It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, May 13, 2023
ABS, KSOE Plan New Study on Floating H2 Production off Korea
ABS and KSOE have announced a new study on the possibility of installing a near-shore floating platform for wind-powered hydrogen production off the coast of South Korea. The project builds on the expertise that the two firms developed through the design and approval of a floating hydrogen production platform last year.
Working together with specialty gas company Linde and the Korea Institute of Energy (Kentech), ABS and KSOE (an HD Hyundai subsidiary) will prepare a feasilibility study on developing a green hydrogen production and liquification facility at a near-shore floating platform utilizing offshore windpower. The study will be part of a broader report compiled by Korea's Jeolla Province on floating hydrogen production.
KSOE's design for an offshore green hydrogen production platform received an ABS AIP in 2022. It offers several options for the end-user, including hydrogen liquefaction, ammonia and methanol conversion for export.
"HD Hyundai Group is pleased to contribute to the development of the green hydrogen production platform through this MOU, utilizing our many years of experience with offshore platform technologies and liquefied gas carriers," said Sungjoon Kim, HD Hyundai Group Chief Technology Officer.
South Korea's government is enthusiastic about the prospect of developing green hydrogen production at scale as a way to increase domestic energy self-sufficiency, and it is investing billions in a future hydrogen-based economy. So are Korea's chaebols, which together have committed to investing $38 billion in hydrogen-related development.
In November 2022, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced a new national plan for a low-carbon hydrogen supply chain and hydrogen energy industrial base in Korea. The plan calls for 30,000 hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the road by 2030 and a seven percent-hydrogen energy mix by 2036.
“The South Korean government is very engaged with the private sector, openly accepting feedback on policies and pro-market measures [for hydrogen],” said Joohyun Baik, Senior Manager in Commodities and Global Markets at Macquarie, in an analysis last year. “Other governments might learn from this approach.”
China Commissioning First Deep-Sea Floating Offshore Wind Turbine
Floating 7.25 MW wind turbine will be deployed in deep, ocean sea conditions (CNOOC)
China reports it has completed the installation of its first floating, deep-sea, wind turbine which will be used to power an offshore oil field. Developed and owned by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the wind turbine is being reported as a breakthrough due to its ability to handle harsh sea conditions in deep and open seas. CNOOC reports it will be a model for opening up the far offshore wind sector.
The turbine, known as CNOOC Guanlan, was completed in March. It was built in the Zhuhai region and on March 26 departed for placement at the Wenchang Oilfield, which consists of oil and gas platforms.
The wind turbine is reported to weigh over 11,000 tons with its foundation and was positioned nearly 85 miles offshore. It is floating in a position with a water depth of more than 325 feet. The overall height of the structure stands more than 650 feet. The Chinese engineer placed the turbine atop a triangular floating foundation with three side columns and one center post to hold the wind turbine. The ballast system weighs 4,000 tons.
Last week, CNOOC reported that the placement of the dynamic submarine cable measuring over three miles in length had been completed. They report the cable was designed to withstand conditions up to nearly a depth of 400 feet. It is composed of three 35 kV cables and three 12-core fiber optic cables. Dynamic ship positioning technology and monitoring by underwater robots were used to improve the installation accuracy.
With the 7.25 MW turbine now in position, and the subsea cable installed, CNOOC reports the final commission will proceed. Once the turbine is generating power. They expect it will have an annual generation capacity of 22 million kilowatt hours.
Long Beach Releases Concept Study for Largest Offshore Wind Port
Port Wind would be the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines (Port of Long Beach)
The Port of Long Beach released its First Conceptual Report for its vision to develop a wind port that would serve California’s emerging offshore wind energy industry. First revealed in the January 2023 State of the Port presentation, the concept is to create a 400-acre terminal known as Port Wind within the port that could be used for the manufacture, assembly, staging, and possibly the maintenance of offshore wind turbines.
The Port of Long Beach reports it is investing $1 million to develop a conceptual design and constructability assessment for the proposed Port Wind as it seeks to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the new industry. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted the first ever California offshore wind lease auction in December 2022 as it looks to open the region to development, but cautioned that extensive infrastructure also needs to be developed to support the industry. BOEM performed a study to assess California ports and it indicated that there are limited existing ports that could host staging and integration operations.
