage
It is a severe blow to the competitiveness of
the German flag, in addition to the numerous
competitive disadvantages it already suffers.
“The unilateral withdrawal of aid will hit our
industry very hard," said Ralf Nagel, VDR CEO.
He went on to say that this move made it
even more difficult to keep vessels in, or reflag
vessels to, the German flag. “We have to make
preparations, as soon as possible, on the best
course to take the German flag,” he said.
In all the relevant European Shipping
locations, taxes and social charges levied for
seafarers are to a lesser extent applicable. All
these measures are under the aid guidelines
issued by the European Commission on 17th
January 2004, which are not only legalised,
but also desirable, the VDR said.
"As an employer, we want to continue to
train at the highest level. We employ 30,000
German workers at sea and on land. We have
also persevered in the crisis," said Nagel.
On 1st January 2010, the VDR raised its
training budget by 20%, despite the difficult
economic situation. "If the federal
government does significantly lower the aid,
there will be less training. This is the wrong
signal," said Nagel.
At a meeting held in Cuxhaven at the
beginning of June, Nagel confirmed that the
maritime industry provides significant
employment in Germany. About 400,000 jobs are
directly dependent on the shipping sector, he said.
He called for the government to look at
shipping and location policy internationally
and not locally, as to be an international
modern and sustainable industry was the only
way to remain competitive, he said.
He also reiterated that the considerable
investment needed in training should be
sustained to aid shipping companies in the future.
A leading German owner’s representative
told TA�KEROperator that the latest moves
by the federal government to cut subsidies for
German flag vessels will in general cause a
problem for German shipowners in bringing
more vessels under the domestic flag.
This is quite problematic and will be
discussed further with the government, he said.
He also thought that the KG system in
Germany was virtually dead. “Still there are
other opportunities to find finance for good
projects, also with international sources.”
Flag exodusAlthough the German government has called
for the number of vessels in the German
registry to go past the 500 mark in order to
keep the German tonnage tax in place, the
number of ships flying the German flag had
dropped to 450 by the end of last year.
The German controlled fleet numbered
3,548 vessels of all types at the beginning of
this year, which is the highest on record.
Germany stands 13th in the list of flag states,
having 17.4 mill dwt of tonnage, giving the
registry 1.8% of the world’s share.
As for tankers under German control, these
numbered 425 at the end of 2009 of 22.1 mill
dwt, giving the country 4.4% of the world’s
tanker tonnage, according to figures produced
by HIS Fairplay for the VDR.
Funds availableAs for funding, one of the key sectors in the
German shipping industry, although the
German schemes primarily cover
containerships, there are other types that were
considered before the banking crisis all but
destroyed the German system.
In a summit held last March involving the
VDR and the German Federal Government, it
was said that both the individual German states
and the government were prepared to appropriate
guarantees to assist shipping companies.
Such support was forthcoming as shipping is
viewed as a ‘Sunrise Industry’ in that once the
crisis was over, Germany shipping concerns
have excellent prospects. At the time it was
claimed that the rate of training had been kept
up, despite the considerable economic pressure,
engendering confidence in the industry.
However, the €115 bill Deutschlandfonds –
launched in response to the global financial
and economic crisis and aimed at providing
healthy companies with liquidity and
financing – is to be closed at the end of 2010.
German owners have complained that the
application procedure and ratings applied by
the federal government’s development bank
German owners face an uphill battle with the government over aid.
Cutting aid willreduce training
A couple of months ago, the German Federal Government dropped a bombshell by
announcing it was drastically reducing aid for vessel flying the German flag.
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:02 Page 13
TANKEROperator � August/September 201014
INDUSTRY - GERMAN REPORT
KfW make it nearly impossible for them to
gain access to the funds.
It was reported at the time that KfW
representatives presented the summit with a
guidebook for applications and also pledged to
revise rating criteria for shipping, however,
the changes have yet to be adopted.
“We are eagerly waiting for the proposal,
which we need to study in more detail when it
is finally presented,” Nagel told reporters after
the meeting. He also stressed that the loan
guarantees should extended beyond 2010.
Berlin did approve subsidies of €2 mill per
ship for slow-steaming modifications to
vessels’ engines, but that measure is
considered to be more of a concession to
German repair yards than to owners.
“It is a nice to have – and perhaps ships
may then obtain a higher charter rate – but
engine modifications and higher maintenance
costs associated with slow steaming are
already paid by charterers today anyway,” one
owner’s representative explained.
The VDR said that many shipowners had
found a variety of solutions to the crisis
working with the shipyards. Talks between
China and Germany were highlighted as an
example of co-operation.
In a separate issue, One german steel
organisation has demanded that German ships
be built in German yards.
In response, the VDR pointed out that the
billions invested by German shipping
companies in shipbuilding worldwide
provided tens of thousands of jobs in
Germany. Also the overseas orders provided
German equipment manufacturers and
suppliers with a healthy orderbook.
The VDR said that there are around 30,000
Germans employed by local shipowners, of
which around 22,000 are employed ashore,
mainly in the northern German shipping
strongholds.
enviro
nment friendly
enviro
nment friendly
enviro
nment friendly
enviro
nment-friendly
be
cker productsreliable
TO
Another MR for OffenClaus-Peter OffenTankschiffreedrei (CP Offen)took delivery of the 52,000 dwtchemical/product tanker CPOIndia on the 29th July. She is the fourth in the series of eight and
will join her sisters in the CP Offen-ST
Shipping/Glencore co-operative venture.
During the middle of August, she was on
voyage with veg oil cargo parcels destined
for Europe. The final four will be delivered
from Hyundai Mipo throughout the year
2011.
Once the last vessel has been delivered,
Offen Tankers’ order book of eight 52.000
dwt and eight 36.000 dwt chemical/product
tanker will be completed, managing
director Stephan Polomsky explained.
The first eight Ice Class 1A 36,000 dwt
tankers are in service, trading in the
Maersk Handytankers Pool.
He also said that on 4th June a new sister
company - Offen Bulkers - took delivery
of the first Capesize bulk carrier - CPOAmerica.
She is the first of four 180.000 dwt
vessels to be delivered from Daewoo
Mangalia in Romania (two) and Daewoo
(two). They are all fixed on long term
charters. �
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:02 Page 14
German Tanker Shipping GmbH & Co. KGHans-Böckler-Str. 5028217 BremenPhone +49 421 387638Fax +49 421 3876390e-mail info@german-tanker.de
GERMAN TANKER SHIPPING
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:02 Page 15
INDUSTRY - GERMAN REPORT
This was achieved by buying out
the two minority partners in its
Hamburg-based shipmanagement
company and reshaping its
corporate organisation.
The 25% each minority interests held by
HCI Capital and Peter Doehle Schiffahrts in
Hellespont Hammonia have been bought out.
As a result, Hellespont Hammonia has been
renamed Hellespont Ship Management GmbH
& Co KG and is now a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Hellespont group parent
company, which has been renamed Hellespont
Deutschland GmbH.
Phrixos Papachristidis, Hellespont group CEO,
said, "We entered the German market cautiously
with the help of two good partners in 2004.
Since then we have grown and established
our position here in Germany and today we
have an expert German staff and strong
relationships with German banks, charterers
and investors.
“By buying out our partners we become a
little more nimble and ready to move swiftly to
take up opportunities that the global recovery
may present. As we are currently predominantly
a tanker owner we have not been as hard hit as
some in the German shipping community,
which had such a strong containership focus
and we are poised for growth.
“Hamburg has shown itself to be an
excellent base from which to operate a high
quality global shipping group and we expect
to grow further here as the recovery
strengthens and opportunities arise."
Hamburg-based Hellespont Deutschland is
international shipping group Hellespont's core
organisation. The group manages vessels from
Hamburg, Piraeus and Singapore and has its
own crewing company in Manila.
Today, the group operates a chemical tanker
pool and manages a fleet of 27 modern crude,
product and chemical tankers and five
platform supply vessels. It has a further four
chemical tankers on order.
As for the tanker pool, this consists of eight
chemical tankers with another three
newbuildings still to come. Papachristidis
confirmed to TA�KEROperator that the goal
was still 15 vessels and that the company was
in discussions with potential partners.
Despite the recent news of German
government subsidy cuts aimed at vessel
owners flying the German flag, Papachristidis
said that the company would still consider
putting further vessels under the German flag
in due course.
At present, just one chemical tanker –
Hellespont Credo – flies the German flag.
He thought that despite the financial
meltdown that has hit the German market
badly, especially the KG sector, opportunities
for financing deals still existed. However, they
will not form part of the KG system that once
existed in abundance in Hamburg and
elsewhere in Germany.
“We feel that banks, emission houses,
investors and managers will eventually find a
way to structure deals again but we see this
taking place once credit and shipping markets
improve,” he explained.
At present, Hellespont Ship Management
only manages in-house vessels, but
Papachristidis said that he wishes to grow the
company, not only with more Hellespont
vessels, but also with third party owners.
Indeed, he said that third party
shipmanagement was offered from the Piraeus
and Singapore offices.
As for the market for smaller chemical
tankers in the 10,000 dwt to 19,999 dwt range,
Papachristidis said; “We do see a bright future
in this size going forward. It will take us some
time to get there especially after the financial
crisis we are going through and uncertainty in
the global economy.
“Once these factors have improved we feel
that charterers will eventually gravitate towards
this size range as there are economies of scale
in the use of bigger ships and we predict that
the fleet profile of the sub 10,000 dwt sector
will fall in the near future,” he concluded.
One overseas company that
has recently strengthened
its Hamburg base is the
Hellespont group.
Hellespont Centurion and Hellespont Charger seen transiting the Kiel Canal.
Hellespont consolidatesits Hamburg operation
TO
Hellespont group CEO Phrixos Papachristidis.
TANKEROperator � August/September 20101616
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:02 Page 16
From 7th to 10th September, the
24th Hamburg Messe event will
play host to more than 50,000
visitors from all over the world.
More environmental friendly and cost
efficient operations will be the highlights of
the technology and products on view. Being
held for the 24th time, in total around 2,000
exhibitors from 50 countries will be on hand
to discuss all things maritime.
Despite the downturn, there is an increase
in the number of national pavilions booked
this year to 30. The newcomers include India,
Sweden and Singapore.
SMM 2008 attracted 53,006 trade visitors
and 1,968 exhibitors from 56 nations. Some
64% of the exhibitors came from overseas.
A total of 87,000 sq m of exhibition space
in 11 halls and the open air grounds were
also used in 2008 – a record for the
world’s leading shipbuilding fair. This year’s
space has already been fully booked, the
organisers claimed.
On the evening of the 6th September, a
festive opening ceremony will see the IMO’s
Efthimios Mitropoulos give the opening
address. He will also be the key speaker at
gmec, the first global maritime environmental
protection congress being held in conjunction
with SMM.
The conference is due to be held on 7th-
8th September at the Hamburg Congress
Center (CCH). Key speakers will include
David Dingle, chairman of the European
Cruise Council and CEO of Carnival UK,
GL’s Dr Hermann Klein, Emanuele Grimaldi
and LR’s Tom Boardley, The three chairmen
will be Carnival’s Micky Arison, the ICS’
Spyros Polemis and Dr Corrado Antonini,
chairman of Fincantieri. German Chancellor
Angela Merkel will be the patron of both
SMM and gmec.
As usual with any major exhibition, there
are a number of seminars and conferences
being held around SMM, including the
offshore sector, finance and marine coatings,
among others.
Finance, or lack of it, will be discussed as
the crisis has hit this particular sector hard.
Huge over-capacities and low charter rates are
burdening this previously highly profitable
business.
Banks, emission houses and investors are
all suffering and as a result, the industry faces
several difficult challenges. Discussions will
be held regarding the use of state aid and
subsidies also play a role in the finance sector.
The problems are still ongoing and solutions
are still being sought.
Recognising the significance of a thriving
offshore sector, which has undergone
considerable transformation over the past few
years and as such it is playing an even greater
role in the maritime industry and global
economy, Hamburg Messe is holding a special
two-day workshop during SMM.
John Westwood, who has over 32 years’
experience in the energy industry, will open
the ‘Offshore Dialogue workshop’ and start
the proceedings with an in-depth overview of
the market.
The two days will then go on to take a close
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 17
The organisers of SMM 2010 have themed this year’s event
‘the dawn of the green era in shipbuilding and shipping’.
Latest technologyto be highlighted
in Hamburg
Pho
to:
Mic
hael
Zap
f
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TANKEROperator � August/September 201018
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
look at the need for purpose-built construction
ships, new solutions and technologies required
for extraction – and the considerable potential
of renewable energies for shipyards and
maritime suppliers.
Protective Coatings Europe Magazine (PCE)
will again be holding a two-day international
Marine Coatings Conference during the SMM.
The conference will take place on the 8th
and 9th September within the SMM
Exhibition Halls, and time will be allocated
for delegates to visit the exhibition.
The theme of the conference is ‘Marine
coating’s developments for the next decade’
and to date 14 papers have been confirmed,
with presentations from consultants,
shipyards, classification societies, coatings
suppliers, equipment and instrument suppliers
and contractors.
Topics to be covered include, the impact of
ship design on coating performance, ending
corrosion problems in ballast tanks by a visco-
elastic coating, use of robots in tank coatings,
and the detection and removal of soluble salt
contamination and the effect of hull coatings
on fuel efficiencies.
There are a plethora of other seminars,
meetings and conferences being held at the
same time.
Listed below are just some of the 2,000 or
so exhibitors in strict alphabetical order.
Alfa Laval will be showcasing a range of
solutions at SMM covering a wide range of
marine activities.
All of them will have one thing in common:
their ability to provide value with minimal
effort and lifecycle cost, the company
claimed. Exhibition highlights will include:
PureBallast 2.0 and EX.
Alfa Laval’s system for ballast water
treatment has now entered its second
generation. Energy consumption has been
greatly reduced, and there are many other
improvements that contribute to easier
operation. A new EX version for vessels with
potentially explosive environments will also
be on show.
S-separator - The new series of Alfa Laval’s
S-separator combines proven advantages with
a wide range of technical developments.
Smart adjustments in the disc stack, including
an increase in separation area, create even
greater efficiency and allow the use of a
smaller separator for a given capacity.
Additional changes, such as a new drive
system, make the separator more robust and
easy to use, the company said.
Alfa Laval AOT 3F - Alfa Laval’s new AOT
3F steriliser provides chemical-free water
purification and an effective microbiological
barrier against Legionella. It is based on
Wallenius Advanced Oxidation Technology
(AOT), a water purification system that
imitates nature's own way of purifying water.
The steriliser is cost and energy efficient,
handling heavy-duty demands despite its low
weight and small footprint.
Other solutions on show will include
PureBilge, Alfa Laval’s centrifugal separation
system for bilge water, and the AQUA
freshwater generator, which reduces pumping
needs, energy consumption and CO2
production by cutting seawater use in half.
Alphatron Marine is presenting a selection
of products out of the Alphaline services at
SMM - booth 420, Hall B6.
Among products on show will be -:
� JMA 610 Alphatron JRC inland river radar.
� Alphaminicourse maintenance free
gyrocompass.
� Alphachart T type approved ECDIS.
� Alphaseapilot autopilot range.
� Alpha BNWAS bridge watch alarm system.
� Alphaline MF multifunction instruments.
� Alphaconnect marine PABX telephone
exchange.
� Alpha announce PA system.
� Alphabridge modular bridge console
concept.
Other products include -
� Alphamulticommandchair for dynamic
positioning and workboat application.
� Alphatron multifunction touch screen
control and command system for easy
control of various functionalities like
switching, information, alarm system and
Audio/Video.
� AV and IT, which are increasingly
important functions on board of vessels
today.
� The Alphatainment system, which is
developed for vessels ranging from
workboats to inland river cruise with 100
cabins and is offered from each required
station, plus Video on demand, VoIP, ticket
system, hotel management and safety
instruction.
Alphatron Marine is also presenting the latest
products from its partners such as;
� CNS with its AIS system for land
applications and on board.
� Yokogawa with its gyrocompass.
� Thrane & Thrane with its the latest range
of communication products mounted in a
slim table top console.
� Intellian with a full range of V-sat and
satellite television antennas.
Alfa Laval’s PureBallast system.
Alphatron JRC’s inland river radar.
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SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 19
At SMM, Hamburg-based Armaturen-Wolff,
a producer of quick-closing valve plants for
several decades, is presenting a quick-closing
valve system with electrical release.
Quick-closing valves and the corresponding
control technology are essential safety
equipment on board a vessel. According to
SOLAS as well as all relevant international
classification societies’ provisions, in case of
an emergency – eg a fire in the engine room –
there has to be a system to rapidly and
remotely stop all fuel supply into the
endangered area.
For this purpose, pneumatic, manually
hydraulic and (for simpler arrangements)
rope-pull systems are widely accepted.
In the new concept, the same general
mechanical type quick-closing valves is used as
in conventional systems: The tappet of an
actuator fixes the valve in open position against
the force of a compressed spring. When
released, the tappet is retracted and gives way
for the fixing nut, the consequence of which is
that the valve closes under spring force.
Only the design of the actuator is different
with electrically controlled valves from
the regularly known conventional quick-
closing valves.
On the electric systems, the valves are
connected via a control cabinet, which
guarantees an uninterrupted power-supply and
allows the remote control of the release action.
Since such systems are designed
specifically for a case of emergency,
regardless of their control technology concept,
a self-sustaining function has to be included –
the system has to be fully operational even if
no auxiliary energy on board is available.
Equally, a short and maybe a non-critical
blackout, or other single disturbances, won’t
lead to an uncontrolled valves closure.
One special aspect of electric systems is the
relatively simple integration of a
comprehensive system supervision function.
Consequently, all control lines are
permanently controlled and monitored inside
the control cabinet with a collective failure
alarm module.
In case a cable should be defective or a plug
should not be fixed properly, a collective fault
alarm is generated, which can be signalled on-
site as a general machinery alert, as well as in
the engine control room or on the bridge.
After several development enhancements
and an extensive process of assessment, the
GL has issued a type approval certificate for
the application of this new kind of technology.
Equally, the German flag authority, the
Seamen’s Accident Prevention and Insurance
Association (Seeberufsgenossenschaft), have
given their consent.
Hamburg-based ship supplier Becker
Marine Systems will once again be
appearing alongside it’s steering gear partner,
HATLAPA Uetersener Maschinenfabrik, at
this year’s SMM.
As a specialist in high performance rudders
and manoeuvring systems, Becker offers a
comprehensive range of products.
The focus of the company’s presentation is
on innovative product developments and their
possibilities for optimising propulsion.
Following the success of the Mewis Duct®
launched in 2008, Becker will this year be
reporting on the range of product features
shown in operation.
The Mewis Duct® has since proven itself
on large bulk carriers and tankers as an
effective energy-saving method. From the its
R&D department, Becker is presenting the
newly developed Flextail® ruder.
An ISO 9001 : 2000 Certified Company
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:25 Page 19
TANKEROperator � August/September 201020
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
This features an innovative rudder design
with an improved fibre-composite fin for better
flow and load handling. Becker already offers
its customers a fibre-composite rudder shaft.
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, together
with representatives from Cat® Financial and
the global Cat dealer network, said that it will
feature a wealth of solutions with an increased
focus on the company’s commitment to
sustainable development at SMM.
In 2010, ‘Your Success. Our Commitment.’
will be the overriding theme for the
Caterpillar stand at SMM – promoting the
company’s dedication to work with the
customer to achieve their goals.
Under the headline ‘Sustainable Solutions
for Your Success,’ Caterpillar will promote its
commitment to sustainable development. All
of the products and services to be highlighted
at the show booth influence the support of
customer needs while also supporting
sustainability and environmental protection.
Some of the main topics will include an
IMO III strategy, upgrade and overhaul kits,
and engine technology, including Flex
Cam Technology (FCT) and Cat Common
Rail (CCR).
Using 300 sq m of space, the Caterpillar
display at SMM 2010, outside the booth,
visitors will notice an overview of recent
developments for the MaK and Cat product
lines and product support services. However,
a large communication area inside the stand
will provide customers the opportunity to
meet and interact with ‘Team Caterpillar’.
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems,
headquartered in Hamburg, groups all the
marketing and service activities for Cat and
MaK marine engines within Caterpillar Inc.
The organisation provides power solutions
in the medium- and high-speed segments with
outputs from 93 to 16,000 kW in main
propulsion and 10 to 7,680 kWe in marine
generator sets.
The sales and service network includes
more than 2,100 dealer locations worldwide
dedicated to support customers in deepsea,
commercial marine and pleasure craft.
Chemring Marine is exhibiting its
extensive range of Pains Wessex marine
distress signals at SMM, as well as unveiling
its new Pains Wessex Manoverboard MK8 and
Buoysmoke MK8 lifebuoy markers.
The world’s leading supplier of marine
distress signals to commercial and leisure
marine markets has several distributors
exhibiting at the Hamburg event.
Pains Wessex distributor, Hygrapha, from
Germany, is on stand B5/461 and will be
displaying the new products.
New Chemring Marine managing director
Justine Heeley will be attending the trade
show along with German-based sales manager
Holger Muegge to meet new and existing
distributors and customers.
The new Manoverboard and Buoysmoke
products will be initially available through
Pains Wessex’s European distributors before
being sold in other global markets. They both
replace previous MOB 360 and Buoysmoke
MK2 models.
The updated products boast a number of
important features and benefits, including:
� Sturdy, robust and far exceeds SOLAS
requirements.
� Drop-tested to 60 m (SOLAS only requires
30 m and MOB 360 was 50 m).
� Reed-switched lights, not water-activated.
� Universal two-piece stainless steel
mounting bracket makes fixing to
inaccessible bridge wings easier.
Pains Wessex new Manoverboard MK8.
e
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SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 21
� Retaining clip aids security and helps
prevent accidental loss of the signal in
very bad weather conditions.
� Ideal for large tankers and oil and gas rigs.
Pains Wessex product manager Keith
Bradford said, “The new Pains Wessex
Manoverboard MK8 day and night Lifebuoy
Marker produces 15 minutes of dense orange
smoke and a self-activated lighting system,
which far exceeds SOLAS requirements
for light output of two candela and two
hours duration.
“The new Pains Wessex Buoysmoke MK8
is identical, except that it does not feature the
lighting system, so is an orange smoke
daytime marker only,” he concluded.
Chemring Marine, based in Fareham, UK,
is part of the Chemring Group and is the
world’s leading supplier of SOLAS, MED &
USCG-approved marine distress signals.
What are claimed to be the first widescreen
marine panel computers will be on display at
Conrac’s stand.
The company will introduce a series of
marine grade panel PCs adding the flexibility
of an integrated solution to Conrac’s wide
ECDIS marine displays.
Experienced in the integration of industrial
PCs, Conrac designed the ultimate marine
panel computer specified to run all marine
applications, from automation and control to
ECDIS and navigation.
Designed for 24/7 operation, this embedded
solution offers an extremely reliable platform,
the company said. The integrated high
performance industrial PC is based on the
latest low-power embedded technology.
As a special feature, Conrac integrated a
proprietary system monitoring application
Conrac’s widescreen marine panel computer.
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TANKEROperator � August/September 201022
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
called SysMon, which is used to control
various settings and to obtain exact
information on a multitude of parameters. It
controls the backlights, supervises the system
and allows the integration of the next
generation of ambient light control - ALCplus.
Available are console mount versions with
screen sizes of 56 cm and 66 cm diagonal,
offering the same look-and-feel as the monitor
only versions. The only eye-catching
difference between the integrated solution and
the monitor-only version are two front USBs,
Conrac said.
