TANKEROperator OCTOBER 2014
www.tankeroperator.com
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Contents 04
Markets Return of the private investor
23 Technology 23 Ethane carriers 26 Propulsion Hercules - 2 research starts Lubrication choice vital for ECAs 30 Efficiency Speed setting software Ship machinery simulation Performance management tool 33 Underwater Maintenance Hull cleaning ROV
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Singapore Report SSA’s new head speaks out Storage capacity at a premium
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Chemical/Product Tankers Updated short sea design Shaft generators for gas fuelled tankers A look at the markets
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Satellite Communications Airbus expands offering Dual-band antenna Inmarsat goes to Hollywood Iridium addresses GMDSS
34 Safety systems AIS improves safety Safety equipment training VDR standards introduced New equipment launched
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Tank Servicing Eco friendly tank coating
Front cover - Becker Marine Systems has sold more than 800 Mewis Ducts, managing director Dirk Lehmann said at SMM. Over 400 have already been *OOPWBUJWF FOHJOFFSJOHGPS FOWJSPONFOUBMMZ GSJFOEMZQSPEVDUT
installed and the 750th was exhibited in Hamburg.
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Installing a Mewis Duct can save around 6% of fuel and the company claimed that some 900,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions had already been saved. Lehmann also said that the company’s overall orderbook had increased by 20% and that turnover was forecast to be 25% higher this year.
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October 2014
TANKEROperator
01
COMMENT
Its takes two to contango This comment page is devoted to contangos, written with more than a little help from our friends at McQuilling Services, who have analysed what they see going forward. After the financial collapse in 2008, crude oil forward curves moved into steep contango, resulting in fortunes being made in storage asset plays in 2009-2010. This is probably the reason that so much attention is being devoted to the topic today; however, the contango is much different now than it was after the recession. As the US energy revolution continues to develop, global crude oil supply and demand dynamics have begun to evolve. The US has become the world’s largest crude oil producer. However, US produced crude oil cannot be exported, apart from a few exceptions, due to its protectionist policy. As a result, the US now requires less crude imports to meet domestic demand and the new supply and demand re-balances have reduced the long standing price interdependency between US and foreign crudes. McQuilling noted that one interesting development that has been closely monitored this summer is the price differential between the US and European crude oil benchmarks. WTI, the US benchmark, is currently in a forward curve formation referred to as backwardation, while Brent, the European benchmark, has moved into a forward curve formation referred to as contango. In a backwardated market, futures prices are lower than spot prices; and in a contangoed market, futures prices are higher than spot prices. A variety of trading strategies are developed when forward commodity curves move into these formations.
Many players have rightly identified the current contango phenomenon in the Brent curve and several have begun to link it with cargo asset plays utilising crude oil tankers for crude storage in the Atlantic Basin. However, there are a variety of considerations that must be taken into account when evaluating floating storage plays, which many recent reports have overlooked, the consultancy warned. The cost of carrying, or storing, the commodity and the perceived price the cargo can fetch in the future are critical components of a storage asset play. For floating storage, the cost of the vessel, financing, insurance and crew represent the bulk of the carrying costs. Storage costs are not uniform, though. For instance, if you are a tanker owner, crude oil producer, or a bank with low financing costs, your cost of implementing a floating storage play will likely be lower than other nonstrategic players. However, current market conditions make a pretty weak case for floating storage regardless of strategic positioning, McQuilling argued. Storage is normally undertaken on the back of bullish sentiment; but, contango curves don’t necessarily reflect a bullish market. The current contango is more likely a result of short-term over-supply in the Atlantic Basin, which has driven down near-term prices. The shallow Brent contango levels out by the end of 2014, not leaving much meat on the bone for speculators.“We do not see a longterm increase in crude oil demand leading to higher prices in the future that would justify putting oil into storage at current prices to sell in a future spot market at a premium,” the consultancy said. Another meaningful difference between today’s contango and that of 2009 is the price
level at which the contango curves formed, respectively. Five years ago, the contango took shape as markets started to recover after the economic collapse. As the global economy weakened, so did crude oil demand. As the global economy recovered, so did crude oil demand. Today’s contango comes at the top of a multi-year rally. We are at the top of a consolidating price range and without substantial changes to demand, prices will likely not have much room to the upside. The physical crude oil markets are soft. When global crude oil production decreases at a slower pace than demand, some cargoes may sit on the water and wait for buyers. This is the case in Asia and the Atlantic Basin, McQuilling said. When there is a surplus of crude oil, clever traders could delay purchasing cargoes until the over-supply starts to dissipate and prices reach a bottom. There is some evidence pointing at this taking place as recently, the US Energy Information Administration (IEA) released inventory data revealing that US East coast refiners imported 460,000 barrels, as PADD 1 refinery utilisation increased by 10.2%. US crude oil production has been so robust that geopolitical turmoil in key producing nations like Iraq and Libya seem to have little effect on prices. While US production is expected to eventually peak, the one to three year global supply forecast is very strong. At the same time, global crude oil demand forecasts are being pared back. While floating storage is an enticing strategy to consider, a meaningful shift in crude oil supply, demand and futures prices would have to transpire for this contango to be more than just an interesting phenomenon. TO
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INDUSTRY - MARKETS
Shipping attracts private investors Banks are no longer the traditional source of financing for shipowners. Their investment has continued to decline since the peak of 2007. ncroaching on the banks’ business are private equity players and hedge funds, as shipping has become a fashionable sector for private funds to input some of their capital. There is speculation that at least $7 bill has already been invested (up to the end of August) in all types of vessels from these new sources with suggestions that this figure could double by the end of the year, Gibson Research said in a report. When this may seem a considerable amount, it is a mere ‘drop in the ocean’ when looking at the combined portfolios of these funds.
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For example Golden Tree Asset Management, who has a 4.8% stake in Euronav, manages around $21 bill and Oaktree Capital Management has almost $80 bill under its control. Entrepreneur Wilbur Ross estimated that private equity pumped $16 bill into shipping between 2008 and 2013, which was two and a half times the amount generated through IPOs. Gibson said that the exact involvement of these funds was difficult to quantify, as most keep their dealings close to their chests with precise details not normally in the public domain.
One of the best indicators are the filings of public shipping companies who are obliged to make the information public. At the end of last year, Euronav spent $980 mill on 15 Maersk VLCCs and more recently purchased another four VLCCs for $342 mill. Much of this investment was funded by private equity groups, such as Blue Mountain Capital Management, York Capital Management and Golden Tree Asset Management, who together control 22.34% of Euronav’s shares. These investors are betting on this being the right time in the cycle to invest in the tanker
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TANKEROperator October 2014
INDUSTRY - MARKETS
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sector. It could well prove to be a reasonable decision with newbuilding prices at around two thirds of their peak, ie $100 mill instead of $150 mill for a VLCC. Also the longer haul nature of the trading and stronger demand for VLCCs has led to some increased volatility in the spot market with the result that sentiment and rates have improved thus far this year, Gibson concluded. Good timing Moore Stephens agreed that the timing appears to be good, as a shipping industry emerging from a protracted slump offered potentially exciting opportunities for private equity investors. Newbuilding prices are relatively low, so it makes sense for private equity funds to invest. Freight rates have not yet returned to the sort of levels which would normally have private equity investors reaching for their cheque books, but they are no longer in the doldrums. There is a reasonable expectation that, if rates rise and values recover, the returns in the next few years will be above the long-term average, Moore Stephens said. Tonnage ordered now may be in the water at a good point in the industry recovery period. Therefore, investors should be able to sell promptly for a good price, should they choose to do so. An IPO would be one of a number of exit strategies. This fits well with the comparatively short-term horizons of private equity funding, which are generally reckoned to be of a five-year duration. Shipping is currently attracting a great deal of interest from investors in the private equity sector. It has been estimated that at least $7–8 bill of private equity funding could find its way into shipping this year. The shipping industry, however, still accounts for only a tiny percentage of overall private equity investment, so there is arguably scope for significantly more. Oaktree, Blackstone, Riverstone, KKR and others have all made significant investments in shipping at a low point in the shipping cycle. There is a clear incentive for others to take the plunge. Moreover, private equity could provide a viable funding option for shipping company senior executives looking to set up on their own. Experienced professionals with a thorough knowledge of the industry are just the sort of people with whom private equity should be looking to do business, so it is a perfect example of goal alignment, Moore Stephens said. TO
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October 2014
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INDUSTRY - SINGAPORE REPORT
SSA’s new executive airs his views Michael Phoon took over as the new Singapore Shipping Association’s (SSA) executive director on 1st August this year, following the retirement of Daniel Tan after 29 years of service with the SSA. f there is one thing that Phoon fervently believes in, it is the power of the people. Or to put it more accurately, the power that is within people to perform at even higher levels than they may have previously believed themselves. Apart from holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business administration, the new SSA executive director is also a certified master coach, graduating in 2009 at the Graduate School of Master Coaches at the Behavioural Coaching Institute in California. It was during his time at Hewlett Packard as director and general manager of the company’s enterprise networking business unit for Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong that he earned his spurs as a behavioural coach. “In all my business roles I have been able to motivate staff to a higher level of performance and while shipping may be a different industry, it is still all about getting staff to work to higher standards. As employees move on it is important that they possess a sense of achievement and a belief that they can develop to their fullest potential. “Other than normal attrition rates, I am also lucky enough to have never had an employee leave me. For me that is a good testimony. I like coaching and have been a ‘coachee’ in the past and have been quick to pass on the lessons I have been taught,” he said. When you start business coaching someone, what are the key elements you latch onto? Phoon said: “Well there are two key issues I see as important. I always believe that everyone wakes up in the morning and wants to go to work and do a good job. All of us wake up with a good intention to bring home the bacon and once that is in mind, I look at what levers will motivate an individual employee? What will make them say I want to be part of the team and I want to contribute? “It all begins with ownership. On many occasions, I feel that employees and managers become disengaged because they have no sense of ownership. To direct them towards that, is to get them involved in the day-to-day
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decision-making process so they understand what is in store for them. The second key factor is empowerment; otherwise they won’t want to make a decision. Once they are empowered, they then have a sense of mission and empowerment,” he said. Welcoming the new appointment, SSA honorary secretary Esben Poulsson, who headed up a committee of four elected SSA councillors charged with undertaking the search for the next executive director, said: “The process of choosing a successor to the Association’s long-serving and extremely talented executive director Daniel Tan has been a big challenge, given how difficult it will be for anyone to succeed such an illustrious and well respected industry figure as Daniel. “We did, however, interview some highly impressive candidates and the final choice was very difficult. Nonetheless, the SSA Council was unanimous in its choice of Michael Phoon who, while not being from the industry, demonstrated a level of understanding, enthusiasm and passion for the role and was in the end simply chosen on the basis of being the best person for the job,” he said. Track record It was his track record as a results-driven person, with excellent people management skills that the SSA believed would enable him to lead it to the next level. Indeed as Esben Poulsson stressed, there is a clear trend for Associations around the world to be run along more business-like lines and in this respect, the SSA in the future will be no exception. “With more than 475 member companies, the SSA has a very solid foundation from which to grow further and continue to make its contribution to further enhancing Singapore as a leading international maritime centre,” Poulsson said. So what motivates the new executive director as a person? “First of all it is a sense of achievement. I have always been a resultsdriven person; that is the little spark that fires
me. I have a degree in finance but throughout my entire career I have only spent about three years in finance. The rest of my roles have put me beyond my comfort levels. I like the challenge because I am very hands on and I pick up the technical stuff very quickly. “My past successes in roles beyond my comfort zones, were partly because I had asked for and received help from colleagues who knew better than me, and saw my eagerness to want to learn and contribute,” Phoon said. Challenged So does Phoon feel challenged as this is a new industry? “I am thoroughly excited being here in this industry and, yes, I will be challenged in some areas of expertise where experiences built the knowledge. And I have a lot to learn from my colleagues that is for sure. I won’t be on par, knowledge-wise with them. “But it is in my plans to engage them and I will see them as collaborative partners. I have worked long enough to know that if I asked for help, people are often willing to help. And I hope to also bring in my own qualities into the industry,” he said. And the question was put to Phoon as to what qualities will he bring to the job, especially when he will immediately embark on a steep learning curve? “One of the issues I feel committed to is that I feel the SSA needs to have a higher profile regionally and internationally. I am a strong advocate for the business to grow and I would like to see the SSA grow to be even more of an important player. Today, the SSA is a collective voice for all its members so I believe the SSA should ensure the concerns of its members are heard inside and outside the industry loud and clear,” he said. As Singapore continues to stay ahead and remain relevant in the global world, Phoon believed that the SSA, must also match its pace with Singapore. That means the SSA must be ever ready to step up and to be engaged collaboratively for its members and
TANKEROperator October 2014
INDUSTRY - SINGAPORE REPORT
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The SSA’s new head Michael Phoon.