The offshore wind industry in California will be confronted with challenging conditions. Unlike the U.S. East Coast, the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf is characterized by rapidly increasing water depths that exceed the limits of traditional fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines. It is anticipated that most of the development of offshore wind will use the more suitable floating wind technology, which currently calls for the assembly of the wind turbines on their foundations in a sheltered port and towing them to their location. BOEM in its report highlights the air height requirements, possibly as much as 1,100 feet, saying most existing ports do not have the needed clearances.
“Imagine fully assembled wind turbines capable of generating 20 megawatts of energy towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to offshore wind farms in Central and Northern California,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “As society transitions to clean energy, our harbor is ideally located for such an enterprise – with calm seas behind a federal breakwater, one of the deepest and widest channels in the U.S., direct access to the open ocean, and no air height restrictions. No other location has the space to achieve the economies of scale needed to drive down the cost of energy for these huge turbines.”
In its concept study report, the port highlights the emerging opportunities noting that the Biden administration announced a goal for 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035. The California Energy Commission established its preliminary target of 2 to 5 GW by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045, while the governor has called for at least 20 GW by 2045 and directed state agencies to develop a strategic plan for offshore wind development.
Port Wind at Long Beach would be located in the Outer Harbor, just south of the Navy Mole and near the western border with the Port of Los Angeles on newly created land. Critically, this places it outside the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge meaning there would be no height limitations. Among the port improvements necessary to support the plan would be a deepening and widening of the main channel and the construction of approach channel and turning basin in addition to the landfill adjacent to Pier 400 in the Port of Los Angeles.
According to the concept study, Port Wind would be the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines. The terminal would have the capability for heavy-lift crane operations to stage, store, and construct floating wind turbines. The concept calls for a flexible design so that it could host operations ranging from staging and integration to foundation fabrication, component manufacturing, maintenance, and support.
The port’s newly released concept study provides information to continue planning and discussion with state and federal officials, developers, and funders for the $4.7 billion project. Construction could potentially start in January 2027, with the first 100 acres operational in early 2031, the second 100 acres operational in late 2031, and the additional 200 acres coming online in 2035.
German Government Permits COSCO’s Investment in Hamburg Terminal
German government will permit COSCO to acquire a share in a Hamburg container terminal (COSCO)
After 18 months and a strong political debate over the level of Chinese influence in Germany and the West, the German federal government on Wednesday cleared the way for COSCO Shipping Ports Limited to invest in one of the three large container terminals in Hamburg operated by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA). The company responded thanking the government and saying that the investment would permit the terminal to be expanded into a preferred handling location for the strong trade with China.
“The federal government confirmed to the parties to the purchase today in a letter that the revised purchase contracts are in line with the conditions of the partial prohibition,” they said in a statement. Calling the terminal critical infrastructure, the federal government said the cabinet decision for a partial ban limiting the investment to under 25 percent would be upheld.
HHLA had been pushing for a decision from the federal government after first announcing the investment agreement in September 2021. At the time, they said COSCO intended to purchase a 35 percent stake in the Tollerort terminal (CTT) to consolidate its operations in Hamburg.
Last month, HHLA said, “We believe we have answered all the questions.” They called on the federal government to finalize the terms initially set by the cabinet in October that reduced the investment percentage. Reports in the German media suggested that there however had been an ongoing debate to possibly lower the “partial ban” further limiting the percentage COSCO would be permitted to acquire.
The Foreign Ministry was believed to be leading the opposition to the investment. They sought to limit China’s influence on the German port and the broader European transport and trade infrastructure. Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the deal and pushed through the compromise to win support from members of his collation government.
“All issues within the scope of the investment screening process were clarified jointly in intensive, constructive talks,” HHLA said in its statement today. HHLA and COSCO anticipate that they will finalize the transaction soon with the Chinese company expected to take a 24.99 percent stake in CTT.
