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NYK Orders Fifth LPG-Fueled/Ammonia Carrier
A fifth liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel very large LPG and liquefied ammonia gas carrier (VLGC) vessel has been ordered by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line from Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI). The vessel will be built at KHI’s Sakaide Works shipyard in Japan.
NYK’s latest order will be the fifth new type of vessel in the company’s fleet that can also carry ammonia. The vessel will be fitted with separate cargo tanks which can carry LPG and ammonia at the same time. This enables the vessel to respond to changing trade patterns. The overall tank capacity will be approximately 86,700m3.
In addition to having an LPG dual-fuel engine, the vessel will also be equipped with a shaft generator capable of generating electricity during operations by using the rotation of the shaft which connects the ship’s main engine to the propeller. During normal operations, the diesel generator can be stopped, enabling full use of LPG as a fuel apart from the use of a small amount of pilot fuel.
It is estimated that when LPG is used as fuel, exhaust gases from the VLGC will contain at least 95% less sulfur oxide (SOx) and 20% less CO2 compared to NYK’s conventional VLGCs using heavy-oil-fired engines.
NYK Line predicts the vessel will be given notations by ClassNK as a VLGC that has a preparatory design in accordance with the guidelines issued by ClassNK, enabling the vessel to use ammonia fuel in the future.
The 230-meter VLGC is scheduled for delivery in 2026 and will comply with both the SOx Global Cap regulations and also the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase 3 regulations.
Exhibit–The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea
“The Van de Veldes: Greenwich, Art and the Sea” is an exhibition that will run from March 2, 2023 to January 14, 2024 at the Queen’s House, which is part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This exhibition marks 350 years since the arrival of Willem van de Velde the Elder and Willem van de Velde the Younger in Greenwich, the father-and-son team who established the English school of marine painting and inspired artists, including J.M.W. Turner. They were invited by Charles II, who granted them a studio at the Queen’s House in Greenwich.
Greenwich was originally the home of a royal palace, not far from the dockyards in Deptford and Woolwich. It was demolished and replaced with the Royal Naval Hospital in 1694 and the Royal Naval College in 1873.
In 1675, the Royal Observatory was founded in Greenwich to help reliably calculate longitude using astronomical data, helping seafarers navigate and reducing shipwrecks. While the observatory was under construction, the first Astronomer Royal shared the Queen’s House with the Van de Veldes.
In 1884, the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., established the Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian, longitude 0°.
Marine Professionals at Work Photo Contest
Whether it’s a view from the top of a wind turbine, at the helm of a bridge, working on an underwater archaeology site, or with marine mammals, the IMarEST is inviting marine professionals to showcase their working life as part of the Marine Professionals at Work photography competition 2023 to inform and inspire the next generation.
The competition is open to marine professionals of every discipline. Entrants can take part by snapping a photograph that showcases a moment in their day and brings to life what their role involves. Selected photographs will be featured in the IMarEST’s career series online, and the best entry will be awarded a £50 Amazon voucher.
Photos must come with captions that describe your work and/or some advice for those who are interested in following the same career.
Entries with your photo, caption, name, job title and, if you wish, your organization should be sent to: marketing@imarest.org with the subject line “Photography Competition.”
Alternatively, you may post your submission on Instagram and tag @theimarest.
Deadline for submissions is 10 am (GMT) February 10.
Winners will be contacted by email/DM February 24.
See more details at: https://www.imarest.org/
Read IMarEST’s editorial in Sea Technology‘s January 2023 issue here.
Ruggedized Gyro Stabilization Mount
SOMAG AG Jena has launched the new RSM 50, a compact and cost-effective gimbal that offers top-notch stabilization for customers who want to get the most out of their sensor to achieve a high-quality and reliable data basis.
The electromechanical gimbal mount stabilizes angular movements in real time of boats, ships, USVs, autonomous platforms and buoys caused by sea swell. Advanced control algorithms assure a stabilization accuracy that has been improved to ≤0.3° rms for best sensor performance and detailed image capture. Stronger motors ensure precise leveling of payloads up to 40 kg.
Offshore Wind Incubator Opens in Brooklyn
A new Offshore Wind Innovation Hub has opened in Brooklyn, New York, providing a tech incubator-type environment to help startups grow their businesses and drive new innovation in the offshore wind industry.
The three-year initiative is backed by Equinor and bp, partners developing the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind offshore wind projects, among others, including the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium (NOWRDC).
The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub was founded in mid-2022 and has now announced its first call for applications. Startups will have access to the co-working space and programming at the hub located at Industry City in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.
The hub is designed to facilitate testing opportunities, fast track commercialization, and develop strategic partnerships. An Accelerator Program will allow selected cohort companies to begin a six-month intensive mentoring and business development program in June 2023.
“We’re thrilled to launch the Accelerator Program at our Offshore Wind Innovation Hub with our esteemed partners to accelerate innovation in New York’s burgeoning offshore wind industry,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. “The demand for offshore wind is rapidly increasing, and innovative ideas and technological advancement are needed to help the industry develop in the U.S. and beyond.”
The first call for applications is focused on finding start-ups that provide innovative technology and solutions related to the development phase of offshore wind in New York. The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub will also offer membership to stakeholders outside the Accelerator Program.
“We’re looking for New York’s best. We know innovation is in New Yorkers’ DNA. It’s at the core of bp, too, as we transform ourselves to reach net-zero by 2050 or sooner and help the world get there too. At this incredible moment for growing offshore wind in our country, we want to empower New York’s startups to lead the nation,” added Dave Lawler, chairman and president of bp America.
Lyndie Hice-Dunton, executive director of NOWRDC, said, “We are delighted to be a part of this exciting partnership. The Accelerator Program is a unique opportunity to help support innovative solutions for offshore wind in the U.S., as well as help build strategic partnerships within this growing industry. We are looking forward to working with this outstanding group of leaders to achieve our mutual goal of accelerating offshore wind innovation.”
Crowley Awards USMMA Scholarships
Four U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadets have been awarded with Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships for exemplary work during their terms aboard Crowley-owned or -managed vessels, as well as their interest in pursuing a maritime career. Each cadet, through service at sea, education and extracurricular commitments, exemplifies Crowley’s values of sustainability, integrity and drive.
The awardees are:
Layne DeEtte Andersen, a midshipman second class from Colorado Springs, Colorado, studying maritime logistics and security. Andersen is a member of USMMA’s swimming and diving team. Completing her sea year aboard the Crowley-managed cargo ship MV Ocean Glory, she plans to sail commercially with her third mate unlimited tonnage license upon graduation.
Midshipman Second Class Bryanne Buchanan-Cummings, of Dacula, Georgia, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering. Buchanan-Cummings is a member of the academy’s Cultural Diversity Club and the USMMA Kappa Pi Lambda Club, which works to ensure fair treatment of all midshipmen while on campus and at sea. Buchanan-Cummings sailed aboard the Crowley-managed cargo ship MV Ocean Freedom for 115 days.