for the industry. So what is his plan for the next few months as he settles into his role? “I have been putting together a work plan which encompasses a handing over and taking over process before spending time meeting with key SSA members and their stakeholders and finding what their market drivers are. I will also look at the events and calendars coming up. It will also give me an opportunity to start to engage with the ASF secretariat which is based here in Singapore. The best approach is to take it all one step at a time. “There is also a drive to increase the broad membership of the SSA which I believe is too small. My intention is to drive this forward. We want to know why there are still shipping industry players who are not yet ready to be members of SSA and so it is important that SSA continues to be seen as an engaged leader for its members and observers. “SSA has actively launched many working groups, which are set up to address matters affecting the shipping industry. These working groups (committees and sub-committees) comprise of members who volunteer their time and effort to help address these issues with the maritime and related authorities. This, to me, is the value that SSA brings. SSA must be seen as an organisation which the shipping industry want to be a part of, by offering added value services, a collective voice, educational seminars, related training programs, etc. "I said that SSA needs to be relevant and that’s why the SSA executive council and its council members are comprised of individuals with both domestic and international experiences in the industry. This is essential because we need that kind of exposure to grow and engage globally,” he concluded. TO October 2014
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INDUSTRY - SINGAPORE REPORT
Lack of land impacts on storage capacity expansion The expansion of Singapore as a leading Asia/Pacific energy hub, combined with the country’s moratorium on the development of further onshore storage, has led to the hub expanding beyond national borders to encompass infrastructure in Malaysia. ccording to a Platts report published in August entitled ‘FOB Singapore Beyond Singapore – Towards FOB Straits’, Singapore’s storage capacity is a key reason for the country’s status as Asia’s leading oil trading hub. As the island’s storage terminal market has matured, further capacity growth has been curtailed by limited waterfront land availability. Terminal storage operators have opened up in Malaysia and Indonesia to accommodate higher trading volumes, as supply and trading of oil has steadily grown across Asia as a whole. These developments mean the oil industry is evolving from a specified loading of free-onboard (FOB) basis Singapore ports, towards a broader FOB ‘Straits’ basis, Platts said. Meanwhile, due to its strategic location, the island country is one of the world’s leading bunker suppliers and to tighten up on quality and quantity issues, from 1st January, 2017 mass flow meters (MFM) will be mandatory when bunkering in Singapore . In an announcement made earlier this year, Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, claimed that the port is the first in the world to mandate the use of flow meters. Before this, from 1st January next year, all new bunker tankers applying for a harbour craft (bunker tanker) licence will be required to be fitted with a Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)-approved MFM system for fuel oil delivery. The MPA said it will offer a lump sum incentive of Sing$80,000 ($63,500) per bunker tanker to help offset the cost of the new systems, which will be awarded upon MPA's approval of each system fitted. Under the new rules, by 31st December, 2016, all existing bunker tankers operating in
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From 1st January, 2017, the fitting of mass flow meters will be mandatory in Singapore.
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the port must be fitted with a MPA-approved MFM system.
MPA get tougher In addition, the MPA has been getting tougher with bunker suppliers that allegedly flout its rules. For example, last month, the MPA cancelled the bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licences of Northwest Resources with effect from 1st September, 2014. MPA's investigations into Northwest Resources had disclosed breaches by the company of the terms and conditions of their bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licences. The cancellation of the bunker licences follows the conviction of one of the company's directors for bunkering-related corruption offences. In a statement, the MPA reminded all licensed bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators to adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of their bunker licences. It said that it will take firm action against any bunker supplier, or bunker craft operator, who has acted in contravention of their bunker licences, including suspending, or cancelling their bunker licences, as appropriate.
For its size, Singapore has a huge service sector serving shipping, due to the number of calls made in the terminals, as well as the various anchorages. New player One recent addition to the island’s ships agency sector was Wave Shipping. However, almost no sooner than it was set up, Wave was sold to EMS Seven Seas. In addition, Wave’s founder and CEO Lars Rosenkrands was appointed EMS CEO. Wave Shipping will remain a standalone division based in Singapore, once the acquisition goes through. With more than 1.4 mill port calls recorded in 2013 and $6 bill in estimated potential agency revenue, Rosenkrands said that he saw great potential and opportunity for Wave Shipping in the market. “Currently, what we see is a highly fragmented industry with thousands of relatively small agencies and with the four global agencies having a combined market share of less than 15% by volume of port calls handled. There is an opportunity to consolidate the industry, improve the overall customer service competency and eliminate bureaucratic inertia in the market, ” he said. Wave Shipping has offices in Australia and Singapore. The agency has plans to expand its operations in the Middle East and other parts of Asia in the latter part of this year. Its target is to establish presence in 20 countries over the next three years and acquire a more significant market position with 13,000 to 14,000 port calls a year within five years. A spokesperson for Wave Shipping told Tanker Operator that the agency was targeting the various tanker segments as the company’s teams are among the most experienced port agents in their locations within this segment. TO
TANKEROperator October 2014
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INDUSTRY - CHEMICAL / PRODUCT TANKERS
New short sea chem/products design unveiled Following consultations with shipowners, Wärtsilä has upgraded its chemical/products tanker design first introduced in the late 1990s/early 2000s. ore than 60 vessels have been delivered to the original design. The SK 5054 MkII IMO II type incorporates the latest Wärtsilä technology applied to its broad offering of solutions, including the company’s 2-stroke engines. In particular, the new design facilitates the use of gas as a marine fuel, thereby making it especially applicable to ships that will operate within emission control areas (ECAs). This new design is claimed to offer a 12% increase in energy efficiency over the original SK 5054 design. Other notable features include lower operational costs, an efficient cargo handling arrangement with minimised ballast capacity, an emphasis on ease of maintenance and a strong focus on crew safety. The ice class design also implements Wärtsilä's LNG fuel technology, for which the company's in-house knowledge concerning gas solutions has been utilised in the development work. "The SK 5054 MkII design effectively raises the bar in terms of innovative designs that emphasise operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. In further improving an established and successful design to make it even better, we are meeting the needs of our customers for the challenges that the industry faces today, and at the same time, helping to take merchant shipping into the gas age," said Riku-Pekka Hägg, vice president, Wärtsilä Ship Design. It is being offered in three versions - basic burning fuel oil, an SCR scrubber fitted vessel and a dual-fuel LNG design.
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Above and below: SK 5054 Mk ii's hull was re-designed for greater fuel effiicency and aerodynamics were also introduced also for greater efficiency.
involved in North European and Baltic trades, where emission controls are needed. The hull lines were redesigned for greater fuel efficiency, seakeeping capabilities and for a high efficiency propeller design. The steel weight is claimed to be significantly lower than the first design. Speed flexibility has also been taken into consideration, while the whole design is claimed to be aerodynamic for greater efficiency. As an LNGC, the new vessel will have a
capacity of 19,500 cu m on a deadweight of 16,700 tonnes. Jacob Høgh Thygesen, Wärtsilä director sales, merchant ship design solutions, told Tanker Operator that the new design is favoured by the oil majors for Northwest European/Baltic operations. The vessel is designed for a service speed of 13.5 knots, as there is a need for higher ballast speeds for economic operations. Thygesen also said that Wärtsilä had designed the vessel
Differing environment The second version has been designed for a different environment from that of the first under strict commercial boundaries, as it is being marketed to owners and operators
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TANKEROperator October 2014
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INDUSTRY - CHEMICAL / PRODUCT TANKERS to keep its residual value for around 10 years, giving the owner/operator the option to factor in potential asset play going forward. The tankers will be be built by the so called ‘big five’ Chinese shipyards, but at present it is a buyers market, as the smaller chemical trades are relatively weak. Thygesen said that he was hopeful that the first orders will be placed by the end of this year. At SMM, Wärtsilä also introduced its latest development in large controllable pitch (CP) propellers, based on the previously E-hub type. The new CPP offers greater efficiency and a reduced environmental impact and has been designed to address the demands of medium and large size vessel owners. It is particularly applicable for special vessels that are equipped with dynamic positioning capabilities, as well as vessels having an ice notation. Among the benefits claimed are an increased load capability, a high propulsive efficiency, reduced fuel consumption created by the extra efficiency, excellent reliability and a reduced environmental footprint. TO
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Principal Particulars- SK 5054 MkII IMO II Chemical Tanker Length, oa .............................................144 m Length, bp...........................................133.8 m Breadth....................................................23 m Depth....................................................12.4 m Draught, design.....................................8.4 m Draught, maximum..................................9 m Design deadweight.............................15,000 t Maximum deadweight.......................16,700 t Cargo capacity, maximum..........19,500 cu m LNG fuel capacity, net.....................680 cu m Service speed.......................................13.5 kn
TANKEROperator October 2014
INDUSTRY - CHEMICAL / PRODUCT TANKERS
Shaft generators for gas powered product tankers introduced In June of this year, WE Tech Solutions and Wärtsilä Finland signed a contract for the delivery of four direct drive permanent magnet shaft generator systems to a series of LNG fuelled product tankers. Vaasa-based WE Tech is to deliver the shaft generators to a series of four LNG powered 15,000 dwt product tankers ordered by Danish shipping company Terntank Rederi. The tankers will be built by the Chinese shipyard Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding and the delivery of the equipment will commence in April, 2015. Terntank aims to have the most energy efficient and environmentally adapted tankers by using LNG as fuel to achieve significant environmental advantages. With the patented WE Drive and the shaft generator technology from WE Tech, the energy efficiency of the machinery will reach
unprecedented levels in the marine industry, the company claimed. With its active front-end low harmonic drive technology, the WE Drive allows the shaft generator to operate over the full main engine speed range, while generating electricity for the vessel’s electrical network with high efficiency over the entire range. This feature is particularly Front of prominent in electrical part loads – the normal electrical load condition in any ship. With the drive and shaft generator in power take out (PTO) mode, the available power for the vessel’s electrical network is up to 600 kW, generated by a fuel efficient 2-stroke, low pressure, dual-fuel main engine. In this mode, the auxiliary generators are not running thus reducing the auxiliaries
the WE Drive.
operating hours giving significant savings. Reduced running hours also decrease the need for maintenance. WE Tech has developed this new type of variable frequency shaft generator system, which is claimed to provide many benefits for shipowners. The company’s energy efficient solutions are suitable for retrofits and for newbuildings. TO
Our Unitor maintenance and repair products keep your vessels on the move We know that maintenance and repair is vital to protect your assets. That’s why we work to constantly improve our products to better your operational efficiency. Delivered by our worldwide network of marine specialists, they meet global standards so you can be sure of quality and consistency. It’s marine products, done better. To learn more about our Unitor maintenance and repair products please visit our website. wilhelmsen.com/shipsservice
OPTIMISING PERFORMANCE
October 2014
TANKEROperator
13
INDUSTRY - CHEMICAL / PRODUCT TANKERS
Markets- LRs to gain/MRs feel pain McQuilling Services recently published its mid-year Tanker Market Outlook (TMO), updating its annual five-year take on the tanker market. A substantial TCE differential currently exists between the dirty and clean Aframax/LR2 and Panamax/LR1 sectors. At some point, this will compel owners to dirty up more LR tonnage, limiting some of this supply growth and leading to higher freight rates in the LR sectors. As for MR2s & MR1s, poor fundamentals are a feature of this sector. On the back of a string of high contracting years, net fleet growth is set to expand in 2015 and 2016. Additional supply pressure comes from a large and growing IMO II fleet that could compete with standard MR tankers for cargoes if the chemical markets is disappointing. Demand is declining, as the average trade
expense of the LR1 sector, where demand growth of just 1.2% was expected. The MR2 sector is anticipated to decline by 2.2% in 2014, compared to 2013, even as the main trades see increased demand. As for vessel deliveries, MR2s have remained robust with 26 tankers joining the fleet up to August this year. Demand growth for LR2s & LR1s is forecast to be robust going forward, as trade transfers from the MR sectors. Competition for market share between LR1 and LR2 tonnage will ensue. Supply is also growing significantly, but overall, the freight effect is expected to be positive and higher than the January TMO estimates.
he 50 plus page report contained an updated outlook for monthly tanker freight rates and TCE revenues for 13 major tankers on eight vessel segments for the second half of the year and the remaining four years of the forecast period. Some key findings from the report affecting chemical/products tankers, included the following: Demand in the refined products transport sector was mixed, depending on vessel class. Robust expansion for LR2 demand is expected to continue at 13% for 2014 with continued emphasis on shipping larger parcels and a return of AG/East condensate volumes. However, this expansion will be at the
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CHHIEF OFFICER …………..………….......………….......………….......…………………………
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20
....................
