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Kenichi Kuroya, Managing Director of K Line Pte in Singapore and a regular speaker at Ship Management Internatiuonal conferences around the world, has been appointed as the new President and CEO of the parent company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).

He will assume the post on April 1, 2010, when incumbent president Hiroyuki Maekawa will become chairman of the board with representation right. Prior to this, Kuroya will be appointed Vice President as of January 1, 2010, and also a member of the board of directors as of end of June subject to approval at the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.

Kuroya joined K Line in April 1969 after graduating from the School of Economics of Kansei Gakuin University in March 1969. He is two years senior to Maekawa who joined K Line in 1971. After being engaged primarily in the containership business, Kuroya resigned as a director of K Line in June 2003 to become managing director of KLPL, the Singapore-based subsidiary of K Line.

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has released new ‘Risk Assessment Guidelines’ based on the results of implementation and extensive studies related to risk assessment methods, as the increasing risks for ship owners and managers are brought to a fore.

In the shipbuilding and maritime fields, a rule making process using a risk assessment technique called Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) has been developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and FSA standards have been revised, established and proposed based on a vast amount of practical experience.

In addition, the Oil Companies International Maritime Forum has developed the ‘Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) Guidelines’ for self assessment of the management systems of tanker management companies, and risk assessment methods have already been realised and are currently in widespread use.

Deemed a major elemental technology, risk assessment methods are also being used in the development and assessment of new types of ships, and in risk-based inspections and risk-based maintenance, and ClassNK’s methods, examples and actual experience with the implementation of risk assessments are designed to serve as a reference for the development of safer and more rational systems, better management systems, and more effective survey systems.

Norway’s Island Offshore has ordered two platform supply vessels to be built at STX Europe in Brevik, injecting a much-needed boost into the shipbuilding industry after a prolonged dearth of newbuild orders.

Based on the same design as Island Commander and Island Chieftain delivered from STX Europe earlier this year, the vessels are scheduled for delivery during the last quarter of 2011 and the early part of 2012, totalling contract values of approximately NOK 800 million.

Roy Reite, President of STX Europe’s Offshore & Specialized Vessels business area, said: “We have been awarded a total of 29 new building contracts with Island Offshore. We appreciate the close cooperation with Island Offshore, which is an innovative customer both in upturns and downturns in the offshore market.”

The vessels are of Rolls-Royce UT 776 CD design, and will be number five and six in this series delivered from STX Europe to Island Offshore. The hulls will be built at STX Europe in Romania, and outfitted at STX Europe in Norway.

Japanese shipping companies are continuing to invest in technologies for more fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing vessels, collaborating with manufacturers and adopting government-backed initiatives, at a time where climate talks are reaching the pinnacle of global importance.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has recently announced the development of a carbon dioxide-reducing, efficiency-boosting fuel additive for ships, created in conjunction with Japan’s largest fuel additive manufacturer, Taihokohzai. MOL intends to implement the new additive, TAICRUSH HD, on its vessels as part of the wider aim to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

Improving the ignition performance and sludge (carbon and sediment) dispersion in heavy fuel oils, TAICRUSH HD promotes improved combustion and reduced fuel consumption MOL stated that the new additive reduces ignition delay and afterburning time by more than 30% compared to conventional fuel oil additives for large-scale vessels.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) Lines has simultaneously received subsidies from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for four of its technological development projects under the Ministry’s ‘Support for Technology Development for Curtailing CO2 from Marine Vessels’ program.

Examining various ways to further improve shipping’s fuel efficiency, the research projects incorporate input from a range of other companies, primarily the Monohakobi Technology Institute – the body assisting NYK in the development of their new concept container vessel – and also Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

The subsidies will assist in the development of a number of new technologies such as a vessel performance monitoring system, which will measure precisely the movement of waves and that of a vessels’ hull and calculate the resulting effect on the propulsion performance of vessels; a load-fluctuation stabilizer to counteract the negative effect heavy weather has on vessel performance, and research into the application of Nickel-Hydrogen batteries as a hybrid power source for large vessels.

In addition, NYK is involved in a project to equip a Capesize bulk carrier with the world’s first hybrid turbocharger generating system for vessels with hopes to prove its effectiveness. The system, to undergo onboard trials in 2011, will provide all electricity required onboard during ordinary operations, rendering it unnecessary to operate a diesel power generator during voyages and therefore reducing fuel and maintenance costs while also curtailing CO2 emissions.

In its “commitment to pursuing technological innovations to suppress global warming,” NYK’s government-backed drivers to invest in green technologies are part of Japan’s commitment to its important role as a maritime superpower, and are a burning indication of the nation’s efforts to build a sustainable future for global shipping.

Jumbo Shipping’s HLV Fairpartner has successfully discharged the longest load in Jumbo’s 41-year history when two tanker barges were discharged at the port of Rotterdam. One of the barges, loaded in Nantong, China, weighed over 1,330 tonnes and had a length of 135 metres, the longest piece of cargo ever lifted by a Jumbo Heavy Lift vessel. The combination of length, weight and discharging method produced a record lift. The 1,300 tonnes load was lifted over portside at an outreach of 31 m.

The second barge had only slightly smaller dimensions: 1100 tonnes and a length of 130 m. After being stacked on top of each other, the ships’ crew safely lashed and secured them before starting their long journey to Rotterdam via the Cape of Good Hope.