Midshipman First Class Caroline Opager, of Milton, Florida, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering. Opager is a member of various USMMA clubs, including the Propeller Club, Kappa Pi Lambda Club and Welding Club, and the academy’s varsity offshore sailing team. Opager sailed aboard Crowley’s LNG-fueled container ship MV Taino, and upon graduation, plans to sail commercially with her third assistant engineer unlimited license.
Isaiah Christopher Sera, a midshipman first class from Hacienda Heights, California, who is pursuing a degree in marine transportation. Sera is a member of the USMMA track and field team and is the president of the academy’s Professional Careers Club. During his sea term, he served on the Crowley-managed MV Delaware Express containership. Upon graduating, Sera expects to sail under a third mate unlimited tonnage license.
To support the development of future maritime leaders, Crowley has provided more than $3 million in financial assistance to more than 1,000 students studying at maritime academies and other select schools in the U.S. mainland and Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Central America since 1984.
Cancer Research Tech Translates to Oil and Gas
Technology from the new Houston-based biotech company GeOME Analytics has contributed to the sequencing of about 50 percent of the human genome. Now, the same technology is being used by the oil and gas industry to optimize production and planning.
After GeOME received several requests from oil and gas operators asking if it could apply its DNA sequence methodology subsurface, the company partnered with a large global operator, and three years later, GeOME has fully qualified the technology and is mapping stratigraphy in ways previously not possible.
GeOME analyzes subsurface microbial DNA, on- or offshore, using its technology to determine what is present and nonexisting to accurately determine production details by benches, reservoir allocation or other detailed data.
Using GeOME’s cancer research as an analogy, the technique of subsurface tracing is like lineage tracing for metastatic breast cancer. It is just less complex tracing microbes in distinct stratigraphic layers, compared to cancer cells that may have traveled all over the human body.
TOPODRONE Surveys Floating Solar Farm in Israel
TOPODRONE, a Swiss-based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment, has synchronized airborne photogrammetry and LiDAR and bathymetric surveying methods to study a floating solar farm at the request of Israeli drone service provider ERELIS.
This work was done for a pilot project of reservoir surveying with a UAV for ETZ HADEKEL Ltd. in northern Israel. The surface of the reservoir is covered by solar panels, which made it difficult to carry out work using standard methods of surveying from a boat.
The collected LiDAR and bathymetry data were processed by TOPODRONE post-processing software. As a result, a georeferenced orthophoto map, a 3D model of the relief and objects, a
3D model of the bottom of the reservoir, contour lines and isobaths were generated. Such 3D models can be used for high-precision assessment of sediment volumes, general monitoring of reservoir banks and visual monitoring.
In addition, surveying with a TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER made it possible to estimate sludge deposits of the reservoir.
Apply: Sea-Changers Coastal Fountain Fund
Sea-Changers’ Coastal Fountain Fund 2023 is open for applications until February 28. Each applicant can bid for up to £2,500 to fund one fountain.
Applications are particularly welcome from Wales, Scotland, East Anglia and Northeast and Northwest England, as these areas have been under-represented in previous years.
The fund, which began in 2020, is for organizations that want to install a water bottle refill fountain in a busy or environmentally important coastal location. Since the fund began, it has enabled 23 fountains to be installed in the U.K.
The fund aims to tackle the increasing problem of plastic bottles left behind along the coasts as litter, which damages the marine environment and the species that call it home. It is anticipated that the provision of the water refill stations will significantly reduce the numbers of nonreusable plastic bottles on U.K. beaches.
The fund is sponsored by the specialist international distribution and services group Bunzl plc.
Full details on how to apply and the funding criteria can be found here.
Acteon Appoints Group Chief Executive
The board of directors of Acteon Group Ltd., a global provider of services to the renewable,
infrastructure and oil and gas industries, has appointed Dr. Bernhard Bruggaier as group chief executive, succeeding Dr. Carl Trowell.
Bruggaier joined Acteon’s subsidiary MENCK in 1994, became its managing director in 1998,
and joined Acteon’s executive management team following the acquisition of MENCK in 2003.
After that, he served in various senior strategic and operational management roles before
being appointed chief operating officer in 2018 and joining Acteon’s board of directors in
2021.
BV Approves High-Wave Offshore Solar Farm
Bureau Veritas (BV) has delivered an approval in principle to Oceans of Energy for its system design of a high-wave offshore solar farm.
Oceans of Energy’s system is the world’s first offshore solar farm proven in high waves, operating in the North Sea since 2019. This system is modular and scalable to any size.
The farm currently installed has a size of 0.5 MW. It has a unique design: Rather than heavy structures above sea, which are normally used for offshore technology, the offshore solar farm system is lightweight. It uses the sea surface directly as support, like a waterlily resting on the water surface. In order to withstand high waves and rough seas, it uses an innovative system combining rigid and flexible structures that allows it to ride on waves.
Such a novel system had not been used before in offshore high-wave application. The system is in its fourth year of successful operation in high waves. It has withstood many heavy storms, with waves up to 9.9 m high. The system was successfully basin tested with 13-m-high waves.
The approval in principle includes all aspects and products needed for the production of an offshore solar farm system. This includes Oceans of Energy’s design base, the floaters, the mounting of the solar panels, scale model testing reports and mooring system design.
Bayonet Ocean Vehicles Adds Sales Engineer
Bayonet Ocean Vehicles has appointed Dylan Hess as sales engineer. Hess began his career with the U.S. Navy, working on computer and electronic equipment systems, followed by experience as a field service technician in the autonomous underwater vehicle market.
Bayonet Ocean Vehicles, headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, launched early 2022 and manufactures person-portable amphibious tracked vehicles. The company’s autonomous crawlers can easily work in the surf zone, carrying larger sensor payloads on the seafloor. They can be fitted with a variety of environmental, oceanographic, hydrographic, benthic and industry-specific sensors for a range of commercial and military applications.
See the article on Bayonet Ocean Vehicles in Sea Technology‘s November 2022 issue here.
Battery-Hybrid System Upgrade for DeepOcean Support Vessel
An option to request the installation of a battery hybrid system on board the multi-purpose support vessel (MPSV) Stril Server has been activated by ocean services provider DeepOcean.
The MPSV is chartered for two years by DeepOcean from shipowner Simon Møkster Shipping, which will be responsible for upgrading the vessel to include battery power notation in Q4, 2024.
The shipowner will install a 620-kWh battery system from Seam, a supplier of zero-emission solutions for the maritime sector. In addition to the battery system, the MPSV’s control and DP systems will be upgraded and an onshore charging system fitted. The upgrade will be carried out in Q1, 2024.
“We have set a target to reduce our CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030,” explained Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO, DeepOcean. “Reducing fuel consumption and emissions from vessels that we charter is an important part of reaching this goal. It is also a deciding factor when choosing which shipowners we wish to hire vessels from. We are very pleased that Simon Møkster Shipping has an equally ambitious strategy for reduction of carbon emissions.”
BOEM Names New Director
The U.S. Department of the Interior has chosen Elizabeth (Liz) Klein to take over as Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) upon the resignation of Amanda Lefton, effective January 19.