The company’s large screen naval displays
have been tested according to various MIL
standards. Conrac’s series of ruggedised
displays up to a screen size of 165 cm has
been tested according to MIL-STD-167 and
810. Furthermore, the displays proved to
withstand severe underwater explosions up to
100 g. Available as options are touch solutions
and integrated IPCs.
Federal-Mogul will present three of its
brands at SMM.
In Hall A3, Stand 102 the company will
introduce DAROS as the latest addition to the
Federal-Mogul family together with the
established GOETZE and DEVA brands.
The DAROS group, headquartered in
Gothenburg, was acquired by Federal-Mogul
in June 2010.
The acquisition enhances Federal-Mogul’s
leading position in the industrial piston rings
market. DAROS piston rings are widely
recognised for their leadership in large-bore
two-stroke engines.
The product range complements the
GOETZE portfolio which focuses on four-
stroke engines for industrial applications in
commercial shipping and energy generation.
Federal-Mogul offers industrial piston rings
with diameters ranging from 145 mm up to
980 mm. The rings are used mainly in large
engines with a power output of more than 100
MW, for example in commercial ships like
large tankers and bulk carriers.
The rings are made of a special cast iron,
machined with complex geometries and are
surface finished with extremely wear-resistant
coatings applied under high temperatures or
by electroplating. Piston rings seal the
combustion chamber in the engine while the
piston moves up and down inside the cylinder.
The piston-ring set also aids in the transfer
of heat out of the combustion-chamber and in
the distribution of lubricants to the cylinder
wall to allow for long engine life cycles. The
challenge for the piston rings is to keep oil
consumption to a minimum, while ensuring
optimal lubrication at the same time.
“The global market for industrial, large-bore
piston rings is a strategic opportunity for
Federal-Mogul,” explained Rainer Jueckstock,
senior vice-president powertrain energy
business unit. “We intend to invest in this
market to offer technology and service to
support all new industrial engine programs.
The consolidation of the DAROS team into
Federal-Mogul will give us new market access
and specialised technology for innovation and
business growth.”
According to Franz-Guenther Cantow,
director global sales and engineering, the
market for industrial piston rings is growing
worldwide. “Energy companies and global
logistics providers require additional power
generation and shipping capacity. We want to
capitalise on these sales opportunities.
“Our latest technology piston rings, in
particular, enable our customers to meet the
ever more stringent regulations regarding
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 22
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
emission reduction. With our combined
product range, development and production
capacities and integrated distribution channels,
we offer our customers innovative and
technologically leading products in
outstanding quality and delivery reliability,”
he said.
When the DAROS business has been
integrated into Federal-Mogul, industrial
piston rings will be sold under the Federal-
Mogul GOETZE and DAROS brands
according to their respective market presence
and engine type.
At SMM in Hamburg, both brands will be
presenting a cross-section of their respective
product ranges.
One of the most innovative initiatives in
recent years is the Danish Green Ship of the
Future project.
Many of the members and project partners
are participating at SMM with their own
stands.
The organisation itself will be attending
with its Green Ship booth in hall B1 in the
Danish Pavilion where several project partners
will be available.
The Harris Pye Group (HPG) is sharing a
stand with EPSCO Deutschland GmbH (Hall
B5, stand 168) at SMM. Two key elements
will come under the HPG spotlight at the
show – both drydocks. These are the new
Duqm Dry Dock in Oman and Swansea Dry
Docks in Wales, UK.
The new Duqm Dry Dock is set to rival the
biggest in the region and will be equipped to
handle some of the largest vessels in service
including ULCCs. Harris Pye Gulf LLC, well
used to working on large vessels of all types,
will play a key role at Duqm as a prime
contractor, offering a full range of services to
all Oman Drydock Company (ODC) clients.
Harris Pye Gulf is part of HPG. Operating
worldwide on a 24/7 basis, the group’s
emphasis is on cost effective repair,
preventative maintenance and conversion work.
In Wales, HPG has invested heavily to
revitalise Swansea’s Duke of Edinburgh and
Prince of Wales drydocks. The group used the
drydock from November 2009-March 2010
for the refurbishment and refit of cruise liner
Saga Pearl II. Following this project, HPG
signed a longer lease on the drydocks in
April 2010.
Since then Harris Pye has undertaken work
on a ferry, three dredgers and a tanker being
converted into a bulk carrier.
Staff strength within the Group has grown
from 10 in 1976 to 750 plus employees in the
UK head office facility and main stations in
Sharjah and Singapore (all three are ASME
‘R”, 'U' and 'S' stamp accredited); and offices
and repair facilities in Scandinavia, Portugal,
Brazil, Bahrain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan
and Australia.
The group is one of the world’s leading
specialists in repair of marine and industrial
boilers, including all associated steam
systems. A constant stock of over 400 tonnes
of premium quality steel and alloy tubes
ensures rapid reaction to clients’ repair
requirements.
Harris Pye has expertise in automation,
control engineering and shiprepair; industrial
services; the manufacture of food-grade
stainless steel galley/land-based kitchen
equipment; and ship outfitting. Over the past
10 years, HPG has also developed services to
the offshore oil industry to include in situ
repair, upgrade and conversion of rigs, semi-
submersibles, trading tankers, FSU, FSO,
FPSO and FSRU units.
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TANKEROperator � August/September 2010
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
Two years ago, at SMM 2008, the Imtech Marine Group (IMG)
was introduced as a newly formed group of companies who joined
forces under the group banner. Two years later, the group will return, in
hall B6, same location stand No 210.
The group will show case its capabilities focusing on life cycle
support. Managing each project from pre-design and engineering
through to commissioning, IMG operates as a full-service provider and
system integrator of tailor made technology solutions.
IMG specialises in automation (platform and bridge), navigation &
communications, including connectivity, energy & drive systems,
HVAC solutions and fire protection systems, entertainment, lighting
systems and maritime services. The group employs more than 2,500
staff at more than 70 offices located on major shipping routes and close
to shipbuilding centres.
At the stand some of the latest developments, among others
integrated bridge systems, platform automation systems, electrical drive
& energy systems, HVAC technology, live connectivity will be
presented and specifically ‘green technology’, will be displayed. Special
attention will be paid to IMG’s life cycle support capabilities.
Members of the group are Imtech Marine Germany, Imtech Schiffbau-
/Dockbautechnik, Radio Holland Group, Imtech Marine & Offshore,
Royal Dirkzwager and Van Berge Henegouwen Installaties. Schiffbau-
/Dockbautechnik will also be exhibiting in hall B5.
IMG companies work closely together, combining expertise in
electrical, electronic, mechanical and ICT disciplines and share
knowledge to offer customers integrated solutions and service from
engineering through newbuild and during the whole operational life
cycle of a ship.
For newbuilds, retrofits and conversions Imtech provides a wide
range of systems based on its core technologies. Shipowners and
shipbuilders can make use of Imtech’s skills in the field of design,
engineering, system integration, project management, electrical and
mechanical installation, site management, commissioning and
maintenance.
Through a worldwide network of more than 70 offices covering
major ports, shipowners also make use of the maintenance services of
the group and especially the many forms of managed services
agreements. Related services include connectivity and ICT (including
remote maintenance).
In June 2010, Imtech Marine organised a green energy event in
Rotterdam as the company provides technology, expertise and technical
IMG’s impressive stand.
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SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 25
competences to control vessel emissions and
energy management on board. IMG has also
recently introduced a strategy group on green
shipping.
Achieving zero emissions is a challenge,
which can not only be enhanced by changing
operational ship’s management, but also by
the use of alternative fuel sources and
alternative technology. The consensus during
the Imtech green energy event, shared by
speakers and attendees, was - “green shipping
is an evolution, not a revolution.'“
L-3 SAM Electronics will feature a wide
range of next-generation shipmanagement
systems and sensors for automation,
communications, navigation, positioning,
propulsion and energy distribution
applications in its stand at SMM 2010,
September 7–10 (Hall B6, Stand 340).
The stand will include live demonstrations
of the latest NACOS Platinum series of
advanced scalable navigation, automation and
control systems, featuring common
components and operating networks to
provide unrivalled modes of integrated
functionality for vessels of all types and sizes.
The series is claimed to offer simplified
levels of usability while ensuring higher
standards of operational safety. Systems have
already been commissioned for product
tankers and other vessel types under
construction in Asia and Europe.
In addition, L-3 SAM Electronics will be
showcasing its new SAM ConnectNet
product, a high-speed ship-to-shore assembly
that merges vessel communication systems
into complete enterprise-wide IT networks, as
well as diesel electric propulsion assemblies
and energy-efficient shaft alternators.
Other L-3 capabilities on display at SMM
include high-end automation and dynamic
positioning systems, echosounders and sonars
and control components from L-3 Valmarine of
Norway, L-3 Dynamic Positioning & Control
Systems of the US, Kiel-based L-3 ELAC
Nautik and Italian subsidiary L-3 APSS.
Located in Hamburg SAM Electronics, a
division of the L-3 Marine & Power Systems
group, employs over 1,300 people worldwide
and is a turnkey supplier of complete
electrical systems. SAM Electronics is also a
leading supplier of integrated navigation,
automation, communication, energy
distribution and propulsion systems for all
types of ships.
Comprising 20 operating companies, L-3
Marine & Power Systems (L-3 M&PS) is
involved in maritime automation and control,
navigation, communications, dynamic
positioning, and power distribution and
conditioning for commercial customers
worldwide.
Leading rope manufacturer, Lankhorst
Ropes will unveil an innovation in rope
splicing that reduces the size and weight of
the rope's 'eye' splice, making it easier to
handle during mooring and towing operations,
yet produces a stronger rope, at SMM 2010,
Hall 7, Booth 351.
Called A3, the splice is claimed to be 100%
efficient, which means there is no loss in rope
strength due to splicing. It also makes rope
handling easier as there is no doubling of the
rope or splice stiffness in the mainline
commonly experienced with traditional rope
splicing. Moreover, the A3 splice design is less
prone to the effect of abrasion on vulnerable
areas of the splice covering, thus providing a
longer lasting rope, Lankhorst Ropes said.
Traditional splice testing witnessed by
Lloyds Register and the A3 splice with a
Lankhorst Strongline braided mooring rope
showed the traditional spliced rope had a
breaking force of 925 kN compared with 1,140
kN for the A3 splice; demonstrating a 23%
increase in breaking force with the A3 splice.
Launching the A3 rope splice at SMM
2010, Steven Wardenier, commercial director,
Lankhorst Ropes commented, “This is an
important development for ship and tug
operators. The new splice enables a stronger
rope that provides greater safety in rope
handling, and offers significant savings in the
overall cost of rope ownership.”
The A3 splice will be progressively
introduced across the Lankhorst Ropes range
through 2010/11.
The diverse marine engineering specialities
of MA� Diesel & Turbo will again be
highlighted at SMM with an emphasis on new
developments to support shipowners and yards
in reducing costs and improving operating
efficiency.
The highest output, power density and
efficiency in its class is offered by the V20-
cylinder MAN 32/44CR medium speed
engine, whose advanced specification includes
common rail fuel injection, variable valve
timing (VVT) and variable turbine area (VTA)
turbocharging.
These and other features enable the engine to
achieve NOx emission values below the IMO
Tier II limits, as well as smokeless operation.
Significantly tougher Tier III NOx
emissions requirements are met by installing a
selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system in
the exhaust line.
A newly developed Alpha controllable pitch
propeller (CPP) series delivers high propulsive
efficiency from a compact, flow-optimised
hub design, as well as enhanced simplicity,
reliability and maintainability from fewer
internal elements.
The high-efficiency VBS Alpha CPP
programme offers 20 hub sizes ranging from
600 mm to 2,150 mm diameter, corresponding
to an approximate engine power range of
1,000 kW to 40,000 kW. The new hubs were
designed with a number of inherent service,
SAM Electronic’s NACOS Platinum IBS (left) and (right) NACOS Platinum navigation automation control system.
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 25
TANKEROperator � August/September 201026
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
inspection and exchange features.
Alpha CPP designs were the first in which
stern tube system and propeller hub
mechanism can operate with biodegradable
oil, eliminating environmental risk and
guaranteeing internal lubrication even in the
event of contamination by sea water.
MAN Diesel & Turbo’s TCR radial
turbocharger series is supplemented at its
lower output end by a model tailored to boost
a new generation of small four-stroke engines
from MAN and other designers. Addressing
the demands of engines with ratings from 300
kW to 580 kW per turbocharger, the new
TCR10 model delivers a pressure ratio up to
5.5 and is designed for installations burning
heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil or gas.
Compact and lightweight (40 kg), the
TCR10 runs at speeds up to 84,100 rev/min
and can operate with exhaust gas temperatures
up to 650 deg C. The TCR10 is the smallest
member of a turbocharger family embracing
seven frame sizes (topped by the TCR22
model) and covering applications on four-
stroke and two-stroke engines with power
ratings from 300 kW to 6,500 kW per
turbocharger.
Significant opportunities are foreseen for
gas-fuelled tonnage as exhaust emissions
limits tighten, the potential market extending
from LNGCs and offshore vessels to embrace
LPGs and other vessel types.
MAN B&W ME-GI (gas injection) two-
stroke engines promise economical and
operational benefits over other low speed-
engined plants, irrespective of ship size. Based
on the successful electronically-controlled ME
heavy fuel burning diesel engines, the ME-GI
design exploits systems enabling natural gas
and liquid fuels to be handled.
Low speed two-stroke engine requirements
are covered by LSeries system oils and
cylinder oils. The LSeries30s product is a
premium quality SAE 30 grade alkaline
system oil for the crankcases of two-stroke
engines, and is particularly suitable for those
with oil-cooled pistons.
Bearings are protected from corrosive wear,
oil purification is simplified and time-
between-overhauls extended.
Two-stroke engines burning low sulphur
fuels will benefit from the LSeries40c
product, a high performance 40 BN/SAE 50
cylinder lubricant delivering excellent
lubrication properties in conjunction with
wear protection. Similar benefits are offered
by a high performance 70 BN/SAE 50
cylinder oil (LSeries70c) formulated for two-
stroke engines burning high sulphur fuels.
Both cylinder oil products are designed to
lubricate all low speed marine engines
operating at high specific power outputs and
high thermal loads.
An increasing number of ship operators
appreciate the logistical benefits of MAN
PrimeServ’s EMC-Pit Stop spares and
exchange concept, particularly for Holeby
engine-based gensets, the company claimed.
The scheme enables participating ships to
carry the bare minimum of spares on board,
thus releasing space and reducing ‘dead
money’.
Spares for a planned maintenance or
overhaul project are delivered to a designated
port in a standard 8ft to 10ft container for safe
and easy handling. The containers are
arranged to stow spares for MAN L16/24,
L21/31, L27/38, L23/30, L23/30H, L28/32,
L28/32H and L32/40 medium speed engines.
Among the leading shipowners using the Pit
Stop connection is Norway’s Odfjell Tankers,
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p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 26
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 27
which has sourced spares for diesel gensets
for over 10 years. A fast turnround and
consistent quality of parts are among the cited
benefits, along with longer times-between-
overhauls, lower oil consumption, good
engine performance and less downtime.
The main Odfjell contract elements cover
reconditioning or renewing cylinder liners,
overhaul or renewal of cylinder covers and
renewal of cylinder cover parts.
Tightening limits on sulphur oxide
emissions from ships at sea and in port are
dictating that operators switch to low sulphur
fuel oil or adopt approved SOx abatement
technology. Extreme care must be taken in
switching from normal bunker fuel to a low
sulphur product when entering or leaving an
ECA, or harbour, if operational safety is not to
be compromised.
MAN Diesel & Turbo claims to have
addressed these concerns with a Diesel Switch
system designed to ensure a smooth and safe
changeover between different fuels. The
switch is made automatically from heavy fuel
oil to marine diesel/gas oil and vice versa.
The company will be showing a
turbocharger cut-out retrofit solution at SMM.
�avis Engineering of Vantaa, Finland will
unveil a new generation of the whole
company’s product line, including the AP4000
autopilot (replacing the AP3000), the JP4000
joystick control system/autopilot (previously
JP3000) and the NavDP4000 series dynamic
positioning system.
The AP4000 autopilot has undergone a
substantial redesign. The front panel has been
given a more modern outlook, materials and
technology and a 6.5’ high contrast and
resolution colour display with the 150 deg
viewing angle.
In addition, the level of front panel
protection has been increased from IP44 up to
IP67 which makes the AP4000 suitable for
outdoor installations (on a flying bridge or
port/starboard wings). The user-friendly GUI
complies with all the industry ergonomic
standards and is very easy to read and operate,
Navis claimed. Day and night colour palettes
are available.
The autopilot’s software has also been
considerably upgraded. The network control
transfer functionality for up to five network
connected control panels has been added. To
facilitate the fine-tuning of the autopilot
performance, only one parameter – sensitivity
- is used, which allows the covering of all the
known yawing, steering and counter rudder
settings of the autopilots of other brands.
The AP4000 has a built-in heading monitor
system (HMS) functionality, which makes it
possible to constantly receive and monitor the
data coming from two heading data sources
(gyro+gyro, gyro+magnetic compass,
gyro+fluxgate etc). Several speed sources can
also be used during operation (GPS, water
speed log or bottom tracking log).
In addition to the control modes present in
the previous generation of AP4000s, three more
have been added - the course pilot control
mode, which allows for steering by a preset
COG value; the windvane mode for sailing
yachts, making it possible to steer
by setting the relative wind angle, and the river
pilot mode, allowing the operator to steer the
vessel by a preset ROT value using an external
ROT tiller, or a knob in the control panel.
In the Track and Autonav modes, the
AP4000 acts like a TCS of the ‘A’ and ‘C’
categories respectively.
The AP4000’s fully self-adjusting auto tune
algorithm allows for easy adapting the
autopilot performance to the hydrodynamic
parameters of any vessel irrespectively of its
displacement and dimensions. This makes it
possible to use the AP4000 on board of any
commercial vessel with a single rudder, linked
rudder, independent rudder or stern azimuth
Z-drive configuration.
Full certification of the AP4000 is expected
to be finalised by the end of this year.
Communications and safety at sea
specialist, Ocean Signal, will launch three
new products at SMM.
These include SafeSea E100/E100G series
of emergency position indicating radio
beacons (EPIRBs), SafeSea S100 search
and rescue transponder (SART) and the
SafeSea V100 survival craft VHF hand
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p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 27
TANKEROperator � August/September 201028
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
portable radiotelephone.
The SafeSea® S100 SART is a dedicated
radar transponder which complies with IMO
SOLAS regulations. In common with the
SafeSea EPIRB, the S100 SART has a user
replaceable battery, which is classified as non-
hazardous for shipment and gives 96 hours
operation in standby.
Both the SafeSea® E100 and E100G EPIRBs
have the longest quoted operational battery lives
in the industry with enough capacity to operate
the EPIRB continuously, typically for four
whole days, even using the E100G with GPS
fix and in worse case temperatures to -20 deg C,
Ocean Signal claimed.
In addition, batteries can be replaced by the
user, eliminating the need to return the unit to
the manufacturer, or agent when they need
changing.
The SafeSea SART is waterproof to a depth
of 10 m and operates between -20 deg C to
+55 deg C.
As for the SafeSea® V100 GMDSS hand
held radio, this is a rugged, fully featured
hand-portable GMDSS radiotelephone
complying with the IMO performance
standards for use in survival craft and
exceeding GMDSS environmental
requirements.
The radio is supplied with all 21
international simplex channels, as required
by the regulations. Once again, the
emergency Lithium primary battery offers
unique features, such as the battery
protection tab to avoid inadvertent use. Only
when the tab is broken off will the battery
operate the radio, ensuring the pack is at full
capacity when needed. A transmitter helps to
maximise the battery life.
German navigation system supplier
Raytheon Anschütz will launch its new
intelligent bridge system at this year’s SMM
in Hamburg.
The intelligent bridge system is designed to
make navigation more efficient and to
simplify operation for users. The Raytheon
Anschütz exhibit is located at booth No 320 in
Hall B6.
It features a new generation of wide-screen
multifunction systems that allow the navigator
not only to access all the nautical tasks at the
right time, but also to integrate additional
tasks, such as CCTV, DP system data, or
engine automation data from the most varied
of equipment.
This makes it possible to configure new
intelligent display pages with relevant
information from different ship systems.
Having all the data available at a glance
increases situation awareness and offers
intuitive help in decision making for the
navigator. Thanks to the use of standardised
hardware and software, Raytheon Anschütz
offers full scalability and future expandability
for any desired system solutions and further
reduces the costs of installation and spare
parts logistics, the company claimed.
Apart from including the intelligent alert
management, Raytheon Anschütz has enhanced
its NautoConning display with the new data
management operator interface to enable a
system wide sensor and source selection menu,
which includes a choice between manual and
automatic sensor selection.
The new data management continuously
monitors the availability, validity and integrity
of all sensor data and calculates a quality
indicator for each sensor. Within the automatic
sensor selection mode, a set of the best sensor
data is compiled automatically and distributed
throughout the entire navigation system. Apart
from increasing the ship’s safety through
intelligent use of on board sensor information,
the automatic sensor monitoring and sensor
selection reduces work load of officers and
pilots on duty, the company said.
In addition to the new bridge, Raytheon
Anschütz will present the new NautoPilot
5000 and the latest generation of the
Nautosteer AS advanced steering control
system.
The NP 5000 features a large graphical
display, which offers six different day and
night modes with an availability to operate in
a touch screen mode. The autopilot uses
Anschütz steering algorithms, but enhanced to
include highly advanced functions for
economic and precise navigation, such as a
new course control operation mode and an
integrated steering performance display.
The graphical indication of heading changes
and all used rudder angles instantaneously
shows the effects of changes to parameter
settings, being an effective help for operator to
optimise steering performance and fuel
consumption.
The new Nautosteer AS steering control
system can be configured to any steering
control system requirements with the relevant
redundancy requirements. It is based on CAN-
bus technology to offer further improvements
in safety, such as wire break and steering
failure monitoring and to decrease shipyard
installation costs.
At SMM, Rivertrace Engineering (RTE)
will show the Smart 50M – a new boiler water
monitor designed to address specific industry
concerns over boiler and pipe blockages and
the consequent potential for burn out or
explosions.
RTE’s OCD 50M boiler water monitor has
been type approved by Germanischer Lloyd
since 1998 to monitor oil breakthrough back
into ships’ boilers. If coils are perforated for
any reason, oil can re-enter the boiler water
and, on cooling, block pipes or the boiler
itself, causing a potential hazard and/or
damage to equipment.
Boiler water composition requires regular
monitoring to ensure that boiler pipework and
heat exchangers do not become corroded or
perforated. RTE said that it had supplied
around 300 OCD 50M but, last year, the
supplier identified a market requirement to
monitor a range of other parameters, not just
oil content.Raytheon Anschütz’s new IBS.
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 28
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p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 29
TANKEROperator � August/September 201030
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
RTE has developed the Smart 50M which,
as well as monitoring oil content, can also
monitor critical parameters, such as PH levels,
conductivity and levels of dissolved oxygen.
Chris Redstone, RTE technical services
manager said: “It became clear that there was
a need for better accuracy and better solids
discrimination. In monitoring parameters such
as PH levels and dissolved oxygen levels, and
limiting them, we can limit rust, for example.
Again, we monitor conductivity to ensure that
the boiler water viscosity, or rheology, is correct.
“Boiler water rheology is normally benign
but as the function of most boilers is to heat
water which then passes through heat
exchangers, a damaged heat exchanger can
allow oil to enter the boiler water, causing
potentially catastrophic damage to the boiler,”
he said.
