In this issue: VOC technology. Also inside: Knudsen OAS, Teekay – shuttle tankers, Jahre Group, Angelicoussis, Maran Tankers, Nightmare prevention
Text and photos: Magne A. Røe, except where otherwise stated.Date: 2010-07-08
Regulation by disaster
It is too early to say what the implications of the unfortunate major accident and subsequent oil spill in the US Gulf will be for the oil industry in the years to come. We have already heard people in the industry say that this disaster will be a ‘game changer’. Others have claimed that we now have to become more independent of oil and go for cleaner energy…….
Increasing focus on small-scale LNG: FKAB designs LNG carrier for regional distribution
FKAB of Sweden has designed a 16 500 m3 LNG carrier intended for the regional distribution of LNG.
Background - why care about VOC?
The requirements only relate to operational procedures. There are no technical requirements or any specified requirements for percentage reductions of VOCs. The purpose of the VOC Management Plan is to ensure that the operation of a tanker prevents or minimises VOC emissions to the greatest extent possible.
New VOC reduction technology has been developed
Knutsen OAS Shipping has been developing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) reduction technology since 2002. Its patented KVOC system has so far been fitted on board 11 of its shuttle tankers in operation and will also be installed on board another six of its tankers on order. In addition, the KVOC system has been installed on one Teekay ship in operation plus four tankers on order for Teekay and two tankers on order for Stena.
The next generation of shuttle tankers
Teekay is the world’s largest operator of shuttle tankers, with a fleet of 34 vessels in operation and four on order. About two thirds of the fleet in operation trade in the North Sea area, while one vessel is in Australia and the rest are in Brazil.
How DNV prevented another Exxon Valdez
It was one of those perfect summer days in Oslo; sun shining, a gentle breeze in the background. Of course nothing goes wrong on a day like this. Rossen Panev knew otherwise. But when his phone rang at 1300 that afternoon, he didn’t expect to help prevent what could have been South America’s worst environmental nightmare.
New LNG fuel tank concept developed by the Jahre Group
One challenge for designers of vessels intended to be powered by LNG has frequently been the volume of space to be allocated for LNG fuel. The combination of significant volumes of insulation and cylindrical tanks often used for gas-fuelled vessels requires more space.
A type of crisis that we have never experienced before
“Since the 2nd world war, shipping crises have been caused by aggressive expansion of fleets, usually accompanied by a world–wide, economic downturn in most of the important markets. The most recent major crisis, that I can recall, was in the mid-1980s, which had its origin in high oil prices and consequently high inflation. Interest rates sky rocketed to fight inflation. Business was affected negatively, as well as the cash flow of ship owners. Banks arrested many vessels and bankrupted a number of ship owners,” says John Angelicoussis, President of Angelicoussis Group.
Maran Tankers – actions to further reduce the environmental footprint
“Maran Tankers Management Inc. actively supports the industry initiatives to increase energy efficiency both by operational measures and by the introduction of tested technical innovative solutions,” say Stavros Hatzigrigoris, the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas tanker units of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group, and Sokratis Dimakopoulos, the HSQ manager of MTM.
DNV’s Piraeus office: from a representative office to a regional hub
Since 1921, when DNV’s first Greek office was opened in the Cunard Building at 4 Sotiros Street, many things have changed for Norwegian classification society Det Norske Veritas in Greece.
Improving the TMSA score through a focus on competence
The Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) has increased the focus on how various aspects of tanker operations are managed. The TMSA score has become an important performance indicator. Although competence management is not defined as an isolated element within TMSA, competence-related requirements can be found throughout the self assessment. This may be a good time to take a closer look at competence management as a whole and where the TMSA requirements fit in this picture.
Marinvest Alternative Propulsion System (MAPS) wins recognition
In our Tanker Update April 2009 issue, we presented an alternative propulsion system developed by Marinvest AB in Sweden for slow speed main engines without a gearbox. The system, which won the Ship Trade Award 2009 in the Innovation in Ship Operations category, is designed to comply with DNV’s additional class notation for alternative propulsion when installed on board.
Tanker market better than expected
The tanker market has recently recovered significantly and been surprisingly solid after a period of substantial economic setbacks, falling global oil demand and significant growth in the oil tanker fleet.
Recent delivery: Torm Alexandra
In May 2010, Torm Alexandra was delivered from Guangzhou Shipyard International, China, to Torm A/S, Denmark.