Klein is an attorney and leader in clean energy, climate change, and environmental law and policy. A member of the Biden-Harris administration since January 20, 2021, she has served as Senior Counselor to Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, with an emphasis on water policy and climate change resilience.
President Biden is the third president under whom Klein has served at Interior, having worked for both the Clinton and Obama administrations. She was a key architect of the Obama administration’s work to create a new offshore wind industry and leasing program.
Glomex weBBoat Internet Devices
The need for onboard web connectivity has become commonplace for vessel systems, passengers and crew. The Glomex weBBoat Link IT1304 series of internet devices from GA Communications offers scalable solutions to receive satellite, Wi-Fi and North American 3G/4G cellular signals up to 20 mi. offshore. Simple to install and configure, it’s the ideal way to add a hotspot for recreational and commercial boats.
Designed to accommodate virtually any connectivity need, the weBBoat Link is offered in four configurations. The base IT1304/US model has a single SIM card slot, while the PRO version has two for signal continuity; both offer a range of 10 mi. To reach up to 20 mi. offshore, Glomex has standard and PRO extended-range versions that come with dual external 4G antennas.
Both of the single SIM card models have one WAN and one LAN Ethernet port. The PRO weBBoat Link versions feature one WAN and three LAN ports. All four are scalable and can be expanded with additional external antennas and/or attaching devices to the built-in router. The entire system can be removed and installed in another vessel, or even on land, without programming and updating.
The weBBoat Link downloads up to 100 Mbps from an LTE 4G signal and up to 42 Mbps while in dual carrier DC-HSPA mode. The series complies with IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11b wireless standards.
Simple to set up, the weBBoat Link uses the free Glomex Android or iOS companion app or web user interface for easy configuration.
Teledyne Acquires ChartWorld International
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated has announced that it has acquired ChartWorld International Limited and affiliates. ChartWorld, headquartered in Cyprus, with additional locations in Hamburg, Singapore, Vancouver, and Tokyo, is a leading provider of digital marine navigation hardware and software provided through an affordable subscription-based model. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Commercial maritime subscribers to ChartWorld’s software as a service (SaaS) receive free type-approved Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), a lifetime warranty, and global 24/7 support. ChartWorld also provides digital Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) and other geospatial software and services, including digital route appraisal and voyage planning, as well as onshore software for fleet monitoring and risk assessment.
ChartWorld affiliate, SevenCs, has a long and proud history of participation in the development of standards regarding electronic maritime chart display. Today, SevenCs continues to provide ENC production and distribution software, as well as software development kits for the display of electronic nautical charts in accordance with maritime standards to other navigation system OEMs.
“ChartWorld’s maritime navigation software and hardware tools bridge a product and technology gap between our Teledyne Marine and Raymarine businesses,” said Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president, and CEO.
“Furthermore, the acquisition adds to our software capabilities and recurring revenue, while expanding our customer base to include commercial Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) class vessels and their commercial fleet operators. We are pleased to have now completed our second acquisition for the Teledyne FLIR and Raymarine organizations in the last six months,” he added.
Apply: Professional Mariners for NOAA Research Ships
NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations will be holding two hiring events in Mississippi later this month to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships. The first event will be in Gulfport on January 24 and the second in Pascagoula on January 26.
NOAA staff will be available to answer questions and expedite the hiring process for qualified individuals. In particular, NOAA is hiring for positions in the deck, engine, steward and electronic departments. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
More details on what applicants should bring to the events can be found at: https://www.omao.noaa.gov/
New Sales Director at SEAMOR
Canadian marine technology veteran Jeff Smith has joined SEAMOR Marine as the director of sales and marketing.
Smith brings over 25 years of marine technology experience to the role, with a technical background in electrical engineering, subsea controls and digital signal processing. Beginning as the business unit director for subsea controls, then for control systems, he has managed global projects across a wide array of ocean-based industries.
Smith is also a senior chief port inspection diver for the Canadian Naval Reserves, a specialized subsection of military diving operations. His experience flying side scan sonar-equipped ROVs for the Canadian Navy, including his involvement in the Arctic mission to explore the Franklin Expedition wrecks HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, give him unparalleled insights into the diverse and challenging marine conditions that clients face.
Coastal Futures Jan. 25-26, London
Coastal Futures 2023: Our Ocean and Coastal Future for the Next Decade will take place January 25 to 26 at the Royal Geographical Society in London. It will be livestreamed for the first time.
Day One will feature leading thinkers who will address how we can work together for our energy, biodiversity, science-led and people’s future to tackle the climate challenge; delivering marine restoration through net gain, blue carbon, restoration and re-wilding and engaging communities on the frontline of coastal change.
Day Two will focus on how to tackle the disparity between aspiration and reality in fisheries management; balancing strategic priorities through spatial prioritization and strategic compensation; and how well the U.K. is progressing marine protection to meet 30×30 targets (30×30 is an initiative that calls for 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean to be under protection by 2030).
Propeller Reduces Underwater Radiated Noise
A propeller technology capable of substantially reducing the underwater radiated noise (URN) generated by ships’ propellers has been developed by Oscar Propulsion Ltd. and the University of Strathclyde.
Propeller cavitation can generate as much as 188 dB of URN and can be heard by marine fauna 100 mi. away. According to NOAA, anything above 160 db can pose a significant risk to marine life.
The patented PressurePores system reduces propeller tip vortex cavitation by applying a small number of strategically placed holes in the propeller blades. The addition of these pressure-relieving holes allows ships to operate with a more silent propeller.
Following four years of comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD), modeling and cavitation tunnel tests during the solution’s development phase at Strathclyde, it was demonstrated that PressurePores can reduce cavitation volume by almost 14 percent and URN by up to 10 dB.
Results were further verified in tests on the subcavitating propellers on Princess Royal, a 19-m research catamaran operated by Newcastle University. And, last year, CFD finite element propeller stress tests were successfully completed in accordance with DNV rules.
While Oscar Propulsion’s technology is suitable for all types of vessels, it is ideal for naval vessels, yachts, fishing fleets, offshore vessels and cruise and research ships operating in sensitive environments. The technology can be applied to all types of propellers, including pods and thrusters.
Marine Bearings Support High-Speed Connectivity
Vesconite Bearings has supplied marine bearings to a vessel that has historically transported launcher components, including communications satellites, for various heavy-lift space launch vehicles.
When the MN Colibri charter ship was undergoing planned inspection, it was found that the upper and lower flap bearings needed to be replaced on the flap-type rudders. Vesconite was then approached by a company that focuses on rudder newbuilds and servicing to supply the bushing.
Vesconite Bearings had the right size bushing material in stock at its Netherlands warehouse and
was able to quickly deliver the stock to Hamburg, Germany, for further machining and installation.
The repairs, which were necessary for the MN Colibri to continue its work as a charter vessel,
allowed it to subsequently deliver the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS to Pariacabo Harbour in French
Guiana.
A truck with the Eutelsat then left the MN Colibri destined for the Kourou-based Guiana Space
Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency.