The new Smart 50M augments RTE’s smart
bilge monitor and Smart ODME products,
which use the same infrared light scatter
technology to monitor continuously in real
time. By using the Smart 50M, the operator
could easily adjust chemical dosing to the
correct levels, thereby extending the
operational life of the boiler and reducing the
frequency of repairs and re-tubing Redsatone
claimed . “If the tubes in a ship’s boiler split,
they can cost up to $1 mill to fix,” he said.
RTE intends that the Smart 50M will
replace its existing OCD 50M over time, with
the initial launch of the new model set for
SMM 2010, in Hamburg. The Smart 50M can
be retrofitted and is appropriate for any ship
with a boiler.
Other applications for the Smart 50M are
main engine jacket cooling water monitoring.
Water treatment specialist RWO will exhibit
its ballast water and its new sewage treatment
system at SMM – Hall A1, booth 340.
Bremen based RWO is a leading supplier
of systems for water and wastewater
treatment on board ships and offshore rigs.
Its products cover the treatment of ballast
and wastewater and bilge, as well as drinking
and process water.
The company is part of Veolia Water
Solutions & Technologies, subsidiary of
Veolia Water, a leading specialist provider of
technological solutions in water treatment.
At SMM, RWO will demonstrate its
capabilities in the field of water and
wastewater treatment, including its recently
type approved new sewage treatment plant
series WWT-LC and the ballast water
treatment system CleanBallast.
To fulfil the new guidelines for sewage
treatment plants set by the IMO Resolution
MEPC 159(55), RWO has enhanced its WWT
system. Based on proven technology, together
with some process improvements, the WWT-
LC represents a reliable, easy to operate and
compact plug & play unit.
Approved and certified by the German
authority Seeberufsgenossenschaft (SeeBG),
the three-chamber systems operates with a
mixed bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) providing
process stability and excellent effluent results.
It is suitable for treating black and grey water,
or black water only and is claimed to be easy
to install and maintain with a fully automatic
operating system with low running costs.
Vacuum systems as well as grease traps are
optional extras.
RWO has developed the modular
CleanBallast technology for on board
treatment of ballast water, which removes
organisms, sediments and suspended solids in
just two steps - the DiskFilter system for
mechanical separation followed by the special
EctoSys® disinfection unit, which further
reduces the number of living organisms.
Over 40 units are already on order for this
low power consuming ballast water treatment
system. More than 20 units were supplied to
shipyards during the last 12 months, some of
which are already in operation.
After successful completion of all necessary
approval steps, the CleanBallast system
expects to receive the full Type Approval
Certificate by the German authority BSH
within the next few weeks.
RWO’s CleanBallast disk filters (left) and (right) the new sewage treatment plant WWT-LC2.
PRICE
£75
Witherby Seamanship International Ltd4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK
Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 • Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999 Email: info@emailws.com • www.witherbyseamanship.com
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 30
LOW SULPHUR FUEL OIL NOW!
Just contact us!
www.owbunker.com
Physical Supply • Global Trading • Risk Management
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 31
TANKEROperator � August/September 201032
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
Tamrotor Marine Compressors (TMC)
will be exhibiting in the Norwegian pavilion
(Hall B7, stand 453)
TMC is claimed to be the only provider of
marine screw compressors who is solely
dedicated to providing compressed air for
marine use. Since it was founded in 1989,
TMC’s only focus has been the design and
construction of compressed air equipment to
satisfy extreme marine requirements.
Over the last three years, TMC has won
more than 1,600 orders for complete
compressed air systems ranging from 50 to
10,000 cu m per hour.
Energy costs make up to 80% of the
compressed air cost. Using a TMC Smart Air
energy-saving compressor, some 40% energy
or more can be saved. This significantly
reduces the life cycle cost of the compressor
and gives less CO2 emissions.
The TMC Smart Air compressor controls
the capacity and power consumption precisely
to the air demand. Constant pressure in the
network at all times will minimise the power
consumption and reduce the wear on the
compressor. Soft start will increase the
lifetime on the transmission, such as belts and
couplings and give lower pressure and less
movement on all the parts, contributing to
reducing the life cycle cost by 25–30%.
Compared to a conventional compressor
providing the same amount of compressed air,
the energy consumption of a TMC SA 60 will
be reduced by 161,000 kWh during as 12-
month period. With an estimated energy cost
of $0.20, this means an annual saving of
$32,200 and a reduction in CO2 emissions of
103,040 kg – for one compressor.
In all sectors of the ships equipment
industry, non-original spare parts are
becoming more and more sophisticated,
looking identical to the original parts. But the
risks of using non-original spare parts are still
the same. Material specification is often
rationalised, resulting in rapid wear,
compromised performance, poor reliability,
higher oil and fuel consumption and even
component damage or system failure, TMC
warned.
To make it even easier for shipowners to
choose original TMC spare parts for their
TMC compressors, TMC has introduced spare
part kits. The spare part kits contain all the
parts that should be replaced after a certain
number of running hours/years. A service CD
containing live video instructions helps the
personnel on board safely perform the routine
maintenance operations.
Benefits of using the kits include - lower
price per part than when purchased item by
item, time saved on ordering and checking,
plus the certainty of getting all the necessary
parts – and no unnecessary parts, resulting in
no unscheduled stops due to missing parts.
TMC spare part kits include 1,500
hours/one year kit, oil change kit, separator
kit, etc. Kits are available for all TMC
compressor models.
The SAILOR 900 VSAT, a sophisticated
new Ku-band VSAT antenna, will be launched
by Thrane & Thrane at SMM 2010.
Designed in-house by Thrane & Thrane's
engineers, SAILOR 900 VSAT represents a
leap-forward in VSAT antenna performance
and benefits from the high reliability, build
quality and functionality, the company said.
"SAILOR 900 VSAT is an important
milestone in our strategy to support the
maritime broadband market with high quality
products," said Casper Jensen, vice president
maritime business unit, Thrane & Thrane.
Tamrotor’s Smart Air compressor.
Visit us atHall A2, Stand 251
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 32
SMM 2010 PREVIEW
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 33
"It complements our highly successful and
market dominant Inmarsat FleetBroadband
family, and our recently launched SAILOR
Satellite TV systems while establishing a
strong platform for future developments in the
VSAT arena," he said.
SAILOR 900 VSAT is designed and built to
the exact same standards as the SAILOR
terminals for the Inmarsat services.
Like SAILOR FleetBroadband products,
SAILOR 900 VSAT has been designed with
ease of installation in mind. It is a powerful,
quick and easy-to-deploy four-axis stabilised
Ku-band VSAT antenna featuring a low-
profile and high performance RF design.
It can be easily integrated with all leading
VSAT modem units and the sophisticated
antenna control unit (ACU) features multiple
LAN and diagnostics ports, plus built-in test
equipment (BITE).
The SAILOR 900 VSAT will be the fourth
in the line-up of SAILOR Ku-band products,
which include the SAILOR 700 VSAT,
SAILOR 60 Satellite TV and SAILOR 90
Satellite TV.
Thrane & Thrane's complete range of
maritime radio and satellite communication
systems will be available in hall B6, stand
333.
W R Systems, (WRSystems) is making its
debut at SMM to release its EmsysTM,
second generation; laser-based marine
emissions monitoring system.
EmsysTM is the world's first QCL
(quantum cascade laser)-based, fully
extractive, combined emissions and particulate
matter (PM) monitoring system, designed to
meet the requirements of MARPOL Annex
VI, the NOx Technical Code and in addition
the requirements of the IMO’s emission
control areas ( ECAs).
GEA Westfalia Separator will be exhibiting
the company’s Westfalia Separator®
BilgeMaster® cleandesign at SMM.
For pumping bilge water at sea, residual oil
content must not be higher than 15 ppm.
The company claimed to achieve this
limitation within its Westfalia Separator®
BilgeMaster® cleandesign.
This is achieved without the use of
adsorption filters, without chemicals and
merely through mechanical separation.
The separator can also meet a potential
market demand for only 5 ppm in certain
regions with the entire BilgeMaster series in
cleandesign. At SMM, GEA Westfalia Separator
will be presenting a BilgeMaster cleandesign
D2000 without a filter with a SafetyMaster
attached as additional protection against illegal
pumping overboard of oily bilge water.
In addition, the company will launch its
Westfalia Separator® FuelCoolingMaster.
The efforts to secure environmentally-
friendly maritime transport and emission
optimised vessels is entering the next phase.
Another innovation to be showcased is the
newly developed heat recovery system
Westfalia Separator® EnergyMaster, which
optimises the separating process of lube oils
on board ships in terms of energy.
Westfalia Separator® EnergyMaster saves
up to two thirds of the necessary thermal
energy and therefore pays for itself within a
very short time, the company claimed.
The compact system is primarily suitable
for newbuildings and offers a return on
investment of just a few months.
To treat ballast water on board vessels,
GEA Westfalia Separator has developed a
system which is presently undergoing the
approval phase at the IMO.
The three-stage Westfalia Separator®
BallastMaster is claimed by the manufacturer
to assure the efficient removal and killing
of animal and vegetable organisms in the
ballast water. It works with low energy
and operating costs and, in addition to
installation in newbuildings, is also suitable
for retrofitting.
GEA Westfalia Separator is also launching
the Westfalia Separator® FuelCoolingMaster,
a system that reliably adjusts the necessary
viscosity of low-sulphur light diesel oil
or gasoil.
The revised IMO MARPOL regulations
issued in 2008 and the pertinent EU
directives issued in 2005 make references to
reduced sulphur contents in the fuels to be
used. The new reduced sulphur contents in
ship fuels have already come into effect. This
means that, in certain situations, ships must
convert from the normally used HFO to a
fuel distillate, as a rule a marine diesel oil or
a marine gas oil.
GEA Westfalia Separator has developed a
system based on a cooling module as heat
exchanger which can, when required, be
supplemented with a chiller. This ensures that
the value of two Centistokes is always
maintained and consequently corresponds to
the guidelines of the engine manufacturers.
Heat exchanger and chiller are connected with
each other in such a way that energy is utilised
under the best possible economic conditions.
Westfalia’s BallastMaster (left) and BilgeMaster (right) will both be on the stand.
TO
p2-33:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 14:26 Page 33
INDUSTRY - THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
In that time, the company has changed
from a disparate grouping of several
autonomous concerns worldwide to a
large amalgamated service organisation
looking after just under 630 vessels.
Although there are many different strings to
the group’s bow in what the company calls
‘value added services’, the main activities
centre around vessel technical, crewing and
corporate management.
BSM now has nine Service Delivery
Centres (SDCs) located in China, Cyprus,
Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Isle of
Man, Singapore and the UK. In addition, the
group has crew service centres in 24 locations
as crewing agencies are wholly owned. In a
presentation at Posidonia, outgoing CEO
Andreas Droussiotis explained that BSM likes
to be in full control of the crewing aspect and
would not rely on third party crewing
agencies.
The group conducts its own training at a very
high level. To this end, the group has four
maritime training centres (MTCS) located in
Limassol, Mumbai, Manila and Gdynia. As
well as operating training centres, BSM has an
ongoing on board training scheme, which is
part of what the group calls a ‘Back to Basics’
campaign.
Droussiotis will be retiring on 31st
December this year and will be replaced by
deputy CEO Rajaish Bajpaee, the former head
of Eurasia. Following his official retirement as
CEO, Droussiotis will continue to be active
within the group taking on the role of BSM
chairman for a two year period.
BSM was created in 2008 by amalgamating
Hanseatic Shipping, Dorchester Atlantic
Marine, Eurasia Shipmanagement and
Vorsetzen Bereederungs – und
Schiffahrtskontor (see panel).
One of the advantages of a large group is
the ability to negotiate competitive supply
contracts, such as lube oils, spare parts,
chemicals, stores and other significant
shipboard items, as well as insurance.
The group has a wide variety of vessels
under its wing, which includes around 157
tankers of all types and 115 gas carriers,
ranging from LNGCs and LPGs to ethylene
carriers. Among BSM’s tanker clients are AP
Moller-Maersk, Bernhard Schulte, Benetech,
BP Shipping, Fratelli d’Amico, Mitsui OSK,
MPC Steamship, NITC, Omega Navigation,
Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Ultragas, Venfleet and
Yamato Kisen.
BSM is also involved in newbuilding
consultancy and supervision. To date, some 60
newbuildings and conversions have been
overseen and there are currently another 20
projects underway.
Training high on the agendaAs mentioned, training plays a significant part
in BSM’s overall operations. The group
spends about $12 mill on training per year at
its various locations, which are purely run for
the group’s own seafarers. This is an increase
of $4-$5 mill on the annual budget. The total
number of seafarers on BSM’s books range
between 18,000 and 19,000 out of which
12,000 to 13,000 are serving on board BSM-
managed vessels at any one time.
A cadet ship programme to expand the pool
of junior officers and senior officers’ seminars
are also part of the overall training project.
BSM currently has around 500 cadets
worldwide out of which some 200 are
Filipinos. By the beginning of the summer, the
group had conducted 23 seminars.
The Philippines training centre, which came
on stream in 1979, is being upgraded by the
building of a new school, complete with
simulators. This will take the form of a 12-
storey building located in Manila. Droussiotis
explained that the group was looking for new
possible training centre sites, such as Vietnam
and China- both up and coming countries in
terms of seafarer supply.
At the Gdynia MTC, inaugurated in 2004,
there is a LICOS liquid cargo handling
simulator and gas courses are given for both
LNG and LPG operations. Advanced gas and
chemical courses are also held in Limassol.
All of the training at each centre is undertaken
in English.
In 1983, the Limassol training centre came
into being under the banner of Hanseatic. It is
IMO approved and works under the
jurisdiction of the Cyprus flag state
administration.
This year saw the start
of Bernhard Schulte
Shipmanagement’s (BSM)
third year of integration.
TANKEROperator � August/September 201034
Integrated BSMstarts to move ahead
Outgoing CEO Andreas Droussiotis.
Companies included in BSMgroup� Hanseatic Shipping (established
1972).
� Dorchester Atlantic Marine (formed
1978).
� Eurasia Shipmanagement (formed
1981).
� Vorsetzen –Bereederungs- und
Schiffahrtskontor (established 1999).
BSM’s Value Added services� Chartering – Hanseatic Chartering.
� Insurance – St George Insurance.
� Yacht management – Hanseatic
Yacht Care.
� Travel (maritime and corporate) –
Eurasia Travel.
� Catering – SeaChef.
� Newbuilding design and supervision
– Schulte Marine Concept.
� Port Agencies.
� Radio accounting – Telaccount
Overseas.
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INDUSTRY – THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
TANKEROperator � August/September 201036
The Mumbai centre was founded in 2000
under the Eurasia banner and four years later
became the Eurasia Maritime Training Centre
of Advanced Learning (MTCAL), now BSM
MTCAL.
Droussiotis thought the tanker sector could
be somewhat problematic this year in respect
of wages as those paid in Euros domiciled
outside the EU could face problems with the
exchange rate. Those living inside the EU
should not be affected.
He admitted that the group could not
expand quickly, due to the worldwide shortage
of highly experienced, quality officers. He
thought that the quality of officers had already
deteriorated, due to the necessity of having to
promote seagoing staff earlier, which had been
brought about by the shortage.
Three vessel sectorsAs part of the reorganisation, BSM was split
into three segments – drycargo, wet or liquid
cargo and gas and offshore. Each of the nine
SDCs is capable of handling all three
segments, with the exception of very
specialised tonnage. The forming of a central
group was mainly due to the shear number of
newbuildings due to join the fleet at the time.
It was deemed necessary to create an
organisation with the resources to cope with
such a tonnage influx.
“With combined resources we had a better
pool of resources, seafarers and talents,
allowing us to offer value added services to
our customers,” explained Rajaish Bajpaee
talking in BSM Highlights magazine.
A major challenge was the need to create a
single management system for the three
segments in their entirety. BSM devoted
about 18 months in combining the four
companies’ best practice in addition to
analysing the best in the industry to create a
single document- the BSM Management
Manual. Bajpaee described it as the Quality,
Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE)
System, or the unified safety management
system (SMS).
The new system should be in place by
December of this year and implemented on
board ship during the first three months of
2011. It has already earned the approval of oil
majors and the class societies, BSM claimed.
BSM in all its former guises has always
been a staunch supporter of the International
Ship Managers’ Association (ISMA), now
InterManager. In 1991, one of the BSM
companies was the first to be accredited with
the stringent ISMA Code of management
standard. This standard was seen as the
forerunner to ISM and TMSA. The group has
also attained compliance with ISO 9001 and
14001.
As for TMSA, BSM claimed to be at 3.39
and was at Stage 2 throughout the company as
verified by the oil majors. The group
conducts real time analysis of third party
inspections and trends via an in-house
database – Qman. BSM also has an in-house
SIRE program to enhance both the sea and
shore staffs’ understanding of the inspection
process, its implementation and use. New
crews will be able to familiarise themselves
with the overall results of the vetting
inspections.
BSM claimed to have an excellent follow
up system for the closing out of incidents and
near misses, using its integrated software
system. Ex tanker masters are acting as
auditors and safety officers. For the
customers, around 300 oil major vettings and
CDI inspections are arranged and followed up
annually at no additional cost. There are
regular ISM-related visits and audits both on
board and onshore.
Each CDC employs one technical
superintendent per four to five vessels, while
each ship goes through at least two technical
and one marine inspection per annum – the
latter connected to the LPSQ audit.
BSM also has a proprietary computer-based
planned maintenance system (PMS).
However, a client’s own PMS can be used if
preferred. An ABS NS5 system can also be
installed at cost.
Clients can have direct access to BSM’s
records for all ship operations, including
accounting. TO
One of BSM’s SDCs is based inAthens to tap into the largeGreek market.Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
(Hellas) was founded in May 2005 as a
crewing management office.
The office soon progressed to become a
fully fledged integrated SDC providing
crew, technical, quality and safety
management services.
By the end of last year, BSM (Hellas)
employed 36 people in the office looking
after 35 vessels for both technical and
crewing purposes, of which just under half
the vessels managed are in the wet trades.
Managing director Theophanis
Theophanous explained that the Greek
philosophy towards third party managers
was to get to know the “nitty, gritty stuff
almost every day.” This sometimes
involves meetings twice per week, as the
average Greek owner wanted to know
everything that was going on with his or
her vessel, he explained.
There is a new generation of younger
Greek shipping hierarchy springing up
who endorse third party management,
whereas the older, more traditional Greek
shipowners liked to handle everything
themselves.
For the new generation, services, such as
crewing, is a headache as the younger
entrepreneur would rather concentrate on
commercial issues. By and large Greek
tanker owners cannot cope with the
crewing aspects of ship operations,
Theophanous said.
He said that BSM (Hellas) could handle
another five or six vessels on full technical
management and another 20 on crewing
contracts. He said that this year and next
would see expansion plans get off the
ground as for the last two years, everybody
had concentrated on the merger.
Overall, the merger and the creation of
the three segments gave the group the
flexibility to transfer assets from one SDC
to another, depending on vessel types.
He explained that traditionally, the
shipmanagement sector tended to expand
during difficult times, as in a good
market an owner or operator will spend
more on the operational side of his or
her business. �
Greek office celebrates 5th birthday
Incoming CEO Rajaish Bajpaee.
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InterManagerexpands its
membership portfolio
INDUSTRY – THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
TANKEROperator � August/September 201038
Two new full members have been
recruited from within the
influential Greek and Philippine
shipping market sectors.
The new members are Greek
shipmanagement company Thenamaris and
Philippines-based crew manager Magsaysay.
Athens-headquartered Thenamaris is one of
the world's leading independent
shipmanagement companies providing
management services to deepsea vessel
owners.
The fleet under management comprises oil
tankers and bulk carriers. Thenamaris’
management operates, maintains, crews and
trades the vessels worldwide.
Magsaysay Maritime Corp is a leading
provider of crew and crewing services for the
world's commercial shipping and cruise
industries.
With headquarters in the Philippines and
affiliates and subsidiaries in Indonesia, China,
Thailand, Panama and Croatia, Magsaysay
provides its principals with access to seafarers
of various cultures and nationalities.
InterManager secretary general Capt Kuba
Szymanski said: "These two companies are
important new additions to InterManager. I am
pleased to report that the association continues
to grow and our new regional meetings are
also proving popular and are an effective way
to keep in touch with our members
worldwide."
In addition to the two new full members,
InterManager recently welcomed two new
associate members - Carter & Fiske and
PL Ferrari.
Carter & Fiske offers legal services in
shipping and transport within the admiralty
jurisdiction in international and US venues.
The firm is organised as a limited liability
entity.
PL Ferrari has grown to become a leading
independent specialist P&I broker.
InterManager recently held regional
meetings in the Philippines, Hong Kong and
Singapore at the request of the membership
where Asian shipmanagers aired their views
on the industry and the current economic
climate and were keen to learn about
InterManager's industry-wide KPI project.
At the same time, seafarers said that they
were concerned about job security, piracy and
working conditions, Capt Szymanski reported.
Attending the IMO Diplomatic Conference
in Manila, Capt Szymanski took part in
debates to produce amendments to the STCW
1995 regulations. He said: "These discussions
were very important, particularly from the
seafarers' point of view. Issues of concern
included hours of rest and medical conditions.
The medical conditions were smoothly agreed
but hours of rest were discussed at length and
a consensus was reached."
Seafarer concernsHe praised the "impressive calibre" of
questions from the more than 1,000 seafarers
and cadets who took part in the ‘Year of the
Seafarer’ conference in Manila during his
visit. Their concerns included global piracy,
working conditions (such as hours of rest and
conditions of contract) and fears for job
security.
Capt Szymanski also visited a number of
Philippine-based InterManager members and
other organisations and training facilities. In
addition, he attended the 60th anniversary
celebrations of the Philippines Ship Owners'
Association.
Independent shipmanagement association InterManager has extended its membership.
InterManager secretary general Capt Kuba Szymanski.
“We believe it is important for a global
organisation like InterManager to ensure it
is available to all its members wherever they are
based. This is why InterManager has instigated
regular regional meetings which
will be held throughout the world.”
Capt Kuba Szymanski, secretary general, InterManager
“
”
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 5
INDUSTRY - THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 39
Moving on to Hong Kong, Capt Szymanski
met with InterManager members, with the
Hong Kong Ship Owners' Association and
other maritime organisations and businesses.
InterManager held a regional meeting in
Hong Kong where members heard from the
Hong Kong Government about its cadet
initiatives, from FP Marine on the subject of
ransom and kidnap insurance and from
Shipserv on e-commerce. A presentation on
InterManager's KPI project was also given.
A further regional meeting was held in
Singapore where members and guests enjoyed
presentations on the KPI project, e-commerce
and a discussion by Intertanko on shore
reception facilities, before visiting the NYK
training facilities on the island.
Returning to the UK, Capt Szymanski said:
"These are the first few in a series of
regional meetings which are proving very
popular with our membership. Our Far
Eastern members were keen for us to visit
them and in fact the meetings were such a
success that we have already planned the
next one in September!
"We believe it is important for a global
organisation like InterManager to ensure it is
available to all its members wherever they are
based. This is why InterManager has
instigated regular regional meetings which
will be held throughout the world. I am
looking forward to meeting many more
members and potential members over the
coming months."
Together, InterManager members manage
more than 3,700 ships and almost 200,000
seafarers. The association is uniquely
dedicated to addressing the challenges of
managing ships and represents the whole ship
management sector at international and
governmental level.