Ma ade & Printeed in Great Brita ain. i
DR. RAYMOND SOLLY
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CAPTAIN QUEN NTIN COX and d
DECK D ECK LOG LO G B BOOK OOK N No o. 131 131 C CHIE H EFF EN ENGINEER G N EER R ’S LO G BOOK OOK N No o. 132 132 BRIDGE B R DG E & D DEC ECK LLO OG GB BOOK OO K N No o. 133 133
JOH HN ONSLOW
BROWN’S NAUTICAL ALMANAC 2015 EDITION — PUBLICATIO T ON DATE T 1ST OCTOBER 2014 — Brown’s Nautical Almanac is arrangeed in numbered parts for ready reference as follows:–– I. Astronomical data in daily use by n navigators, with explanations of its use. II. Nautical Taables and Methods. III. Tide Taables for Home and Foreign Waters, predictions have been comp piled by the mostt reliable authorities as acknowledg ged; The Tidal Constants for British Isles an nd Foreign Ports. IV V. Coastal Courses and Distances arou und the British Isles. Courses are given in Correct Magnetic P rooviding Nauticcaal (2014) and in True (3-figure) notation, t distances are to the nearest ¼ mile; Taable of Courses publiccaattions i for 160 years. and Distances around the British Issles, North Sea, English Channel and the Baltic Ports. V. Distance Tables a giving a world-wid de coverage of total distances from the principal ports of Distriibutors in n over 30 Britain, U.S.A. and Canada, to all im mportant ports of the world; Numerous other tables giving inter-port distances in important ar a eas. countries worrldwide l . VI. Miscellaneous Inffoormation: Legal, Teechnical and General. VII. Lights, Beacons and Buoys of th he British Isles, including Éire and the Channel Islands; websitte: e www.skiipper.co.uk Pilotage information. A mass of Valuab aluablee inf information formation for the M Merchant erchant Na Navy, vy, y, Yaach achtsmen, tsmen, Shippers Shippers, Shipping Offices, Offices, et etc. c. Used U sed rround ound the w world orld ev every ery da dayy thr throughout oughout the yyear. earr.
14
e-mail:: info@skip f ippe ppp r.co . .uk telephone:: 0141 4229 122334
TANKEROperator October 2014
INDUSTRY - CHEMICAL / PRODUCT TANKERS length shortens in response to more interregional trade from intra-regional deployments and volumes traditionally reserved for MR tonnage are increasingly being carried on LR tonnage. McQuilling’s adjusted freight outlook at midyear 2014 was lower for the MR trades in the
forecast period than the expectations last January. Asset values were broadly higher in the first half of 2014 as attention began to shift away from newbuilds to secondhand tonnage. LR2 secondhand tonnage is showing almost 30% above where the consultancy had
anticipated. McQuilling concluded; “While believe the economies of scale may help this tanker class cannibalise LR1 cargoes, we think the current values do not support the expected earnings environment and would be cautious at buying tonnage at these levels.” TO
Laurin to fit Marinex BWT systems to its chemical/product tanker fleet US-based Chemical and products tanker owner Laurin Maritime has selected the Trojan Marinex Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system for its 11-vessel fleet. “Our vessels sail in waters in the US and we are convinced that the Trojan Marinex system offers Laurin Maritime the ability to meet emerging regulatory requirements, especially requirements for US Coast Guard type approval,” explained Capt Pär Brandholm, environmental & nautical manager, Laurin Maritime. “We were impressed with the amount of testing that has been conducted and Trojan’s overall approach to develop a system
specifically to meet the US requirements. “Our vessels often visit river ports and the fact that they tested in all water qualities, specifically freshwater and in very poor water qualities were very critical factors in our decision-making process. In addition, not only is their system available as a single integrated unit for high flow rates, it also has explosionproof certification which was a requirement for our vessels,” he said. Vessels sailing in US waters will require BWT systems that are type approved by the USCG. Currently, despite the availability of more than 40 IMO type approved systems, no system supplier has obtained USCG type
approval. Trojan’s Marinex BWT product suite recently received Alternate Management System (AMS) acceptance in accordance with the USCG final rule for Standards for Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged in US Waters. The suite is one of the few to receive AMS for all water qualities - freshwater, brackish water and marine water. In addition, the suite is tested and IMO type approved to the lowest UV transmittance value in the industry (corresponding to poor water quality) under full flow conditions. Testing was conducted under the supervision of DNV. TO
Air Products nitrogen generators
When reliability matters
Air Products has been Pioneers in the Nitrogen market since 1982 and more than 1.000 marine N2 generators have been installed onboard ships. If you wish to learn from our 30 years experience, contact us and we will share with you.
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October 2014
TANKEROperator
15
INDUSTRY - SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Airbus expands offering to ease IT access Airbus Defence and Space has added new features to its XChange communications management platform and as a result, released version 3.1 at SMM 2014. eadlining the new version is a unique system that provides universal remote access to any device connected to on board networks, or the IT network itself and new functionality that builds on the recently released BYOD (bring your own device) solution for XChange. Universal remote access is a new option for XChange and provides secure remote access to computers on board a vessel from anywhere. It meets the growing need from shipowners, communications equipment manufacturers, satcom service providers and maritime service companies to easily access IT networks on board from shore for maintenance and troubleshooting, Airbus explained. “Though it’s already possible to access computers and networked equipment on a ship remotely, our system is the first to provide universal remote access, meaning equipment vendors can provide support for their systems through XChange rather than implementing proprietary systems. This reduces the number of access points on board, which in turn improves security and bandwidth usage for remote access applications,” said Tore Morten Olsen, head of maritime satcoms, Airbus Defence and Space at the time of its launch. XChange’s remote access facility differs from standard remote access solutions, as they are designed for specific terminals, or protocols and require their own IP address. The new system is a universal, single tool to control any device on board. It supports all protocol formats and is completely carrier independent, working on all connectivity types from VSAT to Inmarsat FleetBroadband and Iridium OpenPort, or non-satcom connectivity. In addition XChange version 3.1 includes a new functionality that automates and hence reduces action required for managing and allocating crew credit. XChange’s new user admin and credit management service frees the Master on board from time consuming admin
H
16
tasks: They just need to configure the monthly amount of data allowance per crew member, which is then renewed automatically – month after month, as long as they are on board. When a new crew member joins a vessel for the first time, he, or she can self-register with one click via the XChange interface. After registering, the crew member can purchase a PIN voucher at the crew kiosk – and go online, either using a Crew PC in the mess, or by using his, or her own device in a cabin. Airbus Defence and Space has thus far delivered 1,200 XChange systems, with more than 80 shipping companies currently using it. Over 70% of vessels with XChange installed use it for switching between satellite terminals on board with a 50:50 split between VSAT and FleetBroadband services. Over 60% of these vessels use XChange as their main router. XChange is a key component of Airbus Defence and Space’s AuroraGlobal portfolio, launched in March 2014. This function offers the full capabilities of Airbus’ satellite services and infrastructure, offering flexible solutions based on X-, Ka-, Ku-, C and L-bands. WaveCall success Another Airbus company, Marlink is to supply WaveCall VSAT services to Scorpio Ship Management’s (SSM) 75 newbuild tankers and bulkers to be delivered throughout 2015 and 2016. Following an earlier contract in 2013 to
provide VSAT services for 46 newbuildings and upgrading of the existing 27 vessels, this new brings the total of SSM managed vessels to be fitted to 148. Marlink was selected for the original 46 newbuildings and existing fleet upgrade in a competitive bidding process, with WaveCall winning due to its exceptional quality of service during testing, the company said. Happy with the performance offered by WaveCall, based on 512 kbps uplink and 256 kbps downlink, SSM selected the same service parameters for its 75 new vessels. Each vessel is being fitted with a 1 m Ku/Kaband convertible antenna, L-band back-up, and Iridium handheld with external antenna for security and anti-piracy applications. It will also offer HTS satellites when available. WaveCall is the first maritime innovation from the AuroraGlobal multi-band portfolio and will also offering HTS satellites when available. Marlink’s service and support function is matched by SSM’s IT organisation. The company’s service provides the bandwidth that SSM IT staff need to remotely manage SSM vessels from ashore. In addition, WaveCall Plus will enhance the free internet services provided to the crew on SSM-managed vessels by adding more bandwidth for crew to use. Delivery of WaveCall VSAT for the first 46 SSM newbuildings is proceeding as planned, with 30 installations already completed and ready for service as of the end of August. TO
Airbus to sell maritime subsidiaries After a detailed and comprehensive portfolio assessment, Airbus Defence and Space could be about to sell off its maritime interests in the near future. The group has defined space (launchers & satellites), military aircraft, missiles and related systems and services as its future core
businesses. Some business areas have been identified as divestment candidates, including the commercial and para-public communication business (professional mobile radio and commercial satellite communications services activities), which will have better chances for growth and market success in different ownership structures, Airbus said.
TANKEROperator October 2014
INDUSTRY - SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Dual-band compatible antenna introduced Intellian has developed a dual-band compatible antenna line in readiness for the introduction of Inmarsat’s Ka-band Global Xpress (GX) service. esigned to deliver efficient highspeed global broadband operation on Ku- and Ka- band services, the 1 m Intellian v100GX VSAT communications antenna compliments the recently unveiled 65 cm GX60 VSAT terminal. The new dual-band antennas support automatic satellite and beam switching for GX coverage when crossing from one satellite coverage region to another, which can be achieved in under 10 secs. In addition, Intellian’s Gyro-free satellite search function enables the antennas to acquire and lock onto the satellite without requiring separate input from the ship’s gyrocompass, thus further simplifying the installation process. The antennas also support a low elevation angle (-20 deg) capability to ensure reliable connectivity even at high latitudes. The dedicated patented Intellian Aptus software is used for system control and monitoring of the v100GX and GX60 antennas. Aptus automatically configures the antenna to provide true one-touch commissioning. Available also as a mobile app, the software allows for even greater accessibility to the terminal wherever the operator is located, Intellian claimed. When space is limited on board a vessel, the compact GX60 is an ideal option and comprises an all-new GX below deck unit (BDU) with a GX modem fully integrated within the system, saving significant time during installation. Users also benefit from the eight network ports on the BDU, providing a complete communication solution in one compact unit, the company said. The v100GX antenna is already in use on board hundreds of vessels and service providers and can be upgraded to the upcoming GX service with minimal intervention to meet future needs. It takes just minutes to complete the conversion, which is
D
October 2014
TANKEROperator
made possible with a quick and easy to use plug-and-play kit. When converting the v100GX from Ku-band, the carbon fibre antenna reflector does not need to be changed as the RF section is mounted on a single modular chassis, enabling quick conversion to Ka-band operation without any system rebalancing. All Intellian antenna systems are designed, manufactured and tested to withstand the company’s standards for vibration and extreme shock in all sea states and weather conditions. Warranties for all Intellian VSAT antennas last for three years for parts and one year for labour. Inmarsat approved At SMM, Intellian also showed its latest Fleetbroadband systems, which have been approved by Inmarsat for use as part of the
upcoming GX package. The three products in the Intellian Fleetbroadband range include - FB150, FB250 and FB500. The FB150 is a high performance satellite communication solution designed to provide global, high quality data and voice for business, operational, or recreational applications in a compact size and light weight ADU (above deck unit) with the optional matching dome solution and simple user installation. FB250 enables commercial vessels to enter the broadband arena providing all the required functions. A low initial investment and the Inmarsat FleetBroadband service per MB pricing reduces the communication cost, despite the increase in functionality and frequency of use. FB500 is the largest of Intellian's FleetBroadband product range and provides
Inmarsat approved Fleetbroadband system for use with GX.
17
INDUSTRY - SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Intellian’s FB250 allows vessels to enter the broadband communications network.
