Maersk Triple E World Largest Vessel

Maersk Triple E

US looking for business opportunities in Vizag

HYDERABAD:  The US is looking for business opportunities in Visakhapatnam, the second biggest city in Andhra Pradesh, especially in the port sector.

 

Judy R. Reinke, minister counsellor for commercial affairs at the US embassy, would be visiting the port city also known as Vizag Friday.

 

"I will have a chance to talk to the port community and to see opportunities for American business to do more engagement in the port sector," she said at annual day function of the American Chamber of Commerce Hyderabad Chapter (AMCHAM) here Thursday night.

 

She said the US was keen to have further engagement with Andhra Pradesh.

 

"The US commercial service at US embassy has an office here. I am also happy to say that last year we opened American Business Corner in Vizag with a local partner because we see it is important to have even further engagement here in Andhra Pradesh," she said.

 

Reinke noted that many American companies including Microsoft, AMD, International Paper, DE Shaw & Co, Qualcomm, S&P Capital and CA Technologies have made Andhra Pradesh their home.

 

Describing Hyderabad as the global destination city, she said that the event is an evidence of the fact that Hyderabad is a place to be for American industry.

 

"Hyderabad is beautiful city known for its cuisine, culture, history and people. It is also global destination city. One finds people from all over world in hotels and in companies here and it is a city known for its engagement with global market," she said.

 

James Golsen, commercial officer, US Consulate, Chennai said the business relationship between the US and Hyderabad was ever expanding.

 

Katherine Dhanani, consul general in Hyderabad, pointed out that during last one year trade delegations from San Antonio, Texas and Washington states visited Hyderabad and the focus was medical devices and renewable energy sectors.

 

The US officials honored industry bodies, institutions and individuals to recognize their contributions to US-India business relations.

 

J. A. Chowdary of Talent Sprint and B. V. R. Mohan Reddy of Infotech Enterprises were felicitated for their leadership role in promoting business ties between the US and Andhra Pradesh.

 

Eleven institutions were also honoured. They included the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Andhra Pradesh unit of FICCI, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and Aurobindo Pharma.

 

 

Source: IANS

World’s First Ultra-Long-Stroke Ship Engine Passes First Test

HHI-EMD, the engine and machinery division of Hyundai Heavy Industries, has reported that the world’s first MAN B&W 7G80ME-C9.2 passed its official shop test on 16 January 2013 in Korea.

The MAN Diesel & Turbo licensee reported that the shop test proceeded as expected and was a success. Engineers from MAN Diesel & Turbo took part in the entire prototype process, culminating with the very first engine start on 10 January, the official shop test on 16 January and an overhaul inspection the following day.

The engine is bound for a Greek customer – Almi Tankers – and will power a VLCC due for delivery by the Daewoo yard in May of this year with sea trials taking place in April. The new engine is the first of two in an identical package ordered by Almi with a second VLCC scheduled for delivery in December of this year.

Speaking at the time of the initial announcement of the Almi order, Ole Grøne – Senior Vice President Low-Speed Promotion & Sales – MAN Diesel & Turbo said: Traditionally, super-long-stroke S-type engines, with relatively low engine speeds, have been applied as prime movers in tankers. Following the efficiency optimisation trends in the market, the possibility of using even larger propellers has been thoroughly evaluated with a view to using engines with even lower speeds for propulsion of particularly VLCCs. We also see a clear trend with focus on fuel optimisation. We now have around 100 G-type engines on order, including the container and bulker segments, which is a successful introduction”.

He continued: “VLCCs may be compatible with propellers with larger propeller diameters than current designs accommodate, and thus higher efficiencies can be achieved following an adaptation of the aft hull design to accommodate the larger propeller. The new, ultra-long-stroke G80ME-C9 engine type meets this trend in the  VLCC market.

It is estimated that such new designs offer potential fuel-consumption savings of some 4-7%, and a similar reduction in CO2 emissions.  Simultaneously, the engine itself  can achieve a high thermal efficiency using the latest engine process  parameters and design features.