As well as third party and in-house
managers, InterManager offers associate
membership to related companies and
organisations including crew managers, ship
suppliers and shipping industry stakeholders.
As for progress with the KPI initiative,
‘Shipping KPI Phase 2’ started in March 2009
and the two year project will continue the
work to enchance excellence in ship operation
by setting standards for ‘Objective and
unambiguous performance measurement in
ship operation’.
Workshops will continue to be held this
year in various locations leading towards the
compiling of shipping performance indices
(SPIs) for external communications with the
help of external stakeholders involvement,
such as Marintek and the Research Council
of Norway.
The project leaders will develop a prototype
tool used to validate the model, as well as
establishing a benchmark for the industry. It
is also the developer’s aim to validate the KPI
model through extensive external stakeholder
involvement to secure the acceptance of
the SPIs.
InterManager said the aim of the indices
was to give valuable contributions to
increased transparency in shipmanagement
and operations, enabling identification of low
performing vessels and companies, permitting
benchmarking between similar vessels and
fleets, and by setting of minimum operational
performance requirements.
Shipping KPI Phase 2 with its focus on
SPIs for external communication will
contribute to improved environmental, safety
and efficiency performance; in other words
improve the competitiveness of the shipping
companies, InterManager claimed. TO
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 6
Shipowners/managers and operators
should take the question of
shipboard waste management
more seriously, as the IMO could
be about to bring in a ban on any waste being
discharged at sea under MARPOL.
Currently, only general garbage is allowed
to be jettisoned at sea while potentially
harmful substances, such as metals and
plastics, should be kept on board and
discharged while in port.
If a total ban materialises, it will lead to a
much higher volume of waste materials
need to be stored on board until the vessel
reaches port.
According to Martyn Gibbon of JGS,
manager of Limassol-based Marsal Waste
Management, a compliment of 20 could
produce about 6-8 cu m of waste per month.
Ultimately, these waste products will only be
disposable during a vessel’s alongside visits at
various ports worldwide.
Marsal has introduced a compacting/baling
machine, which compresses waste into
manageable sizes. For example, the 6-8 cu m
of waste mentioned above could be compacted
to about 1 cu m, or less. Another issue to be
considered, said Gibbon, was the number of
empty paint & chemical containers, the
volume of which can be extensive. A baler
would reduce these volumes by as much as
90%, or more, he claimed.
Gibbon explained that commercial
shipowners preferred the multi-purpose
vertical baler option, which has a height of
2,250 mm, a width of 750 mm and a depth of
600 mm. There are various options subject to
space restrictions and he said that Marsal was
quite willing to discuss design criteria based
on a clients requirements and space
limitations. The company is currently
marketing model SVB2-S-200 as the optimal
marine use unit.
“So far shipping companies have favoured
the multi-purpose unit. They don’t really need
to consider other options as this machine does
the job,” he said.
He also said that horizontal baler types were
favoured by the cruise vessel sector as they
have a far greater capacity. However, they
take up a lot of space on board thus are not
very suitable for commercial vessels.
For example, an order was received from
Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) for a unit
to be installed on board the cruise ship
Island Escape. This unit is being built to
specific dimensions due to the fact that
space is restricted but Marsal has met the
customer’s requirements both in the
specification of the machine and it’s
dimensions. “We are now in discussion in
relation to a fleet wide supply agreement
with CSM. When considering 14 NYK
containerships managed by CSM have had
these units installed for quite some time the
results are quite considerable and thus
management is respecting the benefits as
well as the savings,“ Gibbon said.
Building the businessMarsal is currently concentrating its business
development in Cyprus where there is a
potential to fit over 500 vessels given the
many large shipmanagement concerns resident
on the island.
However, expansion is on the cards and
Gibbon recently appointed a Greek agent –
G Argyros/Amerikanos & Partners and
discussions are underway with a possible
representative in Holland together with a
company in Germany and also in Singapore.
He said that this move is just the start in
building up a worldwide representation
network.
In Greece, the company is currently
working on a quotation to supply a fleet with
20 units. Also, through the Greek Agent an
intrinsically safe machine has been developed
to meet the EX d IIB T4 standard.
A baler has been installed at the Bernhard
Schulte Shipmanagement Maritime Training
Centre (BSM’s MTC) in Limassol. Various
demonstrations have been given to interested
vessel operators and managers, all of whom
have expressed great interest in the product as
well as realising the benefits of installing a
compactor on their ships.
According to a testimony from Limassol’s
MTC’s chief engineer Andy Webster, the baler
has been used to dispose of cardboard box
files taken from the main office archives,
which date back over 10 years.
He said that the baler was reducing around
eight to 10 boxes of empty files with a volume
of 0.8 cu m each (some 8-10 cu m in total)
to an output bale with a volume of around
1.6 cu m, therefore achieving a reduction of
nearly 5:1.
Instead of hiring six or seven skips to take
the files away, the centre needed only one,
giving an immediate saving of almost €500.
Due to the large volume of files, the savings
were estimated at nearly three times this
TANKEROperator � August/September 201040
INDUSTRY - THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
Waste compactingthe way ahead
Leading shipmanagement
companies are trialing a
compacting/baling machine
on board ship.
A baler/compactorsystem seen atwork on theNYK Rosa.
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 7
P.O.Box 53255, Limassol 3301, Cyprus. Tel: +(357) 99 652586 / 99 607732
MANAGED BY JGS LTD. Reg No. 21162V
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 8
INDUSTRY - THIRD PARTY SHIPMANAGEMENT
amount, Webster said.
When adding plastics and packaging
material the volume reduction is even greater
at about 12:1. A stool has been built at a cost
of €120 enabling the baler to be used to crush
empty 20 ltr paint tins. As a result, a non-
compacted volume of about 0.28 cu m was
reduced to 0.03 cu m – almost 90%. It will be
possible to reduce this by further compressing
an amount of already compacted cans by
copying the process without ejecting the
previously compacted tins.
Development of the paint tin ‘stool’ has
now been incorporated into the SVB2-S-200
model and is available as an option for all
clients
He said that with the development of the
new training centre resulting in a greatly
reduced area available to store waste products,
it was predicted that the baler would see
further use in compacting other waste
materials, which are produced on a day-to-day
basis. These include dry leaves collected from
the premises, cardboard boxes, polystyrene
packaging, drink cans/tins etc for easy storage
until disposal.
“It will prove to be not only a useful
training tool in respect of garbage
management on board the company’s vessels,
but also a major asset at the centre and its
future development”, he said. Textiles are also
being dealt with as the students normally
preferred to discard old clothes that are left
over on completion of their course rather than
take these on to their new careers on board the
BSM vessels.
Several ordersGibbon gave examples of other companies
either using or discussing the use of a baler
unit. As well as the MTC, BSM themselves
are to order trial units to be fitted on board
two of a fleet of eight sister tankers under
management.
Victoria Navigation has ordered one multi-
purpose baler to be fitted on board the 45,680
dwt tanker Seychelles Patriot. Four more
will follow to be fitted on two 32,000 dwt
tankers and another two 45,000 dwt tankers in
the fleet.
A baler was to be fitted on board an
Interorient Marine Services newbuilding
delivered at the New Times Shipyard in China
at the end of August. The mini-Capesize
bulker Orient Crusader was due to be
delivered on 26th August 2010. Discussions
are underway to kit out the entire fleet, the
majority of which are tankers and there are
also indications that the company wishes to
install a compactor in their Limassol offices as
part of the environmental plans for re-cycling
and awareness.
A testimony was also received from the
master of the CSM managed containership
�YK Rosa following six months of use.
“Baler is working in good order and with a
great help to handling of garbage and the
environment. We used to dispose general
garbage at sea and plastics ashore frequently,
adding more task to already busy port
operation.
“With the baler, only food waste is disposed
at sea, and port operation is facilitated with
less garbage disposal. Handling is very easy
with once a week compacting and can take
more than a month before landing to shore is
required with 8:1 compression ratio.
“Disposal ashore is also easier as all
garbage is segregated and bundled uniformly.
Cost of disposal is definitely reduced by about
60%,” he said.
TANKEROperator � August/September 201042
TO
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p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 9
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 43
Dutch newcomer’srapid expansion
One of the first newcomers to the commercial short sea chemical tankers scene for a
number of years opened for business just outside Rotterdam just over 18 months ago.
Headed by managing director
Niclas Kappelin, North Sea
Tankers (NST) offers
commercial chemical tanker
management on behalf of several partners and
is expanding on the back of a large vessel
orderbook.
Indeed, expansive NST recently took
delivery of three of 12 newbuildings on behalf
of partner Unifleet. Currently, the company
operates 10 small chemical tankers, including
the three newbuildings, despite being only two
years old.
The company started operations in March
2008 with the small LPG carrier – GasPioneer – which was owned by Unifleet.
Through 2009, the company expanded by
adding a further six vessels to its commercial
management operation.
At the same time, Kappelin recruited
experienced chartering operations personnel in
line with the company’s expansion
programme. “The market is there for another
player. There is a lot of volume moving in
Europe,” he explained. “We have to identify
different areas, not globally, but regionally.”
This expansion programme took place with
the help of three partners – Unifleet, Bonus
Plus Investment and Pallas Shipping. Unifleet
currently has six ships in NST, plus the
newbuildings to come, while the other two
partners have one vessel each under NST’s
commercial management. Kappelin said that
he was looking for more partners with which
to grow the company.
In May of this year, the Pallas group
became a public company by way of an IPO.
This move was to prepare the company for
entry into the open exchange Nasdaq OMX
First North and to give the company funds for
expansion.
In addition in November of last year, an
agreement was signed with Samho Shipping
whereby NST will market cargoes for
Samho’s chemical tankers sailing from
Europe to the Middle East/Far East on a
monthly basis, which could increase to four
or five per month. The cargoes are shipped in
chemical tankers within the 12,000 dwt to
25,000 dwt range.
Then in July of this years, NST announced
that it had entered into a tonnage partnership
with Saudi Arabian tanker concern Bakri
Navigation Co (BNC).
BNC is based in Jeddah and was established
in 1973. Since the early 1970s, the company
has been operating Panamax tankers,
Aframaxes, Suezmaxes , VLCCs, chemical
tankers, bunker vessels, storage barges and
service/supply vessels.
The company will commit a series of three
newbuildings of 7,400 dwt to NST as part of
its European chemical fleet development. The
first vessel, Al Mahboobah, is scheduled for
delivery from Qingdao during the second
week of August this year.
The vessel will be commercially managed
by NST and marketed between Northwest
Europe and the Western Mediterranean.
Once delivered, Al Mahboobah will
immediately be positioned into Europe. “The
size and characteristics of the vessel will be an
important factor in our strategy to cover all
our customers' various requirements for a full
range of different products and logistic
concepts”, Kappelin explained.
NST’s current fleet, including the
newbuildings, ranges from 3,500 dwt to 7,500
dwt and operates in Northern Europe/Baltic
and the Iberian Peninsular/Western
Mediterranean, as far as Italy. At present the
two areas are served by four vessels each.
Kappelin explained that he intended to keep a
rough 50:50 split.
He also explained that much of Northern
Europe’s tonnage in this size sector was 20
years of age, or soon will be, necessitating
fleet replacements sooner rather than later.
One of the major challenges for the small
chemical carrier market was that some of the
leading oil companies stipulate that chartered
vessels should be no more than 20 years of
age and in some cases, a 15 years age
Global Earth, the first of the 4,400 dwt newbuildings, arrived in Rotterdam in June.
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 10
TANKEROperator � August/September 201044
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
restriction applies.
He thought that there could be as many as
50 European chemical tankers in the 3,500
dwt to 6,000 dwt range coming up to 20 years
old soon.
All of NST’s newbuildings will have twin
screw, twin engine configurations, as well as
having bow thrusters and Becker rudders
fitted to cope with the high degree of
manoeuvrability needed. Each of the MAN
Diesel engines can operate in the ‘take me
home’ mode and the vessels would be allowed
to sail from a European port on one engine, as
well as arrive, Kappelin stressed, enabling an
engine to be shut down for maintenance.
Manoeuvrability crucialIncreased manoeuvrability offering a quick
port turnaround time was high on Kappelin’s
agenda to keep to the most optimum vessel
operation possible for short sea trades. Most
small vessels undertake around 70 voyages
per year, which could involve over 200 port
calls during that period, as vessels often make
three port calls during a voyage.
Often as part of the vessels’ schedules, they
are called upon to use multiple berths at a
single port, such as Rotterdam, where
load/discharge times are all important. The
ease of manoeuvring also limits the possibility
of damage while moving berth.
To handle such intense operations, the
vessel’s equipment needed to be of a high
standard as there were no margins for ballast
legs, idle time or failures, etc Kappelin
explained.
With so many short voyages undertaken
with many different cargoes, tank cleaning
needs close attention. Once the newbuildings
have been delivered, the fleet will be roughly
split between MarineLine coating, phenolic
epoxy and stainless steel for full flexibility to
carry the entire range of various different
cargoes. Kappelin explained that stainless
steel capacity is required for various acid
volumes and certain chemicals. The choice of
MarineLine was down to the ease of which
tanks can be cleaned. “It is like glass,” he
explained.
Pump systems can also become easily
contaminated by handling so many different
chemical cargoes. The newbuildings have
been fitted with separated deepwell pumps,
some of which are of Mariflex design.
Cofferdam separations have been included,
which can also take cargoes and act as barriers
if two cargoes cannot be carried in adjacent
tanks. Deck tanks will also be fitted, in which
slops can be carried.
The ships are intended to be operated up to
the maximum capacity in terms of cubic
capacity, as well as deadweight, and will be
able to lift a full range of products, including
semi-gases and high-heat waxes.
Nitrogen generators are fitted to handle the
more sophisticated chemicals. Some charterers
now insist on nitrogen generators being
installed, rather than inert gas systems, which
is a long term safety issue, Kappelin
explained. The tanks can be purged before
arriving in port.
Kappelin said that NST operates in close
co-operation with each of the vessel’s
technical management team and has set up
North Sea Tankers Management (NSTM) to
handle technical matters, including crewing.
Indeed, during TA�KEROperator’s visit to
the offices at Krimpen a/d Ijssel, just outside
Rotterdam at the end of June, the facilities
were being expanded to cope with new staff,
all of which will have commercial, technical
and crewing experience.
NST splits its chartering operations between
coa and spot cargoes. Although the current
split favours spot cargoes, Kappelin said
eventually he would like to see coas become
the more dominant type of business. The main
charterers were the oil majors and chemical
traders.
Vetting and other inspections take up a lot of
Commercial and chartering experience a mustChemical cargo voyages tendto take a spider’s web look,starting with a triangulationpattern and branching out asmore streams are added. To complete a spider’s web, a large fleet is
needed. At many ports a combined
load/discharge operation can be undertaken
as different products are combined on one
voyage. “You have to find a triangle and
then start to expand,” Kappelin explained.
To accomplish this, it is essential to
have personnel in the office with specialist
chartering and commercial operations’
expertise in the chemical trades, he
emphasised. In addition to specialised
knowledge, very good communication skill
is required, in order to function well in this
demanding market segment.
Kappelin started his shipping career at
sea with various companies, some of
which were close to his native city of
Gothenburg. The entire NST team is built
on a strong base with detailed knowledge
and experience in the chemical shipping
market. Today, NST consist of seven
persons in the chartering and operations
field, having a combined chemical
shipping experience of 142 years in
various capacities. �
A newbuilding takes shape in China.
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 11
an operator’s and vessel crews’ time today.
Kappelin said that he was in favour of such
inspections saying that they would weed out the
less quality conscious operators, as indeed has
happened in Northern Europe to a great extent.
He thought that the vetting procedures were one
of the biggest tools that an operator could use to
prove that it was a quality operation.
At the end of June, Global Earth, the first
of the company’s four 4,400 dwt chemical
tanker newbuildings from China, had arrived
in Rotterdam. At the beginning of July, the
first of the four 7,500 dwt class – Global Sea- was due to pick up her first cargo in Asia
on her delivery repositioning voyage to
Northern Europe.
In addition, the first of the four 5,000 dwt
newbuildings – Global Moon - was delivered
recently. Another sistership will be delivered
later this year with the final pair arriving in
2011. They will be fitted with stainless steel
tanks.
The larger newbuildings are being built to
Ice Class 1A under BV classification, while
the smaller units will be Ice Class 1B.
Gibraltar is the preferred flag, due to it being
an EU flag with cabotage trading status.
Each of the Chinese newbuildings is
equipped with specialist machinery, rather
than being of a tailor-made package type
construction as seen with other tanker types.
Technical management teams were and will be
on site during the vessels’ construction as will
BV, which has been involved from day one.
As for the future, the perceived movement
of refining capacity away from Northern
Europe should not affect the chemical trades,
as far as the total moved volume is concerned,
Kappelin said. “Material will still be required
for the wide spread European industry and
will likely be moved into Europe in larger
parcel sizes for transhipment onto smaller
vessels,” he explained. He thought this year
and next would still prove to be slow in
economic growth terms, but was confident
that 2012 would prove to be the turning point.
He explained that by 2012, much of the
world’s stocks of construction materials,
vehicles and other materials, which rely on
chemicals, would have been run down and
will be in need of replenishment to cope with
production increases due to a higher demand
from the end consumers. This in turn would
give the chemical tanker trades a boost and by
that time NST would have taken delivery of
all of the newbuildings offering a very modern
fleet of small chemical carriers.
Finally, Keppelin said that NST’s fleet
development is progressing as per the strategy
as set out. “Three out of 12 contracted
newbuildings for our tonnage partner Unifleet
are now trading in the NST fleet. GlobalEarth, Global Moon and Global Sea are today
technically managed by North Sea Tanker
Management (NSTM),” he said.
For the ongoing continuity of seagoing and
shore based personnel, NSTM took over the
vessel technical management staff from
Chemical Tankers Europe (CTE), effective
2nd August, 2010.
NSTM’s Capt D van Wolferen and his team,
will be joined by all CTE’s technical, QA,
crewing and accounting staff members and the
teams will effectively be integrated as one
solid base team for the management of
Unifleet’s newbuilding programme. TO
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 45
Newbuilding programmeYizheng Yangzi ShipbuildingName Dwt DeliveryGlobal Earth 4387 DeliveredGlobal Moon 4400 DeliveredGlobal Sun 4400 4Q10Global Star 4400 2Q11Global Taurus 5000 4Q10Global Libra 5000 1Q11Global Gemini 5000 2Q11Global Aquarius 5000 3Q11Taixing Ganghua ShipbuildingGlobal Sea 7500 DeliveredGlobal River 7500 4Q10Global Lake 7500 1Q11Global Ocean 7500 2Q11
TANKEROperator The Latest �ews is now available
on TA�KEROperator’s website
at www.tankeroperator.com and
is updated weekly
For access to the �ews just register by
entering your e-mail address in the box
provided. You can also request to receive
free e-mail copies of TA�KEROperatorby filling in the form displayed on the
website. Free trial copies of the printed
version are also available from the
website. These are limited to tanker
company executives and are distributed
at the publisher’s discretion.
Photo:Crowley
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 12
TANKEROperator � August/September 201046
Nordic Tankers has streamlined
this process with PortVision’s
vessel-tracking system that uses
automated identification system
(AIS) collision-avoidance signals to give the
company instant, continuous access to critical
information about each route and berth call for
dozens of Nordic ships.
PortVision has also been used as a historical
playback tool for operational analysis and to
refute a damage claim that would otherwise
have resulted in costly fines and litigation.
With six offices worldwide, Nordic Tankers
operates a large and growing fleet of around
70 chemical and product tankers, ranging
from 3,500 to 73,000 dwt.
According to Capt Jeffrey Kindle, senior
port captain at Nordic Tankers’ Houston
office, the company has more than 300 ship
calls and 700 berth calls annually in the US
Gulf of Mexico region alone, often
encompassing a complex series of three
to four berth calls each, at up to four
consecutive ports.
Because he has limited manpower at his
disposal, Capt Kindle said that he relies
heavily on PortVision to know where each
ship is, at all times and how long each ship
has been at each location. The service enables
him to monitor targeted berths and, within
seconds, determine opportunities to analyse
and improve efficiency while gaining a
complete picture of all fleet activities, in
real time.
PortVision supplements Nordic Tankers’
own company-wide software system, which
allows it to input information about a port
call. In the past, however, when Nordic’s
Houston operation wanted to find a vessel
arrival/departure and it was after office hours,
on weekends, or during holidays, the
operating procedure was to call the agent, or
to wait until their morning update.
With PortVision, an alert is automatically
sent out via cell phone, or email when a vessel
arrives/departs designated points of interest
(ie, berths, landmarks). In addition,
PortVision allows the company to monitor
various agent, ship, berth and terminal
activities and share this information instantly
with marketing and operations teams at
company headquarters and other offices and
locations, worldwide, along with remarks,
documents and reports for use in assessing
ship and berth efficiencies.
PortVision also gives Nordic Tankers access
to historical data about fleet and other relevant
maritime activities, by tapping into a
comprehensive database that is growing at the
rate of 40 mill vessel location reports daily.
The company claims that its database now
contains 10 bill arrival, departure, passing and
vessel movement records, encompassing five
years of data. This involves the movements of
commercial vessels in major ports and
waterways that transmit IMO and USCG-
mandated AIS collision avoidance signals.
The PortVision database and historical
playback capabilities played a key role several
years ago when Nordic Tankers was
exonerated from an erroneous claim made by
a local barge company which alleged that one
of its tankers passed a restricted area in the
Houston channel at excessive speed.
In its written claim, the barge operator said
this created a surge that parted barge mooring
ropes and damaged a cargo hose on board,
which was connected to a terminal. The
upshot was that it was holding the tanker
company responsible for the damage.
Since the incident occurred in the early
morning, there was no conclusive evidence
with which to identify the speeding ship.
However, PortVision’s historical playback
mode was able to show which ships were
passing in that area during the time the barge
company claimed the incident had happened.
It identified a harbour tug passing the
specified area at an excessive speed, thus
eliminating the need to involve the insurance
company or attorneys.
The latest version, PortVision 4.5, delivers
full, web-based access to real-time weather
radar overlays and animated loops, plus
voyage distance calculations and vessel arrival
estimations. In addition, PortVision 4.5 will
give Nordic Tankers the ability to highlight
only specific vessels of interest, or to view all
AIS-enabled vessels on the waterway.
The company also will as an option, be able
to include satellite data, which will bring
visibility to vessels at sea, as well as
unmanned barges and incident response
equipment.
Additionally, Nordic Tankers will be able to
create user-defined lists to track multiple
fleets of any size and vessel mix, as well as
user-defined VesselZones™ to simplify vessel
viewing, tracking and alerts, while
streamlining and enhancing incident response.
It also will alert the company when vessels
move in or out of these user-defined
VesselZones.
Web-based PortVision 4.5 vessel-trackingservice.
�ordic Tankers usesvessel tracking
systemLarge shipping companies can spend millions of dollars and countless man-hours
tracking, executing and reporting demurrage transactions and other fees related to
complex transit, berthing and anchorage activities.
TO
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 13
www.steinariverse
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World Class Operator of Harbour,Terminal and Anchor Handling Tugs
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p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 14
TANKEROperator � August/September 201048
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
TORM is to use IMOS6’s
chartering, operations and
accounting related functions and,
according to president John Veson
with over 140 vessels in the fleet, has become
one of the company’s top 10 largest
implementations.
Explaining why the company opted for
Veson, Gunnar Hansen, TORM’s senior vice
president for IT said: “We reviewed several
other well known vendors and selected Veson
Nautical over the competition because IMOS
most effectively fulfilled our requirements for
a configurable, flexible commercial marine
system.