18
the fastest and most cost-effective FleetBroadband service available, the company claimed. It is designed specifically for intensive use on board vessels using Inmarsat’s I4 satellite, global broadband coverage. It will keep the ships in touch with their control centre in addition to keeping the crew connected with home wherever the ships are operating around the world. Jon Harrison, vice president communication systems told Tanker Operator that with the advent of GX, now was the right time to deliver more reliability with different modems having higher throughputs. Intellian sells its hardware to the satcoms service providers as a managed service. Some of the first vessels to take VSAT on board were the North Sea shuttle tankers and chemical carriers, the company explained as the tanker sector greatly benefits from having this type of communications on board. The 1 m antenna is proving the most popular, accounting for 30-40% of the sales. An average fitting of a three-piece model takes only around six hours using a crane, Carl Novello, vice president strategy and US general manager said. TO
TANKEROperator October 2014
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INDUSTRY - SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Inmarsat goes to the movies Inmarsat has secured an exclusive five-year, worldwide movie distribution agreement for commercial shipping. he private global mobile satellite communications service provider and NT Digital Partners launched Fleet Media this Summer. The five-year agreement covers the digital distribution of the latest Hollywood releases, as well as television programming and sports and news content. It is available to vessels, via any Inmarsat broadband package. Fleet Media offers a selection of movie and television programming packages every month. The packages are sent directly to participating vessels over the Inmarsat network for ‘off-line’ viewing on PCs, laptops and tablets. The service is available to Inmarsat broadband service subscribers with the content securely downloaded and stored on the vessel’s Inmarsat iFUSION* box. Any shipowner subscribing to the new digital packages is able to take their service with them when they upgrade from one Inmarsat service to another (eg, FleetBroadband to XpressLink, or XpressLink to Global Xpress). The content packages are created by NT Digital Partners and its co-owner Spafax, a
T
WPP company. Spafax is a leader in inflight entertainment with customers including British Airways and Air Canada. “Inmarsat is extremely excited by this agreement and the opportunities to bring more benefits to seafarers,” said Frank Coles, president, Inmarsat Maritime. “This service continues our commitment to welfare at sea. We will be offering this service through our global distribution channel.” Tim Swank, Chairman of NT Digital Partners, said, “Our unique and exclusive partnership with Inmarsat brings together the best of both worlds. Inmarsat and NT Digital Partners are able to leverage Inmarsat's stateof-the-art satellite distribution network with NT Digital Partners’ streaming technology and our exclusive relationships with the Hollywood studios for a product that will forever change the crew member experience." Fleet Media offers an on-demand video experience with hundreds of hours of programming. The new service, which is available to shipowners via their Inmarsat distribution partner (DP), is claimed to be an improvement over traditional DVD
Inmarsat’s Frank Coles.
distribution methods with the streamed content specifically licensed and selected for commercial ships. To meet their specific needs, vessel owners can select from multiple tiered offerings. *Inmarsat’s iFUSION box can incorporate an Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminal, a localised GSM network, an IP network router, firewall, proxy and email system into an integrated rack-mountable solution. TO
Iridium gears up for GMDSS In July of this year, Iridium Communications’ application to the IMO to provide mobile satellite communications in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) was reviewed by the IMO subcommittee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR). As a result, the application will be presented to the November Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meeting, before advancing to a group of experts for comprehensive technical and operational evaluation. Final approval will be down to the MSC, following review of the experts' report by 20
NCSR, which is expected by mid-2016. This is particularly important for coverage of Polar regions, where the current GMDSS provider (Inmarsat) is not able to provide a service, Iridium claimed. Iridium's constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit, inter-connected satellites operates as a fullymeshed network and provides coverage worldwide - including Polar regions - where demand for reliable voice and data communications is on the rise, as shipping and trade routes continue to expand into the area. The company will begin deploying its second generation constellation -Iridium NEXT - in 2015, offering greater capacity, bandwidth and data speeds, as well as backwards compatibility for existing products
Iridium’s Dan Mercer.
TANKEROperator October 2014
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INDUSTRY - SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS and services in the market. Dan Mercer, Iridium’s vice president and general manager for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia told Tanker Operator; “We see a desire for increased bandwidth in the future as a result of new real-time applications that enable operational efficiencies and safety benefits. We are actively working to support these market requirements through the development of our second-generation broadband products and services that will deliver data speeds up to 1.5 Mbps. We are developing this technology in conjunction with soon-to-be-announced equipment manufacturers and expect them to be commercially available in the second half of 2016. “As vessels operate in more remote and treacherous waters, the coverage of a satellite network is increasingly critical for ship operators. Not all satellite networks and service providers offer the same coverage, so it is essential that buyers do their homework as to what the actual service offering entails. “Satellite access remains a key selling point as users become aware of vulnerabilities that exist with other technologies. Many terrestrialbased solutions advertise coverage, which may be inconsistent, and higher throughput satellite solutions such as Ku and Ka-band have demonstrated susceptibility to inclement weather, which is not the case for Iridium devices. “Reliable satellite connectivity remains a key selling point because users are coming to understand that not all networks have the same level of reliability and as users adopt more real-time shipboard monitoring, it is imperative that they have a reliable source of connectivity to support their business operations. “We believe that our second-generation broadband products and services will provide the opportunity to further reduce the cost of connectivity for vessel operators. The primary cost reduction is likely to be achieved through lower-priced equipment that can still deliver VSAT-like functionality. “At present, most VSAT equipment is twice as expensive as L-band terminals, so an Iridium terminal that can provide VSAT functionality at half the size and half the cost would be very attractive to the market,” he said. Addressing the specific needs of the Arctic region, Mercer said; “We have seen increasing utilisation of our products and services in the Arctic regions. While it is still early for the maritime market, the forecast for growth in the Northern Arctic is expected to further increase in use over the coming years. 22
“The rescue co-ordination centre responsible for Arctic waters have been very supportive of our GMDSS efforts and we expect them to be some of the early adopters of our service, as Iridium is the only reliable means of communications in this region,” he stressed. In anticipation of IMO recognition, Iridium said that it was working with established maritime communications equipment manufacturers for the production and certification of GMDSS terminals that use the Iridium network, along with Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres and service providers for the provision of maritime safety communications. Mercer confirmed that the company is engaged in active discussions with multiple equipment manufacturers who are looking to build a GMDSS terminal that uses the Iridium
network. “However, we do not expect to formally sign any manufacturing partners until an approved equipment specification has been adopted by the IMO. We would expect this to take place in 2016,” he explained. Once approved, the shipboard terminals will meet both the GMDSS and operational communications needs of a vessel, giving the industry the option of a single, affordable communications terminal to satisfy both safety and business communications wherever they operate. Expected to be available before the end of 2015, GMDSS terminals using the Iridium network are designed to have an operational longevity of nearly 20 years, eliminating the need for vessel owners and operators to purchase new equipment every few years, the company claimed. TO
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TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - SHIP DESCRIPTION - ETHANE CARRIERS
Interest in ethane carriers hots up Earlier this year Norwegian shipping investment firm Ocean Yield ordered three Liquefied Ethylene Gas (LEG) carriers of 36,000 cu m capacity each from Sinopacific. he three vessels are claimed to be the world’s first ethane fuelled LEG carriers ordered.
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Upon their delivery from the second half of 2016 onwards, they will be bareboat chartered to the Leer-based Hartmann Group for 15 years. For the first 10 years, the charter will be at a fixed daily rate, while the last five years will be concluded at a floating daily charter rate. In turn, Hartmann has agreed to sub-charter the vessels to SABIC Petrochemicals, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian petrochemical company SABIC. This charter was concluded through Hartmann’s commercial management subsidiary- GasChem Services. SABIC has also recently announced that it will upgrade its cracker on Teesside, UK, to use imported ethane from the US as feedstock. The cracker upgrade is scheduled to be completed during 2016. The three gas carriers will be used to ship ethane from the US to the UK following the cracker’s conversion. Hartmann will be responsible for the full vessel operations. The eco-friendly LEG carriers are of a new design - ECO STAR 36K - developed by Hartmann Reederei in co-operation with engineering consultants HB Hunte Engineering, The new design was developed with a ‘Svelte’ type bow. This new vessel type differs fundamentally from conventional gas carriers in that its superstructure will be located at the bowanother first claimed for a gas tanker. This results in optimised distribution of weight and, therefore, a reduced demand for ballast water − which again leads to reduced fuel consumption and emissions, Hartmann claimed. The new ‘Svelte’ bow design also enables the vessel to improve seakeeping at higher sailing speeds and improved fuel efficiency. Each vessel will each be fitted with the latest generation MAN B&W ME-GI 2-stroke dual-fuel engine and will be able to operate on HFO, MDO and gas oil, as well as LNG and October 2014
TANKEROperator
Schematic of the new 36,000 cu m LEG-carrier under construction at Sinopacific. photo credit: Hartmann Reederei/HB Hunte Engineering.
Principal Particulars - ECO STAR 36K Length, oa......................................................................................abt 188 m Length, bp......................................................................................abt 179 m Breadth, moulded..................................................................................29 m Depth to main deck, moulded.........................................................17.50 m Depth to trunk deck...................................................................abt 23.50 m Design draught (ethane)....................................................................9.50 m Carrying capacity......................................................................36,000 cu m
Principal Particulars - ECO STAR 85K Length, oa...........................................................................................231.6 m Length, bp...........................................................................................225.5 m Breadth, maximum...............................................................................36.6 m Deadweight, maximum...............................................................abt 50,000 t Scantling draught................................................................................12.3 m Carrying capacity........................................................................85,000 cu m Classification: Germanischer Lloyd: GL 100A5 Liquefied Gas Carrier, 104° C; 0,602 t/m³, 4,1 bar g; type 2-G; NAV, IW; BWM (D2); INERT; NLS; ERS GL MC AUT GF; RI; CM-PS; EP-D. 23
TECHNOLOGY - SHIP DESCRIPTION - ETHANE CARRIERS engines will be set up to be easily converted to run on methane. Propulsion efficiency will be further improved by adopting a MAN Kappel propeller with rudder bulb system and a twistflow rudder developed by HB Hunte Engineering. Ship model tests conducted at Schematic of the new Star Trilobe tanks. Hamburgische photo credit: Hartmann Reederei/HB Hunte Engineering. SchiffbauVersuchsanstalt (HSVA) resulted in reduced ethane. Furthermore, it can utilise the boil-off energy loss and improved propulsion gas from its cargo. The engine’s low emissions will also meet the requirements of IMO Tier II. efficiency with this system fitted. The vessel’s separate gas fuel tanks will be MAN Diesel & Turbo said that ethane was built to contain ethane and LNG and will chosen as a fuel, in preference to HFO, due to its more competitive pricing and, as well as the enable the vessels to operate to a range of about 10,000 nautical miles. In addition, the significantly shorter bunkering time needed. design encompasses heavy fuel oil tanks for The engine manufacturer also said that the the vessels to operate to the same distance. If necessary, it will be possible to switch over from gas to diesel operation and vice versa immediately. The gas plant, which was jointly developed by Hartmann Reederei and HB Hunte Engineering, will be located in a sheltered space behind the superstructure. Its components will be provided by ACINOX. Compared to conventional gas carriers with cylindrical, or bilobe tanks, ECO STAR 36K adopts a new w Shipbroking and Chartering - Dry & Wet tank design developed Cargo Heating Management Service Crude, Fuel, Veg. Oils and w by Hartmann Petrochemicals Reederei: the ‘Starw Marine IT - Oil Record Book Intelligent Tool (ORB-IT), Cargo Heating Inerting & Purging (CHIP), E-NoA/D Filling and Tracking System Trilobe’-tank. This design consists of w Vessel & Voyage Performance Monitoring and Optimization three cylinders w Maritime Arbitration/ADR combined into one. w Virtual Arrival Services Due to better space Tel: +91 135 272 3301 Email:
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utilisation of the cargo areas, this results in higher efficiency and allows an increase in cargo capacity by nearly 30%, compared to another gas ship of the same dimensions − leading to reduced shipping costs through higher economies of scale, Hartmann claimed. The new vessels offer a cargo capacity of 36,000 cu m each for liquefied gas cargoes up to -104 deg C. As well as being the first ethane powered vessels, they will be the largest LEGcarriers worldwide when delivered. Ocean Yield CEO Lars Solbakken said in a comment: "We are pleased to announce the sub-charter for the gas carriers to SABIC, one of the world's largest petrochemicals manufacturers. The design of the gas carriers is very innovative and together with the Hartmann Group we are able to offer SABIC a very cost efficient shipping service." Hartmann Reederei has been specialising in the development and management of gas carriers for 30 years and today has a fleet of 36 gas carriers and 74 vessels overall. Since the launch of its first gas carrier in 1984, the company said that it had constantly developed and improved gas carrier design. HB Hunte Engineering was founded in the 1990s by the Brand family. It offers services for the shipbuilding and offshore industries and specialises in the design and construction of gas carriers and gas plants. Due to the company’s background in the shipbuilding industry, the management’s experience in gas carriers and gas plants dates back to 1959. Co-operation between Hartmann Reederei and HB Hunte Engineering started 15 years ago. Since then, they have jointly develop new ship designs. Among others, this resulted in concepts for 8,400 cu m LPG/LEP, 8,600 cu m LPG/LEP, 6,500 cu m LPG/LEP gas carriers and the design for a 5,000 cu m LPG fullypressurised gas carrier. Thus far, 16 newbuildings have been designed by the joint venture. GasChem Services is a Hamburg based shipping company, which provides shipping services and commercial management to a fleet of fully refrigerated, semi-refrigerated and pressurised gas tankers for the major oil and chemical industry worldwide. The company was established in 1990 and is a member of the Hartmann Group. Large VLECs series Since then, interest as accelerated in the development of ethane carriers of over 80,000 cu m (VLECs). At least two tranches of VLECs have thus far been ordered. For example, ABS has confirmed that it will class a series of six
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - SHIP DESCRIPTION - ETHANE CARRIERS Gas Solutions, Patrick Janssens. "As a result of the shale gas boom in the US, ethane is developing as an exciting new market with great potential, requiring the development of new ship types. This award is an industry testament to the diversity of ABS' technical knowledge and our commitment to remain at the forefront of classification for gas carriers." ABS classed the world's first LNG carrier MAN workshop assembly and testing of a 4.5 m four-bladed and currently claims to MAN Kappel CP propeller with fairing cone. This example is have the largest number similar to the one chosen for the ECO STAR 36Ks. photo credit: MAN Diesel & Turbo. of classed LNGCs on its books. This VLEC award marks one year since 87,000 cu m VLECs and available options. ABS unveiled its Global Gas Solutions team, a The ships will be built at Samsung Heavy multi-disciplinary group of gas specialists Industries’shipyard in Geoje, South Korea for formed to respond to the rapidly escalating unnamed Asian interests. number of gas-related projects, including LNG "We are delighted to have received the class and LPG transportation, plus the growing use contract for the world's first large ethane of LNG and LPG as fuel for the commercial carriers," said ABS vice president of Global
Hartmann said that it could not name the builder of the five ECO STAR 85K United Ethane Carriers VLECs just yet, but the charterer is Oriental Energy.