The G-type programme 

The G-type programme was introduced to the market in October 2010 with the G80ME-C9 model.  MAN Diesel & Turbo subsequently expanded the ultra-long-stroke programme in May 2011 with the addition of G70ME-C9, G60ME-C9 and G50ME-B9 models. The G-types have designs that follow the principles of the large-bore Mk-9 engine series that MAN Diesel & Turbo introduced in 2006. Their longer stroke reduces engine speed, thereby paving the way for ship designs with unprecedented high efficiency.

Top 25 Container Shipping Companies in the World in 2012

Reference
http://www.alphaliner.com

Nichioh Maru – The First Car Carrier with Solar Power System

Nichioh Maru car carrier represents a major stride forward in the concept of eco-friendly ships. The green ship boasts of the unique distinction of being the first car carrier to be equipped with the solar-energy power generation systems. Operating internally within Japan, the green ship has been in commercial service since 2012.
The Shin Kurushima Shipbuilding Company undertook the solar car carrier ship’s construction as per the specifications stated by its owners, Nissan. Presently, the Nichioh Maru is operated by the Nitto Kaiun Company.Mainly used to transport Nissan cars internally between the regions of Honshu (Yokohama and Kobe) to Kyushu, the car carrier is the first vessel to be operated on electronic-diesel power. The vessel’s construction follows Nissan’s initiative to come up with sustainable eco-friendly alternatives in its maritime ventures.

Almost 1,400 cars can be accommodated onto the solar ship which measures almost 170 meters lengthwise and a width of about 26 meters. The green ship’s constructional features also include a specially crafted hull that substantially reduces the vessel’s resistance against the incoming air currents while on water.

This unique engineering system helps the vessel to reduce nearly 1,400 tonnes of exhaust discharges. This accounts for an estimated reduction in carbon dioxide discharges by over 4,000 tonnes, yearly. The car carrier is equipped with over 28 solar panels. These solar panels help to generate power to light the ship’s LED-based lighting systems.

Future Expectations

The tremendous success of the Nichioh Maru car carrier has led to additional expectations of marine ecology preservation being placed on leading maritime companies of the world. Nissan has come up with a 2016 deadline as a part of its obligations towards preserving and sustaining the marine ecology. The launching of the Nichioh Maru solar ship is thus yet another step towards achieving this objective.

Merger to Create World’s Biggest Ship Classification Society

Det Norske Veritas and Germanischer Lloyd today announced they are merging to create the world’s biggest ship classification society, accounting for nearly 18 percent of the global fleet.

Norway’s DNV will own 63.5 percent of the new company DNV GL Group, with GL’s German owner, Mayfair, holding a 36.5 percent stake.

The company, with annual revenue of $3.3 billion and a 17,000 strong work force, will be headquartered in Oslo. Its marine operations will be based in Hamburg, the home port of the world’s largest container ship fleet, much of which is classified by GL.

DNV GL will overtake Japan’s Class NK as the world’s largest classification society, issuing sea worthiness certificates to about 69,500 ships totaling 353 million deadweight tons.

The company will also be among the world’s biggest risk experts in oil and gas and the top three in management system certification.

“The merger rests on a strong strategic rationale, and responds to the challenges of increased globalization, rapid technological change and the needs for sustainable development,” said DNV Group CEO Henrik Madsen, who will also be CEO of the merged company.

DNV, which was founded in 1864, is owned by the not-for-profit DNV Foundation. GL’s owner, Mayfair, is the family holding of Guenter and Daniela Herz, former shareholders of the Tchibo coffee shop and restaurant chain..

New LNG-Fueled Bulk Carrier Design Receives Lloyd’s Register Approval in Principle

The ‘Clean Sky’ LNG-fueled bulk carrier design. Image: Lloyd’s Register

Class society Lloyd’s Register said Thursday that it has provided approval in principle (AIP) for COSCO Shipyard’s new ‘Clean Sky’ LNG-powered bulk carrier design.

COSCO, Golden Union and Lloyd’s Register began the project in June 2011 to investigate the potential to develop a commercially viable bulk carrier design based on an existing COSCO conventional Kamsarmax bulk carrier, only incorporating a gas powered propulsion systems. Kamsarmax refers to a relatively new type of ship, larger than panamax, that are suitable for berthing at the Port of Kamsar (Guinea) and have a maximum length of 299 meters.