Eutelsat Konnect VHTS has since been successfully launched by an Ariane rocket and will deliver
high-speed broadband and mobile connectivity throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
20th Anniversary of ONR Global in Santiago, Chile
U.S. Chief of Naval Research RAdm. Lorin Selby, as well as other leaders from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and ONR Global, recently traveled to Santiago, Chile, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ONR Global’s office in that city.
The celebration was part of a week-long series of engagements related to the two-decade anniversary of the Santiago office, which is located at the U.S. Embassy. ONR Global established the office in 2002 to cultivate scientific collaboration in Chile and throughout Latin America, sponsoring research to discover and advance naval capabilities.
Over the years, grants from ONR Global Santiago have supported a wide variety of science and technology projects all over Latin America, encompassing topics such as tsunami prediction, marine biofilms, polar navigation, marine mammal research, climate and meteorological research, and robotics.
The connections between the U.S., its Navy and Chile stretch back to 1849, when Lt. James Melville Gilliss, who helped establish the U.S. Naval Observatory, arrived in Chile with a small team of assistants to set up an observatory in Santiago. Their goal was to measure the solar parallax: determining the distance from the Earth to the Sun by observing the Sun simultaneously from two points along a known baseline on approximately the same longitude; in this case, the line between Washington, D.C., and Santiago.
Over the course of three years, Gilliss’ team would accomplish far more than these astronomical observations: collections of flora and fauna sent back to the U.S. became an early addition to the young Smithsonian Institution, seeds of various trees and crops were exchanged between the two countries, and equipment used during the expedition would form the nucleus of Chile’s first modern observatory.
Finland Allows Research Permit for Floating Offshore Wind
The Finnish government has given consent to a research permit for the floating offshore wind project Wellamo in the Finnish Bothnian Sea. The environmental impact assessment will begin in January 2023, and the seabed investigations will be carried out in 2023.
The Wellamo floating wind project is being developed by SeaSapphire, powered by Simply Blue Group and Eolus. Wellamo will be located in the Finnish economic zone approximately 90 km off the coast, southwest of Pori.
Wellamo is one of four floating offshore wind parks being developed jointly by Eolus and Simply Blue Group in Finland and Sweden under the SeaSapphire brand.
The planned capacity of Wellamo floating wind is 1 to 2 GW, which would add up to 10 TWh of renewable electricity to the Finnish electrical grid annually. The envisioned number of turbines for the wind farm is approximately 100, with the final number to be determined at a later stage.
US Navy Issues General Dynamics $5.1B Contract Modification
The U.S. Navy has issued General Dynamics Electric Boat a $5.1 billion contract modification for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine contract.
The modification is for spare parts, long lead items for missile tubes, making the missile tubes, sustainment work both for Columbia– and the United Kingdom’s Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarine program, and other advanced procurement items, according to the Defense Department’s contract announcements.
“This modification also includes additional Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) enhancements as part of the Integrated Enterprise Plan and multi-program material procurement supporting Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and the nuclear shipbuilding enterprise (Virginia-class and Ford-class). The industrial base development work is for the furtherance of the Navy’s plan of serial production of Columbia and Virginia submarines,” the DoD contract announcement reads.
Electric Boat laid the keel for the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) in June. The Groton, Conn.-based shipyard is already building the first two submarines in the class – District of Columbia and the future USS Wisconsin (SSBN-827).
“The award funds advance procurement and advance construction of critical components and material to support Build II (the next five ships in the class), efforts to support continuous missile tube production, enhancements to develop the Submarine Industrial Base, and sustained class maintenance and support,” GD Electric Boat said in a company news release.
The Columbia-class boats will ultimately replace the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines as the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad.
In November 2020, the Navy issued Electric Boat a $9.47 billion contract modification to start building the lead Columbia-class boat and for advanced work on the second boat, USNI News reported at the time.
Nominations Open for NOIA Safety in Seas Awards
Nominations are open for the NOIA Safety in Seas (SIS) Awards, given to companies leading offshore safety innovation and progress in the U.S.
NOIA has held the SIS Awards competition annually since 1978 to recognize those who contribute to improving the safety of the offshore energy industry. The awards are sponsored by Compass Publications, publisher of Sea Technology magazine.
The Culture of Safety Award honors overall organizational immersion in and commitment to safety, which has resulted in remarkable, measurable and sustained safety performance over a prolonged period of time.
The Safety Practice Award recognizes specific technologies, approaches, methods or projects with direct and demonstrable impacts on improving safety.
The winners of the Safety in Seas Awards are determined by an independent selection committee. The awards are presented each spring in Washington, D.C.
NOIA is currently accepting nominations through February 24, 2023. Self-nominations and submissions for both categories are allowed.
Satlink Launches Ocean Tech Sustainability Project
Spanish technology company Satlink has launched Project ReCon, a pioneering circular economy program designed to give a second life to Devices for Sustainable Fishing (DSF), and specifically to echosounder buoys, used in the tropical purse seine tuna fishery. Some of these sounder buoys used by tuna fleets drift away from fishing areas at the end of their useful life, making their recovery impossible for the fishing companies.
To prevent these from beaching and becoming technological waste, Satlink is leading a worldwide collaborative network of fishing companies and local partners to collect these devices and refurbish them for new uses, giving them a second life for scientific and environmental purposes.
In addition to transmitting position data, these buoys have an integrated echosounder that reports the amount of biomass present under the buoy.
This makes them suitable for re-use in small-scale scientific studies such as marking and monitoring of marine debris, or prevention of natural disasters, among other projects proposed by NGOs and local communities that are part of Project ReCon. All these efforts will be angled to science, sustainability, and for benefit of local communities.
This ambitious ReCon project is taking off after months of work and has the support of a number of fleets (including the OPAGAC vessels), which are keen to increase the sustainability of their fishing activities in benefit of local communities.
The initial steps of Project ReCon are being taken in Australia, where Satlink’s team has been working with Tangaroa Blue Foundation, an Australian NGO and founder of the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, which, with the support of the Australian community and government, is carrying out crucial work in cleaning up its coasts and removing and preventing marine debris.
Working together, both organizations aim to re-purpose the collected ReCon buoys for protecting the Great Barrier Reef, setting the stage for additional re-purposing projects and collaborations both within Australia and beyond.
Feb 26-28: National Association of Marine Surveyors Conference
The National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) will hold its 60th annual national conference February 26 to 28, 2023 in San Diego, California.
The event will kick off with a welcome reception and happy hour, followed by a full schedule of dynamic seminars and educational sessions for members and nonmembers on topics including: Challenge of Hybrid Technologies; Hydrogen Battery Technology; Insurance Essentials for Surveyors; and Surveyors and Client Agency Relationships.
Robert Paine of New England Marine Surveyors will present Surveying Metal Boats, and for those interested in commercial topics, William Duval will present a forum discussion on Issues Encountered During Discharge, Damage and Loss Prevention Surveys, and Dennis Cammarano of Cammarano Law Group will discuss Cargo Surveying: The Old and the New, the Tried and the True.