HHLA emphasized that China is currently Germany and the Port of Hamburg’s largest trading partner. They said around 30 percent of the goods handled in the Port of Hamburg come from or go to China.
Located off the Elbe, HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort occupies the smallest area of the container terminals in Hamburg but is considered to be a highly efficient operation. It has four berths able to receive the largest capacity containerships in the world. It can handle vessels 1,300 feet in length and with a beam of up to 184 feet. It accommodates ships with a draft up to nearly 50 feet.
HHLA has said the investment would ensure Hamburg’s position in global trade and provide for additional jobs. They cited the growing competition among ports and the need to strengthen the relationship with COSCO to retain and grow its volume in the port.
Russia Starts Building Ships for North-South Trade Route to Iran
Construction has begun on four versatile container/bulk carriers that will sail on rivers and the Caspian Sea (USC)
The first block for a new class of Russian domestic containership that is also capable of carrying dry bulk cargo was laid down at the Lotos Shipyard, part of the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation. In addition to the unique design, the shipbuilding corporation is reporting the ships will be a key contributor to Russia’s plans for the North-South International Transport Corridor and proof that Russian shipbuilding is proceeding despite the sanctions.
Construction is beginning on the first of four vessels that will be the lead to the class. The vessels measure approximately 463 feet in length and have a 55-foot beam and depth of up to approximately 20 feet giving them the maximum dimensions to transit the Volga-Don Canal. The 60-mile long waterway opened in the 1950s makes it possible to sail from Saint Petersburg to the Caspian Sea.
The design for the vessels was developed by the design bureau of USC, Vympel Design Bureau in Nizhny Novgorod, and they are saying it is unique because in addition to containers, it can carry any type of dry cargo, including grain, timber, and lumber, general cargo, in two holds. The vessels will also have a large capacity for oversized cargo. The capacity will vary between 5,000 tons for river transport, where it is limited to a draft of approximately 12 feet, and 9,200 tons for sea transport. Propulsion for the vessels will consist of two medium-speed diesel engines each with 1200 kW and two rudder propellers with a speed of up to 10 knots. There will also be two auxiliary diesel generators of 400 kW which will be enough to power 60 refrigerated containers.
According to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy of the Astrakhan Region the plan is to build a total of 21 of the vessels for the North-South trade. Officials have said that at least 45 ships of the Volga-Don Max class are needed longer term for the new corridor. Each vessel is expected to cost about $22 million to build.
Officials of USC highlighted the start of the project with the keel laying on May 4 as evidence of the strength of Russian shipbuilding. The Lotos Shipyard where the vessels are being built was one of 28 subsidiaries as well as United Shipbuilding Corporation designated by the U.S. Department of State in April 2022 as being part of the Russian defense establishment. The sanctions implemented in response to the war in Ukraine prevent U.S. companies from working with, financing, or providing supplies to the sanctioned shipyards.
The new vessels are part of an agreement highlighted by Russia to build trade on the Caspian Sea. The corridor stretches some 4,500 miles and links to Iran’s railway and road system. The endpoint is the port of Bandar Abbas and from there, cargo will also be able to continue by sea to India. Branches along the route also make it possible to send cargo to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Russian officials reported that they expect with the contribution of these new vessels trade will grow dramatically along this route. They said that 17 million tonnes move along the route currently and it will grow to 32 million tonnes by 2030.
The first of the new vessels is due to enter service in 2024. Two ships of the class will be delivered during the first year and two additional ships in 2025.
Russian Court Seizes Control of Four Tugs Owned by Maersk’s Svitzer
Svitzer has four tugs operating under contract to the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project (Robert Allan photo)
A Russian arbitration court in late April seized control of four tugs owned by Maersk’s Svitzer towage company and operating under a long-term contract to provide services at the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project in eastern Russia. Maersk had been seeking to end the services since the company announced plans two years ago to withdraw all operations from Russia in protest over the invasion of Ukraine.