fleet. The second tranche comes in the form of a letter of intent, which was recently signed by Hartmann Schiffahrts, Jaccar Holdings, HB Hunte Engineering and DNV GL, for the classification of five ECO STAR 85k VLECs. The five ECO STAR 85K ethane-fuelled VLECs will have a capacity of 85,000 cu m each. The cargo tanks will be of the StarTriLobe type. To operate the vessels, Luxembourg-based Jaccar Holdings and the Hartmann Group have formed a joint venture for the commercial management of ethane carriers. The new company, - United Ethane Carriers (UEC) - will be based in Singapore. Its purpose is to develop the ethane business, focusing on marketing, branding and commercial management of ethane carriers internationally. “We’ve known each other for a long time now, meaning that we also know and appreciate the other one’s strengths”, said Jacques de Chateauvieux, Jaccar Holdings CEO. “We found that our strengths complement each other very well, particularly in this highly specialised market.” The ethane-fuelled VLECs will be employed on a long term timecharter to Oriental Energy. Evergas (a Jaccar Holdings company) and GasChem Services (a Hartmann Group company) will continue to serve their client relationships independently of the new UEC joint venture. Jaccar Holdings is a privately owned investment company with its main focus within the maritime sector. It has shareholdings in offshore, fishing and drybulk concerns, plus Greenship Gas and EVERGAS (Ethylene, Ethane and LPG). The company has also invested in Sinopacific Shipbuilding, a private shipyard in China. TO S E E YO U AT T
U T S TM
a s oni c Ta n k Sw w itc h
7-10 Oct. 2014, Copenhagen Stand No.B0-0 01
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October 2014
TANKEROperator
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TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSION
EU research project into lowering emissions continues The two leading OEMs, Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo (MDT), have initiated the Hercules-2 research project aimed at minimising vessel emissions he Hercules R&D programme originally started in 2004 to develop large engine technologies is to continue, pending approval under the Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Hercules-2 is aimed at developing a fuelflexible marine engine that is optimally adaptive to its operating environment. The work will focus on four areas of integrated R&D: WPG 1 - a fuel flexible engine; WPG II - new materials (for engine applications); WPG III - an adaptive power plant for lifetime performance; WPG IV - a near zero emissions engine. The latest initiative will build upon and improve on the targets of the previous Hercules projects by going beyond the limits set by the regulatory authorities, the OEMs explained. By combining the latest technologies and through the use of integrated solutions, Hercules-2 aims to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The research will include several full-scale prototypes and shipboard demonstrators that will speed the development of commercially available products. Other European companies, as well as Wärtsilä and MDT, plus universities and research institutions, will be involved. The project will further accelerate the shipping industry's transition to better fuel efficiency and a significantly reduced environmental footprint, while strengthening the position of the participating partners in the market place, the OEMs said. The consortium is made up of 32 partners, of which 30% are industrial and 70% are universities and research institutes. The budget is divided between industry and the universities on a 63% - 37% basis,
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respectively. The original HERCULES programme was conceived in 2002 to develop new technologies to increase marine engine efficiency. The three previous projects within this programme ran from 2004 to 2014. Several presentations at SMM last month concerned vessel propulsion in the light of impending emissions controls. There is no revolutionary propulsion system on the horizon for standard vessels, such as tankers. The choices are and will be made by the owners/operators as to how they reduce emissions and fuel costs, while not loosing efficiency. All of the main engine manufacturers have unveiled engines to burn gas, to operate as dual fuel engines and/or to burn other fuels, such as ethane and methane. 2-stroke here to stay At SMM, ABB’s Eero Lehtovaara stressed that the 2-stroke engine was still by far the best way to propel vessels, while MDT’s Dr Stephen Timmermann claimed that big steps in propulsion efficiency were still possible. Timmermann thought that NOx/SOx technologies would be strongly influenced by ECA/SECA areas, the development of the MDO and gas prices, gas logistics and legislation, wet scrubber legislation and logistics additives, such as urea, etc. The ultra long stroke slow speed engine with an adapted propeller is the way forward, according to the OEMs with an extra 10% stroke. Timmermann said that the longer stroke with a lower rev/min and larger propeller fitted would equate to higher propulsion efficiency, which would add up to fuel and thus CO2 emissions savings. A saving of around 5% could be made on the specific fuel oil consumption, he claimed. Some criticisms were aired, such as the lack
of studies into black carbon and methane slip. An EU spokesman said that the question of port reception facilities to house scrubber waste water was being addressed. By 2025, some ports will also have to provide LNG infrastructure, he said. A study will be released in about two years. At SMM, MDT signed a new license agreement with Qingdao Haixi Marine Diesel (QMD), a member of the CSIC Group, together with Dalian Marine Diesel and Yichang Marine Diesel Engine. Thus, QMD became MDT’s 12th Chinese licensee. QMD boasts a modern facility dedicated to the production of large, 2-stroke engines in NE China. New turbocharger In addition, MDT has developed a new turbocharger series, TCT, which are specifically matched to the requirements of 2stroke engines. For the first time, MDT will develop a turbocharger series exclusively for 2-stroke engines that is especially designed and optimised to fulfill Tier III requirements, the company said. Compared to the TCA turbocharger range, introduced by the company during the last decade, TCT efficiency shows an increase of 5% through using newly-developed compressor and turbine-wheel geometry, consequently increasing waste-heat-recovery potential by 30%. The TCT range will also deliver a 10% greater air flow at a turbocharging pressure 25% higher, while being 30% smaller and 40% lighter than the existing TCA range. MDT said that the first TCT turbocharger is expected to be ready in 2016 after an extensive validation and field-testing programme. TO
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSION
Lubrication selection of prime importance Most of the main lubricant manufacturers have introduced new products this year in order to combat engine problems caused by slow steaming and the use of low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO). anker Operator has taken a look at the latest initiatives taken in strict alphabetical order of companies. Castrol has rather bucked the trend in developing low base number (BN) lubricants by sticking with its BN 40 product. Marketing director Jonathan Hutchinson explained that the longevity of trials and the fact that it has been around for five years and has been used with low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) very successfully, the company saw no reason to change to a lower BN. Some of the challenges are thrown up by Brazilian and Russian supplied LSFO and marine gas oil, Hutchinson explained. “Cold corrosion will not go away. Sales of BN 100 have increased, while sales of BN 80 have nearly doubled,” he said. Those using higher BN lubes will have to take two products on board, he warned.. Introducing a new lubricant takes some time, while additives can be made in only one, or two months, he said. There is a certain amount of uncertainty today and both the OEMs and luboil suppliers will have to work together. “Customers need help now,” he stressed. For the tanker sector, Castrol is attempting to optimise luboil purchasing, as supplies can be unreliable. When berthed on a finger jetty, barging becomes more important, he explained, as products could be required at short notice. Castrol has the use of three barges in Singapore, which can carry more than one BN product in bulk, while Salalah has become a busier supply point for lubes, he said.
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Lower BN Those opting for a lower BN include Chevron Marine Products, which has launched two new products - one for 2-stroke engines and the other for 4-stroke engines both for continuous operation with LSFOs. For 2-stroke engines, Chevron unveiled Taro Special HT LF, which is claimed to be October 2014
TANKEROperator
one of the first products to be fully approved for continuous operation using low sulphur distillate fuel oil. This lubricant is a 25 BN SAE 50 cylinder oil. Prior to its launch, the product has been thoroughly tested, including several sea trials over a three-year period, running continuously on distillate fuel. The tests were carried out on board a crude oil tanker operating in the CARB area off California. Key customer benefits were claimed as Reduced liner and piston ring wear and improved corrosion protection. Detergent/dispersant properties help to prevent ring sticking and minimise deposit formation throughout the combustion chamber exhaust areas. Excellent lubrication properties help maintain an oil film under different load conditions, thereby reducing frictional wear and preventing scuffing of liners, pistons and rings. Powered by both Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo (MDT) engines, back to back testing was carried out using the new lubricant and a 40 BN oil. While cylinder to cylinder variation would be expected to be significant in an engine of this nature, averaged wear rates, as measured by iron entrainment within the lubricant, were at least equivalent using Taro Special HT LF. At the same time, it was found that the avoidance of ring and top land deposits was at least as good using the new lubricant as the reference base lubricant. The new lubricant is now being used on board vessels fitted with MAN G-type engines and Chevron has ‘no objection letters’ from both OEMs. Meanwhile, Delo SHP has been developed for use on 4-stroke direct drive medium and high speed engines and generator sets. This lubricant has also been thoroughly tested and has been approved by MDT, Rolls Royce, Wärtsilä- Deutz SBVM628 and MaK (Caterpillar). Chevron said that when switching to continuous low sulphur fuel, owners and
operators should recognise that their existing lubricant is unlikely to be optimised for their new, less acid forming fuel. Both lubricants will be available as of 1st December this year at key Chevron ports in ECAs, as well as in Singapore and South Korea, where the company has distribution facilities. As for ExxonMobil, this lubricant supplier has launched the patented Mobilgard 525, a high performance cylinder oil designed to support marine operators using 0.1% sulphur fuels in slow- speed engines when entering ECAs after 1st January, 2015. New challenges The company said that the switch to low sulphur fuels, such as marine gas oil (MGO), presents new lubrication challenges when compared to the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO). Mobilgard 525 has been engineered to address issues, such as deposit formation and scuffing related engine wear that can occur when operating on low sulphur fuel. Among the benefits claimed are BN 25 cylinder oil for use with fuel containing 0.1% sulphur. Approved by MAN and Wärtsilä for use in
Above and overleaf - Condition of piston rings using Mobilgard 525.
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TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSION engine is the challenge today.
See page 27.