There will be a host of additional speakers, and the full agenda for the conference can be found here.
SUT Awards Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance
The discovery in 2022 of Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, an incredible feat of subsea engineering and specialist expertise, took center stage at the recent annual general meeting of the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT).
“The story of Shackleton, Frank Worsley and the rest of the crew of the Endurance remains an inspiration to people around the globe over a hundred years after her loss,” said SUT President Moya Crawford, who presented the SUT President’s Award to those who discovered the wreck lying at 3,000-m depth in the Southern Ocean.
Marine archeaologist and author Mensun Bound and Donald Lamont, chair of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, were each presented with an award.
Bound spoke at the SUT meeting about the two expeditions in 2019 and 2022 to discover Endurance, the story of which is told in his new book, “The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance,” with Nico Vincent of Deep Ocean Search (DOS), who managed all equipment preparation, testing and training ashore and all subsea operations and related topside activities at sea on Endurance22.
Read about the Endurance22 expedition in Sea Technology‘s August 2022 issue here.
Watch: Saildrone Documentary
Saildrone is featured in a new mini-documentary from Freethink* Media’s Hard Reset series.
Ocean research has traditionally relied on expensive, fuel-intensive manned ships roaming the oceans. That’s why Saildrone is building a fleet of USVs to constantly monitor the conditions of the world’s oceans. Each Saildrone carries 20 scientific sensors that can measure parameters such as water temperature changes, wildlife activity, CO2 concentration and pollution. Saildrones can stay out at sea for months—or even years—without needing to refuel. And when they do require fuel or maintenance, the drones simply guide themselves back to port.
The long-term vision of Saildrone is to be able to measure every aspect of the oceans’ health—from pollution to fish populations—in real time.
New KR Magazine on Decarbonization
Korean Register (KR) has published a new magazine looking at the latest green technologies and global regulations for shipping. KR Decarbonization Magazine will be a regular publication that features KR’s insights and in-depth analysis of current maritime decarbonization trends by KR experts. Topics include ship designs, alternative fuels, regulations and KR research.
You can access the magazine at: www.krs.co.kr/
Marine Warranty Survey for Grid-Connected Demo Wave Farm
Global Maritime has completed marine warranty surveying (MWS) services on CorPower Ocean’s HiWave-5, a flagship project developing a grid-connected demonstration wave farm in a push to make wave energy competitive with wind and solar by 2030.
Located approximately 5.5 km off the north coast of Portugal, the project utilizes CorPower Ocean’s C4 wave energy converter (WEC), its first commercial-scale converter, which will form a four-system array and be one of the world’s first grid-connected wave farms.
Global Maritime was chosen to perform MWS services on various elements of the project, including the 100-tonne, 6.0 km subsea export cable and the anchor pile installation that will be used to support the first commercial-scale UMACK anchor and WEC as part of the landmark project. MWS services were also performed on the WEC from the quayside in Portugal prior to its deployment in the water late this year.
HiWave-5 is a collaborative project with Portuguese electricity company EDP, SimplyBlue Group and ENEL Green Power. HiWave-5 aims to deliver certified and warrantied WEC products to the market by 2024, propelling wave energy into the future green energy mix.
Revolutionary Maritime Tech Trends
ABS has released “Revolutionary Maritime Technology Trends,” a publication that provides insight into potential future developments for several emerging technologies set to revolutionize the marine and offshore industries.
These advanced maritime technologies fit into three key areas that reflect broader industry trends: digitalization, applied research and the clean energy transition.
First US Coast Guard Arctic Summit
Seventy representatives from across the U.S. Coast Guard convened this month in Anchorage, Alaska, to develop recommendations that align efforts and increase synchronization within the Coast Guard on Arctic matters.
The Coast Guard Arctic Summit provided a forum to collectively review domestic and international Coast Guard Arctic equities and requirements through topic-specific sessions focused on creating high-level recommendations for enhancing efforts in the region and informing future decision making.
This marked the first-ever Coast Guard Arctic Summit. The aim is to synchronize and strengthen efforts to meet the large and growing demand for Coast Guard services across the Arctic.
Report: Maritime Fuel Cell Markets
The chemical energy held in green fuels can be stored in fuel cells that have great potential as a highly efficient solution offering a pathway to zero emissions.
Currently, there are only two options for fuel cells in the marine environment: proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC).
The new IDTechEx report “Fuel Cell Boats & Ships 2023-2033: PEMFC, SOFC, Hydrogen, Ammonia, LNG” reviews the latest FC technologies and materials, revealing that green hydrogen PEMFC and LNG/green ammonia SOFC markets will grow rapidly at 35 percent CAGR over a 10-year period.
Predictions are for broader adoption of hydrogen PEMFC and batteries in the mid-term and ammonia SOFC adoption in the long term.
The report states that lowering emissions in the maritime sector will continue to rely on tremendous investment, financial support, and policy drivers from both the public and private sectors.
To find out more about the new IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, visit: www.IDTechEx.com/MarineFC.
Merry Christmas!
Sea Technology wishes you a merry Christmas! May you have a wonderful holiday season.
Apply: Earthshot Prize
The search is on for The Earthshot Prize 2023, with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) continuing its role as an official nominator for the second year running.
EMEC is one of 349 nominators from 66 countries tasked with identifying breakthrough solutions that can solve the world’s biggest environmental challenges.
Earthshot is seeking innovations that will help repair and regenerate the planet. Assessment criteria are heavily weighted toward preventive solutions that address the source of the problem.
This complements EMEC’s vision of supporting the transition to a low-carbon future. With 2023 marking EMEC’s 20th anniversary, EMEC seeks applications from its clients, partners and alumni, as well as companies working in similar sectors, such as offshore energy, green energy vectors and energy systems.
All nominations should be well beyond idea stage but can have development requirements that need to be addressed before they are ready to scale their impact. Solutions should have the potential to be scaled and replicated to be relevant on a global level by 2030, making a significant or transformative impact on at least one of the Earthshot categories: protect and restore nature; clean our air; revive our oceans; build a waste-free world; and fix our climate.
EMEC’s online nomination form is at: www.emec.earth.
Submissions must be received by noon, Tuesday, January 17, 2023.
After EMEC submits its selected nominations to The Earthshot Prize, they are screened alongside all global nominations as part of a rigorous assessment process, culminating in the selection of five winners by the Earthshot Prize Council.
Lineup for Mote Marine Special Lecture Series in January
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has announced the dates and topics for Mote’s 2023 Special Lecture Series. The series will feature Mote scientists sharing their world-class research on four Monday evenings in January.
The first lecture in the series will take place January 9, when Dr. Jason Spadaro will present “Rising to the challenge of coral reef restoration.” He joined Mote in December 2021 as a postdoctoral scientist to integrate an ecosystem approach into Mote’s premier science-based Coral Reef Restoration Program. His research focuses on manipulating ecological processes to support the restoration and recovery of Florida’s coral reef and other coral reef ecosystems.