Denmark’s DFDS has snapped up A.P. Moller – Maersk’s ro-ro operation Norfolkline for €346 million, forming much-needed consolidation in the European ferry industry.

The deal involves the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group obtaining 28.8% of the shareholding in DFDS, and in addition, the Maersk Group will buy shares in DFDS from Lauritzen Fonden, bringing the Group’s total shareholding in DFDS to approximately 31%.

The combination of Norfolkline and DFDS will create Northern Europe’s leading ferry operator, with 6,200 employees and a fleet of 75 vessels prior to the sale of the two Norfolkline vessels. Estimated 2009 pro forma financials of DFDS and Norfolkline show revenues of €1,480m and EBITDA of €139m.

“This is a perfect match,” highlighted DFDS’ CEO Niels Smedegaard. “Norfolkline is a leading ferry and logistics company with a strong route network covering the North Sea, the Channel and the Irish Sea, combined with a considerable logistics operation.

“This means, that DFDS’ network is expanded to include two new markets, the Channel and the Irish Sea, we can combine our operations on the North Sea, and our ability to secure volumes for the network is greatly strengthened. We both serve passengers and freight customers and can now provide transport solutions spanning the whole of Northern Europe – from Russia to Ireland,” he added.

The key focus areas for the new company during the initial integration phase will be to generate revenue growth through wider market coverage, to consolidate ro-ro shipping and port terminal operations on the North Sea and to improve capacity utilisation of the route network.

“DFDS and Norfolkline are a very good match and we are very pleased with this transaction,” said Søren Skou, Partner and member of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group’s Executive Board. “We have identified both operational and commercial synergies, which will create value for the owners, and we look forward to becoming a major shareholder in DFDS,” he added.

The shipping industry could establish a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 at zero cost to the industry, according to a new study conducted by DNV in line with the discussions taking place at the COP15 climate change summit.

Covering ships from all market segments, both from the existing fleet and newbuildings projected to be built in the years to come, the results of the study reveal that shipping, compared to a projected baseline (where no measures are applied) of 1,530 million tons of CO2, could create a reduction in emissions equalling to 500 million tons of CO2.

Supplementing this, it also demonstrated how the emission reduction potential would increase to 50% if all identified measures costing up to 100 $/tonne CO2 were implemented.

Underlining the possibilities for a range of reduction measures, Tor Svensen, COO of DNV Maritime, emphasised how the results are “encouraging, and added that “if the shipping industry starts acting now and applies the available cost-efficient technologies, emissions can be reduced considerably, without additional costs incurred.

“By doing this we can go a long way in meeting some of the tough requirements already set, and also those currently being debated in Copenhagen,” he said.

The study suggests that where emission reduction and sound economic rationale pull in the same direction, widespread implementation of cost-effective measures will come over time. Enforcement through regulatory means could, however, be necessary where the economic pull is weaker.

“While there is no silver bullet which could make it all happen, the aggregated effect of all measures are significant and will ensure an industry that operates in a more energy efficient manner and also takes its share of the common responsibility of reducing carbon emissions,” Mr Svensen revealed.

Inmarsat, provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has activated the 5,000th FleetBroadband terminal making it the fastest adopted maritime service in the company’s 30-year history.

Representing commercially active SIM cards passing operational traffic, the 5,000 FleetBroadband terminals activated through Inmarsat’s global partner network is a demonstration of the company continuing to take the maritime industry by storm.

FleetBroadband was launched in November 2007, and the latest member of the FleetBroadband family, FB150, launched just 22 weeks ago, already has 500 terminals activated – a rate of adoption which is twice that of FB500 and FB250 at a similar period after launch.

Piers Cunningham, Maritime Business Director said: “The continued strong growth for FleetBroadband shows that it has become the de facto standard for modern maritime communications. FB150 in particular is beating our expectations, and no doubt those of our competitors too. FleetBroadband is the only service that is cost effective, reliable, has a global reach and is optimised to deliver genuine broadband connectivity.”

The 5,000th terminal was activated on Happy Rover, a 1997-build owned by Dutch company BigLift Shipping, a member of the Spliethoff Group, which manages a fleet of 70 multipurpose vessels ranging in size from 2,500 to 21,000 tonnes. It is the leading operator in the world market of wide heavy lifting with a fleet of 13 purpose-built heavy lift vessels provide lifting capacities of up to 1,400 tons plus ro-ro capabilities for loads up to 2,500 tonnes.

According to Peter Van de Venne, IT Director at Spliethoff, Happy Rover is the latest of nine vessels to adopt FleetBroadband, with new vessels to follow: “We are particularly pleased with the remote maintenance feature. We have refined our software programmes so we are now able to routinely check on progress online rather than talking on the phone, which is not only costly but can often lead to misinterpretation or misunderstanding.

“This way we check with the Captain and then connect at a time that works for us here in Amsterdam to take over the PC. Effectively, we can ‘mouse move’ across the oceans, day or night, which is not only cost effective but operationally more efficient,” he added.

With the upgrade to FleetBroadband, the 20-strong crew onboard Happy Rover will benefit from global connectivity as they sail around the world, and both the officers and the operations managers will benefit from the broadband speeds of up to 432kbps offered by FleetBroadband as well as its simultaneous voice and data capability.