“With the installation of IMOS, we will
increase overall efficiencies through its
optimised business processes. In addition to
replacing several legacy systems, IMOS’
integrated solution will support TORM’s long
term SQL/.Net platform strategy,” he said.
TORM’s Copenhagen headquarters
manages tanker operations, covering all time
zones 24/7.
IMOS6 covers 10 core modules –
chartering, operations, financials, planning,
trading, demurrage, bunker management,
pooling, data centre and data services, all of
which can be integrated to build a complete
solutions package for commercial operations
for all types of vessels, including tankers and
gas carriers.
Veson explained that one of the best
resources for product development is its
clients.
“Every year we hold a user conference
where we present our roadmap and invite
feedback from clients. We strive to carry an
open dialogue with users to get a feel for what
is working with the product and where there is
room for growth,” he said.
He said that IMOS is constantly being
enhanced and the next version, v7 is expected
to take its bow in 2011. “Our architecture
allows us to upgrade all of our clients fairly
easily. While some clients always want to be
on the forefront, others prefer to wait and be
more conservative in their upgrades. Either
approach works for us and we continue to
build IMOS in a way that it is always future
compatible.
“Companies invest a lot in business critical
systems like ours; we respect that investment
and do our best to help them maximise their
return by keeping their systems up to date
both feature and architecture wise,” he said.
Modules to suitExplaining an operator’s preference for
selecting the whole package, or just certain
elements, Veson said that all clients purchase
the chartering, operations and financials
modules when they implement IMOS.
“Beyond that, they buy modules that suit their
specific organisation. By adding on modules,
clients are essentially able to customise the
system to meet their needs,” he explained.
Veson also offers a back-up service should
it be required by hosting client’s databases on
the company’s server for back ups if
requested, but most of the clients have their
own back up systems in place. “As a standard
part of our recommended practices to system
administrators, we provide a recommended
disaster contingency plan that they should
implement for all business critical systems,”
he said.
Thoroughly understanding the business
processes is one of the keys to getting the
most out of the system, Veson thought. “We
strongly believe that thorough training is the
key to a smooth implementation and
successful operation. We encourage
companies to have several super users within
Tanker operatorsembrace time saving
software�ews that large Danish tanker operator TORM is to install version 6 of
Veson �autical’s integrated maritime operations system (IMOS)
is a feather in the cap for the US-based software house.
IMOS/Veslink Architecture Overview
IMOS
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 15
their organisation who thoroughly understand
the business process and can serve as IMOS
knowledge expert for their peers.
“In addition to our annual user conference
and on site training, we also offer a super user
workshop where clients can send
representatives to get deep, hands on
knowledge of the product,” he said.
It is not just the larger companies that
benefit from installing the software as every
organisation, regardless of size, can benefit.
“By utilising IMOS, clients are able to work
in a smarter, more streamlined manner. They
are able to decrease the re-entry of data and
the human errors that often occur with
multiple entry points.
“In small companies, limited personnel
means that everyone needs to be at their most
effective. IMOS, and its intuitive workflow,
assists them. In large companies, IMOS helps
to eliminate islands of information, giving
decision makers a clear view of operations
and their exposure to potential risk,” Veson
stressed.
Turning to Veslink, Veson said that the
reception to the system has been
overwhelmingly positive. Clients who have
enjoyed success with IMOS find that
connecting their ships, agents and partners to
their physical offices is the next logical step
for improving operations.
He claimed that the company has several
very large tanker clients who are approaching
their Veslink go live dates this summer.
Veslink Onboard allows a vessel operator
and the onshore office to track vessel status
through timely reports created at sea including
customisable arrival, position/noon, cargo
activity, port activity and departure reports.
These reports are submitted by officers on
board the vessel, routed via email or secure
Internet to onshore company offices, and
imported automatically into IMOS.
In 1984, Veson pioneered the first
automated distance table. Today, with more
than 8,000 ports and 30 mill routes, Veson's
Distance tables are used to calculate distances
from points and ports around the world.
Last year, Veson signed a co-operative
agreement with Danish specialist DA-Desk as
the companies found a certain amount of
synergies in their products. Thus far, 24
customers use both IMOS and DA-Desk,
including tanker concerns AET, Champion
Tankers and Neste.
DA-Desk provides port cost management
services in the form of a disbursement system.
Port disbursement data captured by DA-Desk
can flow seamlessly into IMOS, omitting the
need for duplicate data entry for ship
operators. Back-end financial processes gain
efficiencies as well, as the integrated solution
manages invoicing, accounts receivables and
port disbursements from one platform.
At the time of the agreement
announcement, Veson said that the joint
solution benefits many of the industry sectors
where port cost and activity details can be
complicated and tedious to manage, including
tanker operators, specific vessel types and
trades, such as VLCC operations, product and
chemical/gas tanker operations and short sea
trades.
DA-Desk services now available to Veson’s
customers include the company’s core offering
- port cost management - as well as port
payables and data integration, which are
available via the web-based DA
Administration System. TO
President John Veson.
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 49
Chartering• Voyage estimation & fixtures• TC contracts management• Multi Cargo, Multi Voyage Planning and
Optimization Tools
Planning • Manage and plan at multi-cargo or fleet
level• Unified visual planning and execution
environment
Trading• Monitor positions and exposures• Physical freight and FFA risk• Mark-to-Market and P&L across
commodities, contracts and vessel types
Operations• Integrated voyage management• Voyage P&L• Automated onboard data capture• Manage bunkers, disbursements
1
8 2
73
6 4
5
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
IMOS: How it WorksThe integration of Marine Scheduling, Optimization, Trading, and Risk Management
Financials• Invoices, AP / AR, Journals• Chart of Accounts• 2-way Interface with Financial System
Pooling• Manage performance of Pool Vessels• Distribute profits to partners• Manage complexities
Bunker Management• Manage bunkers across fleet in
consolidated views
Demurrage• Task Lists, Timebar, Notifications• Negotiations workflow
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 16
The news that leading Bergen-based
parcel tanker owner and operator
Odfjell had selected Applied
Weather Technology’s (AWT)
routing service and on board voyage
optimisation system, proves just how much
owners and operators are trying to save fuel
and thus cut emissions.
AWT claimed that its ship routing
technology is now used on more than 35,000
voyages per year, on 5,500 vessels per month.
The company has estimated that this routing
service and BonVoyage (BVS) marine voyage
optimisation software save the shipping
industry approximately 350,000 tonnes of fuel
per annum.
This translates to potential cost savings of
more than $166 mill per year and reduction of
1.114 mill tones in CO2 emissions, the
equivalent of removing 247,000 cars from the
road, AWT said.
AWT’s weather routing experts analyse key
variables, including wind conditions and
ocean currents as well as vessel type, age,
stability, cargo and speed, to recommend
optimal routes. Short- and long-range
forecasts are used, plus historical climate data
and proprietary climatological ship resistance
models to help vessels’ masters identify
optimal routes and avoid adverse weather and
sea conditions that could endanger crew and
cargo and cause delays leading to excessive
fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Voyages can be analysed following their
completion and as well as the routing patterns,
trim and ballast conditions, general stability
and GM are taken into account. Feedback is
key to the finding of the optimum route with
the most favourable currents. For example,
once the information is analysed, a route can
be fine tuned, especially along coastal tracks
where the currents may vary considerably.
Skip Vaccarello, AWT’s president and CEO
said. “Adopting weather routing technology is
one of the most effective steps the shipping
industry can take today to reduce carbon
emissions while enhancing safety, saving fuel
and money. It makes sense on many levels, for
many entities – captains and crew, shipping
companies, their customers and the
environment.”
The software is integrated both on board the
vessel and onshore. Warnings can be provided
together with 16- day forecasts of an
impending storm’s direction. In colder
climates, AWT can give warnings of potential
icing and ice flow movements.
Vaccarello told TA�KEROperator that
training in the use of the system would
normally be given to the operations
department, which will hold a master’s
conference. The vessel operators usually opt
for a trial period to test the system’s potential
before signing up for the software.
Development of the software is ongoing and
updates are emailed. Vaccarello said that AWT
endeavours to produce a major new release
each year.
As for Odfjell, during the first 90 days of
implementing the ship routing service on board
around 65 vessels, the company said that it had
seen advantages in that several vessels had
managed to steer clear of severe storms.
AWT claimed that it was able to
demonstrate to Odfjell time savings
amounting to 30 sailing days and a reduction
of around 1,000 tonnes of fuel during the 90-
day period. This equated to a fuel saving of
$475,000 and a carbon emissions reduction of
3,000 tonnes.
In a testimony, Erik Hjortland, Odfjell’s
advisor, ship performance and bunkering said;
“We believe AWT’s shore-based service and
on board software help us protect the crew,
cargo, reduce heavy weather damages, provide
more accurate vessel scheduling, curb
emissions and ultimately reduce fuel costs.”
He added that Odfjell had chosen AWT due
to the company’s responsive customer service
and innovative marine voyage optimisation
technology. Through very close co-operation,
it was possible for Odfjell’s onshore managers
to view AWT’s recommended routes and
compare them to masters’ intended routes,
while also having access to key data, such as
the vessel’s estimated time of arrival, speed
and the latest weather and current conditions
expected on route.
AWT started out in 1996 and today, the
company claims to be the leading provider of
fleet optimisation services and on board
voyage management software designed to
help shipowners, charterers, operators, fleet
managers and masters identify the safest,
most time-efficient or fuel-efficient routes for
their fleets.
The company is focused solely on the
maritime industry and is staffed by
experienced personnel in ship routing,
meteorology, IT, and maritime science, as well
as former ship masters. It is privately owned
and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California,
with worldwide offices located in the UK,
Hong Kong, Shanghai, South Korea,
Germany, New York, and New Jersey.
Vaccarello claimed that AWT now has a
strong presence in Asia.
Software helps operators to
avoid adverse currents and
storms at sea
INDUSTRY - COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201050
Planning the routeproperly can save
thousands
Wind conditions and currents play a key role. TO
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 17
All your fleet needs. All in one place.
PLUS
Kelvin Hughes’ ECDISPLUS provides the only complete solution that makes the transition from paper to digital navigation easy. Kelvin Hughes supplies, installs and maintains ECDIS equipment and offers all the other vital data and services central to getting the most out of your ECDIS.
With ECDISPLUS you can expect the latest ECDIS equipment, cost effective supply and management of your charts with the flexibility to choose providers, a real-time update service and IMO-approved ECDIS training for your navigators, all designed to ensure that you have the complete solution, wherever you are. And all this comes with worldwide installation and support.
See us at SMM – in Hall B6, Stand 270.
PLUS
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 18
TANKEROperator � August/September 201052
INDUSTRY – P&I
Owners, operators and their
insurers need to keep a close
watch on the emerging
requirements of the Prevention
and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships
Regulation, formally implemented on 1st
March, 2010.
Within the broad framework of the Marine
Environment Protection Law of the People’s
Republic of China, the regulation sets out the
principles and main stipulations of the
Chinese marine pollution legal system.
It covers spillages of oil, oily mixtures and
other poisonous and hazardous substances
emanating from ships and ship-related
operations. The main focus is on discharge
and reception of oil pollutants; waste
dumping; oil pollution response planning; oil
spill clean-up arrangements; reporting and
emergency handling of pollution incidents;
investigation and compensation of pollution
incidents; supervision of loading, lightening
and discharging of polluting hazardous
cargoes; and penalties for contraventions.
The requirements and concerns about the
regulation have been set out in a UK P&I
Club Legal Briefing, authored by Thomas
Miller P&I claims executive Helen Huang
with support from legal director Chao Wu.
A supplementary regulation concerns the
setting up and management of a domestic ship
oil pollution compensation fund. This will be
funded by contributions from receivers of
persistent oil cargoes transported by sea to
Chinese ports. The requirement for such a
fund reflects the fact that China is not a state
party to the 1992 International Convention on
the Establishment of an International Fund for
Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage
(IOPC Fund).
Ship-induced pollution incidents are
classified as extremely severe, very severe,
severe and general, depending on the amount
of oil spilled and the direct economic loss to
those affected by the pollution.
Further, a rule on judicial guidance on
compensation for oil pollution damages and
liability limitation is being drafted by the
Chinese Supreme Court, supplementing
China Maritime Code’s existing limitation of
liability regime.
There will be a compulsory insurance
regime for all ships (except those of less than
1,000 gt and not carrying oil cargoes) to meet
claims arising from oil pollution damage. This
should dovetail with the insurance provisions
of the 2001 Bunkers Convention and the 1992
International Convention on Civil Liability for
Oil Pollution Damage (CLC), both ratified
by China.
Chinese domestic coastal trading ships used
to carry little or no liability insurance.
Collisions sometimes led to claims against
oceangoing vessels, which were insured. It
follows that compulsory insurance for the
former has been particularly welcomed by
the latter.
Emergency responseOwners and operators must have emergency
response plans in place to prevent and control
pollution incidents. Existing shipboard oil
pollution emergency plans (SOPEPs), as
required by MARPOL, should suffice.
Nevertheless, ships carrying polluting and
hazardous cargoes in bulk and other ships
above 10,000 gt must pre-contract with an
approved Chinese oil spill response
organisation (OSRO) before entering into, or
departing from a Chinese port. No list of
approved OSROs has been published and their
capability may well vary between ports and
regions. This could prove problematic if there
is a change in calling ports at short notice.
Oil tankers’ liability limitation is the same
as the scheme provided in 1992 CLC. Other
ships may limit liability in accordance with
the Chinese Maritime Code. According to the
regulation, Maritime Safety Administration
(MSA) clean up costs will be compensated in
priority to other claimants. This may conflict
with the CLC and the Bunkers Convention
which provide that all admissible claims are to
be treated equally without priority for
government claims.
The regulation does not refer to direct
action against insurers. However, in
accordance with the PRC Special Maritime
Procedure Law, claims for oil pollution
damage may be brought directly against
insurers, or other persons providing financial
security for owners’ liability. Therefore,
compulsory liability insurers for oil pollution
damage can be sued directly under Chinese
law and the CLC and Bunkers Convention.
The MSA will enforce the regulation while
supervising and managing the prevention and
control of marine pollution by ships and
relevant ship operations. Its remit covers the
PRC’s internal and territorial waters and
contiguous zones, the Chinese exclusive
economic zone and continental shelf and all
other sea areas under the country’s
jurisdiction.
Currently, MSA issues CLC certificates and
Bunker certificates for Chinese flag ships
against blue cards issued by P&I clubs. The
Chinese Ministry of Transport will require
insurers to provide coverage for oil pollution
liability to Chinese flag vessels.
Helen Huang and Chao Wu warned that
while the regulation sets up the general
framework of Chinese oil pollution law, it
cannot resolve all issues initially. “Long term
difficult questions, such as the title to sue,
admissibility of claims for compensation,
methods of investigation and burden of proof,
remain to be clarified, either by
supplementary regulations or rules of judicial
practice,” they said.
The full Legal Briefing from the UK P&I
Club can be downloaded from
http://www.ukpandi.com/ukpandi/resource.nsf/Files/150710LegalBrief/$FILE/150710LegalBrief.pdf TO
An extensive package of measures to prevent and manage pollution
in Chinese waters has been steadily taking shape.
China’s new marinepollution laws give
operators plenty to digest
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:23 Page 19
TECHNOLOGY - TRAINING
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 53
To this end, Navigation software
specialist Maris has been
developing an application trainer
for the past two years. A full
ECDIS product has been developed as a
computer-based training (CBT) tool to give a
user product specific training.
This training tool was developed in co-
operation with Seagull and can be installed
on board ship, or ashore. An ECDIS 900
application trainer will be delivered as part
of the Seagull product, which is currently
going through type approval.
The type approval is being undertaken by
the Norwegian Maritime Authority through
DNV. Leading parcel tanker concern Stolt-
Nielsen is helping to develop the training
package, among others, having signed up to a
fleet wide contract.
A trainee navigator is able to use the
model answering questions, which are then
ratified by Seagull. A vessel’s master can
undertake the practical course and then
certify the cadet.
Maris managing director Steinar
Gundersen said that a certificate issued by
Seagull is equal to that issued by an
expensive academy. The CBT model comes
in many languages, including Dutch,
Norwegian, South Korean, Spanish, Chinese
and others. He refuted the claim that a CBT
model was not as good as full simulator type
training. “The CBT model is fine. It is close
to the real thing,” Gundersen emphasised.
There are around 50,000 SOLAS vessels
that will be affected by the new regulations.
Thus far, Gundersen thought that only around
1,600-1,700 vessels had been fitted with a
dual ECDIS, leaving a lot to be done.
CBT on dual ECDIS has been trialed on
Hoegh LNG-managed LNGCs �orman Ladyand Matthew. These trial periods were used
to analyse feedback on the use of the training
model.
e-TOTS successMeanwhile, partner Seagull has installed the
electronic Tanker Officer Training Standard
(e-TOTS) across Euronav’s fleet of crude
tankers.
Euronav Ship Management’s office received
the software in August 2009, but it has since
been rolled out on board 30 tankers.
Intertanko introduced the TOTS system,
which goes beyond STCW requirements, to
establish voluntary standards to ensure tanker
officer competence for general shipboard
operations, as well as those for specific
tanker types such as crude, product and
chemical tankers.
The aim has been that these voluntary
standards should become the norm for a
competent tanker officer.
Developed to meet an Intertanko request to
achieve a paper-free training support tool,
Seagull’s e-TOTS allows crew members to
take a more flexible approach to learning,
using a secure Seagull ID and offering the
ability to download information and tests.
Seagull has a formal agreement with
Intertanko to provide e-TOTS.
Capt Jan De Brabandere, Euronav Ship
Management marine manager said the
company had been vindicated in its selection
of the Seagull e-TOTS package. “It was the
right decision,” he said. “In the beginning, it
was a little difficult to work through the
system, but with the help of Seagull, we have
no complaints. Quite a large number of our
officers have completed the whole thing,
while others have started and are partially
certified by masters and chief engineers,
having completed CBT tests.
“At first there was a resistance to change
but our masters showed they were willing to
go for it and people are catching on fast,”
he said.
Capt De Brabandere said that a
management review carried out by Euronav in
mid-July this year had concluded that the e-
TOTS approach would become part of the
promotion process from later in 2010.
The e-TOTS package includes three
detailed “Time in Rank Modules”, which are
electronic training record books. Each record
book is designed to incorporate tasks and
questions that need to be signed off by the
authenticating person. These tasks should be
co-ordinated, controlled and verified by the
company. Each record book is designed for a
specific level of rank and discipline. A fourth
generic training record book covers time with
company, which must be defined by each
individual.
“We need to know on the spot how familiar
officers are with operational and safety
issues,” explained Capt De Brabandere.
“Often knowledge can be vague, but this
offers a method to check off against, and to
verify through a CBT test on a specific item.
Only if the candidate scores 75% or more can
a pass be granted.”
Each individual officer’s training record
‘Book’ is held in electronic format in Seagull’s
competence manager software, within the
Seagull Training Administrator (STA) for use
by the seafarer, supervising officer/instructor
and company management. These records
follow the officer from ship to ship.
Similar to Maris/Seagull ECDIS CBT,
currently the tests generated are sent by
masters to Seagull on a monthly basis, with
the training specialist returning an Excel
spreadsheet. Currently, information is
exchange by email, but “the web will be the
future”, according to Capt De Brabandere.
Training is an increasingly important part of the move towards
the formal adoption of ECDIS, expected in 2012.
ECDIS and TOTStraining find success
in CBT mode
TO
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:29 Page 20
VIDEO | BOOK | CBT | ONLINE
Training solutions & services for
IMO, ISM & STCW standards
mail@videotelmail.com | www.videotel.co.uk
Are you ready for MLC 2006? We can help
: ww
w.m
lc20
06.com
TANKEROperator � August/September 201054
TECHNOLOGY - TRAINING
Vapour emission control (VEC) is
fast becoming an important topic,
but it is one that is still to be
regulated on an international
basis. Consequently, many ports are
developing their own individual regulations
and this poses problems for the operators of
oil and chemical tankers.
Many vapours created by tankers are harmful
to the environment. During loading and tank
cleaning, these are often vented to the
atmosphere. VEC allows vapours from oil or
chemical tankers to be returned to shore in a
closed system and then either converted back
into oil through adsorption, or are burned.
The Videotel programme provides an
introduction to the concepts of VEC and
explains how ports around the world are
increasingly demanding that emissions are
minimised through VEC. It points to MARPOL
guidelines specifying that vessels should have a
VOC management plan to minimise emissions
during the voyage and when undertaking cargo
operations. Vessels’ on board vapour collection
systems are outlined, together with the
standards they must meet, and there is a brief
explanation of the terminal facilities required to
achieve VEC.
Attention is drawn to the very specific
requirements for both pressure and tank level
monitoring systems required by MARPOL
regulations, as well as the best practice outlined
in OCIMF guidelines. These are expanded into
a series of procedures to be followed and
checks to be made before arrival at the
terminal, immediately before loading, and then
during and after loading. The programme
concludes with a short summary and checklist
for seafarers to ensure safe VEC operations.
The main topics covered include:
� Why vapour emission control.
� VEC regulations.
� The systems on board and ashore.
� Operation and training.
� Procedures before arrival.
� Procedures before loading.
� Procedures during loading.
� Procedures after loading.
� Lightering.
� Summary and checklist.
The programme is targeted at vessel operators,
masters, officers and crew involved in VEC
operations and was produced in association with
The Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association
(Bermuda), assisted by a number of parties
including the IMO, Jo Tankers and Shell UK.
On a similar themeOn a similar theme, Videotel has also released
a new programme - MARPOL Annex VI -
Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships,
Edition 2. Of course, MARPOL Annex VI
applies to all vessels, drilling rigs and other
platforms and certification is mandatory on all
vessels trading internationally.
It is designed to limit air pollution in many
different ways. There are strict limits on
emissions of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur
from engines and clear rules about
demonstrating compliance. Additionally, fire
fighting, refrigeration and incineration systems
are all subject to new regulations and limits.
This programme focuses on the new
emission controls for oxides of nitrogen and
how these are to be introduced as a series of
progressively tighter limits over time. These
are mainly controlled through engine design,
tuning and maintenance. Oxides of sulphur
and particulates are also addressed. The
progressively tighter limits set for sulphur
content in fuel worldwide and the increasingly
stringent limits used in emission control areas
(ECAs) are both outlined.
Procedural guidelines for incinerator use are
described and the need for training emphasised.
MARPOL Annex VI also identifies the need for
a written plan to limit emissions of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs).
The programme also covers new MARPOL
regulations concerning the management of ozone
depleting substances (ODS). These prohibit
deliberate venting of ODS, such as the freons and
halons often found in air conditioning,
refrigeration and fire fighting systems.
Finally, the programme concludes with a
summary of the issues covered and a checklist
of the ways in which MARPOL regulations
may be breached.
The main topics covered are:
� The effects of marine air pollution.
� Introducing MARPOL Annex VI.
� Oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
� Oxides of sulphur (SOx) and particulates.
� Incineration.
� Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
� Ozone depleting substances.
� Summary.
The target audience consists of masters, senior
officers, crew and vessels operators. Again it
was produced in association with Steamship
Mutual Underwriting Association (Bermuda).
Videotel targets tankers Videotel has launched two new products, one of which is of specific interest to tanker
owners, operators and managers, while the other is relevant to all ships, including tankers.