Svitzer built four Robert Allan designed heavy-duty ice-class tugs in 2007 which were operating under charter to a Russian subsidiary Svitzer Sakhalin which in turn had an agreement with the operators of the oil and gas project to provide marine services. The contract was extended in early 2020 going into effect in November 2020 and running for an additional 10 years. At the time, Svitzer said it supported the mooring of more than 1,800 gas carriers with the four tugs and two mooring boats. Svitzer said it had 58 Russian crewmembers and nine onshore staff.
The Russian government took control of the Sakhalin-II project in August 2022 from the operating company that had been formed by Gazprom in partnership with minority investors Shell, Mitsui, and Mitsubishi. Svitzer’s service contract was transferred to the new Russian operator of the oil and gas project.
According to Russian media reports, Svitzer announced plans to transfer the four tugs out of Russia and re-registered them away from the Russian flag with Svitzer Sakhalin attempting to invoke a force majeure on April 17 to suspend the service contract. The Russian operator of the oil and gas project took Svitzer to court arguing that the loss of the four tugs could jeopardize production activities at the facilities.
Russian media outlet Kommersant reports on April 24 the court temporarily arrested the four tugs and gave control of them to a third-party company. They granted the right to continue to operate the tugs in Prigorodnoye. The stories indicate that Svitzer has the right to file an appeal till May 18 seeking to regain control of the tugs and end the service contract.
In a brief statement, Maersk said “We believe the situation regarding the tugs is untenable and efforts to resolve the matter are ongoing.” Maersk reports that all of Svitzer’s employees in Russia have resigned.
The tugs were one of Maersk’s final assets in Russia. In 2020, the company took a more than $700 million write-down on its Russian assets. It sold its interest in a terminal operator and its cold storage warehouse in Saint Petersburg and inland terminal in Novorossiysk. They had indicated that they were also looking to sell the four tugboats.
The vessels, the Svitzer Sakhalin and Svitzer Aniva, were built by ASL Shipyard of Singapore, while the Svitzer Busse and Svitzer Korsakov were built by Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia. Each is 590 dwt with a length of 113 feet overall.
When the tugs were built, Allan reported they were a unique design. Diesel powered they demonstrated during trials a bollard pull of 73 tonnes and a free running speed in excess of 13.5 knots. “The unique hull form incorporates an aggressive icebreaking ‘spoon’ bow, with shallow buttock angles in the ice contact zone, optimized for icebreaking performance,” Allan said. The tender called for tugs having the capability to break 85 cm of level ice at a minimum of 3 knots, perform harbor ice management, and when operating in pairs break a channel wide enough for the tankers calling at the terminal.
US Will Bolster Posture in Persian Gulf as Iran Seizes Third Tanker
US Coast Guard and a Navy drone recently transiting the Strait of Hormuz (US Navy photo)
The White House on Friday said the U.S. Navy would “begin to bolster its defensive posture” in the Arabian Gulf region in response to actions by Iran continuing to harass commercial vessels in the region. At the same time, Iranian state media was widely reporting that they have taken legal control of yet another tanker in the region this time to settle a commercial dispute. So far, no Western media has confirmed the latest reported actions by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
During a press briefing, John Kirby, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, highlighted the new efforts. He pointed to the 15 internationally flagged commercial vessels that the U.S. says have been harassed, attacked to interfered with in the region by Iranian forces. There was no mention of the direct interaction between Iran and the ships of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, which have reported a series of close approaches and risky maneuvers by the Iranians. “Today, the Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf,” Kirby told reporters.
U.S. 5th Fleet issued a brief statement saying that CentCom “is working with regional allies and partners to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling in and around the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s recent unlawful merchant vessel seizures.”
This announcement comes after members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at the end of April introduced a bill, the Maritime Architecture and Response to International Terrorism in the Middle East Act (MARITIME) that calls on the Department of Defense to develop a strategy with Middle East partners and allies to counter maritime threats from Iran and others. The legislation highlights the threats from manned and unmanned naval systems, such as the recently reported drone and missile assaults on merchant ships. The legislators are calling for the development of a strategy and to study the possibility of facilitating an increased maritime awareness and interdiction capabilities to expand on the existing operations in the region.
