Speaking on the opening day of SMM 2010 about future energy efficiency in shipping Dr Klein, who has long advocated the introduction of LNG said: “I think larger owners fully understand the situation and to be competitive is a lot about the efficiency of vessels. One possibility to reduce costs is to change to another energy source like LNG but another is [that owners] think about their existing fleet and about newbuildings.

“They will have to fulfill some of the new requirements with existing vessels and others with requirements for newbuildings from 2016.”

Dr Klein said questions had still to be answered with regard to global LNG supply and infrastructure but he believed conditions were already suitable in regions such as the Baltic Sea. He was confident a degree of LNG use would be phased in within five years.

The society is currently involved in a project for Sweden’s Tarbit Shipping involving converting the products tanker Bit Viking to LNG propulsion. The 27,310cu m vessel, built at Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding in 2007, is on charter to Statoil and it is understood the work will be done at Sweden’s Gotaverken yard and sea trials will start next May.

Germanischer Lloyd’s guidelines for gas as ship fuel on the application of International Maritime Organization regulations have been in force since May 1 and apply to all ships excluding liquefied gas tankers. The internal combustion engine installations subject to the IMO interim guidelines may be single-fuel (i.e. natural gas) or dual-fuel (gas and fuel oil) machines, and the natural gas may be stored in gaseous or liquid state. The guidelines are to be applied in conjunction with the relevant provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and the Protocol of 1988 relating thereto, as amended.

Compared to oil, natural gas ha two key advantages: high efficiency and a lower environmental impact. Engine problems and damage caused by low-quality heavy fuel oils will be a thing of the past for owners switching to gas as a ship fuel. Risks associated with conventional ship fuels include bunker quality issues, poor ignition and combustion, and uneven heat and pressure distribution on pistons, piston rings and cylinder liners.

*The society also revealed yesterday that some 7,000 vessels of 90m tons gross are currently under its technical supervision. reflecting growth of 20m gt over the last three years.

The EU regulations came into effect on 1 July 2010 and require all fishing vessels of more than 24 metres (78ft) to supply reports of catch, trans-shipments, landings and sales electronically to European fishing authorities.

Vizada and Nautical have put together a customized communications package based on Inmarsat FleetBroadband to enable fishing companies to easily and cost-effectively transmit this data once recorded. Nautical, the leading supplier of mobile satellite services to the Spanish fishing market has so far provided the package to more than 330 fishing vessels, representing approximately 60% of the Spanish market.

The package comprises Vizada airtime, an Inmarsat Sailor FleetBroadband terminal (FB 250 or 150, including extended warranty), the Elog software package developed by the Spanish government for recording catch data, and Vizada’s proprietary SkyFile Mail software for the secure and cost-effective transmission of that data.

Fishing companies will receive grants of up to 4,500 euros from the Spanish government to subsidize the purchase of the package.

Carlos Suarez del Villar, Satcom Director at Nautical, said: “The FleetBroadband service is the perfect system to meet the EU’s new fishing quota requirements, however, in the long term we aim to show fishing companies that having a broadband communications system on board can significantly improve their business.

“The high-speed, always on connectivity enables them to check weather reports and charts, and even help create an ‘online market place’ where they can sell their catch before they’re arrived back at shore. And if they decide to use Vizada Solutions like on board like Terralink Data Manager, the captain can keep tight control of costs at all times.”

Established in South Wales more than 100 years ago, Lars Knutsen & Clode (LKC) has a strong history in ship supply. The company’s network boasts 8,000 sq ft of warehouse facility in Pembrokeshire with full bond, ambient, freezer and chilled facilities and Unitor stock which is superbly placed to supply Pembroke and the Milford oil and gas industry, South Wales and South West UK. In addition its 3,500 sq ft of warehousing in London with full bond, ambient, freezer and chilled facilities is ideally positioned on the Thames to supply London, Harwich, Dover and South East UK.

With a turnover of £4.5million and a client base which includes James Fisher, Fastnet Ferries, Irish Ferries and Gulf Offshore, LKC is a successful company with 16 staff including Managing Director David Thompson, descendant of the company’s founder, who will remain onboard in a sales development role and be fully involved in incorporating LKC into the Hutton’s business model.

Hutton’s Managing Director Alex Taylor said: “This latest acquisition will further strengthen Hutton’s position in Wales and the South of England, providing Hutton’s with additional bases to supply ships in the local ports. This addition will benefit our customers and further increase our buying power and logistics network.”