2-stroke engines. Joins Mobilgard cylinder oil range that helps optimise the performance and extend the life of slow-speed marine engines. The 25 BN formulation has been engineered using high quality base oils and an advanced ‘balanced formulation’ approach. In field trials, Mobilgard 525 has delivered superior piston ring deposit control, engine cleanliness and high temperature protection when compared to a 40 BN marine cylinder oil. It was developed in close collaboration with leading marine OEMs and meets both MDT’s and Wärtsilä requirements for use in engines operating on low sulphur fuels. Mobilgard 525 joins Mobilgard 5100 and Mobilgard 570 in ExxonMobil’s cylinder oil range, which helps optimise the performance of current and next generation marine diesel engines. The unique slow-speed solution of high performance cylinder oils and the MobilGard Cylinder Condition Monitoring (CCM) programme helps vessel operators increase reliability and reduce operating costs, the company claimed. Iain White, field marketing manager, ExxonMobil Marine Fuels & Lubricants, said that Wärtsilä had dropped the lubricant level needed to 15-25 BN, as 40 BN was too high. Higher BN oils, such as BN 70, have many additives, which can cause deposits to stick to the high temperature areas at the top of the pistons. Separate tanks would be needed for different BN oils carried on board ship, he warned. He also said that ExxonMobil was talking with the OEMs about the problem of 2-stroke modern engines in an effort to formulate a best practice approach The company has had experience with corrosive 4-stroke engines on land-based applications, but the 2-stroke 28
BN tester launched Geserco has launched a digital rapid oil tester aimed at quickly determining the total base number (TBN) value of lubricating oils up to 100 BN. This system is a documenting tester that provides fast, simple and accurate results for water in oil and BN, but also makes it easier to monitor the condition of used oil over time, the company claimed. The tester features different functions to ensure it is an easy and user-friendly tool for monitoring oil condition, including: accurate measurement within three minutes; extra-large and easy-to-read digital display providing instructions and results; test result pass/fail evaluation; built-in memory for recording up to 99 test results; USB communication port for downloading test results to a computer; and an interchangeable battery. It is well suited to monitoring the BN depletion of latest generation marine cylinder oils, which are formulated with a very high BN in order to prevent the corrosion of cylinders. The new version features: Accurate measurement within three minutes. Extra large and easy to read digital display providing instructions and results. Test result pass/fail evaluation. Built in memory for recording up to 90 test results. USB communication port for downloading test results to a computer. Interchangeable battery Geserco has been supplying a comprehensive range of on board mini laboratories and instruments for the condition monitoring of lubricating oils since 1973. The test kits are claimed to be easy-to-use and designed to give rapid feedback on lubricants condition, allowing immediate corrective action to be taken to safeguard correct machinery operation. They are designed to be robust in marine applications and to give reliable and repeatable results, the company said. During SMM, Shell Marine Products (SMP) introduced Shell Alexia S3, a solution for large vessels with 2-stroke engines entering into ECAs. The new product - a BN 25 SA 15 lubricant for LSFOs of 0.1% sulphur content -will be available from December 2014 in 22 countries across SMP’s network of over 500 ports in over 40 countries. SMP said that it can now offer a complete
suite of lubricants for all types of engines. Shell Alexia S3 is the latest in SMP's line of 2-stroke engine oil and is formulated for use with LSFO and distillate fuels of up to 0.5% sulphur content. SMP also offers Shell Gadinia for medium-speed 4-stroke engines and Shell Mysella, used in vessels with gas powered engines such as Shell’s chartered barge Greenstream, the world’s first 100% LNGpowered barge which operates on the River Rhine. "We are dedicated to providing our customers with the right solution, at the right place, at the right time," said Surinderdeep Singh, SMP general manager in Hamburg. “The introduction of Shell Alexia S3 completes our portfolio, ensuring all our customers will have the right lubricant suitable for their shipping needs.” Test centre SMP is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Marine & Power Innovation Centre (MPIC) located in Hamburg. Established in 2004 within Shell Technology Centre Hamburg, MPIC has been pivotal in SMP’s ability to meet the fastchanging demands placed on cylinder oil performance in today’s maritime landscape. Its team of scientists and engineers working together are constantly using insights from Shell’s legacy of almost six decades of marine lubricant development, from the first successful alkaline cylinder oil – Shell Alexia
Geserco’s BN tester.
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - PROPULSION A in 1955 to Shell Alexia S5 and S6, introduced in late 2013, the company claimed. “It is fitting that our 10th anniversary coincides with the SMM maritime fair here in Hamburg,” said Jerry Hammett, General Manager for Marine & Power Engine Oil Technology. “Here in the Centre we can put promising formulations through their paces before field trials and OEM validation tests. Our testing takes into account extreme conditions and involves rigorous attention to the control of our test engines, to ensure that the only test variable is the lubricant itself.” MPIC runs four test engines of up to 800 kW in power, covering 2-stroke and 4-stroke applications running on both residual and distillate fuel. Each engine can simulate harsh working conditions and measurements can be taken on almost every aspect of the engine. A product development cycle can take up to three years to complete during which, engine testing is key. The facility works closely with OEMs and employs experienced technicians and engineers who are Co-ordinating Research Council (CRC)-accredited to ensure that each test run can be properly evaluated and compared with all previous and future test runs for any particular lubricant. Having an engine test bed and a laboratory in one place is an advantage, Shell said. “If engine developments have been rapid in recent years, there are more developments to come,” added Hammett, “MPIC will continue to be critical to sustaining our close relations with OEMs, as well as offering robust and reliable data to support our products, the performance claims we make and the services we offer. Responsible suppliers embrace change and the centre represents SMP’s commitment to invest in its technology and the support that addresses the challenges faced by shipping as a whole.” Last year, the centre saw a substantial
increase in new investment, leading to a new building and updated laboratories. This year, saw the opening of a new technology centre in Shanghai. More analysis is being undertaken on board ship, especially when it comes to the drain oil, especially as engine development is moving at a rapid pace. Range of lubricants As well as redesigning vessels for greater efficiency, The industry will need a range of owners/operators must be aware of which BN lubes to use. Photo credit - NORDEN. lubricants while an ECA will deliver a different stress profile for Letters’ confirming that the lubricant is the machinery. If you change fuel, you will suitable for use in their 2-stroke engines. have to change lubes as well, the company Total Lubmarine already offers a lubricant said at a presentation during SMM. Two for low sulphur residual fuels, TALUSIA LS luboil tanks will have to be fitted on board 40, while its single oil concept TALUSIA and the product must match the performance Universal is suitable for residual fuels with required, Shell stressed. sulphur contents ranging between 0.5 and Finally, Total Lubmarine has also introduced a new lubricant for ECA compliant 3.5%. For modern engines affected by cold corrosion, TALUSIA Universal 100 provides 0.1% sulphur distillates. exceptional neutralisation efficiency, thus The company has unveiled TALUSIA LS reducing the risk of severe wear. 25, a low alkaline lubricant specifically “While our latest lubricants will ensure that designed for slow speed 2- stroke engines ship operators can comply with ECA running on distillates with 0.1% sulphur whatever fuel they choose to use, we believe content. It will be available from late October that modern chemistry is the key to a longin major shipping hubs worldwide. Total Lubmarine global marketing manager, term solution for the marine industry and our laboratories are at the forefront of research in Serge Dal Farra said: “TALUSIA LS 25 is an this area,” said Dal Farra. “Shipping is a innovative solution for ship operators looking complex business with frequent changes to a for a reliable lubricant specifically designed vessel’s schedule, its fuels and cargoes. to meet the challenging requirements of “Total Lubmarine’s global port network running engines, including the latest supports its customers not just through a generation of crosshead 2- stroke engines, on wide choice of lubricant, but has an expert distillate fuel. TALUSIA LS 25 will protect team that ensures prompt delivery worldwide, engines by offering excellent cleanliness engine inspections, on board and laboratory thanks to its low-ash chemistry.” The new lubricant has undergone successful testing, training and advice,” he concluded. trials with engine manufacturers MDT and Wärtsilä who have both issued ‘No Objection TO
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October 2014
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TECHNOLOGY - EFFICIENCY
Optimum speed settings software released StormGeo subsidiary Applied Weather Technology (AWT) has launched the patented AWT SmartSpeed software. his software is believed to be the first route advisory service to use advanced optimisation to set both the optimum route and optimum speed for each segment of a voyage with daily updates. AWT SmartSpeed combines vessel specifications and voyage details with AWT’s large database of nearly 20 years’ weather and oceanographic information, to calculate optimum speed settings across an entire voyage. This allows operators and Masters to improve the performance of their vessels and burn less fuel, the company said. AWT said that the software is suited for anyone operating a vessel that is affected by weather conditions who needs to ensure safe and efficient passage and where the speed can be varied. “Because AWT routes 50,000 ship voyages per year, we have access to millions of speed and consumption records in all types of
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weather. This gives us a unique ability to calculate a vessel’s consumption and the effects of weather,” said George Schlinkert, vice president of ship route advisory services at AWT. “To provide variable speed and variable route optimisation has been the goal of ship routing for years, but only today, with massive computing power, is this made possible.” Prior to a voyage, AWT supplies shorebased ship operators with a pre-voyage plan for each segment of the voyage and the operator can then send this information to the ship. During a voyage, users are provided with the tools to proactively minimise fuel costs, achieve on-time arrival and actively monitor daily fuel consumption. When the voyage is completed, AWT Voyage Reports allow users to monitor compliance with the speed orders to the ships. On a monthly or quarterly basis, a return on investment (ROI) analysis is
provided to document fuel savings. Schlinkert said that the company and its clients were getting ready for the Asian typhoon season. The company is advocating more consultation ashore on weather routing and associated problems, as there is a lack of experience on board ship. One of the ways to save money is to burn less fuel in an ECA area by steaming more slowly and increase speed outside the ECA when burning cheaper HFO. “Why plough through heavy weather at high speed?” Schlinkert asked. “Why round the Cape of Good Hope in 12 m waves when this could be avoided? Why go against the current in the Gulf Stream?” Another example where savings can be made is when using the Great Circle Route, where up to six days could be spent in an ECA area. By using weather and current calculations, high wave situations can be avoided. TO
Although the speeds on the graphic are a bit high for a tanker, the principle is the same.
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TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - EFFICIENCY
Computer module simulates complex ship machinery High bunker prices, environment-focused regulations and overcapacity in certain segments, create pressure on shipping companies’ finances, leading to a focus on higher energy efficiency and fuel savings.* hese conditions also drive the development, evaluation and adoption of new technologies and alternative fuels. Operations and new technology configurations are thus becoming increasingly complex and novel computer-based methods that can provide an integrated systems perspective are needed to take coherent decisions on design and operational improvements. DNV GL Research & Innovation Greece has developed the DNV GL COSSMOS computer tool that can simulate and optimise complex ship machinery systems with regard to energy efficiency, emissions, safety and costs. For tankers, COSSMOS is used in a variety of applications, from techno-economic design evaluations and the optimisation of waste heat recovery systems (eg, exhaust gas economisers, steam turbine generators) to performance assessments, the optimisation of cargo discharge operations and holistic energy management, via advanced thermodynamics
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and energy analysis. One of a tanker’s important and challenging daily operations is to discharge its crude oil cargo. Discharges are an energy-efficiency focus area for many operations. The COSSMOS module developed by DNV GL can simulate the discharge operations under realistic conditions. The module may serve as a performance assessment baseline for evaluating the condition of various components and the effectiveness of applied operational strategies. It may also be used to optimise the overall discharge operations - both the engine room and the cargo handling functions- by making the optimal selection of discharge control variables for given terminal schedules, tank capacities and operational constraints. On board measurements It is customised and calibrated based on each vessel’s actual system in order to reflect the behaviour of the discharge system. On board measurements that are collected during the
discharge operations- manually, or automatically - are used as input in the simulations. The module can be used to execute a wide range of studies, such as an assessment of the discharge process with regard to energy efficiency and fuel consumption. Iterating this procedure for various discharges can benchmark each operation against the system’s ‘good as new’ performance. In addition, the findings of these studies provide a means of identifying ways of improving operational and crew procedures and assess the condition of the system components. Finally, the module can be used to provide sensitivity analysis of important operational variables, which may increase the operator’s system knowledge. The potential fuel savings and other findings depend on the system’s condition, on the understanding of the governing processes and interaction between components and on the crew’s operational experience and communications. The COSSMOS discharge module has been successfully applied in a series of projects and demonstrated a fuel savings potential of up to 10%. Thus far, a series of COSSMOS projects have been used by leading Greek tanker concerns, such as Consolidated Marine Management, Minerva Marine, Samos Steamship and Thenamaris Ships TO Management. *This article was written by DNV GL Greece’s Nikolaos Kakalis and first appeared in the class society’s Tanker Update.
Power flow of the discharge system.
October 2014
TANKEROperator
Photo credit - DNV GL.