Iranian state media today is reporting that they took control of a Panama-flagged product tanker Purity (9,250 dwt) while it was sailing in the Persian Gulf. The 15-year old tanker was reportedly directed into the Asaluyeh anchorage in Southern Iran and its AIS signal confirms it has been in the port since May 9.
“The Purity was illegally rented to a foreign individual with forfeited documents about five years ago and its Iranian owners were deprived of their interest,” according to the report in the Iranian media. They are reporting that last month a judicial order was issued for the return of the vessel and that the IRGC acted along with the Ministry of Intelligence in carrying out the seizure.
The product tanker according to AIS data has been making frequent trips between India and the Persian Gulf. It appears to have been in the UAE since the end of last month. The Iranian report says the vessel will be unloaded at the Asaluyeh Port.
The Equasis database shows that the Purity has been owned since 2012 by Sun Ocean Shipping based in Hong Kong. Until late last year, it was also being managed out of Hong Kong before management was transferred to a company in Mumbai, India. The database reflects a long list of owners and managers since the vessel was built in 2008 but says it has been sailing as the Purity since 2019 and for seven years before that as the Sun Ocean.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. reported that Iran had seized another Panama-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The crude oil tanker Niovi was taken to the anchorage at Larak/Qeshm Islands. The vessel is linked to Greek shipping interests with Iran saying the vessel was impounded by a court of an unspecified dispute. TankerTrackers.com analyzed the vessel’s history speculating that it was involved in the shipment of Iranian oil and raises the possibility of a dispute between Iran and the managers.
A week before that, however, Iran seized the Advantage Sweet, managed by Advantage Tankers. Analysts linked that action as retaliation for the U.S. efforts to confiscate the crude oil cargo aboard another Marshall Islands-registered tanker the Suez Rajan, managed by Empire Navigation. The U.S. has been pursuing a court case since February 2023 attempting to seize the cargo aboard the vessel which had been anchored in Asia but was last spotted sailing off the coast of Africa. It has been speculated that the vessel is bringing the oil which is believed to be Iranian crude to the U.S. to be offloaded.
Eni Moves Toward FID for Controversial High-CO2 Offshore Gas Field
Santos' Bayu-Undan facility, which will soon be converted for subsea carbon storage (Santos)
Italian supermajor Eni is said to be approaching a final investment decision on a controversial offshore gas project, the Verus (Evans Shoal) reservoir. If developed, Evans Shoal could
Evans Shoal is located on the edge of Australia's continental shelf, about 135 nautical miles to the northwest of Darwin in the Timor Sea. It was discovered by then-operator BHP Petroleum in 1988, but the company determined that it was non-commercial and gave up its license. The recoverable reserves are in the range of 6.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf), after separating out the reservoir's plentiful CO2. About 27 percent of the gas in the formation is carbon dioxide, according to Australian watchdog Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). This would add to the carbon intensity (and cost) of the project.
The lease has traded hands many times over the intervening 35 years, but none of the operators found a viable way to commercialize it. Eni purchased the rights to Evans Shoal from Shell in 2017 and renamed the prospect "Verus."
Eni's proposal for developing the field hinges on separating this natural CO2 out of the gas stream and storing the carbon in a subsea reservoir. Australia's newly-implemented "safeguard mechanism" climate legislation requires offshore projects to cut their emissions intensity by five percent each year from now until 2030. Critically for Verus, it also requires new gas projects to offset or control all releases of reservoir-derived CO2, beginning at the start of production.
To comply with this requirement, the unprocessed gas mixture from Verus would be piped ashore to the Darwin LNG plant, where the CO2 would be separated out and the methane would be liquefied for export. Instead of releasing the CO2 to the atmosphere, Eni would pipe it back out to the edge of the continental shelf, to Santos' depleted Bayu-Undan field. Here it would be reinjected underground for permanent storage.