This is the fourth acquisition for Hutton’s in the past five years. The company previously purchased Admiral Marine’s Edinburgh office in 2005, Marine & Offshore Medical Supplies (rebranded Hutton’s Medical) in 2005 and Pan Europe in 2009. In addition, organic growth has led to the opening of an Aberdeen branch in 2006, with further expansion at this location in 2009.

Alex Taylor added: “Over this five year period Hutton’s turnover has increased from £2.5 million to £7.5 million and, with the addition of LKC’s £4.5 million turnover, we are set to have an annual turnover of at least £12 million which secures Hutton’s future.”

Michael Green, technical manager of Lintec, said it was significant, that only 2.5% of samples taken inside the new ECA region have had a sulphur level above 1.06%. “Samples with sulphur levels between 1% and 1.06% can be regarded as being 95% certain to fail the upper specification limit (of 1%) under ISO 4259 guidelines, referenced under ISO 8217 for interpretation of test data. That is that they fall within this ‘grey area’ in terms of single-test results, and would not necessarily be seen as failing the 1% limit.”

Since May 1 this year, 16.5% of Lintec’s fuel oil samples have been from stems ordered to the maximum 1% sulphur limit

Michael Green added: “In accordance with ISO 4259 principles, bunker suppliers will need to use 0.94% sulphur as the blend target if they want to ensure that the fuel they supply will not exceed the 1% ECA sulphur limit.”

According to Lintec, both ship operators and bunker suppliers now seem to be well-versed in dealing with sulphur limits, and better prepared for the implications of the new 1% limit than they were when the 1.5% limit first took effect.

There is, however, a discrepancy between sulphur verification procedures endorsed by IMO and those referred to in commercial tests on samples sent by fuel buyers to fuel testing agencies. The IMO requirements, which are meant to inform port state control authorities in the event of compliance testing being conducted on an official MARPOL sample, are more stringent than those detailed in ISO 4259. The IMO requirement is for a minimum of two test results, followed by another two if the average of the first two falls within a grey area, and failure if the final test result exceeds the sulphur limit by as little as 0.01%.

Mr Green said: “Bunker buyers and sellers will have to decide for themselves which procedure they will take into consideration in the event of a borderline sulphur test result.”

Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre, established last year by piracy expert Nick Davis and a number of security and former military officials, said the device created an impenetrable security perimeter around a vessel which, when crossed, caused failure of the attacking vessel’s propulsion, rendering it disabled.

Rigged to heavy-duty booms and deployed prior to entering high-risk areas, the propeller arrester released lines of strong buoyant rope which floated on the surface of the water, without interfering with the deploying vessel’s own propeller.

According to the company, the device can be deployed quickly with minimal manpower, remaining effective when left unattended regardless of vessel speed and design, and irrespective of the cargo carried and prevailing weather conditions. Once transit has been completed and the threat of attack has passed, the propeller arrester can be wound back onto drums and stored onboard.

“The propeller arrester offers, for the first time, a non-lethal countermeasure that is capable of stopping single and multiple-vessel attacks by preventing the attackers getting close enough to effect a means of contact prior to boarding,” said Mr Davis. “It is reusable, repairable and a fraction of the cost of having an armed or unarmed team onboard.

“Until now, shipping companies have had a major disadvantage in that, by the time onboard countermeasures to protect against unlawful boarding have become effective, the pirates are already onboard. That is not the case with the propeller arrester which, if used as part of a layered defence system and operated by well-trained crew, will enable ships to prevent attacking vessels getting close enough to attempt boarding, or will at least make them such an unattractive target that the pirates will look for alternatives.”

During the exercise on September 14, the SS Shieldhall, a cargo steamship built on the Clyde in1955, will be targeted by pirates on a skiff which will subsequently be caught up in the propeller arrester while communication is maintained with naval and coastguard agencies. Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre will recreate a full briefing as if the ship were about to enter the Gulf of Aden, demonstrating crew training, intelligence briefings, and watch-keeping using its new bridge-installed security radar.

Mr Beams has been appointed one of only seven finalists in this year’s Teaching Awards which are supported by the Engineering Council. Finalists demonstrated their work to the Engineering Subject Centre team and they were impressed by his case study examining the use of more than 300 modules of computer-based teaching/training (CBT) to support both in-class teaching and self-study periods. His report has been published on the Engineering Subject Centre’s website.