Spadaro will explain how coral reefs are in trouble, and how Mote Marine Laboratory scientists are pioneers in coral reef restoration. Mote’s team actively propagates and restores corals to degraded reef structures, selecting the most resilient and robust corals.
Recently, Mote has also invested in the restoration of critical ecosystem functions, such as grazing by herbivores, i.e., Caribbean king crabs. Led by Spadaro, Mote scientists are engaged in the aquaculture of this large crab species that consumes many of the algae that otherwise would compete with corals for space on the reef.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. Each lecture, also offered virtually, will last from 6 to 7:30 p.m., including a Q&A session. Mote members will receive discounted admission.
Tickets are on sale now at: mote.org/lecture.
Cellula Completes Imotus-S AUV Sea Trials
Cellula Robotics Ltd. is pleased to announce the successful completion of Imotus-S AUV sea trials. Imotus-S enables deployed vessels to easily monitor their magnetic and acoustic signatures in a timely manner without having to leave station.
The sea trials, executed in the Saanich Inlet over the course of two weeks starting November 14th, served to meet various project milestones, including acoustic ranging, magnetic ranging, and understanding safe distance to the vessel while maintaining control authority.
The demonstration provided training of test department staff with handling and operating the Imotus-S drone and was run with the support of a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Orca-class vessel, PCT Cougar, as part of Cellula’s ongoing work with the Department of National Defence (DND) through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Test Stream program.
“Seeing Imotus-S being deployed from and working in tandem with the Orca vessel has been a fantastic step in Cellula’s signature measurement program,” said Jacqueline Nichols, Business Development. “In conjunction with the invaluable feedback received to date, the opportunity of working closely with DND throughout the program enabled us to understand the challenges for signature measurement and management.”
“Since the Imotus-S project announcement, we’ve been looking forward to open water testing and deploying Imotus-S off an Orca-class vessel,” said Warren Priyadamkol, project engineer at DND. “With the successful completion of the sea trials, we will now focus on analyzing the data sets obtained from the AUV.”
In-depth analysis of the recorded data, including comparison to known acoustic and magnetic signatures of the Orca vessel is ongoing from the test department. Discussions and feedback from the Saanich Inlet trials will move the Imotus-S program one step closer to the establishment of an autonomous underwater ranging capability.
Archwey Partners with The Ocean Race to Combat Plastic Pollution
Sustainable materials pioneer Archwey is partnering with The Ocean Race 2022-23, to raise awareness and inspire action to end ocean plastic pollution.
Every day, 8 million pieces of plastic make their way into the ocean.
As an official Plastic-Free Ocean Partner of The Ocean Race, Archwey will partake in key elements of The Ocean Race’s sustainability program, which was developed with founding partner 11th Hour Racing and is dedicated to restoring ocean health.
Archwey’s mission is simple: to rid the world of fossil fuel-based virgin plastic by developing sustainable alternative materials. Its BLUEWAVE is a thermoplastic derived from marine plastics, ocean-bound plastics, post-consumer waste and post-industrial waste. Collected at riverbanks and coastal areas, it gives new life to plastic waste that would otherwise end up in our oceans. 100 percent recycled and recyclable, BLUEWAVE can be used to make everything from coat hangers to pill bottles to furniture.
Archwey will collaborate on key elements of The Ocean Race’s work, including The Ocean Race Summits. Held around the world, these events bring together decision makers and ocean advocates to drive progress on issues affecting marine life and find new ways to safeguard the ocean’s future.
Archwey and The Ocean Race will also work together to highlight The Ocean Race’s One Blue Voice campaign, which has the ambitious goal of securing a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights by 2030.
The Ocean Race 2022-23 begins January 8, 2023.
US Companies to Jointly Construct All-Electric Tug
U.S.-based design and engineering company Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and marine metal fabrication shop Miller Marine have joined forces to design and build a fully electric truckable tug.
As explained, EBDG will incorporate an electrical propulsion system into Miller Marine’s proven truckable tug design. Once the design phase is complete, Miller Marine will build the vessel at its 1393.5 square meter production facility.
The vessel has an overall length of just under 26 feet (approx. 8 meters) and will be powered by two permanent magnet motors with a total power of 300+ kW.
Shore power will be used to recharge the ship’s battery banks overnight, taking no more than eight hours. On a full charge, the vessel will operate with contingency for 12+ hours, according to EDBG.
A closed-loop fluid cooling system will provide temperature control of the batteries, motors, and electronics, maximizing their lifetime. This configuration is ideally suited for shallow and silty water operations, the company noted.
The electric tug is intended to support public agency and private enterprise marine construction operations and short-range logistics. This includes servicing marine construction sites, tending dredges, tending buoys, and handling short-range ferry operations and other near-shore operations such as crew transportation or line handling.
In the past, EBDG designed a hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for Maine ferry operator Casco Bay Lines. The vessel entered the construction phase this July.
Harlem Rocket Partners with Raymarine
The Harlem Rocket, which will offer a high-speed tour on the Hudson River along the famed Harlem and Upper Manhattan waterfront, has announced a new sponsorship and collaboration with Raymarine. When the vessel launches in May 2023, it will feature state-of-the art, rugged, reliable guidance systems by Raymarine.
The Harlem Rocket is an immersive maritime experience, integrated with novel drone, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-storage technologies, enabling guests to capture and share their experiences of the Upper Manhattan waterfront and the New York City skyline like never before. It also utilizes a workforce development model that will create exciting career opportunities and jobs that empower local communities and sustain scalable economic development, not only in maritime operations but also in renewable energy and offshore wind.
The Harlem Rocket is the first phase in the formal launch of a multi-phase development vision for this Hudson River area of Manhattan, called the Harlem Waterfront Gateway Initiative (see www.harlemwaterfront.com)
Wind Propulsion Automated Kite System in Action
France-based wind propulsion company Airseas has issued the first pictures and video footage of its automated kite system Seawing in flight during ongoing transatlantic sea trials. This comes as the company announces the successful completion of the crucial initial stages of these trials, which are taking place on the vessel Ville de Bordeaux, as it transports aircraft components between Europe and the United States.
The footage shows the Seawing system in action, flying 200 m above sea level, harnessing the power of the wind to propel the vessel and reduce the main engine load.
Seawing aims to slash fuel consumption and emissions by an average of 20 percent. Combining expertise from the aerospace and maritime sectors, Seawing will use digital twins and advanced automation systems to ensure that the system can be safely deployed, operated and stored at the push of a button with minimal input or training needed from crew. The solution can be installed on virtually any type of commercial vessel.
The first stages of the sea trials have successfully validated key steps such as the folding and unfolding of the wing, take-off and landing, and flights in altitude. The next phase will test the Seawing in a broader range of weather conditions and fine-tune the automation system.
Unmanned SAR Startup Secures Equity Investment
Zelim, an Edinburgh-based startup pioneering unmanned search and rescue (SAR) solutions, including the world’s first remotely operated rescue vessel, has secured £2.3 million of equity investment. Most of the funding comes from lead investor Kero Development Partners and Aberdeen-based I7V, following initial investment in Zelim’s seed round in 2020.