The ‘Clean Sky’ design is notable because it allows owners to choose between dual, or tri-fuel engines able to burn, heavy fuel oil (HFO) or diesel, as well as LNG. The ‘Clean Sky’ is also said to be beyond the concept stage, with the possibility for the first such vessel to be built next year.

Nick Brown, Lloyd’s Register’s Area General Manager and Marine Manager in China commented: “This news moves the industry far beyond the concept stage. A ‘Clean Sky’ ship could be built next year. We have addressed the technology issues; the approval in principle that we issued today only comes after exhaustive risk investigations into the gas containment, bunkering systems and performance assessment.”

Various containment systems and configurations were considered by the project team, but the final choice was for a single, 1,160 m3 type ‘C’ tank that sits aft on the port side.

“COSCO Shipyard Group has a strong sense of social responsibility,” says COSCO Shipyard Group’s Head of Engineering, Zhan Shu Ming. “We are innovating to help shipowners meet new IMO emissions and performance requirements. Society is looking for alternatives to current fuels, which are also rising in price. The increased availability of gas reserves and the emissions benefits are driving interest in LNG as an alternative fuel. With COSCO Shipyard Group’s depth of experience in building Kamsarmax bulk carriers, we are now very well placed to build bulk carriers with the new gas technology. Our development in LNG as an alternative fuel technology will not be only limited to the application to bulk carrier designs, but also for other ship types. The current achievement is only the beginning of our research and development for LNG as an alternative fuel and the COSCO Shipyard Group, as a pioneer in this new technology, is committed to even more in-depth research in the future.”

A representative from Golden Union commented:

“The particularly tough environmental requirements mean vessels will have to comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s Tier III regulations by 2016 and this opens up demand for new ship propulsion solutions incorporating cost effective technologies. This could trigger a substantial shift towards natural gas-powered vessels; and in gas mode dual fuel engines already comply with the IMO’s Tier III requirements. Using LNG may be the ideal solution for meeting increased environmental performance without losing competitiveness. This design offers significant reductions in SOx, NOx and particulate – as well as CO2 – emissions by simply using cleaner LNG instead of employing costly and complex cleaning systems which do not always work.”

“Looking at the commercial perspective of LNG as a ship’s fuel, the capital expense of installing an LNG fuel system should be paid off after few years by operating expense savings, especially if a vessel is trading within ECAs. Global reserves in LNG greatly surpass oil reserves. LNG is becoming more readily available in the market. This, in combination with steady demand, should reduce price volatility in comparison with HFO. Keeping this in mind, HFO and marine diesel and marine gasoil prices will be likely to increase faster than LNG rates, speeding up the pay-off of the system.”

To date, LNG-as-fuel research, technology development and newbuilding activities have focused on specific niche sectors such as ferries, offshore vessels and short sea, or inland, trades. This project paves the way for take-up in deep sea bulk carrier trades, and perhaps even tankers.

“The challenges are similar for tankers,” Brown said. “Clearly there are benefits with using clean gas technology. The key issues now are commercial.”

Other LNG-fueled bulk carrier concepts we have seen include the ECO-Ship 2020, developed by Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and DNV, and the Green Dolphin, developed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) and development partners DNV and Wärtsilä but only leaves the possibility for a future LNG-fueled retrofit.

‘Clean Sky’ class design Kamsarmax bulk carrier particulars

• Length overall: 229.0m
• Breadth: 32.26m
• Depth: 20.25m
• Draft, design: 12.20m
• Draft, scantling: 14.50m
• Deadweight: 81,000 dwt
• Engine: MAN B&W 6S60ME C-8.2 – GI Tier II
• Gas containment: 1 x 1,160 cu. m ‘C’ type tank
• Speed: 14.10 knots (excluding any Energy Saving Devices)

Shanghai Top Port for Big Container Ship Calls

            

          Shanghai is the most popular port of call for the largest container ships, handling 18 of the 20 services deploying vessels with capacities of more than 10,000 20-foot-equivalent units, according to industry analyst Alpha liner.