TO
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:29 Page 21
TECHNOLOGY - BUNKERING
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 55
Initially kicking off with a couple of
converted chartered product tankers, the
idea is to own a fleet of purpose designed
and built bunker tankers, once the service
becomes established. The vessels are being
operated by Unicorn Shipping, a subsidiary of
Cockett’s parent the Grindrod group.
The area chosen for bunker operations is the
Queen’s Channel in the Thames Estuary just
inside the Port of London Authority (PLA)
limits. Indeed, the PLA has carried out an
exhaustive risk assessment of the operation,
which takes place at three designated
anchorage slots in sheltered waters near
Margate Roads.
This is not Cockett’s first venture into
physical bunkering as since 2008, it has
operated a small bunkering service on the
River Thames and recently chartered the 3,000
dwt Whitstar. Previously, the company was
known as a procurer and trader of marine
fuels and today about 95% of the business is
still trading.
The new service draws on the resources of
a number of businesses within Cockett’s
South African parent company – Grindrod
– including Unicorn Shipping and
Rotterdam-based Associated Bunker Oil
Contractors (ABC).
Sitting on one of the world’s busiest trading
routes, and located approximately on 51 deg
28 min North/1 deg 20 mins East, the
anchorage will offer cost-effective bunkers-
only services just off the English Channel
shipping lanes.
Cockett predicts that it will supply at least 1
mill tonnes of marine fuels, including low and
high sulphur fuel variants, as well as gasoil.
This equates to only about 1% of passing traffic.
The company had carried out a lot of
research before committing itself to the
venture. For example, successful bunkers only
ports achieve a bunkering rate of around 8%
of passing traffic, which at half that rate
equals about 4,800 vessels, which pass
through the English Channel annually.
The new facilities will be able to host deep
draft vessels of up to about 16 m of all types,
but the main thrust of the marketing exercise
will aim at bulkers and tankers as the large
containerships mainly bunker in the ARA range.
The anchorages will not be able to handle
VLCCs due to length restrictions, but is being
marketed to owners and operators of Capesize,
Aframax and Suezmax tonnage passing
through the area in ballast. Loaded vessels will
normally bunker at the discharge ports.
By supplying fuel oils delivered by the
bunker barges from Rotterdam through ABC,
about 10 hours sailing away and enabling
customers to avoid time-consuming and costly
diversions from the main shipping lanes, it
A new bunkers only service aimed at bulkers and tankers transiting
the English Channel has been started by Cockett Marine Oil.
English Channel bunker hub comes
on stream
Cockett’s Richard Thompson.
Cockett was founded in 1978 toprovide independent specialistmarine fuel services to theshipping sector. Grindrod purchased 50% of the company in
2005 and the remaining half in 2008. It
currently comes under the group’s trading
division.
To illustrate the group’s tanker expertise,
subsidiary Unicorn Shipping, which is
currently based in London, celebrated its
75th birthday in 2008.
Unicorn controls five MRs, three small
product tankers (plus another three
newbuildings), three owned bunkering
tankers and also has six MRs, and four
chemical tankers on charter.
The chemical tankers are operated in the
Stolt Tankers joint service, while the MRs
operate in the Dorado Tankers pool
managed by Heidenreich Marine.
Unicorn undertakes its own technical
management and has a dedicated crewing
department, which is also responsible for
training. Unicorn’s officer cadet training
scheme has been in operation since 1965. It
provides South African Maritime Authority
approved training courses to both local and
international clients.
The group also has large drybulk
interests, which grew considerably
following the acquisition of Island View
Shipping (IVS) in 1999.
Down the years, the group has diversified
into logistics, harbour and other services.
It was believed that Unicorn Shipping
will be looking for a separate listing in
Singapore in the near future. The drybulk
operation is already based on the island
having moved there in 2005. �
Diversified group
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:29 Page 22
TANKEROperator � August/September 201056
TECHNOLOGY - BUNKERING
will compete head-to-head with other major
international bunkers-only supply centres, as
well as facilities in the English Channel.
Little deviationThe new service will take advantage of being
closer to the traffic separation schemes in the
English Channel and require a diversion of only
one to two hours from the shipping lanes, in
contrast to the diversions required to reach other
bunkering facilities in the English Channel.
Robert Thompson, general manager supply
at Cockett Marine Oil, said: “This is all about
providing a bunkers-only service in the right
place at the right price and thanks to the
combined forces of the Grindrod group – the
right people. Until now the English Channel
has suffered from a lack of competitiveness,
which has hindered its development as a
serious bunker hub. Our new operation will
remedy this situation.
“We believe the commercial advantage of
its location and ability to take advantage of
cheaper fuel prices from Rotterdam makes the
case a compelling one for owners and
operators, especially in the current economic
climate”, he said.
Karl Beeson, Cockett Marine Oil group
managing director, said: “As a team we are all
very excited by this project which is another
step in the expansion of our global physical
supply strategy. The new Cockett Marine
service shows the synergy delivered by the
Grindrod group for the benefit of shipping
operators. We can secure excellent prices
through our years of back-to-back trading
experience, combined with the barging
expertise of our colleagues at Unicorn
Shipping and utilising the procurement skills
of Associated Bunker Oil Contractors in
Rotterdam.
“Operating two barges initially through
Unicorn, each able to transport 5,500 tonnes
of fuel oils, we will be able to provide
shipowners and operators with a cost-effective
and quicker service than other ports within the
Emissions Control Area.”
Cockett Marine will place a strong
emphasis on quality control and reliability.
The PLA will provide oversight of the
operation from its London Port Control Centre
and as part of risk control measures is putting
in place enhanced oil spill response
capabilities based at Ramsgate.
The PLA will provide vessel traffic
management, wave and weather monitoring,
berthing masters and advise on environmental
best practice.
A full range of other services can also be
provided by the various major ship agencies,
while the vessels are taking on bunkers at the
anchorages.
At Ramsgate, a dedicated tier-two oil spill
response capability will be installed, which
will be MCA approved. This will include –
� A rapid deployment facility including
specialist craft.
� Oil containment booms and associated
equipment.
� Fully trained personnel in oil spill response
techniques.
A storage facility is being set up on Canvey
Island and the Oikos Jetty on the island will
be used to load bunker fuel.
In the first year, Cockett hopes to achieve
around 6-7% in physical turnover, rising to
50% in five years time with the other half
emanating from trading. TO
Queens ChannelAnchorages
Oikos Storage
Tongue AnchorageHolding area
Falmouth
Portland
PLA Boundary
The potential for bunkering can clearly be seen on this map, whichshows the proximity of the channel separation zones.
Potential VolumeBunkers Passing Vessels Volume Average only sites vessels (pa) bunkered (mill t) stem (t)
(%)
Gibraltar 70,000 6,000 (8.57) 4.7 783
Skaw/ 60,000 5,000 (8.2) 2.5 500Great Belt
Dover Straits/ 120,000 1,429 (1.19) 1 700Thames
Source – Cockett Marine Oil.
Initially, bunker stems will beundertaken by the chartered5,757 dwt LS Anne and the5,850 dwt LS Jamie. They areowned by Belgian operatorLauranne Shipping.They were built in 2008 and 2009
respectively and are of double hull
configuration, equipped with controllable
pitch propellers and bow thrusters.
Their segregated tanks enable them to
lift multiple products. Following their
conversions to bunker barges, the vessels
will have an on board storage capability of
760 cu m of marine gasoil, 2,900 cu m of
low sulphur fuel oil and 2,800 cu m of
high sulphur fuel oil.
They have dual manifolds fitted both at
the centre and at the stern to accommodate
any receiving vessel’s manifold layout. A
vessel with just a centre manifold will
sometimes have to connect to the receiving
vessel’s manifold located at the stern
resulting in the bunker barges’ stern
overhanging the receiving vessel, which
could be a problem in swell conditions.
The achievable pumping rate is 600 cu
m per hour and the vessels’ hose handling
cranes have a height of around 20 m. Its is
estimated that the average stem will be
accomplished in six hours.
They are fitted with full anti-pollution
gear and pollution response equipment.
Both vessels will also be fitted with
Yokohama Fenders to conduct ship-to-ship
(sts) transfers safely. Mooring masters will
also be supplied by the PLA, who will be
trained in the art of sts operations.
The vessels will employ radar gauging
systems on board rather than flow meters. �
Chartered vessels
p34-56:p2-7.qxd 13/08/2010 15:29 Page 23
Teekay is one of the best known names in the tanker sector,
employing more than 150 ships including Suezmax and Aframax tankers,
as well as shuttle tankers and other speciality vessels.
Teekay deploys VSATBroadband satcoms onboard its tanker fleet
TECHNOLOGY - COMMUNICATIONS
The company claims to be
responsible for moving about
10% percent of the world’s
seaborne oil.
In July 2009, Teekay signed a multi-year
contract with MTN Satellite Communications
(MTN) to provide VSAT services across its
fleet of existing vessels and newbuildings,
using MTN’s worldwide C- and Ku-band
satellite networks. The MTN service provides
‘Always On – Always Available’ broadband
connectivity for the ships allowing Teekay to
expand its shipboard crew calling, email, and
Internet access.
To date, Teekay has completed installations
of MTN C-band systems on nine ships and is
moving to install Ku-band systems on three
additional ships in the coming months with
other ship installations to follow later this year.
“We conducted performance tests comparing
VSAT against the pay-as-you-go mobile satellite
services that we had been using and found
VSAT to better suit our broadband needs,” said
Lesley Green, systems development manager
for Teekay Marine Services. “The VSAT service
offers unlimited access at a fixed monthly rate
giving us predictable budgets and eliminating
much of the time needed to monitor and
manage the satellite communication accounts
for each vessel.”
“We went through an RFQ process and
reviewed a number of maritime VSAT
suppliers,” added Green. “We chose MTN due
to their global service delivery, ability to
support large clients, positive customer
references, and value-added service
offerings.”
“MTN worked with Teekay to test their
applications over a satellite connection
duplicating the vessel environment,” said
Bradford C Briggs, senior vice president and
general manager, commercial shipping and
energy services, MTN. “Teekay used these
test results to determine their committed
information rate (CIR) and maximum
information rate (MIR) requirements per
vessel. This is a very important consideration
for companies moving to deploy VSAT for the
first time.”
Briggs explained that CIR is the minimum
guaranteed uncontended bandwidth that is
constantly available 24/7 for each ship. MIR
is an additional available shared bandwidth
that permits bursts above the CIR when
needed to support higher traffic levels. Based
on the tests, the Teekay contract called for
CIR of 128 kbps and MIR of 384 kbps to be
fitted on each ship.
The VSAT systems are being used primarily
for crew calling, email, broadband Internet
and ship’s business. The systems can also
support television broadcasts to the ships
through the MTN global satellite network.
Network backboneBriggs pointed out that one of the primary
reasons for shipping companies to choose
MTN over other VSAT suppliers is the
impressive ground infrastructure that supports
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 57
Axel Spirit Data Everest Spirit Data
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:44 Page 1
the company’s worldwide C- and Ku-band
satellite networks.
“We recently opened a new European
teleport in Santander, Spain in a joint venture
with our partner Erzia,” said Briggs. “The new
teleport will supplement our primary teleport
in Holmdel, (NJ) and will provide enhanced
coverage over Europe, Africa, the Americas,
and Asia. Altogether, our network includes
eight teleports around the world providing
both carrier and geographic diversity for built-
in redundancy. Our primary network operation
center (NOC) in Miramar (Fla) is fully
manned 24/7 as is our backup NOC at
Holmdel.”
“Our teleports, NOC’s and other facilities
are interconnected by our private fully
redundant MPLS backbone with more than
20,000 miles of fiber-optic cable,” he added.
Crew calling and Internet Teekay has been pleased with the performance
of the VSAT equipment and network.
“There has been a decrease in the number of
visits by the vessel technical support personnel
to resolve issues with the use of remote login to
the server on board,” said Green.
To support crew calling, phones have been
installed in the ships’ common area along with
two computer kiosks with webcams for the
crew to use for email and Internet access. Crew
members can purchase a private identification
number (PIN) for calling charges.
Internet usage accounts for the major share
of traffic through the MTN satellite terminals
while voice calls only account for about 1%,
according to Briggs.
“Feedback from seafarers about the VSAT
installs has been extremely positive – it’s so
much easier for them to stay connected when
at sea,” said Green. “Seafarers can connect to
the Internet, keep up with news from home,
find out about their favourite sport teams, or
keep in touch with their friends on social
media sites.”
TECHNOLOGY - COMMUNICATIONS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201058
oil waterseparator
sewagetreatment
plant
fresh waterproduction
unit
Environmental Protection Engineering S.A.24, Dervenakion str., 185 45 Piraeus-Greece
T: +30 210 4060000 • F: +30 210 4617423www.epe.gr • epe@epe.gr
Hall A1Stand 324
International trade fairHamburg
7- 10 Sept. 2010 Visit Us!
Teekay’s Aframax Axel Spirit.
TO
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:44 Page 2
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 59
TECHNOLOGY PROFILE – MARTEK MARINE
However, today the company has
many more strings to its bow
the latest being a bridge
navigation watch and alarm
system (BNWAS) - Navgard.
The Navgard system offers a relatively low
cost and effective means of avoiding
operational navigational accidents and can
also double as a bridge security system in
port, the company claimed.
It will be formally launched at SMM and
comes with a full suite of type approvals
from major classification societies thus
enabling shipowners to fit the IMO-mandated
equipment without delay.
A BNWAS is designed to monitor bridge
activity and detect any operator disability that
could lead to shipping accidents. For
example, the system monitors the awareness
of the officer of the watch (OOW) and
automatically alerts the master, or another
qualified OOW if, for any reason, the he or
she becomes incapable of performing duties
through an accident, sickness or security
breach (such as piracy and/or hijacking).
This is accomplished by a series of
indications and alarms (visual and audible) to
alert, first, the OOW and then, if there is no
response, the master, or another qualified
OOW. In addition, the BNWAS may provide
the OOW with a means of calling for
immediate assistance if required.
A BNWAS should be operational whenever
the ship’s heading or track control system is
engaged, unless inhibited by the master.
Forthcoming new amendments to SOLAS
Chapter V, Regulation 19, mandate BNWAS
installations on over 100,000 ships. Such a
system will be mandatory for all new ships
on delivery, while existing tonnage is
required to retrofit the equipment ‘at the
first survey’.
BIMCO has advised its members to
consider fitting systems at drydockings
before the mandatory implementation
date, and not to wait until annual surveys
within the compliance window. The
agreement of the ship’s flag administration is
required to postpone retrofitting beyond
this date.
Fully complying with the relevant IMO
resolutions on BNWAS equipment regarding
performance, installation and ergonomic
criteria, Navgard provides movement and
physical touch notification of watchkeeper
presence.
Type approvals for the system have been
gained from Lloyd’s Register, ABS, DNV,
Bureau Veritas, RINA, the Russian Register,
China Register and Indian Register.
The fitting of a BNWAS is due to become
mandatory on 1st January 2011. Its phase-in
will be as follows:
� Cargo ships of 150 gt and above plus
passenger ships irrespective of size
constructed on or after 1st July 2011;
� Passenger ships irrespective of size
constructed before 1st July 2011, not later
than the first survey after 1st July 2012.
� Cargo ships of 3,000 gt and above
constructed before 1st July 2011, not later
than the first survey after 1st July 2012.
UK-based Martek Marine has come a long way since it was founded by three
entrepreneurs a few years ago. The company is perhaps best known in the tanker sector
for its Mari�Ox™ shipboard carbon emission monitoring system.
Martek continues toroll equipment off the
production line
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LPG/TGDTank Gauging Device
for Gas Carriers
TLA-500 TGD-500Tank Level Alarm
Tank Gauging Device for Tankers
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p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:44 Page 3
� Cargo ships of between 500 gt and 3,000
gt constructed before 1st July 2011, not
later than the first survey after 1st July
2013.
� Cargo ships of between 150 gt and 500 gt
constructed before 1st July 2011, not later
than the first survey after 1st July 2014.
Marketing director Steve Coulson said it is
fitted with the aid of a single cable making it
simple to install and simple to operate. It
must operate as a standalone system, but can
be console mounted. On small bridges it can
be fitted on a bulkhead.
Singapore pushIn another move, Martek has been marketing
its recently introduced Fastcalgas service to
Singaporean owners.
Coulson said that 15-20 companies on the
island had already signed up for the new
service, which offers door-to-door service for
the delivery of calibration gas cylinders.
Shipowners and managers need to prove
that on board gas detection equipment is
operating correctly and accurately. In order to
test and calibrate the gas detection
equipment, certified calibration gas is needed
immediately.
The ability to source calibration gas
simply, cost effectively and in a timely
manner has always been a challenge for
shipping companies.
Martek Marine has worked with some of
the leading names in logistics, including
Fedex and DHL Danzas, as well as gas
production and distribution specialist Air
Liquide, to develop Fastcalgas.
As a result, the company has secured fixed
terms covering delivery of between one and
20 cylinders anywhere in the world.
Coulson said: “In some ports of call,
perhaps half of the required gas types will be
available. In other ports, there will be fewer,
and in some cases, none of the gas types will
be available at all.
“What we are offering is a door to door
delivery service to any destination able to
receive gasses within certification
requirements that includes a confirmed
delivery price for a given number of
calibration gas cylinders,” he continued.
Fastcalgas will be offered via the Internet,
with owners logging into a secure website.
Hub operations in Singapore, Shanghai,
Fujairah, Maryland and Manchester, will be
stocked with calibration gasses.
Martek said that it will also look to market
the new service to shipyards, including
repair yards.
The company has recently recruited a new
sales director and another three new
employees to boost the sales team in
preparation of the launch of the new service.
“What we are offering is a door-to-door
delivery service to any destination able to
receive gases within certification
requirements that includes a confirmed
delivery price for a given number of
calibration gas cylinders,” explained Coulson.
As for MariNOx™, when launched it was
the world’s first approved nitrogen oxide,
sulphur oxide and carbon dioxide emissions
monitor.
Recently a series of LNGCs and crude oil
tankers were fitted with the monitoring
system. A new version is to be launched later
this year.
Health concernsMartek is also involved in crew welfare and
has introduced what the company calls the
LIFEFORCE automatic external defibrillator
to combat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
SCA is the world’s biggest killer and of
special concern at sea, where on board
professional emergency services are usually
confined to passenger ships.
Research by a leading telemedicine
company found that 62% of all deaths on
ships attributed to natural causes between
1986-2006 were heart related. People over
the age of 50 have a significantly higher risk
of suffering SCA while seafarers from
Southeast Asia are seven times more likely to
suffer cardiac arrest than other nationalities.
SCA causes the heart’s regular rhythm to
become chaotic or arrhythmic, which means
that blood is not pumped around the body.
Every minute that the heart is not beating
lowers the odds of survival by 7-10% and
after 10 minutes without treatment very few
people survive.
The only proven way to treat SCA is by
delivering an electric shock to the heart to
restore a normal rhythm. Such defibrillation
can make the difference between saving a life
and a victim dying: rendering defibrillation
within the vital first three minutes increases
the chances of survival by up to 70%.
Specifically tailored for shipping, Martek
Marine’s LIFEFORCE is the only automatic
external defibrillator (AED) type approved
for the marine environment (by
Germanischer Lloyd). The equipment
automatically detects when defibrillation is
required, ensuring that treatment is only
given when needed.
Any concerns that damage can be caused
by treating an SCA victim with defibrillation
– leading to the threat of litigation – were
allayed by managing director Paul Luen:
“All defibrillators have to be certified with
the FDA and have to undergo rigorous testing
to prove they cannot cause damage. Also, any
levels that are selected for AEDs are at such a
level that can stand up to medical scrutiny.
“They render sufficient energy to restart a
hearts normal rhythm but insufficient energy
to cause any permanent damage. One of the
key aspects of defibrillation is that it will not
deliver a shock if the heart is functioning
normally.
“When the pads are placed on the
casualty’s chest the system checks for
electrical heart activity and will only shock if
the heart is in fibrillation or if the patient is
certain to die without intervention to reverse
that condition and restore the normal heart
rhythm, ” he explained.
LIFEFORCE is designed for simplicity of
use by crew, who are guided by clear verbal
and visual instructions through each step of
the defibrillation process. In addition, a
range of on-site or in-house training options
are offered.
Performance and reliability are retained
even after years in the marine environment,
underwritten by a full five-year marine-
specific warranty. An independent study
found that LIFEFORCE was faster and
more effective than any of the leading AED
brands tested.
Future-proofing to meet any amended
treatment recommendations is secured by
easy upgrading of the AED within three
minutes and free of charge using data card
technology.
A valuable secondary feature of
LIFEFORCE is the facility to monitor the
ECG of a crew member, whose file can then
be emailed to the shipping company and/or
medical service provider.
LIFEFORCE sales now total 800 units, to
over 100 operators.
TECHNOLOGY PROFILE – MARTEK MARINE
TANKEROperator � August/September 201060
Martek Navguard wall mounted option withperipherals.
TO
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August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 61
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
Hidden inside this statement are a
considerable number of
variables, all of which directly
impact on the end result. Many
of these variables can be changed during a
tank cleaning operation, for example the
choice of cleaning chemical, temperature of
washing water, number and/or operating mode
of the tank cleaning machines and the skill of
manipulating these variables is potentially
what makes one vessel better than another at
tank cleaning.
But perhaps the most important variable
which cannot be altered during tank cleaning
operations, arguably has the most impact on
the success of all tank cleaning operations,
and that is the vessel itself. For example, the
size and construction of the cargo tanks, the
ability of the vessel to maintain the optimum
washing water temperature, the ability of the
vessel to supply and remove washing water to
and from the cargo tanks, to name three of the
most significant.
Very simply, the construction and overall
maintenance of these ‘fixed assets’ of the
vessel are controlled and certified by the
classification societies who inspect the vessels
from newbuild and throughout operational
service. The class societies will also provide
the vessels with a class notation, which
directly relates to the construction of the
vessel and permissible operations.
Put another way, class notation defines the
minimum standard that a vessel must achieve
in order to operate in a specific field. But
vessels that are equipped above and beyond
this minimum standard may also qualify for
additional class notations. Specifically this
would indicate to an interested commercial
partner, that a vessel with an additional
notation may be more suited to perform a
particular service compared to a vessel
without the additional notation, even if the
class notation of both vessels was the same.
It is noted that within the DNV
classification of vessels, one such additional
notation is termed ETC, or Effective Tank
Cleaning (on board oil products and chemical
tankers). The basis of this notation can be read
on the DNV website thus:
‘An improved tank cleaning standard
relating to the arrangement of and equipment
on board oil product and chemical tankers that
may reduce the turnaround time in ports. This
notation is an attempt to make it less likely
that the cargo will be affected by insufficient
cleaning’.
It is interesting that by applying this
notation, DNV appears to be actively working
towards enhancing both the operational and
commercial performance of the vessels. The
comments relating to the quality of the next
loaded cargo are extremely important for
owners and operators of tankers because in all
cases where there is a cargo contamination
claim, it is the owners and/or operators of the
vessel that will take ultimate responsibility.
Fewer safeguardsIn the case of loading oil products, there are
fewer safeguards to protect the quality of
loaded cargoes compared to loading chemical
products, for the main reason that oil products
tend to be loaded under fully inerted
conditions, which essentially prevents the
cargo tanks from being visually inspected
prior to loading.
Significant emphasis is then put onto the
documented tank cleaning procedure, but as
noted, the responsibility for the quality of the
loaded cargo ultimately lies with the owners
of the vessel, so it is clearly within the best
interests of the vessel to ensure that the cargo
tanks are suitably cleaned from the previous
cargo, irrespective of whether the vessel is
inspected prior to loading or not.