Zelim aims to make the ocean a safer place to work by improving the chances of finding and recovering people in distress while limiting the exposure to danger that rescuers face. The company recently launched its patented “Swift” rescue conveyor and will release Guardian, the world’s first fast-rescue craft, with the flexibility of both crewed and uncrewed operation modes, in 2023.
Zelim has its sights set on revolutionizing emergency response for the whole maritime sector and has focused to date on the fast-growing offshore energy market to launch its technology.
The company is also funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), an industry-backed program supporting innovative U.K. supply chain companies.
In June 2022, Zelim conducted live demonstrations of its search and rescue technology to the U.K. and U.S. Coast Guards at Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Norfolk in the U.K.
This latest investment round and continued support from the OWGP should prime the company for successful commercialization.
Military Orders MIPS 2 USBL
applied acoustics, an aae technologies group company, has signed a major contract for the supply of multiple units of its next-generation military USBL subsea tracking system.
MIPS 2 (Mobile Integrated Positioning System) is the latest addition to the range of acoustic subsystems designed for defense applications, with many of those systems finding use in mine countermeasure (MCM) operations.
MIPS 2 has been designed for integration on both autonomous and crewed surface vessels. The highly accurate transceivers are available in two formats, offering hemispherical and directional acoustic footprints for advanced subsea positioning requirements across a variety of naval platforms and environments.
A Monument to Honor International Oilfield Divers
By Rusty Wright
As the energy transition advances, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the oil and gas industry has been a foundational force in society.
Among the fundamental human components of the industry are oilfield divers, who have worked decades underwater to contribute to powering the world.
It is time to acknowledge the many contributions of oilfield divers. We stand on the shoulders of these giants of the industry.
In honor of them, a monument will be built in Morgan City, Louisiana, comprising a life-size bronze statue of an early oilfield diver to commemorate this profession.
The first over-water oil wells were drilled in the late 1800s in the ocean, from piers extending off the beach at Summerland, California. During the 20th century, the evolution of the oil and gas industry and its movement offshore was one of the fundamental forces that shaped our culture, geography, society and economy. In 1911, Gulf Oil drilled the world’s first oil well in the inland waters of Lake Caddo, Louisiana. In the late 1920s and into the ’30s, the lakes, marshes and bayous of southern Louisiana began to rival the famous Spindletop oil field in neighboring Texas in the production of fossil fuels. In 1947, a consortium of companies led by Kerr-McGee and Phillips Petroleum completed the first out-of-sight-of-land well off Morgan City, Louisiana, marking a new phase in the evolution of the global oil and gas industry. By the late 1950s, oilfield diving had become an essential function of offshore petroleum operations. Divers assisted in constructing, installing, repairing, and salvaging offshore platforms and pipelines.
None of these operations would have been possible without the guys that jumped into the water to retrieve a lost tool, stab a drill pipe or tighten a flange.
In the mid-1940s, oilfield diving developed into a profession. Those divers and the companies they started made incredible discoveries, breakthroughs and steady improvement in their career space, including safety processes and procedures. These efforts have been incorporated into many other industries, from robotics to the medical field and space exploration, just to name a few. The Space Shuttle astronauts working on the Hubble telescope even mentioned divers–where are they when you need them?–as they struggled with installing new mirrors.
The Oilfield Divers Monument will be a bronze, life-size diver dressed in an early DESCO helmet, showcasing the old-style heavy gear, which has since morphed into light gear with advances in technology and design. The diver will carry a burning torch, jet nozzle and a hammer wrench with umbilical hoses on the deck.
The monument will include the early history of (and some improvements in) safety, equipment and procedures made by those working in the industry.
One of the intentions in building this monument is to inspire young people to follow their dreams.
In a small way, this monument will also pay tribute to those who have lost their lives while working as oilfield divers.
We invite you to visit www.oilfielddiversmonument.org to discover the history of oilfield diving, early photographs of the industry and links to related material.
Burleson Bronze out of Austin, Texas, has been selected as the designer and sculptor of the monument because of its previous excellent work on the Morgan City, Louisiana, Veterans Memorial, which is adjacent to the site of the Oilfield Divers Monument. The company’s work can be seen at: www.burlesonbronze.com.
Morgan City, Louisiana, is supporting the monument by providing the location in its memorial park and installing the base for the statue.
Everyone is invited to the unveiling on April 29, 2023.
The Oilfield Divers Monument is a project of the International Petroleum Museum & Exposition, a 501(c)(3) corporation in Morgan City, Louisiana.
Donations are being accepted for those who would like to contribute to the building of the monument. Those interested may contact: Rusty Wright at 785-258-4180, Bryce Merrill at 985-518-1000 or Jack Vilas at 985-519-0993.
Blue Food Innovation Summit May 23-24, London
From May 23 to 24, 2023, the Blue Food Innovation Summit will return to London to delve deeper into the fast-developing landscape of aquaculture and ocean health. With our food system increasingly under stress from conflict and climate change, the summit aims to put blue food, sustainable aquaculture and restorative ocean practices at the heart of the global conversation.
Bringing together ground-breaking companies from around the globe to discuss forward-thinking approaches to aquatic food production, the summit will cover sustainable aquafeed, seaweed, fish health and welfare, and digital platforms for smallholder farmers.
By showcasing disruptive technologies, and exploring case studies of innovation in action, the focus is on overcoming bottlenecks to growth and promoting greater partnership and collaboration to protect and restore the ocean ecosystem.
From producers, feed suppliers and health providers to retailers, investors and innovators, the summit provides stakeholders from across the value chain with a vital platform for knowledge exchange and networking through interactive panels, breakout discussions, and quality one-on-one meetings.
An international speaking faculty will highlight the greatest opportunities for innovation, with a focus on:
- Ocean Data: Scaling Solutions in Restorative and Sustainable Ocean Management
- Empowering Small-Scale Farmers: Accessing Digital Platforms, Finance and Certification
- A Restorative Deep Dive: Optimizing Regeneration and Production in Restorative Ventures
- Aquatic Health and Welfare: Enhancing Disease Prevention, Genetics and Harvesting
- Expanding the Horizon for RAS: Fortifying Success Through Innovation in AI and Data
- Blue Investment: Putting VC, ESG and Growth Capital to Work in Today’s Financial Climate
- Sustainable Aquafeed: Utilizing Novel and Responsibly Sourced Marine Ingredients
- Accelerating the Seaweed Revolution: Driving Innovation Across the Supply Chain
- Unlocking Blue Carbon: Carbon Neutrality and Deep Blue Carbon Regeneration
Learn more at: www.bluefoodinnovation.com.
Mission to Seafarers Adventure Race Japan May 18-21
The Mission to Seafarers (MtS) is issuing a last call for shipping organizations that want to take on the challenge of Adventure Race Japan, which will take place May 18 to 21, 2023. Sign-ups for participants and sponsors will close at the end of January.