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TECHNOLOGY - EFFICIENCY
Performance management tool unveiled DNV GL has also introduced ECO Insight, a performance management portal. ombined with the new Navigator Insight data collection and logging software, ECO Insight gives shipping companies a fast track to an effective performance management system, the class society said. “ECO Insight allows our customers to take the next step to greater efficiency. After exploiting measures to improve the vessels, like retrofitting, or engine de-rating, many of our customers are taking an intensive look at how their vessels are being operated,” said Albrecht Grell, head of DNV GL’s Maritime Advisory division. “In order to enhance the way vessels are operated, the natural starting point is to begin to monitor them in a structured way.” ECO Insight is claimed to provide a comprehensive and easily accessible way to manage the performance of a fleet, including voyage, hull & propeller, engine & systems performance. It adds to owners and operators own fleet reports with industry data, such as AIS, weather, or fuel and provides unique benchmarking capabilities. Advanced engineering systems, for example hull fouling prediction, are also packaged into the portal. Navigator Insight, due to many smart plausibility checks against specific vessel particulars, will ensure high quality data collection on board, DNV GL said.
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Head of Maritime - Tor Svensen, who is promoting the concept of the Connected Ship.
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“As we tap into to existing data collection processes on board, with pre-defined dashboards and a web-based access to hosted data, getting performance management up and running in a shipping company is a matter of several weeks, not months,” said Dr Torsten Büssow, head of the performance management unit at DNV GL. “There is no additional hardware or data collection systems investment required.” The ECO Insight portal will also be open for industry partners. For example, at SMM, an agreement was signed with the Icelandic energy management company, Marorka. This agreement will allow DNV GL and Marorka to integrate their data onto the ECO Insight platform, in order to allow customers to manage their complete fleets using the same dashboards and benchmarks for vessels – even if different data collection approaches are in place on different vessels. Extensive tests ECO Insight and Navigator Insight have each been extensively tested on some 80 vessels by 10 shipping companies worldwide and are in productive use. Another 15 shipping companies have already signed up to use DNV GL’s performance management portal, the class society said. In conversation with Pierre Sames, DNV GL’s director of technology and R&D for the maritime sector, he explained that one of the methods was to take away standard procedures from the crew and make these procedures automated. This will give seafarers more time to concentrate of safety, he said. To achieve this, there would be continuous support from the shore via remote access to systems on board. “This was something to think about and learn from,” he said. This was also the idea behind the ‘Connected Ship’ where remote operations could take over some of the tasks faced by the crew. With bandwidth communications costs going down and the fitting of sensors becoming easier and less costly, the storage of data is
DNV GL’s Albrecht Grell.
becoming easier. AIS, radar and ECDIS are the building blocks to create software analysis. However, there is a need to consolidate the data and collate it. “We need to integrate, standardise and verify the data,” he said. He confirmed that there were a number of projects underway at DNV GL. One pilot project involves 3,000 sensors which are connected to a server in about one second. “We can offer reliability research. It is the drive for energy efficiency that is propelling this move to more remote control,” he TO stressed.
Pierre Sames.
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - UNDERWATER MAINTENANCE
Improving defences against underwater hull growth In this article, Simon Doran, managing director of GAC EnvironHull, explains how a diver-free, remotely controlled underwater hull cleaning system delivers significant operational savings for tanker owners and operators. tudies show that even a slight build-up of slime on a ship’s hull can cause a speed loss of around 0.5 knots, increasing fuel consumption by up to 20%. If a tanker burns 60 tonnes of fuel every day for 250 days, that adds up to 3,000 tonnes of fuel lost every year. At a time when fuel prices are rising daily, that’s an expense no owner and operator can afford to ignore, so keeping hulls free from harmful micro-organisms is a priority. Protective hull coatings containing toxic copper, organotin compounds and biocides used to be the main weapon in the war against invasive species, slime and bio-foul that try to find a home on the underside of vessels. But they are no longer an option, due to measures introduced to eliminate the use of toxic materials in the delicate marine environment. Such anti-fouling paints containing harmful organotins have been prohibited in the IMO’s International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships. Antifouling coatings now permitted for use are much less effective, so shipowners have to find ways to physically remove marine fouling from hulls more frequently, while keeping the disruption to their schedules to a minimum usually while the vessel is in the water, using divers driving brush-carts. But that’s an arduous, time-consuming and expensive process – and it can remove 10-30% of the protective coating with each clean. GAC EnvironHull’s HullWiper was developed as a response to this dilemma by offering an alternative that optimises hull cleaning, while protecting coatings, efficiently and without compromising the delicate balance of the marine environment. It is a remotely operated diver-free underwater hull cleaning system that uses a brushless cleaning technology to remove fouling from ships’ hulls. The HullWiper remotely operated vehicle (ROV) uses
S
October 2014
TANKEROperator
adjustable high-pressure water jets to spray seawater directly onto the hull at a very high velocity, delivering an environmentallyfriendly, efficient and effective clean. Because only the water jets come into contact with the hull surface and no harsh chemicals, or scrubbing action is used, the anti-fouling coatings and hull surface are not damaged in any way.
risk of potential fines, the GAC EnvironHull option makes sound economic sense. The entire operation is also recorded by an on board camera and presented along with cleaning reports so that owners and operators can be assured of the work done. At a time when owners and operators are squeezed from all sides, using new technologies to find efficiency solutions is key to protecting their profits and reputation. GAC EnvironHull works closely with customers, coating manufacturers and port authorities to integrate hull cleaning into day-to-day operations, avoiding costly deviations or downtime and unnecessary additional costs. We now have HullWiper ROV’s operating in the Swedish port of Gothenburg, as well as in Jebel Ali, Sharjah and Fujairah with permission from UAE Environmental Department. We can also provide services within all Norwegian ports with approval from the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency KFT. Further expansion is in the pipeline to meet the needs of international clients seeking a cost-effective and green solution. GAC EnvironHull is part of the GAC Group, a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services. In operation since 1956, GAC employs over 10,000 people in more than 300 offices TO worldwide.
ROV advantages In terms of the operational efficiency of vessels, the ROV solution offers significant advantages for owners and operators. Environmental and safety regulations mean that traditional hull cleaning using divers must be specially scheduled, as it cannot go ahead within port waters. However, HullWiper is remotely controlled from the GAC support vessel and requires no diver involvement, so there’s no danger to life, no issue working during the hours of darkness, or at very low temperatures and no waiting around for the right moment. In addition, waste and pollutants removed from the hull are captured, filtered and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner onshore once cleaning is complete. As such, cleaning with HullWiper can be undertaken in port while a vessel is in resupplying, loading cargo, or between voyages, avoiding costly downtime. ROV cleaning is also much faster. Our system can clean 1,000-1,500 sq m of hull per hour compared to the 200-300 sq m cleaned per hour with conventional methods. For example, cleaning the vertical sides of a VLCC, approximately 8,000 sq m, would take around eight hours with HullWiper, instead of 16 hours using divers – and that means big time savings for operators. Add that to the fact that the HullWiper method causes no damage to expensive coatings and carries no A HullWiper ROV.
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TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY SYSTEMS
Improving maritime safety, security and efficiency with AIS Understanding and monitoring our oceans and their use is vital to our national defence. It also affects the safety of marine transportation.* his requires a variety of ocean observation and maritime domain awareness (MDA) technologies, including the use of AIS data. These technologies are available through the private sector and the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) National AIS (NAIS) initiative. Last May, I testified before the US House Subcommittee on USCG & Marine Transportation about AIS and related technologies, including the potential impacts of federal regulatory activities in this area. As a leading provider of AIS solutions and data through our PortVision service, we work with a wide variety of vessel operators, marine terminals, government agencies and every major oil company. We also provide patented tools and technologies that increase MDA and improve waterway safety, security, and efficiency. To do this, we maintain a global network of VHF receivers that detect the AIS collisionavoidance signals transmitted by vessels around the world. Today, our PortVision AIS network processes over 50 mill real-time vessel position reports each day and we maintain a data warehouse of over 40 bill arrival, departure and individual vessel movements, dating back to 2006. While some might consider PortVision’s AIS network to simply be a commercial variation on the USCG’s NAIS initiative, the latter is focused primarily on aggregating AIS data around the US and its territories. In contrast, the PortVision service has extended real-time vessel detection globally through both terrestrial and satellite AIS receivers. Another important distinction is that NAIS is primarily focused on AIS data acquisition for use in VTS and related operational environments, while PortVision is focused on data harvesting and analysis to generate business intelligence and enhance maritime visibility, efficiency and decision-making. As
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a result, current government systems generally appear to be good at collecting and displaying real-time data, but not aggregating and making it broadly accessible to field personnel so they can clearly understand waterway utilisation. Many of our commercial (non-government) users have the benefit of commercial tools like PortVision to support their mission, while frequently, USCG, Army Corps and other government field personnel do not have the benefit of such tools. The availability of AIS tools that go beyond simple data aggregation creates many new opportunities for companies as well as government organisations. These include scheduling vessels at oil refineries, supporting incident response operations and supporting homeland security and law enforcement activities. AIS value growth In addition to being used in these new and emerging applications, AIS value, in general, continues to grow. For instance, AIS has been used to support operations related to key incidents, such as the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ oil spill, major hurricane and weather events and numerous compliance and law enforcement activities. AIS is also helping the maritime business community accommodate today’s surge of US Gulf traffic, including vessels transporting crude oil shipments from new finds in locations including the Dakotas, West Texas, and Mexico. It is also being used for new applications in pipeline, bridge and offshore asset protection. As an example, PortVision has partnered with the Coastal and Marine Operators (CAMO) industry trade association on a system to pro-actively notify vessels and pipeline operators when there is imminent risk that a vessel might damage pipeline
infrastructure. Over the last 20 years there has been more than $100 mill in property damage and in excess of 25 fatalities associated with these coastal and marine pipeline incidents. Another AIS application is identifying bad actors and driving regulatory compliance. For example, PortVision has participated with the Offshore Marine Service Association to identify and report Jones Act violators. In a similar type of application, port authorities use PortVision to enforce speed and emission reduction initiatives. Other customers in the Federal Government use PortVision data and services to support homeland security and intelligence operations. These applications and their associated benefits are only possible if carriers transmit a persistent AIS signal with accurate data, which means that the Federal Government must ensure that all vessels required to transmit AIS maintain a consistent, uninterrupted and accurate AIS transmission. We know of no uniform enforcement, or educational campaign by the USCG to ensure compliance. While some regional Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) offices are vigilant about compliance, other regions have significantly less active oversight – if any. Finally, it is also important that federal agencies move beyond government-funded ‘build-versus-buy’ MDA initiatives. The commercial sector and small businesses offer proven, valuable services at very low cost. However, a ‘not invented here’ culture can hinder their adoption by federal agencies and prevent many USCG and other government field personnel from operating as effectively as their industry partners who are already using AIS-based MDA tools. TO *This article was written by Dean Rosenberg, PortVision’s director, products, oceaneering global data solutions.
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY SYSTEMS
VIKING introduces training Danish-based marine safety equipment manufacturer VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has introduced what it claims is the first on board training system. his enables owners/operators to design and build their own, fully customised courses for any training task. The move into training came as a result of the recent purchase of VIKING Saatsea, a maritime software developer. VIKING Saatsea develops 24/7 on board training systems for STCW crew certification, enabling owners and operators to continuously train their crews by offering a combined solution that manages planning, implementation and documentation. VIKING Saatsea’s CEO, Kim Baarsøe, said; “Vessel and rig owners desperately need to improve their training capabilities. To start with, training has to speed up. Due to scheduling delays and the need to conduct most training at land-based facilities, the time from identification of a crew certification requirement to the certificate actually being available when it’s time to sail can be up to three months. That’s far too long – and a real problem for any sector that needs to mobilise crew quickly to meet business opportunities. “Often, personnel are urgently required at sea but, even if they have recently completed required training, they can’t report for work until they have been appropriately certified or re-certified. And that becomes very costly for the business,” he said.