Professor John Dickens, Director of the Engineering Subject Centre, said: “These awards highlight the many excellent engineering teachers throughout UK higher education.”

Stephen Bond, Videotel Deputy Chairman, said: “We are delighted that Rod Beams has been recognised for his excellent work. Videotel is honoured to be able to support Rod’s COBALT engineering modules which are proving very popular with our world-wide clients throughout the maritime industry.”

Rod Beams runs a B.Eng (Hons) Marine Engineering Technology degree at the University of Greenwich at Medway’s School of Engineering. This is a degree that concentrates on system operation, maintenance, problem analysis and solution.

“We are grateful and flattered by some of the names who threw their hat into the ring,” said Graham Westgarth, INTERTANKO’s chairman. “Ultimately however, we felt that Joe and Kathi working together to lead INTERTANKO through its change of MD was an optimal solution.”

Joe Angelo has worked for INTERTANKO for six years, first as director of regulatory affairs and the Americas. Prior to joining INTERTANKO he held various senior roles in the United States Coast Guard, lastly as director of standards for marine safety, security and environmental protection, where he led U.S. delegations at the International Maritime Organization. As the existing deputy managing director, he ensures continuity and stability to INTERTANKO’s membership upon Peter’s departure.

“Joe is a well respected figure not only within INTERTANKO but also in the corridors of the IMO and the international shipping community. Having initially not been available for selection we are delighted this subsequently changed and are pleased that he agreed to take up the challenge,” said Westgarth. Kathi Stanzel joins INTERTANKO from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC). A marine biologist by profession, she has worked in senior technical advisory and claims management roles within the marine pollution sector.

“In her twelve years with ITOPF and IOPC, Kathi has attended and been responsible for handling many major ship source pollution incidents including the Erika and Prestige,” said Westgarth. “Acting as a signatory on behalf of the 1971 and 1992 Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, she advises governments on oil pollution response measures and potential impacts. She has been extensively involved in the work of the OPRC-HNS Technical Group and the development of IMO guidance documents for the Marine Environment Protection Committee, focusing both on oil and other hazardous and noxious substances.” “Peter is a hard act to follow,” said Westgarth. “He has been a committed and passionate spokesman and a driving force for better standards in the tanker industry for many years. His energy and inspiration will be sorely missed. INTERTANKO’s membership is indebted to him.”

“All too often, shipping and other users of our seas are not taken into account or consulted until after the sites have been designed,” said Saurabh Sachdeva, Nautical Consultant at the Chamber of Shipping.

“By this time, a substantial sum of money has already been spent by the developers on economic and environmental assessments, making them naturally defensive of the proposed sites and not receptive to suggestions that the sites are unsuitable because of concerns over maritime safety or negative economic impact on shipping and other industries.”

According to the Chamber, shipping interests fully recognise the importance of renewable energy sources and especially offshore wind. They also stand to benefit commercially since offshore wind generation offers significant market opportunities both in the UK and later, through ‘first mover’ expertise, elsewhere in the world. Maritime sectors that may see business opportunities include the ports, survey vessels, offshore construction vessels, jack-up rigs, maintenance vessels and cable layers.

It said in a statement: “There is a lot to gain, but shipping believes that it must not be at the expense of safety for seafarers or risk to our trade routes. Such risks can be removed by ensuring that the safety of navigation and potential impact on trade routes are considered at an early a stage when identifying and deciding on future wind farm sites.

“The current process is neither simple nor rational and on several occasions developers have failed to apply the government’s marine safety codes, guidance and policies in a coherent and transparent manner. If wind farms are to be delivered in a safe and responsible manner then robust decisions, based on sound criteria, will need to be made taken. The shipping industry’s major concern is that, despite the various codes of practice, Maritime Notices and the requirements of the Electricity Act, Offshore Renewable Energy developments are increasingly encroaching on well-established sea lanes, strategic trade routes and the approaches to ports. Applications for developments continue to be put forward which clearly represent a danger to other sea users.”

The Chamber of Shipping – which represents the UK’s shipping industry and has a reputation as being at the forefront of campaigns to improve the already excellent environmental impact of the industry – is lobbying government, the Crown Estates (who own and allocate the seabed areas for wind farm developments) and the developers for a radical change to the way developments are approved.

