The environment - high on the agenda
The environment has been high on the agenda in the shipping industry for some time now, and is becoming more and more important. It is clear that we in the shipping industry will have to relate even more actively to environmental issues, either as part of regulations, global or local, or as pressure from the commercial or public domain.
Oshima partners with DNV on the ECO-ship frontier
DNV’s Bulk Carrier Update visited the Tokyo head office and Kyushu Island-based shipyard of Oshima Shipbuilding to learn how the shipyard will bring 50% higher efficiency and LNG propulsion to the bulk carrier sector.
Oshima ECO-Ship 2020
Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and DNV have now completed the first milestone of a joint programme to develop the ECO-Ship of the future. The project is a natural response to the increasing environmental focus, both from a regulatory and commercial point of view as well as the increasing cost of fuel. The resulting concept design has a number of innovative, yet feasible features, which have been carefully evaluated for cost-benefit.
IKNOW MACHINERY CO., LTD – the deck crane and hatch cover experts
IKNOW MACHINERY CO., LTD became a 90% subsidiary of Oshima Shipbuilding in July 2009 after Oshima acquired the deck crane and hatch cover manufacturing business from the failed Tsuji Heavy Industry based in Sasebo. Visitors to the facility will see significant changes to its appearance and efficiency, but the IKNOW management are well aware that they need to make their case to the international market, particularly because they aspire to expand their market reach to foreign countries.
Ecore - Concept Overview
Ecore has been designed to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than existing Very Large Ore Carriers. The focus has been on available technology so that it would be possible to build the concept ship today. The new LNG machinery solution, the ME-GI engine, a more ballast friendly hull shape and the introduction of a self-loading system demonstrate that improvements to both the machinery and hull can be achieved using existing technology.
DSME delivering Vale Brasil, the world’s largest ore carrier
The Vale Brasil, the first 400K ore carrier to be delivered to Vale, Brazil’s giant mining company, was successfully delivered by DSME in March 2011. DSME is to build a series of seven vessels, each 362 metres long, 65 metres wide and with a loading capacity of 400,000 deadweight tonnes.
Sungdong: Aiming to be a Goliath in the global shipbuilding industry
Sungdong, a medium-sized shipyard in Korea, has survived the harsh shipbuilding market in Korea, where the world’s largest shipbuilding giants are fiercely competing and battling the storm which the economic recession has brought to the global maritime industry. After successfully delivering Vale’s, a Brazilian mining giant’s, first new-built 180k bulk carriers recently, Sungdong is now talking about ‘going beyond the expectation’.
STX aiming to be the World’s Best
A female yard worker sweeps the dry dock floor with a broom, seemingly oblivious of the bows of four almost complete bulk carriers & product carriers looming over her head. From the dock side, the site is very impressive and the people on the dry dock floor appear to be little ants carrying out their tasks.
The shipping company started as a “hobby”
How James Lan returned to shipping and in 12 years built a respected shipping company from the ground up.
Torvald Klaveness Group: Taking action on climate change
Rising bunker costs and the introduction of increasingly strict environmental regulations have served as powerful drivers for the Torvald Klaveness Group’s efforts to improve fuel consumption performance. But the company’s Climate Change Strategy also serves as a model to encourage other owners to take action to create a cleaner, more responsible industry.
Latest IMO regulatory developments in the field of GHG, SOx and NOx emissions
IMO’s work on measures to enhance ships’ energy efficiency and thereby control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions has three distinct ‘building blocks’, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and Market-Based Measures (MBM).
Controlling ballast water convention risks
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments is one of the most significant environmental and operational challenges faced by the maritime industry today. Once it enters into force, the Convention will require compliance by all ships and offshore structures designed to carry ballast water, regardless of their age or size.
New SOLAS Emergency Towing Procedure Requirement
New rules for emergency towing procedures for all vessels above 500 GT are scheduled to come into force on 1 January 2012.
Making effective use of the time before the Maritime Labour Convention enters into force
We have all heard several estimates of when the Maritime Labour Convention will enter into force. The most persistent was that the threshold would be met at the end of last year as the European Union had set a target deadline for its member states to ratify by then, but as we all know that date came and went.
DNV introduces online Superintendent’s Manual
Over the last two decades, rapid growth in the maritime industry has forced many owners to hire younger, less-experienced technical personnel. In response to industry demand, DNV has created a web-based version of the popular Superintendent’s Manual to help improve technical competence.
Understanding bulk carrier operations
After spending 40 years at DNV, Christian Strobel is recognised as one of DNV’s leading bulk carrier specialists. Now retired, he has collected some of his expertise in one slim volume: Bulk Carrier Fit for Purpose.
Fuel saving guideline measures on bulk carriers
Bulk carrier newbuildings have a potential for saving 5 – 10 percent of fuel cost by introducing fuel saving measures. This is one of the findings of a joint project carrier out by DNV and SDARI on fuel saving initiatives for bulk carriers, which was presented at Sea Asia in Singapore. The outcome of the project is a Guideline with an assessment of all the most relevant fuel saving measures and a calculator to do Return on Investment analysis.
Capesize collapse, shaky demand and fast fleet growth
In early May 2011, dry bulk market prospects appeared bleak. Capesize spot rates were below daily operating costs, whereas smaller sizes saw decent rates around break-even levels for modern second-hand vessels.