Sixteen of the services operate between Asia and Europe, two are on the Far East-U.S. West Coast trade, and one is on the Far East-Middle East Gulf route.

Some large ships are also deployed from time to time on Mediterranean Shipping Co.’s Far East-South Africa-Europe “pendulum” service.

Shanghai is followed by the three Shenzhen ports of Yantian, Shekou and Chiwan, which together receive 17 weekly calls; another Chinese port, Ningbo, has 15 weekly calls.

There are currently 161 vessels with capacities of more than 10,000 TEUs calling at 51 ports, with the largest, CMA CGM’s 16,000-TEU Marco Polo, making its maiden calls at North European ports this week.

The number of ports handling such container ships is expected to increase over the next three years, with a further 110 vessels with capacities of more than 10,000 TEUs scheduled for delivery during the period.

Genoa, Colombo, Kaohsiung and Yokohama are expected to join the ports handling the vessels,

CMA CGM Marco Polo just arrived at Port Keylang (Malaysia)

CMA CGM Marco Polo  Route

The CMA CGM Marco Polo has just arrived at Port Keylang. She will leave tomorrow and continue her voyage towards the Suez Canal.

World Biggest Container Vessel..!!!!

CMA CGM Marco Polo

The CMA CGM Marco Polo (16,000 TEUs), the world's largest and state of the art containership, enters CMA CGM Asia - Europe Trade

Ship with 700 tons gold disappears in Russia's far east sea after storm

Moscow, Oct 31: A cargo ship carrying 700 tons of gold vanished off Russia's far east coast due to stormy weather on Sunday.

According to media reports, the vessel named Amurskaya, disappeared in the Sea of Okhotsk. The ship sent a distress call but the tanker which responded to the call for help found no trace of the vessel.

Reports state that search and rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather. Amurskaya was carrying gold worth $7.17 million.  

The cargo carrier Amurskoe disappeared in the Sea of Okhotsk while carrying 700 metric tons of gold ore.  

 According to experts quoted by RIA Novosti, each ton of ore contains an average of just six ounces of gold.  

With gold prices at $1,708 an ounce, the ships would presumably be carrying over $7.17 million worth of gold. 

Three ships, an amphibious aircraft and a helicopter are undertaking search and rescue operations to find the eight crewmembers of the lost vessel. 
Reports state that search and rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather. Amurskaya was carrying gold worth $7.17 million.  

The cargo carrier Amurskoe disappeared in the Sea of Okhotsk while carrying 700 metric tons of gold ore.  

 According to experts quoted by RIA Novosti, each ton of ore contains an average of just six ounces of gold.  

With gold prices at $1,708 an ounce, the ships would presumably be carrying over $7.17 million worth of gold. 

Three ships, an amphibious aircraft and a helicopter are undertaking search and rescue operations to find the eight crewmembers of the lost vessel. 

A sonar distress beacon was automatically activated near Feklistov Island in the Shantarsk Archipelago on Sunday, Russia’s Emergency Ministry reported

5 Reasons One Should Not Miss to Cruise Suez Canal

Sailing In Sand..!!

Travelling on cruises can be a life changing experience. Right from the choice of destination to the ultimate fun on the trip, a good cruise vacation can change your definition of holidaying. However, when it comes to cruise vacations, some things are definitely better than the others. Missing out on them would be a sad thing. Suez Canal cruise is one of them.

Flaunting a rich history, Suez Canal is a fascinating structure and missing out a chance to explore it through the cruises would be a shame. Here are five reasons why you should not miss out on such an enthralling experience:

1.       Witness Rich History

Istanbul

Suez Canal was built a long time ago, to make travel easier and traveling distance shorter. Once that happened, the route connecting Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea was built. Once that happened, it became a major route for traders to travel from and to Egypt, this redefining the economic development of that area. However, it was a risky project and resulted in death of many workers working on it. Suez Canal has a history of its own which can be explored on every Suez Canal cruise.So if you wish to be a witness to the history, cruising Suez Canal would give you a great opportunity to explore such a historical structure firsthand.