It sees the answer as being to avoid conflicts that might arise between the energy and the maritime sector through a two pronged approach:

· Firstly, the major shipping trade routes, lanes and subsidiary routes used by commercial, non-commercial and fishing vessels around the UK should be clearly designated and preserved.

Any pre-assessment of recognised shipping lanes should not only take into account existing trade routes but also be future-proofed, so that Government can respond to any policy need for new routes to become available.

· In order to achieve this, Government should bring together all relevant departments and bodies which have an interest for central discussions aimed at identifying current and future shipping routes around the UK coastline which are considered essential and of commercial significance.

Such discussions would have the benefit of giving clear and agreed direction, over and above the current guidance, to all parties – prior to the submission of individual development tender processes and applications – on those areas where developments will not be accepted.

This approach would be ‘better regulation’ since it would save developers, government and stakeholders valuable time and resources when presenting and processing applications and by making planning consultations more focused on specific practical concerns relating to the specific site and minimising conflicts between the different interests.

Such a move could, at a stroke, be fundamental in ensuring the safe, successful and timely delivery of the government’s renewable energy obligations – whilst keeping the trading nation, UK PLC in business.

“We are delighted that this first step in training co-operation has gone so well,” commented Capt. John Dolan, General Manager of d’Amico Tankers Limited. “The primary objective was to provide the Irish Naval Service personnel with training on board our merchant vessels. The four officers were seconded to products tankers within our fleet as these vessels were considered the most appropriate, based on their size, trading schedules and cargoes carried.”

“This enabled the officers to gain valuable experience in modern tanker operations, safety management and compliance, the handling of hazardous cargoes, large vessel manoeuvring and deep sea navigation,” Dolan explained. “The officers were also able to meet and discuss topical issues with our senior marine and technical Group managers, Ishima Ship Management, in Singapore.”

“This training partnership reflects both the d’Amico Group’s and the Irish Naval Service’s commitment to achieving the highest standards in vessel operations,” Dolan added. “We hope that this relationship will develop further with the recent entry of d’Amico Dry into the Tonnage Tax scheme. This, in turn, represents our commitment to the maritime cluster and is consistent with promoting the Tonnage Tax scheme in Ireland to boost and retain maritime skills in the country.”

Commander Martin Counihan, Commandant Naval College & Associate Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland, emphasised how useful this deployment was for both the Naval Service and the training officers embarked with d’Amico. “The sea-time and experience gained is essential to both our naval training and the achievement of shipping industry standard STCW certification. Our officers gained important practical experience on board modern merchant vessels. They were also able to better appreciate the operational routines behind the success of a first class international commercial shipping operation which manages large ocean-going tankers safely on a daily basis. This partnership has been most successful and hopefully will continue into the future.”

Both d’Amico and the Irish Naval Service are keen to promote continuing co-operation between the two maritime sectors. It is likely that similar arrangements will be put in place for more naval officers in due course.

The co-operation between UTT and Exmar began in 2006 when there was an identified need for extra officer recruitment sources due to the worldwide shortage of qualified seafarers, UTT stated in a release. Exmar had already established a local presence due to operating an ammonia and LNG fleet and expressed an interest in UTT’s maritime programmes and training resources. Exmar’s interest led to a cadet training agreement, signed on May 8, 2007, which enabled UTT cadets to enrol on the company’s vessels. 
 
Since then, more than 60 deck and engine cadets have trained on the fleet and have performed creditably with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the ship’s staff, UTT stated: “The cadets have been credited with having good basic knowledge and seafaring skills; coupled with the right enthusiasm and motivation to carry out assigned tasks. The cadets are part of an eclectic cultural mix and are well able to adapt culturally and socially to life at sea. To date, there are 12 UTT graduates who have joined Exmar’s fleet as watchkeeping officers,” UTT said.

As the Maritime Authority of T&T was not yet approved to issue STCW certificates of competency, examination and professional certificates were initially carried out through the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. 

The UTT said that since June 2010, the programmes and facilities of the Chaguaramas campus have been audited and approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of the United Kingdom (MCA). That body will now issue professional certificates. The facilities of the University’s Chaguaramas Campus have been visited several times by representatives of Exmar Shipmanagement and, on one occasion, by the Principal of the Antwerp Maritime Academy. They have all expressed favour with the facilities at the Campus and have been impressed, not only by the infrastructure, but also by the quality of teaching which is ably led by Prof Colin Stevenson, programme professor, maritime studies.