The CO2 storage plan would piggyback on a plan by oil company Santos to store carbon at Bayu-Undan, utilizing the field's existing gas pipeline. Santos has signed four MOUs with potential CO2-supplying customers, and it says that it will provide "safe and permanent CO2 storage in depleted gas reservoirs" for ten million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
5.5 million tonnes of the annual storage total will be taken up by Santos' own Barossa natural gas project. IEEFA analyst Kevin Morrison told ABC that the carbon output of the Verus and Barossa fields combined will be "way beyond" the storage capacity of the Bayu-Undan project, and that about three million tonnes would have to find somewhere else to go - likely into the atmosphere.
"Developing the Evans Shoal/Verus project is inconsistent with Eni reaching net-zero greenhouse emissions (GHG) by 2050," cautioned IEEFA. "Given its plans to develop Verus/Evans Shoal, Eni’s sustainability credentials and net zero commitments should come under greater scrutiny."
India Plans to Roll Out Green Fuel Bunkering at Top 12 Seaports
Paradip Port's coal and iron ore terminals. Paradip is among the first in line for the green fuel bunkering plan (Paradip Port Authority)
The Indian government has unveiled plans to make green hydrogen-based fuels available at the nation's biggest ports by 2035, part of a broader climate program for its ports sector.
The new "Harit Sagar" guidelines call for "quantifiable reductions in carbon emissions over defined timelines," according to Shipping Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The overall objective is to reduce carbon emissions per tonne of cargo handled by a quarter by 2030 and two thirds by 2047.
While each of India's 12 major ports will get across the finish line in its own way, the plan has several firm commitments. All 12 should have facilities for LNG bunkering by 2030. Green hydrogen / green ammonia bunkering should follow by 2035, starting with Paradip, Kandla and Tuticorin.
In addition, the program calls for electrification of 50 percent off all vehicles and equipment at the top 12 ports by 2030, rising to 90 percent by 2047. That electric power will increasingly be renewable, with a 60 percent green electricity requirement for 2030, rising to 90 percent in 2047.
The top 12 ports will have to build out electric vehicle charging stations within the next three years. The policy may also include incentives for drayage operators to convert to cleaner fuels, like compressed natural gas, green hydrogen or battery-electric power.
India aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, well after the Paris agreement goal of 2050. As a developing nation, India argues that it should be allowed more time to benefit from the low cost of fossil fuels, just as developed nations have for decades. Due to a heavy reliance on coal, electric utilities account for 40 percent of India's GHG emissions, and this is a primary area of focus for CO2 reduction; India imported 160 million tonnes of coal in FY2022-23, making it one of the most important cargo commodities for India's seaports.
Video: Hybrid Powered Silver Nova Floated Out by Meyer Weft
Silver Nova emerging from the building hall in Germany (Silversea Cruises photos)
Royal Caribbean Group’s Silversea Cruises marked the float out of its new cruise ship at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany on April 28. The ship is being billed as the “first hybrid, luxury cruise ship free of local emissions at port,” thanks to incorporating advancements in the propulsion and power plant.
Named Silver Nova, the 54,700 gross ton cruise ship is the first ocean-going cruise ship designed for Silversea Cruises since the cruise line was acquired by Royal Caribbean Group between 2018 and 2020. It is the first of two luxury ships ordered from Meyer Werft continuing the industry’s focus on expanding the high-end ultra-luxury segment of the business. In the same week that the Silver Nova was floated out in Germany, Fincantieri in Italy delivered both the Viking Saturn and Oceania Cruises’ Vista, also smaller, luxury cruise ships.
The Silver Nova will be the first cruise ship for Royal Caribbean Group that will operate on LNG as its primary fuel source. She is scheduled to enter service in August 2023 as the twelfth ship in Silversea’s fleet. The corporation is also building the world’s largest cruise ship, the Utopia of the Seas, which will enter service at the beginning of 2024 also using LNG.
In addition to using LNG as its primary fuel, the Silver Nova incorporates other advancements including a power system of fuel cells and batteries designed to power the hotel operations while the cruise ship is in port. The fuel cell system will have an output of four megawatts and working with the batteries is designed to eliminate emissions in port when it is not possible for the ship to use shore power. In addition, the battery system permits peak load leveling to increase the overall efficiency of the power plant. Other cruise lines, including Viking, MSC Cruises, and Explora Journeys, are also testing prototype hydrogen fuel cell systems.