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VIKING Saatsea’s market research showed that the current costs of training a crew member are widely considered to be too high. At the same time, certificate administration – finding out which crew members are available with the right certification for the job, who needs their skills upgraded or refreshed and the current status of training activities by vessel, or individual – is far too resourceheavy. At SMM, VIKING Saatsea released new refresher packages designed to help shipowners comply with the tougher demands of STCW 2010, which comes into force on 1st January, 2017. With 15 months still to go, every available seat in land-based training facilities will soon be booked, the company claimed. The new refresher packages let vessel owners keep basic education on board up-to-date by combining theoretical with practical exercises and reducing land-based training to a single day every five years. Fixed price service Meanwhile, parent VIKING has introduced a new fixed-price offering to follow its Shipowner Agreements, enabling customers to leverage the manufacturer’s global reach, broad range and worldwide stock points to streamline day-to-day safety equipment purchases in ports worldwide. VIKING’s new ‘Global Safety Product Agreement’ is claimed to be a unique, centralised safety equipment purchasing agreement designed to help shipowners who need to acquire, or replace safety equipment in a variety of ports around the world – and who want to avoid wasting valuable
resources and time to find the right product at the right price. Anyone whose vessels sail among multiple ports is familiar with the problem, the company said when a routine purchase decision is made to replace pyrotechnics, an EEBD, or other item needed to ensure safety – and safety rules compliance – on board a vessel. While the item itself requires only a modest expense, its true cost needs to reflect the time and resources it takes to procure it. Over a period of time, these hidden costs can inflate the shipowner’s total safety equipment investment. And to make matters worse, varying local conditions mean that vessels often buy products whose pricing, quality and compliance can swing widely from port to port. VIKING CEO Henrik Uhd Christensen explained: “Shipowners don’t want to spend too much time dealing with minor, one-off purchases, they don’t want to risk buying substandard equipment and they certainly don’t want to overpay for anything in the name of convenience. “Highly efficient shipping operations, for example, have carefully specified the types of equipment that make business sense for their fleet. But working with local marine suppliers takes time and they may not have a similar product in terms of quality, compliance, or price in stock,” he explained. At SMM, VIKING also released new developments in PPE clothing, safety equipment outsourcing, on board training solutions and evacuation systems, as well as a catalogue that almost doubles the number of maritime products. These included a new constant wear work lifejacket, the PV9340. Designed for tough marine and offshore work applications, it combines superior in-water performance and durability with a comfortable, ergonomic design. Also introduced was the patented LifeCraft – a hybrid new super-sized, flexible evacuation system that brings together the TO best of lifeboats and liferafts in one.
VIKING CEO Henrik Uhd Christensen.
October 2014
TANKEROperator
35
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY SYSTEMS
New VDR standards lead to new innovations Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs) are in the news again, as from 1st July, 2014, all recorders installed must comply with the new standard as set out in IMO resolution MSC.333(90) and IEC61996-1 Ed 2.0. anelec Marine, a leading supplier of VDRs and ECDIS, has created up to 20 certified service centres in key locations, as part of a global strategy to upgrade its existing distributor network. Augmenting the company’s service coverage in more than 50 countries, the centres will maintain a large inventory of replacement units and spares to ensure availability at short notice to ships anywhere in the world. SRH Marine Electronics, based in Piraeus, is among the first Danelec Marine distributors to become a certified centre. “This is a major element in our structured programme of continuous improvement in our worldwide service support network,” said Hans Ottosen, Danelec Marine CEO. “We are also setting up new distribution partners in countries where we believe our service capability is not up to our standards. “In many cases, Port State Control authorities may not allow a ship to depart until the VDR or ECDIS is repaired and tested to be functioning properly. That’s why we ensure
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Danelec’s system’s memory cards can be easily taken from a malfunctioning VDR.
that qualified service technicians and spares are available worldwide and that our products are designed for fast and easy serviceability,” he said. Ottosen also explained that the company’s new-generation VDR products incorporate the company’s SoftWare Advanced Protection (SWAP) technology, which saves time and
money in shipboard service by removing repairs from ship to shore. All of the VDR’s software programs and configuration files are on a hot-swappable memory card. If the VDR fails, the service technicians simply remove the memory card from the malfunctioning VDR and insert it into a replacement unit. The old unit is then taken to shore for repair in one
Markusnet Type MS is designed for man overboard recovery on all types of ships, offshore installations and dams with less than 40 metre height from water level upto rescue deck or platform.
Markus MOB boat rescue-net
Markus Scramble-net
Hvaleyrarbraut 3 Hafnarfjordur, IS-220 Iceland Tel: +354 5651375
Markus Scramble net Type SCN6 is a mobile light weight scramble-net / cradle recovery system for deck vessels and offshore installations with either rail or special fastenings inside bulwark where they are to be used. Less than 1/6 of the weight of traditional scramble-nets.
Main partners:
Markus MOB boat rescue-net is light, quick fastening, takes little space, provides easy and fast method to place the casualty in the net, is soft but firm around the casualty, provides easy lift by one or two persons and is easy to repack after use.
UK: Energy Marine Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)1525 851234 USA: Marine Rescue Technologies Inc. Tel: +1 772 388 1326
Markusnet Type: MS
[email protected] - www.MarkusLifenet.com
Man overboard safety and rescue is our concern and speciality 36
TANKEROperator October 2014
TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY SYSTEMS of Danelec’s certified workshops. Danelec also unveiled VDRConnect, a Webbased remote access service available with the Danelec DM100 VDR. VDRConnect is an interface module that provides selective transmission of data from the Danelec DM100 via satellite to the home office. The VDRConnect module connects directly to the ship’s IT and satellite communication systems without the need for a separate PC. Ottosen said that the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has called for proactive use of VDRs to enhance safety at sea. “OCIMF believes that the VDR can be a very useful tool for detecting unsafe practices, analysing incidents and correcting navigational mistakes. “Using data from the VDR, the shipmanager can set up remedial crew training, correct poor practices and create event-driven rules for parameters such as depth beneath keel at speed, traffic separation scheme adherence or voyage plans, with automatic warnings for deviations detected,” he said. Other shipboard systems not mandated by the IMO standard, such as fuel meters, main
engines, generators, auxiliary machinery and weather sensors, can also be connected to the VDR. The DM100 is claimed to be the first VDR to be type-approved and Wheelmarked under the new IMO VDR Standard, which came into force at the beginning of July. Transas has selected Danelec Marine as one of the company’s suppliers of VDRs. Under the agreement, Transas has become an authorised partner for Danelec Marine, providing VDRs for newbuilds and retrofits through its sales offices and representatives around the world. Kelvin Hughes’ new X-VDR also meets these stricter regulations and also offers more flexibility, functionality and features. In line with the new MSC resolution, the XVDR has both a fixed and float free capsule, each capable of holding a minimum of 48 hours of voyage data, as well as a long term storage medium which will record 30 days of data before overwriting the oldest record. The recording of ECDIS and a second radar is enabled via an Ethernet connection along with the ability to interface for data download via the high resolution, touch screen, bridgemounted console display.
Kevin Hughes new X-VDR.
The X-VDR system comprises a Main Electronic Unit (MEU) which features a compact and innovative cable gland design with specialised cable entries for installing VGA, video, power and capsule cables directly into the VDR, enabling customisation for individual vessels. The MEU also contains an easy “swap out” OS drive as its long-term storage medium. In addition, the X-VDR features 10 individual channels, allowing up to 16 microphones and 4 VHF inputs. TO
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TECHNOLOGY - SAFETY SYSTEMS
Smallest personal locator beacon UK-based safety and communications specialist Ocean Signal has launched what it claims is the world’s smallest personal locator beacon rescueME PLB1. Easy to use and 30% smaller than other personal locator beacons, rescueME PLB1 is claimed to be ideal for a range of applications in the commercial market. Used to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency at sea, another product - the SafeSea E100G EPIRB - has the longest quoted operational battery life in the industry with enough capacity to operate the EPIRB continuously, typically for four days, even using the E100G with GPS fix. It is fitted with a 50-channel, integral GPS. Ocean Signal’s SafeSea S100 SART is designed to assist in the rescue and recovery
of liferafts and survival craft and transmits a series of pulses which provide a bearing, while the SafeSea V100 survival craft hand portable radiotelephone is ultra-rugged and easy to use, both on-board and in distress situations, the company said. The company has recently expanded its production space and research and development facilities by 40% to meet increased global demand for its range of safety products for the commercial sector and to prepare for the production and distribution of new products later this year. Ocean Signal has also announced several new distribution agreements in recent months, including FURUNO Italia in Italy, All Sat Communications in Australia and True Heading in the Netherlands, bringing the number of countries served to more than 40. TO
The minute size of the locator beacon can clearly be seen.
Servowatch unveils new off-the-shelf alarm, monitoring & control system (AMC) Servowatch Systems, a specialist in marine automation and system integration, has introduced ServoCore, a new AMC (alarm, monitoring and control) solution. The UK-based company, a business unit of the Electrical & Automation division of India’s engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro, has adapted its technology used in its bespoke automation and integration solutions supplied to the naval and specialist ship sectors to meet commercial shipping needs. Servowatch Systems’ head of R&D, Stafford Williams, said: “Drawing on our knowledge and expertise from approaching 40 years in systems integration development, we have designed a new COTS (commercial-offthe-shelf) range of entry level systems that offer a reliable and highly costeffective solution that meets the robust demands of the commercial shipping fleet.” ServoCore has been specifically developed to deliver COTS solutions for all shipping sectors, including tankers. The standard packages are future-proofed for the integration of additional components. The company’s patented software solution WinMon is at the heart of the new AMC solution. Both the company’s ServoCore and ServoFusion solutions can also be expanded to incorporate the ship safety and security management aspects of the company’s new ServoSecurity offering. This can be integrated to manage shipboard fire, flood and emergency situations and optimising evacuation processes. Last year, Servowatch secured a large contract to provide IPMS for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s new MARS (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability) tankers, currently under construction by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME). The four 38 000 gt MARS tankers, which are due for delivery from 2016, will receive a Servowatch scope of supply that includes operator interfaces for all the vessels’ shipboard machinery. TO 38
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TANKEROperator October 2014
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TECHNOLOGY - TANK SERVICING
Eco-friendly tank coating hits the market More than 600 ships have now been treated with Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) patented MarineLine tank coating. he number is expected to climb in the coming months, as new coatings advancements are introduced and coatings contracts are signed, APC said. APC has recently developed a new ‘ecofriendly’ MarineLine 784 formulation with added performance benefits. MarineLine 784’s VOC level has been reduced to only 30 grams per litre, which is the lowest level of any other cargo tank coating, the company claimed. This new coating formulation can be sprayed using several methods. The first method uses plural component equipment to separately hold the coating components (resin and catalyst) until spraying occurs. This reduces waste and eliminates the need for added solvent. Another method - airless spraying - can be used after adding in a recommended amount of non-VOC solvent to the coating prior to application. APC said that it is trying to lead the maritime industry into using more advanced spray technologies used by other industrial markets.
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Methanol resistant A key performance feature of new coating is its ability to resist Methanol up to 50 deg C. This is a growing need by shipowners and operators, especially carrying Methanol in the Middle East region, where temperatures can escalate. This is made possible because APC has engineered even tighter crosslinking in MarineLine 784’s ladder-like structure, with very small openings between the rungs. This is far superior to the large openings of Phenol Epoxy coatings, the company said. When cured, MarineLine 784 is virtually impenetrable by preventing even very small chemical molecules from entering into the polymer structure. With over 600 chemical 40
and product tankers coated with MarineLine, this is the only proven high performance cargo tank lining that withstands all IMO approved chemical cargoes, APC said. The new coating provides more chemical resistance than stainless steel and phenolic epoxies, with superior resistance to acids, alkalis and solvents, such as Methanol. APC is also marketing its patented GuardLine cargo tank coating. This ‘low temperature cure’ tank coating is offered at a lower cost than MarineLine, as the coating does not require heat curing. This provides shipowners and operators with a choice of MarineLine 784 — for higher level chemical service, or GuardLine — for its ability to carry less severe cargoes, such as CPP, bio-fuels, vegetable and edible oils and DPP. APC claimed that GuardLine’s unique advantages are greater versatility and chemical resistance than any Phenolic Epoxy,
or Zinc, coating on the market today, but at a cost that is comparable to these coatings. GuardLine, with its distinctive blue colour, only requires an ambient cure at +25 deg C (+77 deg F) to achieve high service capability. This tank coating is also engineered with an eco-friendly ultra low VOC formulation and can be applied by plural component, or airless spray equipment. Because of the broad versatility of both coatings, APC said that it is now working on several vessels and signing contracts for others. Currently, a multi-vessel tank coating project is underway at YARDIMCI Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, which is using GuardLine cargo tank coating for product tankers under construction for Palmali Shipping. In addition, APC is working with a number of shipowners and shipyards on new contracts for 2015 and beyond, the company said. TO
An APC inspector checks the application of the GuardLine cargo tank coating at the YARDIMCI Shipyard in Turkey on a newbuild Palmali Shipping vessel.
TANKEROperator October 2014
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