2.       The Land of Mysteries: Egypt 

It is hard to think about Suez Canal and miss out on Egypt. That is one major highlight of every Suez Canal cruise. Most of the Suez Canal tours offer a chance to take you to different parts of Egypt, exploring all its secrets and much more. Now visit the amazing waters of Egypt like the Safaga or the wonders of the world- Pyramids or be awed by the sphinxes or feel the back of your neck stand up on hearing stories of Egyptian mummies. Sometimes exciting, sometimes enthralling but always memorable- this chance to explore Egypt like never before is exclusive to Suez Canal cruises, and something that you should definitely not miss out on.

3.       Exotic Destinations

Sure, Egypt happens to be a very lucrative name on the list of destinations of when you are out to cruise Suez Canal. But it is definitely not the only one. It gets better. The destinations ports and smaller stoppages on the way sum up to make a great list of exotic places that you will get to see while cruising the Suez Canal.

Including the likes of Egyptian sculptures, beaches and nightlife of Israel, history of Jordon and so much more- it’s all on the itinerary and you get to experience all of this while on a Suez Canal cruise.

4.       Shopping

The best thing about the entire destination list of Suez Canal tours is that it is so diverse that everyone can find their own personal reason to enjoy it. If you have a liking for the crafts then Suez Canal cruises can turn out to be a great experience for you. Taking you to minute parts of places like Israel and Jordan which are a haven for anyone who appreciates a good craft, this trip can be like the soul food for the explorer inside you who is always looking for new things. So cruise Suez Canal to explore the craft of its destinations, something you will not get a chance to do anywhere else.

5.       Natural beauty and architectural wonders

Cruising Suez Canal starts with a departure from a port onto the waters of this man made structure. Connecting Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea, this structure has a lot of beautiful marine and land structures to see. While on the waters, you can expect to be awed by the expertise with which it has been built, making such a significant difference in the history. But that’s not all. Every time you step on a part of this excursion, you will be blown away by the natural beauty of each one of them like the coral reefs, fish and coastlines to the Nile River in Egypt to the architectural masterpieces all over Israel. The list keeps getting longer and better. Cruising Suez Canal can be a great holiday choice but it’s not just that. With its delicate balance of natural wonders and human genius, this is one cruise trip that will cater to the fun side of you while not leaving the traveler inside you thirsty either.

The MV Tricolor.

The MV Tricolor

The MV Tricolor, a Norwegian ship carrying 3,000 automobiles, sunk in the English Channel during 2002. The ship was so heavy that the salvage team had to cut it into nine pieces with a diamond-encrusted wire in order to lift it.

Port Of Oakland

Port Of Oakland

A huge gas turbine engine

A huge gas turbine engine 

A huge gas turbine engine of a ship being lifted for repairs

Global Shipbuilding reports mild recovery: Clarksons

New Delhi : The global shipbuilding industry has seen a mild recovery as orders for new vessels rebounded to more than 3 million deadweight tonnes last month,and Chinese shipyards were still leading the industry,according to the latest statistics released by Clarksons Plc,the world's leading provider of shipping services .
A total of 79 new vessels,totaling 3.2 million deadweight tonnes,were ordered in shipyards across the world in September.
The volume was 7.7% up from the same period last year and 9.6% up from August,the data showed. China still leads the world shipbuilding industry in new orders.
Chinese yards received orders for 34 new vessels,totaling 1.92 million deadweight tonnes,accounting for 60% of the world's total new-order volume and an 81% increase from the same period last year.

Import duty on white sugar may be hiked

New Delhi : In order to check flooding of the domestic market, the Government is considering doubling the import duty on white sugar to 20 per cent from the existing 10 per cent, while the 10 per cent duty on raw sugar import may be scrapped, the Minister of State for Food, Prof. K. V. Thomas, said.
"We have received different proposals. One is to increase duty on white sugar imports to 20 per cent and another to scrap duty on raw sugar imports. We will discuss the issue with the Agriculture and Commerce Ministries and take it to the Cabinet in about 15 days," the Minister said.
"Duty free imports will create havoc and our industry will be totally crushed. If imports are allowed when there is surplus sugar, prices will crash to below Rs 3,000 a quintal," said Mr S. L. Gupta, Secretary, UP Sugar Mills Association