The hull of the Silver Nova also features a hydrodynamic shape as part of a design that Silversea reports exceeds the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) by 25 percent. They expect the hybrid plant will permit the ship to achieve a 40 percent overall reduction in emissions compared to their older Muse class cruise ships.
The float-out required several hours to reposition the cruise ship from the large building hall to the fitting out dock in Papenburg. During the process, the hull of the ship was cleaned, the funnel attached, and her LNG and radar masts installed. Final interior outfitting is proceeding and the Silver Nova is expected to make the 20-mile conveyance along the Ems to the ocean at the end of May.
Known as Project Evolution, construction on the cruise ship began with the first steel cut on November 18, 2021. The first steel cut for her sister ship, Silver Ray, took place on November 23, 2022, with the first block for the second ship positioned in the building hall dry dock on March 24, 2023. The section weights 230 tonnes and measured 155 feet by 27 feet. The Silver Ray is scheduled to enter service in the summer of 2024.
Both ships also feature the most spacious passenger spaces in Silversea’s history, with the highest space ratio per passenger and a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1:1.3. Each ship has accommodations for 728 passengers and will carry a crew of 556. Silversea has designed the ships using a horizontal layout and asymmetrical design that they say opens the ship to the outdoors with water and port views. They also feature the largest array of bars, lounges, and restaurants of any ultra-luxury ship.
The Silver Nova will spend her first season cruising in the Mediterranean. For the winter of 2023-2024, she will reposition for cruises to the Caribbean and South America.
First Commercial Self-Navigating Electric Ferry Launching in Stockholm
Zeam ferry an electric ferry designed to self-navigate in Stockholm harbor (Zeabuz)
A ferry that is being billed as the world’s first self-navigating electric ferry is due to start service next month in Stockholm. The pilot project is reported to be advancements both in autonomous navigating vessels as well as battery power that the companies behind the project hope to expand into global applications.
Known as the Zeam ferry, the vessel measures 39 feet and can carry up to 24 passengers as well as providing space for bicycles. There will be a covered passenger deck with boarding and disembarking at both ends. It will make a crossing of Stockholm harbor between the Kungsholmen region and S?dermalm approximately every 15 minutes and operate for up to 15 hours per day.
The ferry is powered by an electric motor and a 188 kWh Zem battery system developed by Zeabuz, a Norwegian start-up. According to reports, the battery system will be recharged overnight and the vessel will not require charging during peak travel times. It will also have solar panels to provide additional energy.
The navigation system will consist of radar and a LiDAR system as well as an infrared camera, ultrasonic sensors to aid with docking, and GPS for positioning. During the initial runs due to start in Stockholm in June 2023, there will be a captain aboard to monitor operations in addition to the onshore operations center. After the initial period, the plan is to control all the operations from the onshore operations center.
Zeam ferry will test the autonomous system in commercial operation and provide a prototype for larger ferries (Zeabuz)
Construction of the vessel is underway at Brødrene, a Norwegian shipbuilder. The yard has emerged as a leader in the construction of fast ferries made of carbon fiber composites.
The technology for the ferry is being developed by Zeabuz, a Norwegian company that is a spin-off of earlier university research and since 2021 partially owned by Torghatten, a Norwegian shipping company that will operate the Zeam ferry. The research originated at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. Zeabuz was launched in 2019. Zeabuz has already developed an autonomous test ferry that runs in Trondheim, Norway.
“We have learned a lot from our project in Trondheim, and now we are ready to take the next step in creating the world's first commercial autonomous city ferry,” said Erik Dyrkoren, CEO of Zeabuz. “The technology will mostly be the same, but in Stockholm, we will test the autonomy system in daily operation with passengers in a way that no one has done before.”
The Ports of Stockholm is also working on the project as part of their research into the safety aspects of autonomous transport. The Ports of Stockholm, together with several partners including DNV as the classification society, have been granted funds by the Swedish Transport Administration for research into autonomous maritime transport in urban environments. The two-year project is scheduled to run through February 2025.