On the contrary, in the case of loading
chemical products, all cargo tanks (as a
minimum) are inspected visually prior to
loading and very often, when sensitive
chemical products are being loaded, the tanks
are further inspected by chemical analysis
(wall wash inspection).
The different levels of inspection reflect the
difference in quality specifications between oil
products and chemical products. The overall
quality of oil products tends to be much lower
than the quality of chemical products and it is
common to see the quality of many oil
products measured in ranges which allows a
certain degree of cross contamination from
one oil product to another, based on the fact
The success of any tank cleaning operation is generally measured on the ability
of a vessel to switch from one cargo grade to another in the shortest possible time,
using the minimum volume of tank cleaning chemicals or materials*.
Effective tankcleaning while in
operation
...perhaps the most important variable which
cannot be altered during tank cleaning
operations, arguably has the most impact
on the success of all tank cleaning
operations...is the vessel itself.
“
”
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:44 Page 5
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
that all oil products are fundamentally derived
from the same source.
Conversely, the quality of chemical
products tends to be based on a high level of
purity (typically greater than 90%) with strict
limitations on key contaminants, reflecting the
fact that the vast majority of chemicals are in
fact pure, single component products.
Clearly the purer the product being loaded,
the more thorough the pre-loading inspection
should be and the fact that the ETC notation
specifically addresses this point is clearly an
advantage to those vessels that qualify for
the notation.
One particular area where the benefits of
enhanced tank cleaning are very apparent is
cleaning from dirty to clean oil products,
which historically has always caused some
level of concern among commercial parties
wishing to charter vessels in the clean oil
trade.
It is obvious that black oil residues could
discolour white oils, but there is no accurate
understanding of how much black oil would
actually be required to contaminate a white oil
product. Furthermore, even if the cargo tanks
of a vessel cleaning from black oil are visually
inspected prior to loading, there is no
guarantee that the white oil cargo will be in
specification after loading.
So many charterers have a blanket
agreement stating they will not take a vessel
with black oil as last cargo to load a white oil
cargo, which is not only restricting to them, it
also reduces the flexibility of those vessels
that have the potential to clean directly from
black to white or dirty to clean.
This cautious approach is perhaps not
unrealistic when one considers the costs
associated with off specification oil/chemical
products. But it should also be considered that
most of this caution is historical and based on
the fact that older tonnage was relatively
unequipped to clean directly from dirty to
clean compared to modern tonnage.
The cargo tanks were full of internal
strengthening/stiffeners, which significantly
increased the surface area inside the cargo
tanks, where previous cargo residues could
reside. Equally, the internal steel work created
a huge number of shadow areas that seriously
reduced the coverage of the tank cleaning
machines that were already relatively
inefficient compared to the modern tank
cleaning machines found on vessels today.
There were no individual deep well pumps,
simultaneously recirculating with cleaning
chemicals and maintaining the washing water
temperature was extremely difficult … the list
could go on.
Clearly the design improvements in modern
tankers has had a significant impact on the
ability to clean these vessels and one could
suggest that this is exactly the reason why the
DNV ETC notation came about, to reward
those owners who invested in vessels that
could provide more commercial options for
charterers?
So surely, if a vessel is capable and able of
cleaning directly from dirty to clean, and the
owners are willing to take the responsibility,
there must be an opportunity to develop this
without having to consider an historical
precedence that is actually no longer relevant?
One such owner is Marinvest Shipping** of
Gothenburg, who is a part owners and
manager of a fleet of product tankers, totalling
about 700,000 dwt. One of the company’s
primary objectives is to undertake projects
that will enhance the future operational and
commercial development of the fleet so that
the partners will always receive the optimum
level of service, whatever the trade pattern the
vessels are involved in.
Marinvest made a conscious decision to
equip the entire fleet to a standard that made
them all eligible for the DNV ETC notation,
which essentially means that all the vessels
are equipped with the following key features
recognised by DNV as being instrumental in
enhancing tank cleaning and reducing the risk
of contaminating loaded cargoes:
1) Coated cargo tanks that are characterised
by having corrugated bulkheads and no
internal structures.
2) Stainless steel cargo piping and where
appropriate stainless steel heating coils.
3) Individual cargo tank deep well pumps,
for optimised stripping.
4) The ability to wash at least the largest
cargo tank with hot water at a minimum
temperature of 85 deg C.
5) Tank cleaning machines that conform to
the DNV Type approval program 785.70
and portable washing equipment/
appropriate access openings to wash the
shadow areas created by the pump stack.
Marinvest operates tankers in the dirty, clean
and chemical market and fully understands the
limitations of not being able to load clean
products directly after dirty when the
opportunity arises, even though the vessels are
seemingly well equipped to do so.
Similar owners who have modern vessels
with the DNV ETC notation would also stand
to benefit from demonstrating that they are able
to switch directly from dirty to clean in a
reasonable time frame and without creating
excessive cleaning slops, which would not only
benefit the owners, but would also create more
commercial opportunities for the charterers.
Marinvest recently put this theory to the
test, cleaning one of the vessels from carbon
black feedstock (CBFS) to gas oil. The vessel,
a 74,999 dwt oil tanker with ice class 1A, was
delivered in 2007, with six pairs of wing tanks
and two slop tanks all coated with phenolic
epoxy and had been in the dirty trade for
almost three years
The entire tank cleaning operation -
overseen by L&I Maritime (UK) - took just
seven days to complete and created only 60 cu
m of oily slop and did not utilise petroleum
based solvents, which are commonly used for
TANKEROperator � August/September 201062
Coated cargo tanks have corrugated bulkheads and no internal structures.
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:44 Page 6
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
this type of cleaning operation. The following
is a summary of the tank cleaning operation
that took place in all tanks:
1) All lines well drained back to the residual
oil tank (ROT) in order to minimise the
volume of residual CBFS on board (ROB)
at the start of the Annex I pre-wash.
2) Cleaning two tanks simultaneously,
starting with warm seawater machine
washing with four portable tank cleaning
machines per tank, with a gradual increase
in washing water temperature to 70 deg C.
The duration of cleaning per tank was
eight hours and both slop tanks were
employed during the pre-wash in order to
facilitate the supply and receipt of
cleaning water.
3) Forced ventilation until tanks gas freed.
Visual inspection to check for ROB.
4) Cleaning two tanks simultaneously via the
slop tank FRAMO pump, four hours hot
seawater machine washing at 70 deg C.
During the first hour of cleaning, 200 l of
an IMO approved solvent based
emulsifying tank cleaning chemical was
injected directly into the tank cleaning line
using a positive pressure pump.
5) Forced ventilation until tanks gas freed.
Visual inspection to check for signs
of discolouration.
6) All manifolds, crossovers, drops and
heaters flushed with hot seawater back to
the cargo tanks and then additional hot
seawater machine washing in all cargo
tanks for two hours per tank.
7) All lines and tanks flushed with
freshwater.
8) Manual spot cleaning using an IMO
approved emulsifying agent containing
anionic and non ionic surface active
agents.
After the cleaning was completed, all cargo
tanks were independently inspected by a
major international inspection company and
approved for the carriage of clean petroleum
products. The vessel then went on to load a
cargo of gas oil and is continuing to trade in
the clean market.
What made this operation potentially more
challenging than a regular black oil to white
oil cleaning operation was the fact that CBFS
is heavier than water, which means the
residues removed during the cleaning, tend to
sink to the lower areas of the cargo tanks,
leaving patches of discolouration on the lower
sloping hopper sides. This was actually the
reason why the manual cleaning at the end of
the operation was required.
As stated at the start of this article - the
success of any tank cleaning operation is
generally measured on the ability of a vessel
to switch from one cargo grade to another in
the shortest possible time using the minimum
volume of tank cleaning chemicals or
materials.
In this case, a 74,999 dwt oil tanker
switched from almost three years of trading in
the dirty market to load a clean cargo in just
seven days using 2,400 l of cleaning
chemicals through the tank cleaning machines
and only 600 l of cleaning chemicals for
manual cleaning. The author* believes this is
clearly a “success”.
*This article was written exclusively for TA�KEROperator by Guy Johnson,a director of L&I Maritime (UK) Ltd. He can be contacted atoperations@limaritime.com Tel. +44 1909 532 003.
**With considerable acknowledgementto the operations manager at MarinvestShipping - Magnus Cardfelt (directtelephone +46 31 81 72 54 Emailmagnus@marinvest.se) and CaptainVasko Milosevic, master mariner withinthe Marinvest Shipping fleet.
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 63
TO
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 16/08/2010 12:55 Page 7
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p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:54 Page 8
The comparative efficiency of
tank cleaning chemicals has
been discussed before
(TA�KEROperator, November/
December 2009, page 27). In the past, some
of the most successful cleaning chemicals
have tended to be solvent based, or containing
active ingredients that targeted specific
previous cargo residues, thus allowing vessels
to achieve the stringent specifications required
to load sensitive chemical cargoes.
However, the use of solvents for tank
cleaning is now largely limited to cutter
solvents in water based emulsifiers, with the
use of penetrative solvents now all but
obsolete. Furthermore only those chemicals
that have been approved as safe to use by
IMO will be acceptable for future tank
cleaning operations and in reality it is found
that many ‘approved’ cleaning chemicals lack
the required potency to remove stubborn
previous cargo residues, particularly from
coated cargo tanks.
At the same time, many cargo
suppliers/receivers (chemical and oil) are
imposing stricter quality control specifications
on their cargoes, which are forcing vessels to
clean to higher standards before they will be
accepted to load
So the challenge facing owners and
operators of tankers today is to find the most
efficient cleaning solution from what is
essentially a shrinking resource, bearing in
mind the increased use of coated tonnage in
many sectors of the chemical/oil tanker
market.
But perhaps the greatest challenge is being
presented to the cleaning chemical
manufacturers. Faced with tanker owners’
increasingly demanding requirements and the
restrictions imposed by the regulatory
organisations, there is clearly an opportunity
to produce low hazard and safe, but
nevertheless effective, cleaning chemicals,
particularly for the cleaning of coated
cargo tanks.
Advanced BioCatalytics Corporation (ABC)
of Irvine, California has employed the
services of L&I Maritime (UK) (LIM) in
order to evaluate the company’s flag ship
cleaning chemical, ACCELL CLEAN™
both in the laboratory and on board deepsea
tankers.
The development of ACCELL CLEAN™
was not an accident and the synergies
associated with the tank cleaning of coated
cargo tanks, particularly zinc silicate, were
found to be extraordinary.
Development Considerable research has been carried out on
the effects of surfactants on proteins to alter
their functionality. However, little has been
reported on the ability of proteins to affect the
functionality of surfactants. ABC has reported
the use of low molecular weight proteins to
alter surfactants in order to:
1) Reduce the surface tension of surfactant
solutions.
2) Reduce the interfacial tension between oil
and water phases.
3) Enhance their ability to ‘solubilise’ oil and
grease compounds.
4) Convert a portion of the ‘solubilised’ oil
and grease to surfactant like compounds
resulting in reduced critical micelle
concentration (CMC**).
These studies have shown that ACCELL
CLEAN™ dramatically speeds up the
solubilisation of hydrocarbons and in one
particular study that investigated the
solubilisation of diesel oil in seawater, it was
found that ACCELL CLEAN™ solubilised
more than 95% of the diesel in the first 90
minutes of treatment, with complete
solubilisation in less than five hours.
In contrast, a commercially available highly
alkaline cleaner (pH13) was found to
remove/solubilise around 66% of the diesel in
50 hours, but complete decontamination was
actually never achieved. Full details of this
research are available from ABC at
info@abiocat.com.
The overall conclusions to this research
were clear. Namely that the proprietary low
molecule weight protein bundle (contained in
ACCELL CLEAN™) synergistically
enhanced the surface activity of a broad
spectrum of surfactant types, resulting in
significantly improved cleaning power,
especially on greasy or oily substrates,
without depending on harsh chemicals or
organic solvents.
Furthermore, the protein bundle (which is
based on food grade/GRAS ingredients) is
found to be inherently safe and therefore
ACCELL CLEAN™ is not only potentially
more effective than other detergents, it is also
completely safe and non-toxic to marine
biology. And as it contains no solvents or
harsh chemical additives and is almost pH
neutral, it is much safer for the vessel’s crew
to handle compared to alkaline or acid based
cleaning chemicals.
Efficiency measurement In order to prove or disprove this research,
LIM and ABC agreed to execute two projects
designed to compare the efficiency of
ACCELL CLEAN™ as a ‘hydrocarbon
remover’ from zinc silicate coatings against a
leading detergent based cleaning chemical -
hereinafter called Product Z.
The first project was carried out in LIM’s
laboratory and the second on board an
operational chemical tanker cleaning from an
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 65
It is clear that as regulatory controls start to dictate the type of cleaning chemicals that
are available for use on board tankers only those chemicals that pose the least hazard
and environmental threat will be acceptable in the future*.
Bio-modified, greentank cleaning
chemicals
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:54 Page 9
TANKEROperator � August/September 201066
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
oil based previous cargo to a methanol
standard.
In the laboratory based project, identical
mild steel test panels coated with an industry
standard solvent based zinc silicate coating
were immersed in ultra low sulphur diesel
(ULSD) for seven days (in duplicate). The
panels were then removed from the ULSD and
cleaned according to the following procedure:
1) Cold seawater washing for 30 minutes.
2) Hot seawater (60 deg C) washing for 30
minutes.
3) Hot freshwater (60 deg C) recirculation
with 0.5% ACCELL CLEAN™ or 0.5%
Product Z for two hours.
4) Cold freshwater washing for 10 minutes.
After this cleaning, the test panels were
flushed with 50 ml of laboratory grade
methanol, which was was tested for the
presence of hydrocarbons in accordance with
ASTM D 1722. The degree of hydrocarbon
failure was quantified using the L&I WAVE II
UV/Vis spectrometer.
In the operational tank cleaning project, the
vessel in question was cleaning from heavy
naphtha to a methanol standard. The vessel
was five years old with seven pairs of cargo
tanks all coated with a solvent based zinc
silicate coating. All the cargo tanks were
inerted with nitrogen prior to loading and
during the discharge of the heavy naphtha
cargo. The naphtha cargo was on board the
vessel for just over 11 days.
After the naphtha was discharged, all cargo
tanks were initially cleaned in the same way:
1) 20 minutes ambient seawater machine
wash to slop.
2) Nitrogen purging until LEL < 1%.
3) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
And then individual cargo tanks were cleaned
according to the following schedules:
COT 2W and 4W
4) Three hours recirculation with 2%
sodium hypochlorite and 0.25%
ACCELL CLEAN™ in warm
seawater.
5) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
6) Ventilation and methanol wall wash.
COT 1W, 3W and Slop S
4) Three hours recirculation with 2%
sodium hypochlorite and 0.5%
ACCELL CLEAN™ in warm
seawater.
5) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
6) Ventilation and methanol wall wash.
COT 5W
4) Three hours recirculation with 2%
sodium hypochlorite and 0.5%
Product Z in warm seawater.
5) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
6) Ventilation and methanol wall wash.
COT 6W
4) Three hours recirculation with 2%
sodium hypochlorite and 1%
Product Z in warm seawater.
5) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
6) Ventilation and methanol wall wash.
COT 7W
4) Three hours recirculation with 2%
sodium hypochlorite and 2%
Product Z in warm seawater.
5) Three hours hot seawater machine
washing overboard.
6) Ventilation and methanol wall wash.
ResultsIn the laboratory based project, the following
results were noted (see Table 1). In the live
tank cleaning project the following results
were noted (see Table 2).
Further to these results, COT 5P and 6W
Cleaning chemical Average hydrocarbon reading
in FTU (LIM spectrometer)
0.5% ACCELL CLEANTM 135
0.5 % Product Z 311
Table 1
Cargo tank Hydrocarbon (FTU)
5P 2
6P 6
6S 10
Table 3
ParaCargo Tank Hydrocarbon (FTU) Cleaning operation
1P 1 * 0.5% ACCELL CLEANTM
1S 1 * 0.5% ACCELL CLEANTM
2P 6 0.25% ACCELL CLEANTM
2S 6 0.25% ACCELL CLEANTM
3P 1 * 0.5% ACCELL CLEANTM
3S 1 * 0.5% ACCELL CLEANTM
4P 2 * 0.25% ACCELL CLEANTM
4S 4 0.25% ACCELL CLEANTM
5P 48 0.5% Product Z
5S 42 0.5% Product Z
6P 22 1% Product Z
6S 89 1% Product Z
7P 30 2% Product Z
7S 56 2% Product Z
*Hydrocarbon readings of two FTU and less on the L&I WAVE II UV/Vis spectrometer will pass theASTM D1722 specification for water miscibility (hydrocarbons).
Table 2
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:54 Page 10
were additionally cleaned as follows:
Two hours recirculation with 0.5%
ACCELL CLEAN™ in warm seawater.
Two hours hot seawater (60 deg C) machine
washing overboard
And the following results were noted (see
Table 3)
Project resultsIn the laboratory based project, ACCELL
CLEAN™ significantly outperformed Product
Z when cleaning from a mid distillate oil
product like ULSD.
In the live project, it is clear that the cargo
tanks cleaned with ACCELL CLEAN™ show
considerably lower hydrocarbon results in the
wall wash samples compared to the tanks
cleaned with Product Z.
It is difficult to absolutely conclude that
0.5% ACCELL CLEAN™ is more effective
than 0.25% ACCELL CLEAN™ because all
of the hydrocarbon results are in the same
magnitude, but it does appear that the 0.5% is
the most effective cleaning solution; having
said that, 0.25% still seems to be more
effective than all of the different Product Z
solutions.
As the results from COT 5P and 6W
indicate, ACCELL CLEAN™ appears to be
able to clean the residues that are left behind
in the zinc silicate coating after cleaning with
leading detergent based cleaning chemical.
ConclusionsIn terms of efficiency of removal of
hydrocarbon residues from the coating, it is
quite apparent that ACCELL CLEAN™
significantly outperforms Product Z, under the
circumstances of this project.
To add some perspective to the live project,
the hydrocarbon results from COT 1W, 3W
and 4P would pass the ASTM D1722
hydrocarbon test and thus, these tanks would
pass a load port wall wash inspection for
hydrocarbons, without any additional
cleaning.
Cleaning persistent oil based residues from
zinc silicate coatings is one of the most
challenging cleaning operations that many
owners/operators face today. Historically, such
cleaning operations involved a considerable
consumption of solvents because this was the
only method of removing the previous cargo
residues that were trapped either on top of or
inside the profile of the coating.
The science behind the development of
ACCELL CLEAN™ certainly appears to be
well founded and in practice, the finished
product certainly seems to be more than
capable of not only cleaning coated cargo
tanks from oil based cargoes, but far more
significantly continuing to clean cargo tank
coatings to a condition that will ultimately
satisfy the requirements of most load port wall
wash inspections.
ACCELL CLEAN™ was approved by IMO
at last MEPC meeting and is included in the
latest MEPC 2/Circ 15 Annex.
*This article was written by GuyJohnson – director, L&I Maritime (UK)operations@limaritime.com Tel. +441909 532 003 and Bill Torres – presidentand COO, Advanced BioCatalyticsCorporation info@abiocat.com Tel. +1 949 442 0880
**CMC is the point at which detergencyis reached, or put another way, the pointat which the detergent becomes effective.The lower the CMC the more efficientthe detergent becomes.
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 67
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
TO
Marine Chemicals • Gas
Chemical Cleaning • Consulting
Gas Detectors • UTI • Instruments
ACCELL CLEAN – WE HAVE IT !NEW cleaning technology for cargo tanks.
Especially suited for removal of hydrocarbons &vegetable oils on Zinc coated cargo tanks
On stock in:Rotterdam • Houston • Singapore
Supply elsewhere on request.
CALL NOW ON:Tel +47-2244 3153 Fax: +47-2255 1931 @: info@uniservice.asWWW.ACCELL-CLEAN.COM
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 16/08/2010 12:56 Page 11
TANKEROperator � August/September 201068
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
Reducing volatile organic
compound (VOC) emissions from
crude oil tankers helps cut the
environmental impact of ship
operations and saves on hard won resources,
explained Dr Hans Richard Hansen, Teekay’s
vice president technology development.
VOCs are the hydrocarbon gases emitted
during the crude oil transportation process.
They represent a proportion of the cargo lost
as fumes. The main VOC constituent gases are
methane, propane and butane – the latter two
are heavier than air and the main concern to
date has been their potential negative impact
on human health in loading areas.
Since 2002, Norway has regulated VOC
emissions from tanker operations on its
continental shelf – mainly related to North Sea
shuttle tanker activity. A significant VOC
component is methane – the same gas that
when cooled and liquefied is known as LNG.
This lighter gas quickly rises to the upper
atmosphere where it poses no immediate risk
to health. VOCs are greenhouse gases and
contribute to shipping and the oil industry’s
carbon emissions – the methane immediately
on release while the propane and butane
components, when broken down by
environmental exposure, eventually form CO2
in the atmosphere.
If VOC emissions could be either mitigated
or prevented, shipping’s contribution to global
warming could be reduced. In addition, as
VOC represent lost cargo, delivered crude
stems would be increased providing more oil
and financial benefit to cargo owners and
reduced wastage of resource.
Dr Hansen described Teekay’s extensive
experience in operating vessels in compliance
with the Norwegian VOC emission regulation.
Together with other Norwegian tanker
operators, Teekay has employed VOC
emission reduction systems to reduce the
venting of the gaseous compounds that make
up the VOCs from oil cargoes.
A range of technical solutions have been
employed in the North Sea including
absorption, condensation and KVOC
technologies. The total investment by
operators thus far is in the region of $250
mill. The annual operating expenses for these
systems amount to about $20 mill. These
systems were all installed on a retrofit basis
on board a vessel to reduce VOC emissions
during loading.
Reductions in VOC emissions have been
considerable. For example, Norwegian shelf
shuttle tanker emissions have fallen from
160,000 tonnes in 2002 to just 25,000 tonnes
in 2009. However, this is a relatively small
fleet and only reduces emissions of total crude
shipments by a tiny percentage.
The worldwide daily seaborne imports of
crude amount to around 20 mill barrels. Crude
oil is mostly a long haul cargo, meaning that
the tonne/mile proportion of world seaborne
trade is high. VOC emissions from the crude
oil trade can be reduced by some 1-2 mill
tonnes per annum, reducing the carbon
footprint of crude transportation by about 5%.
An additional benefit would be a reduced
contribution from the crude trade to ground
level ozone.
Two changesTwo major changes would need to be
implemented to achieve such savings. First,
tanker design would need to be modified to
enable the carriage of oil under pressure, at
the modest level of 1.2 to 1.7 bar. Teekay has
already raised the tank pressure on one of its
tankers – �avion Hispania – to 1.2 bar – a
pressure level that most tankers can
accommodate with minor modifications.
The increased pressure in �avionHispania’s tanks provided 15-20% reduction
in VOC emissions during loading. In addition,
re-absorption of VOC during a voyage using a
GBA swirl absorber eliminated emissions
during transit and eliminated the need to vent
if the tank pressure needed to be reduced
before discharge.
Four Amundsen class shuttle tankers due to
be delivered to Teekay this year and next are
designed to load and ship crude under a
pressure of 1.7 bar. In addition to being able
to load at increased pressure, other systems
Teekay is helping the
industry to achieve cleaner
air and more oil in the tank*.