L&T shipbuilding arm to raise 2,500 crore to replace loans raised for Tamil Nadu unit

MUMBAI: Larsen & Toubro's shipbuilding arm plans to raise 2,500 crore through bonds to replace existing loans raised for its unit at Kattupalli in Tamil Nadu, sources in the know of the matter .
L&T, which has an established shipbuilding facility at Hazira in Gujarat, has set up an ambitious shipyard-cum-port at Kattupalli at a total cost of 4,700 crore, which has been financed through 80% debt and 20% equity. The refinance may help the company reduce the interest rate by 150-200 basis points, analysts said. L&T Shipbuilding will raise the funds in two tranches of 1,200 crore and 1,300 crore, respectively.
It will raise 1,200 crore through 5-year bonds, which would have a call option after the third and fourth years at 8.95%.

Maersk Line wins Lloyds List Environment award for the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent

The Lloyd’s List Middle East and Indian Subcontinent Awards 2012 was held at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai. The delegation from Maersk Line was thrilled to be named the winner of the Environment Award.
Copenhagen : Maersk Line wins Lloyds List Environment Award for the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent.
The Lloyd’s List Middle East and Indian Subcontinent Awards 2012 was held at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai. The delegation from Maersk Line was thrilled to be named the winner of the Environment Award.
The award was given for Maersk Line’s Sustainability Progress Report 2011, aka “Route 2”, and the innovative website that accompanied it.
The jury’s explanation for choosing Maersk Line was as follows:
“Maersk Line introduced a new level of transparency on its sustainability initiatives to ensure that customers have a real choice on the environment. The effort did indeed set a new level of transparency that could help the industry follow suit. Openly criticizing the shipping industry for lacking disclosure on environmental performance, they offer a high degree of data granularity, allowing customers to see the effect of CO2 emissions and efforts to reduce them will have across their supply chains.”
Earlier this year, Maersk Line launched its sustainability  progress  report “Route 2” (http://maersklineroute2.com/) with a message to the industry: New and higher standards are needed. Maersk is charting a more sustainable course by focusing on raising the bar for the industry, delivering less CO2 per shipment and ensuring best CO2  data  in the industry.
Timothy Paul, Maersk Line’s Sustainability Manager in the West Central Asia Liner Operations Cluster (WCA LOC), accepted the award on stage on behalf of Maersk Line, saying: “This is great recognition for Maersk’s environmental efforts and acknowledges our Centre colleagues’ superb efforts in developing a high calibre sustainability  progress  report ‘Route 2’!”
Rob Brummer, head of the WCALOC, was equally delighted, saying: “This award puts us in the right spot to further develop sustainability in the WCALOC region.”  

Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Pacific Orca Arrives in Denmark

Vessel Pacific Orca

The self-elevating and self-propelled vessels were designed for Swire Blue Ocean, Denmark, for installation of offshore wind turbines and support in the offshore oil & gas sector.

The first of the two vessels was delivered from Samsung Geoje Shipyard in October 2012, and the second is expected to follow in the winter of 2013.

The vessels are equipped with six 105 m long truss-type legs and a high-speed rack-and-pinion jacking system, which enables them to jack to a safe height of 17 m above the water on 60 m water depth.

The legs can, however, be lengthened by 20 m, in which case the vessels can jack to 22 m on 75 m water depth, where they can survive even the most severe storm conditions.

The 1200 t leg-mounted crane is capable of installing 500 t heavy nacelles on top of turbine towers 120 m above the sea, and the 4300 m2 cargo deck has space for up to twelve 3.6 MW turbines.

The relatively fine hull lines in the bow gives the vessels a good speed even in higher waves, and with 4 stern thrusters, 2 bow thrusters, 2 drop-down thrusters and a DP-2 dynamic positioning system the vessels have state of the art maneuverability.

The accommodation holds 111 crew single cabins with private bathrooms as well as all necessary crew facilities and offices, and a helideck is fitted forward above the accommodation block.