Like many large cities around the world, Stockholm is challenged by congestion and the need to reduce emissions. The project organizers point to the potential of waterborne transport and believe the technology will provide the opportunity to broadly expand the use of small passenger ferries in cities.
Zeabuz in February 2023 reported it had raised a further NOK 20 million (approximately $1.9 million) in seed financing from a group of leading technology companies. Among the latest investors are Yinson Green Technologies and Statkraft.
“We recognize the enormous potential of autonomous vessels and see Zeabuz as well positioned to become a leader in this segment,” said Eirik Barclay, CEO of Yinson commenting on their investment in the company. He said that Yinson plans to incorporate Zeabuz's technology into its electric vessels and use the technologies to increase vessel safety and operational efficiency.
Marine Pilot Dies in Pilot Ladder Accident While Boarding Cruise Ship
The Japan Coast Guard is investigating the death of a marine pilot during a pilot transfer to a cruise ship off the port of Nagasaki last week.
On the morning of May 5, the cruise ship Diamond Princess was headed into Nagasaki and awaiting the pilot. At about 0530 the pilot boat approached and the pilot transferred to the rope ladder to board the ship. For reasons that are still under investigation, the pilot fell into the water while climbing the ladder.
Diamond Princess' crew deployed a rescue boat and launched a search for the pilot. He was wearing a life jacket and was recovered from the water, but was unconscious, and was pronounced dead two hours later.
Japanese media have identified the pilot as Yoshihiro Osuga, 69. He was an experienced pilot with 15 years in the trade.
Surface conditions were calm at the time, and the Japan Coast Guard is looking into the possibility that the pilot boat's motion may have been a causal factor.
The climb from a moving pilot boat up the side of a moving ship involves risk, and pilot ladder accidents are not uncommon. Every year, marine pilots suffer falls into the water or onto the deck of the pilot boat, and all too often these casualties are fatal. In 2020, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association lost two of its members to pilot ladder falls in less than a year, illustrating the danger.
Norway Supports Project to Build Ammonia-Fueled Coastal Shipping
Concept calls for three short sea ammonia-fueled bulkers (Skarv Shipping)
The Norwegian government is providing financing to support the development of a class of new short-sea vessels that will employ ammonia and other technologies to reduce emissions by at least 90 percent. The project has been identified as a way to demonstrate the path for short-haul shipping to adopt a wide range of zero-emission solutions.
The funding is being awarded by Enova, a state enterprise owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. Started in 2001 to promote a shift towards more environmentally friendly energy consumption and production, the transport sector was added to Enova's areas of responsibility in 2015. Each year, Enova is investing approximately $275 million to support innovative projects, including several in the shipping sector.
Skarv Shipping Solutions, a joint venture between Norwegian short-sea operator the Peak Group and the environmental group Greig Edge, plans to develop three low-emission cargo ships for operation on the Norwegian coast. They are receiving approximately $12 million from Enova for the project. Each vessel will have a cargo capacity of 4,000 tonnes and they will operate between the northern ports in Norway and the Oslo Fjord.
“With Enova’s decision, we are eager to move forward and accomplish our next goals,” said Jan Øivind Svardal, CEO of Skarv Shipping Solutions. He said the company is seeking “firm commercial agreements with our clients and initiating the contracting and construction of ships.”
The design calls for employing a range of innovative technologies. Propulsion will primarily be from an ammonia-fueled engine. Skarv says it will consider different technologies, including rotor sails, which, together with the hybrid electric system and a new hull design, will drastically reduce energy use. The vessels will also have electrical equipment for cargo handling.
They anticipate that the vessels will use an ammonia engine developed by Wärtsilä. They highlight that the engine manufacturer has previously tested the engine technology at the Sustainable Energy Catapult Center in Stord, and aims to deliver it towards the end of 2024. The decision to employ ammonia is based on the consideration that together with hydrogen, it is considered to be an important alternative in cases where batteries cannot ensure a good enough range.
The company reports that the grant will permit them to speed up the process in its zero-emission roadmap. Skarv was founded in 2022 to focus on the advancement of new technologies for coastal shipping.