Major tankeroperator gives answer
to VOC emissions
OIL
VAPOUR
H
VOC + IGS +AIR
HIGH & LOW PRESSUREALARMS
TANK LEVELALARMS
VAPOURMANIFOLD
CARGOMANIFOLD
HIGH VELOCITYP/V VALVE
L
h hh
LEVELGAUGE
OIL
REFRIG -ERATION
LNG
LPG
IGS + AIR
RECOVEREDOIL
Schematic of VECS system. Photo credit Teekay/LR.
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:54 Page 12
being fitted on these vessels include –
� A GBA swirl absorber, or CVOC for
absorption of VOC gas into the crude oil
integrated with automatic control of cargo
tank pressure.
� KVOC, which is an increased diameter
drop line system developed by Knutsen
OAS. This system reduces the under
pressure (siphon effect) that occurs in a
conventional drop line, thereby reducing
the flashing of gas from the crude oil
during loading.
Increased cargo tank pressure, together with
KVOC, is expected to reduce VOC emission
during loading by 60-70% and by employing
the GBA system, with laden voyage can be
accomplished without the need to vent VOC
to air.
The additional investment needed for the
design changes and the installation of the
required systems, such as those to be installed
on the four Amundsen vessels, is in excess of
$2 mill. However, retrofitting a swirl absorber
and operating at 1.2 bar can be achieved at a
cost of less than $1 mill.
If implemented on the crude fleet, this
would be the equivalent of reducing its carbon
footprint by 2-3%. Additional benefits would
include an improved working environment on
board and in the vicinity of tanker terminals
by reducing VOC related health risks.
The next big step to further reduce VOC
emissions would involve effective use of the
vapour return system. Most tankers have
vapour return systems but few terminals are
prepared to use this capability to fully close
the vapour emission loop.
If the tanker and terminal operating sectors
co-operated in the transfer of tank atmosphere
between ship and shore during loading and
discharge, this would probably be the
equivalent to an additional 5% reduction of the
carbon footprint of crude oil transport by sea.
The MARPOL convention introduced
requirements for VOC emissions this year.
These regulations are limited to requiring
owners to develop and operate according to a
VOC plan. In the future, this can be made
more effective by operating at somewhat
higher pressure with the aid of installations
such as swirl absorption on all crude oil
tankers.
VOC column breakdown At low altitudes, the propane and butane break
down in sunlight into ozone, which in high
concentration can impair human health and
damage vegetation and materials. The
methane component rises immediately to the
upper atmosphere where its acts as a
greenhouse gas.
In the revised MARPOL Annex VI, which
entered into force on 1st July this year, there
is a requirement for an approved VOC
management plan. Lloyd’s Register has
provided relevant supporting information and
has also produced a template and checklist to
assist managers to produce their plans.
*This article first appeared in Lloyd’sRegister’s Horizons Magazine.
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 69
TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
TO
Teekay’s Dr Hans Richard Hansen. Photo credit Teekay/LR.
@TA�KEROperator
Tanker Operator will be exhibiting at
the Digital Ship stand at Hall B1.OG, booth
�o 183 where Sales Manager David Jeffries
and Editor Ian Cochran will be on hand
to welcome friends old and new.
We have moved!
Tanker Operator has moved offices.Our new postal and calling address is
2nd Floor, 8 Baltic Street East,
London EC1Y 0UP, UK.
The new telephone numbers are:
Publisher - Karl Jeffery +44 (0)20 7017 3405
Editor – Ian Cochran +44 (0)20 7017 3403
All the other details remain unchanged.
p57-69:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:54 Page 13
Admiralty Shipyards builds tankers
of different classes, including
those earmarked for service in
Arctic waters. The shipyard has
recently constructed tankers of 47,400 dwt
and ice class tankers of 70,000 dwt. In the
period between 1994 and 2008 more than 20
tankers were handed over to customers
worldwide.
For example, in 2001, a contract was signed
for the construction of a series of tankers of
47,400 dwt. The tankers are equipped with
automated navigation control systems, cargo
control systems and machinery monitoring
systems. They each feature double sides and
bottoms, 10 cargo tanks and two slop tanks
giving a total capacity of about 53,000 cu m.
They have a maximum speed of 15 knots and
an operational range of 15,750 miles.
During 2003-2008, Admiralty shipyards
delivered eight tankers in this series to
Sovcomflot - Troitsky Bridge, Torgovy Bridge,Tuchkov Bridge, Tower Bridge, TeatralnyBridge, Tavrichesky Bridge, Tverskoy Bridgeand finally the Transsib Bridge. All of the
eight tankers were named after well-known
bridges whose names start with the letter ‘T’.
The major dimensions of the last in the
series – Transsib Bridge - are: - length 182.5
m; breadth 32.2 m; deadweight 47,400 tonnes;
service speed 15 knots; range 15,750 miles,
while the main engine produces 8,310 kW and
the crew numbers 28.
In March 2010, a sophisticated tanker – the
70,000 dwt Mikhail Ulyanov built to LU6 Ice
Class - was handed over to Sovcomflot and is
successfully operating, Currently, Admiralty
shipyards is completing the second in the
series – Kirill Lavrov.They are both built to the advanced DAS™
double-acting technology, a design patented
by Helsinki-based Aker Arctic Technology
(AAT).
The first tanker called Mikhail Ulyanov has
been operating for Sovcomflot since March
TECHNOLOGY - ICE CLASS TANKERS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201070
Admiralty shipyards– one of the leaders inRussian shipbuilding
Currently, Russia’s oldest shipbuilding enterprise – the 305 year old Admiralty
Shipyards – is participating in some of the most important projects within the domestic
Russian shipbuilding industry’s development strategy.
The Mikhail Ulyanovwas built to cope withice of up to 1.2 mthick.
p70-76:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:41 Page 1
p70-76:p39-50.qxd 13/08/2010 15:41 Page 2
2010. The second tanker in the series – named
Kirill Lavrov - was launched on 18th
December 2009 and will be handed over later
this year. They were named after two famous
Russian actors. They employ the DAT
technology ( DAS™) – patented by the
Helsinki-based Aker Arctic Technology.
In accordance with the double acting
concept, in ice the tankers move stern first,
capable of breaking the ice of up to 1.2 m
thick. In clear water, the tankers operate in
conventional mode ahead.
The R-70046 type tankers can be operated
in different areas, but they were primarily
designed to lift oil from the ice-resistant fixed
offshore platform Prirazlomnoye to the
floating transhipment terminal in the
Murmansk region at the ambient outdoor
temperature of around -40 deg C.
They are constructed to RS/LR dual class
standards meeting the requirements of both
Lloyd’s Register and Russian Maritime
Register of Shipping. The ships are propelled
and steered using two AZIPOD azimuth
thrusters of 8.5 MW each, manufactured by
ABB and are also fitted with a Kongsberg
dynamic positioning system, helicopter pad
and an Arctic class bow loading system for
use with the Arctic loading platform.
Largest tankersThe R-70046 tankers were the largest vessels
ever built by Admiralty Shipyards and are
among the largest vessels in the world to
have been launched on an inclined slipway –
the launch weight of each vessel is about
25,000 tonnes.
In 2007, Admiralty Shipyards built a series
of sea-going, ice-breaking, fire-fighting tugs
designed by the Canadian Robert Allan design
bureau for operation on the Sakhalin Island
shelf. The construction work was supervised
by Lloyd’s Register and the tugs met the
requirements of LR class. They were designed
to operate at an ambient air temperature of
down to - 25 deg C.
They are capable of moving at speeds of up
3 knots for a long period of time in one-year
old ice of 0.85 m thickness. Both tugs are
equipped with two Rolls Royce main engines
developing 2,400 kW power each, plus two
Aqua Master azimuth stern drives with
controllable pitch propellers and two auxiliary
Volvo Penta diesel-generators. Each generator
develops 225 kW.
In December 2008, the shipyard was
awarded a contract by the Russian Federation
Hydrometeorology and Environment
Monitoring Service (Roshydromet) for the
construction of a new research vessel to be
employed by the Russian Antarctic expedition
under the control of Roshydromet Arctic and
Antarctic Research Institute. She is to be
completed in September 2011.
Admiralty Shipyards is planning to
strengthen its position in the commercial
shipbuilding market by concentrating its
efforts on the construction of sophisticated
vessels, such as LNGCs.
Both Gazprom and Sovcomflot could be
potential gas carrier customers. Gazprom has
projects requiring vessels with a capacity of
140-150,000 cu m, while Sovcomflot’s
projects include vessels of around 70-80,000
cu m capacity.
Admiralty Shipyards claims to have the
facilities and experience to construct high
technology LNGCs.
TECHNOLOGY - ICE CLASS TANKERS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201072
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August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 73
TECHNOLOGY - ICE CLASS TANKERS
ABS has revised itscomprehensive guide for vesselsoperating in the Arctic andcomparable harsh environments.The update incorporates nearly four years of
operational experience since the guide was
first issued in September 2006.
Drawing upon feedback from the industry,
the ABS Guide for Vessels Operating in LowTemperature Environments was reviewed by
members of ABS’ newly established Arctic
Technical Advisory Committee comprised of
prominent industry representatives active in
harsh environment developments.
The unique demands imposed on vessels
operating in Polar regions are addressed in the
guide, as well as guidance relating to
personnel safety and training. Major sections
include: materials, welds and coatings; hull
construction and equipment; vessel systems
and machinery; safety systems; crew
considerations; and training and related
documentation.
According to Robert Conachey, ABS senior
managing principal engineer, marine
technology, the major revisions include:
updated notations to reflect occasional
operation in low temperatures and continuous
operation in the Polar regions; clarification of
requirements applicable to continuous service
and occasional service in low temperatures;
and references to regulations since the guide
was first published.
Contact information for administrations
located in the Baltic, Arctic and Antarctic
areas, as well as meteorological organisations
are also included in the guide.
Conachey pointed out a new notation for
vessels with de-icing systems has been created
and charts and tables have been updated.
“Detailed coloured temperature charts have
been added in the climatic conditions
appendix,” he explained. “These charts can be
used for guidance to determine temperatures
to be expected when operating in the Arctic
and Antarctic areas.”
Additionally, materials charts have been
updated to reflect recent changes to the IACS
Unified Rule (UR) S6. The charts now point
out requirements for thick plates, castings and
forgings. A new table has also been added
listing various equipment and systems along
with relevant temperature criteria and cross
references.
Vessels designed and equipped in
accordance with the optional requirements of
the guide are eligible for a special class
notation. The notation CCO+(TDST, TMAT)
will be listed in the ABS record with the
service and minimum temperatures for which
the vessel is designed listed in the parenthesis.
For example, CCO+(-30, -40 deg C).
Other optional ABS class notations specified
are: Cold Climate Operation (CCO (TDST,
TMAT)), Cold Climate Operation – Polar
(CCO-POLAR (TDST, TMAT)), Cold Climate
Operation Plus (CCO (TDST, TMAT)+), Cold
Climate Operation – Polar Plus (CCO-POLAR
(TDST, TMAT)+) and DE-ICE.
ABS revises low temperature environmental guide
Russian shuttle tanker graces the ThamesAn unusual arrival in the RiverThames in July was Sovcomflot’s(SCF) Russian Ice Class shuttletanker Timofey Guzhenko. She had arrived at the Coryton refinery in
the Thames estuary where these photographs
were taken.
An SCF spokesman said that all vessels
working from the Barents Sea Varandey
Terminal deliver cargoes to other terminals
from time to time and that this was
one example.
She was the last of three 72,700 dwt crude
oil tankers built by Samsung and was
handed over to SCF in February 2009. The
previous two were the Vasily Dinkov and the
Kapetan Gotsky. Timofey Guzhenko and her sisters were
built to transport crude oil from the
Varandey Terminal to Murmansk for onward
transhipment.
They are registered in St Petersburg and
are dual classed by the Russian Maritime
Register of Shipping and ABS to Ice Class
LU6 (1A Super). They incorporate the
double acting technology (DAT) designed
and patented by Aker Arctic Technology.
Each vessel is fitted with twin Azipods
developing a total of 20MW and a
dynamic positioning system, plus a bow
loading system.
They are managed by Unicom
Management Services out of Limassol. �
Seen at the Coryton refinery last July was Sovcomflot’s Ice Class 1A Super (LU6) shuttle tanker Timofey Guzhenko. Her bowloading system can clearly be seen.
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TECHNOLOGY - ICE CLASS TANKERS
Following a series of extensivenegotiations with Germanshipbuilder- Nordic Yards – Danishequipment supplier API Marinewon a contract to fit monitoringsystems on an Arctic tanker.The company will deliver a cargo monitoring
and level indication system to an icebreaking
tanker under construction for MMC Norilsk
Nickel – Russia’s largest mining and metal
producing concern.
Called project ‘Nordic AT 19’, the tanker
will be able to break through ice of up to 1.5
m thick. She will be built to ship fuel,
lubricants and gas condensate around Russia’s
far northern territories.
She has been designed to operate in harsh
Arctic weather conditions where temperatures
can drop to -50 deg C. API claimed that its
technology has already been proven to work
efficiently and reliably in the Arctic region.
The new tanker will be dual classed with
the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping
(RS) and DNV, while she is scheduled to be
delivered in September 2011.
“We are proud to announce commencement of
a successful collaboration between API Marine
and Nordic Yards with our shared strategic focus
on Arctic shipping,” said API Marine managing
director Sven Egelund Rasmussen.
“We are the leaders in supplying special
equipment for challenging operating conditions,
both for marine and offshore applications and
we constantly develop our cutting edge
technology in order to ensure ultimate precision
and high reliability of our products.
“This contract continues the reference list of
successful Arctic applications for our
advanced products,” he continued.
Nordic yards is based at Wismar, Germany
and is a specialist builder of icebreaking and
icegoing tankers and other sophisticated vessels.
TANKEROperator � August/September 201074
The system before it is installed.
API to supply Arctic tanker newbuilding
www.krohne-skarpenord.com
Monitoring of liquids is in safe handsKROHNE Skarpenord offers complete solutions for monitoring of cargo tanks (and all other tanks) as well as monitoring of fuel consumption on ships.
Come see us at SMM and let us show you how the CARGOMASTER® tank monitoring system and the EcoMATE® fuel consumption monitoring system can bring easiness to your daily work!
Peace of mind
Meet us in Hall A1Stand 513
International trade fair7 - 10 Sept. 2010
In icy conditions.
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TECHNOLOGY - NEWS
Liquid-cooled regenerative andlow harmonic drives help improvethruster and main propulsionsystemsABB, the power and automation technology
group, has introduced two new cabinet built
liquid-cooled industrial drives approved for
marine applications. They offer an even more
compact and reliable drives solution, while
achieving the same standard of performance
as their air-cooled counterparts, ABB claimed.
The new drives, the ACS800-17LC and the
ACS800-37LC have a power range of 55 to
5,200 kW (60 to 6,000 hp) and are designed for
harmonic mitigation and power regeneration.
Mitigating network harmonics is a
significant issue in the marine environment.
Harmonics can cause losses or disturbances
and even premature equipment failure in the
different electrical equipment on the network
such as motors, lighting or electronics.
Limiting harmonics increases these systems
reliability and efficiency.
The new ABB industrial drives are designed
to mitigate these harmonics, making them
suitable for applications such as thrusters,
pumps, compressors, winches, cranes, or
propulsion systems.
Using built-in active supply units to
eliminate low order harmonics and line filters
to reduce higher frequency harmonics, the
drives provide power with very low total
harmonics. This harmonic solution works
without requiring additional external filtering
equipment or multi-pulse transformers.
The ACS800-37LC is the liquid-cooled
variant of ABB’s ACS800 low harmonic cabinet
drive and provides a powerful combination of
liquid cooling and harmonic mitigation. The
result is a drive featuring an exceptionally low
harmonic content in the network of 3 to 5%,
which exceeds stringent international harmonic
standards like IEEE 519 and G5/4.
In addition to the harmonic reduction, the
ACS800-17LC offers a regenerative
capability. The drive feeds braking energy
back into the network, eliminating the need
for braking choppers and other external
braking components. This reduces space
requirements and installation complexity
while providing energy savings.
The drives have marine type approvals from
DNV, ABS, and LR, IP42 protection class as
standard, and IP54 as option.
They come in totally enclosed cabinets with
no additional openings for air vents, reducing
the affect of dusty and salty air. In addition,
with no large cooling fans and filtering
equipment, the operational noise of the drives
is significantly reduced, a feature appreciated
by seafarers.
Both drives use parallel connected three-
phase inverter modules, which not only offer
operational redundancy, but also allow the
drive to run at partial load even when one of
the modules is not operating.
A first installation of two ACS800-17LC
regenerative drives is being undertaken on a
Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) oil and
chemical spill abatement vessel. The drives
will be used for the main propulsion system
and for the ship’s bow thruster. The vessel will
be delivered from Finland’s Uudenkaupungin
Työvene Oy.
August/September 2010 � TANKEROperator 75
New liquid-cooled drives pack more power
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ABB liquid-cooled industrial drives are highly compact and totally enclosed cabinetsmaking them suitable for harsh ambient environments.
Karco has continued to produceits range of marine trainingvideos by introducing two more toadd to its collection.One is a fully 3D animated video, which has
been added to the company’s library of
effective safety videos.
The re-creation of digital marine accidents as
case studies provide valuable insight to the
repetitive mistakes being made on board vessels,
caused by the human element, Karco said.
“Perhaps there is no better tool for training
than to visually showcase an actual error
being committed by a seafarer, who is perhaps
no different from another seafarer in any part
of the world except for their respective level
of training, attitude and commitment to this
profession”, the company said.
The latest digital re-creation concerns the
collision and propeller fouling of a laden
VLCC. The full length video is currently
restricted and will be available in due course,
Karco said.
The second fully 3D animated video
recently introduced was entitled; ‘Enclosed
Type Lifeboats-On Load Release Gear’.
This video very clearly emphasises the
following points in addition to demonstrating
a standard lifeboat launching procedure,
Karco claimed.
� Key components of an ‘On Load Release
Gear System’, including hydrostatic unit,
operating lever, lever locking arrangement,
cables, hook, amplifying arm, cam release
pin etc all in 3D.
� Operating mechanism of the ‘On Load
Release’ gear using the very effective 3D
animations platform.
� Correct procedure of resetting the ‘On
Load Release’ gear at time of recovery of
lifeboat to ensure safe operation.
Karco also claimed to very clearly understand
the need of an effective training tool to deal
with such a critical operation, hence has taken
this a step further by offering to make this video
ship specific as per the design of individual ‘On
Load Release Gear’ make and models.
The company will develop a small 3D
animated clip of about two minutes duration,
which will clearly show the ship specific
model along with the correct operating and
resetting procedure.
This clip will be appended to Karco’s main
video (generic).
Indian safety video maker introduces two more
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TECHNOLOGY - NEWS
TANKEROperator � August/September 201076
BALPURE® ballast water management system authorisedto discharge treated ballast water off CaliforniaThe S/R American Progress, adouble-hull US flag tanker,operated by SeaRiver Maritime,and fitted with a Severn Trent DeNora BALPURE® ballast watermanagement system has beenauthorised to discharge treatedballast water into the sea offCalifornia. Authorisation was granted by the California
State Lands Commission in accordance with
California Public Resources Code Section
71204.3(d), which allows vessels to manage
their ballast water using alternative,
environmentally sound methods of ballast water
management that have been approved by the
Commission, or the US Coast Guard (USCG).
Acceptance of the S/R American Progressinto the USCG Shipboard Technology
Evaluation Program (STEP) is evidence of
SeaRiver Maritime proactive approach to
preventing the introduction of non-indigenous
species via ballast water discharge, the
company said.
The vessel may continue to discharge
treated ballast water with the BALPURE
system into California waters as long as the
vessel remains in the USCG STEP and
operates in accordance with its specific
conditions.
The California State Lands Commission
also considers the vessel to be in compliance
with the state’s performance standards for a
period not to exceed five years from the date
that the interim performance standards are
implemented for this vessel class on 1st
January 2016.
BALPURE is a patented ballast water
management system that generates biocides,
meters and analyses the residual level of both
biocides and neutralising agents and logs the
performance of the overall system.
The system is claimed to exceed IMO
performance standards for ballast water
management and is proven as an effective and
economical device to treat ballast water, with
no adverse effects on the environment.
It features a modular design which is ideal
for retrofit, or newbuild installations where
the configuration of the vessel is fixed. Basic
approval of the BALPURE system was
granted under the “procedure for approval of
ballast water management systems that make
use of active substances (G9)” adopted by the
IMO’s Marine Environment Protection
Committee’s resolution MEPC.169(57).
Severn Trent De Nora designs and
manufactures electrolytic systems to generate
biocides from halide ions present in seawater,
saline and estuarine waters.
The new Draeger X-am 5600 isclaimed to be the smallestportable gas detection instrumentfor the measurement of up to sixgases. With an ergonomic mobile phone design, it
features innovative infrared (IR) sensor
technology and provides accurate, reliable
measurements of explosive, combustible and
toxic gases and vapours, as well as oxygen,
Draeger claimed.
Ideal for personal monitoring applications,
this light yet robust detector is designed for
single-handed operation in tough industrial
environments and is ATEX approved for use
in explosive areas classified as Zone 0.
By using a combination of Draeger IR
sensors and the latest Draeger XXS
miniaturised electrochemical sensors, the
Draeger X-am 5600 can detect a wide variety
of hazards. These include O2, CO, H2S, H2 ,
CO2, Cl2, HCN, NH3, NO, NO2, PH3, SO2
and organic vapours.
Immune to poisons such as hydrogen
sulphide (H2S), Draeger IR sensors ensure
dependable warnings against explosive and
combustible hazards such as hydrocarbons and
carbon dioxide. Offering a low cost of
ownership, they offer an extended sensor life
of up to eight years, twice as long as catalytic
Ex sensors. In addition, they only require
calibration every 12 months and, which
significantly reduce maintenance costs.
The IR Ex sensor provides reliable
measurements of hydrocarbons within the
lower explosive limit (LEL), and from 0-100
Vol.-% for methane, propane and ethylene.
The IR CO2 sensor offers a measurement
resolution of 0.01 Vol.-%. Where accurate
monitoring of explosive substances and
carbon dioxide is needed specifically, Draeger
offers a Dual IR CO2/Ex sensor.
Hydrogen, which is often present in steel
making applications but is not usually
detectable with IR technology, can be
monitored by combining a Draeger XXS
electrochemical H2 sensor with the Draeger
IR Ex sensor.
Designed with safety in mind, the Draeger
X-am 5600 features gas inlets on both the top
and front to ensure reliable warning of a
hazard, even if a gas inlet is accidentally
covered or it is inadvertently placed inside a
jacket pocket. A large illuminated display
means that readings can be seen at a glance
and retro-reflective panels ensure easy
location in the dark or in water. With a clear
360 deg visual alarm, the unit automatically
emits vibrating and multi-tone audible alarms
as soon as a gas is detected.
An optional external pump is available with
hoses up to 20 m for pre-entry measurements
in tanks or pipelines. In addition, the Draeger
X-am 5600 can be used in conjunction with
the new Draeger X-zone to provide wireless
area monitoring. Designed to save time and
reduce workload, the Draeger E-Cal
Automatic Test and Calibration Station and
the Draeger Bump Test Station are also ideal
system extensions.
Equipped with a data logger as standard, the
unit also allows data such as measured values
and configurations to be transmitted via
infrared interface to a PC. The data can then
be analysed using the Draeger Gas Vision
software, with optional user registration being
carried out via the Draeger CC-Vision
software.
Smallest portable gas detector measures up to six gases
The Draeger X-am 5600
TO
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