This is MtS’s first maritime industry challenge of its kind in Asia. The challenge will see 200 participants follow a trail along the Izu Peninsula, a UNESCO Geopark under the watchful eye of Mount Fuji. Teams will consist of three competitors, who will start and finish the race together.
There are two race options: The Green Dragon Race for those who would like to walk much of the trail, and the Black Dragon Race for participants looking to run.
As well as taking on the race, participants will experience team-building activities, connect with industry peers during networking dinners and drinks, and support the cause of seafarer welfare.
Apply: SERDP Munitions Response Proposals
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) seeks to fund environmental research and development in the Munitions Response program area.
SERDP invests across the broad spectrum of basic and applied research, as well as advanced technology
development. The development and application of innovative environmental technologies will reduce the
costs, environmental risks and time required to resolve environmental problems while enhancing and sustaining military readiness.
The Munitions Response program area supports the development and demonstration of innovative
technologies that can characterize, remediate and scientifically manage primarily sites that are affected by
military munitions underwater.
SERDP requests proposals that respond to the following statements of need (SON) in Munitions Response:
▪ Detection, Localization, Classification and Remediation of Military Munitions Underwater: Proposals responding to the fiscal year (FY) 2024 SON will be selected through a competitive process. All pre-proposals are due to SERDP by January 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
SERDP will also fund environmental research and development through the SERDP Exploratory Development (SEED) Solicitation. The SEED program provides a limited amount of funding (not to exceed $250,000) for projects up to approximately one year in duration to investigate innovative approaches that entail high technical risk or require supporting data to provide proof of concept.
For FY 2023, Munitions Response SEED proposals are requested in response to the following SON:
▪ Detection, Localization, Classification and Remediation of Military Munitions Underwater: All SEED proposals are due by March 14, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
Ocean Exchange Award Winners
Ocean Exchange, supporting the acceleration of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and a sustainable blue economy, has announced the winners of its Neptune, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Orcelle and Transportation Hub Awards, each of which bestows prize money of $100,000. The winners were selected from an international list of 24 finalists at the Ocean Exchange 2022 event in October in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The 2022 award recipients are:
2022 Neptune Award: NovFeed, Tanzania, represented by Diana Orembe, founder and CEO. Focused on replacement of fish meal in aquafeed formulation, NovFeed has developed a biotechnological platform where organic waste is converted into a natural, traceable and safe nonanimal protein source for aquaculture feeds.
2022 Wallenius Wilhelmsen Orcelle Award: BeePlanet Factory, Spain, represented by Jon Asin, co-founder and CEO. BeePlanet Factory engages in energy storage based on second-life batteries (B2U); smart charging infrastructure solutions for electric vehicle charging (BeeCharge); and control software to facilitate the integration of renewable energies and energy consumption (BeeSmart). The company also provides e-consulting, guiding its clients through the adoption of new forms of mobility.
2022 Transportation Hub Award: C2C-NewCap, Portugal, represented by André Mão de Ferro, chief technology officer. C2C-NewCap has developed breakthrough eco-friendly energy storage technologies based on hybrid supercapacitors. They reduce waste production by extending the lifetime of batteries and fossil fuel consumption by limiting idling and do not use critical raw materials. They will efficiently lower the CO2 emissions of commercial heavy vehicles by 11 percent, having a direct impact on air quality, especially in loading/unloading areas such as harbors.
Hyundai to Present Major Ocean Transformation Plans at CES 2023
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group, the world’s largest shipbuilding and heavy industries conglomerate, announced that it will participate in the world’s largest consumer electronics exhibition, CES 2023. There they will present the company’s vision on transforming the ocean for a sustainable future. CES 2023 is held in Las Vegas between January 5 and 8 next year, marking the company’s second participation in the annual trade show.
At CES 2023, HHI Group plans to present its ‘Ocean Transformation’ strategies that aim to fundamentally change the way the ocean can be utilized and explore the infinite potential of the marine ecosystem. Sized at 595-square-meters, HHI Group’s booth at CES 2023 is divided into four pillars. Themes of the pillars include:
Ocean Mobility: It will show a safer and more economical future ship based on unmanned and remote digital solutions. Using large replicas that model future ships, energy-saving technologies and eco-friendly low-carbon fuel-propelling technologies will be displayed, and the company’s blueprint for future ships will also be presented.
OceanWise: It plans to unveil a marine data platform to optimize global maritime transport networks, such as a smart ship solution that combines all marine data from ships, shipping companies, and ports to provide optimal routes.
Ocean Life: Expanding marine leisure experiences beyond autonomous navigation, it introduces solutions that expand living space to the sea through technology that enhances safety and convenience.
Ocean Energy: It shows the vision of a sustainable energy ecosystem ranging from marine energy production, transportation, and utilization based on technologies such as marine floater and next-generation energy propulsion technologies of HHI Group.
“For sustainable future growth, it is necessary to realize the infinite potential of the ocean, a valuable resource of mankind,” said a representative of HHI Group. “By participating in CES 2023, we will open a new era based on the company’s 50 years of industry expertise and our advanced innovation.”
Meanwhile, five subsidiaries of HHI Group, including Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Hyundai Electric, won nine awards at CES 2023 Innovation Awards.
Reducing GHG Emissions: A Guide to IMO Regulatory Compliance
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published the industry’s first definitive guide to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, helping decision makers to chart their way through the major technical and operational changes they face in achieving the IMO’s CO2 reduction targets for 2030.
- Reductions of carbon intensity through the use of the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships (EEDI) and the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI).
- Submission of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) for external audit and statutory certification.
- Use of operational Carbon Intensity Indicators (CIIs) and the collection and submission of operational data, with ships being designated annually with an “A to E” rating.
- Modification of existing ships, including information for naval architects.
HUGIN Superior AUV Fitted with Multi-Domain Software
SeeByte, the global leader of smart software solutions for uncrewed maritime systems (UMS), have successfully integrated their multi-domain, command and control software with Kongsberg’s HUGIN Superior Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).
The HUGIN Superior AUV System is the most capable commercially available AUV. Rated to 6000 meters, it generates a superior data set coupled with the best position solution possible.
SeeByte’s SeeTrack v4 offers optimal goal-based planning and interoperability with other SeeTrack users. Its Open Architecture allows integration with different sonars, sensors, or behaviors.
Combining the two systems offers enhanced operator situational awareness across single- or multi-vehicle operations with optimal planning, monitoring, and post-mission analysis results on a single user interface.
“This interoperability between autonomous systems is a great challenge in the underwater domain. We are delighted to work with Kongsberg to successfully integrate SeeTrack with the HUGIN Superior AUV and offer a best-of-breed solution for our customers,” said SeeByte’s Business Development Manager for Defense.defense, Robert Johnson.
“Our goal is to always improve the productivity and effectiveness of the HUGIN family of AUVs. Integrating HUGIN Superior with SeeTrack provides a more cohesive planning and supervision tool for multi-system operations,” added Richard Mills, vice president in marine robotics sales at Kongsberg.
Tonga Eruption Confirmed as Largest Ever Recorded
A New Zealand-led team has completed the fullest investigation to date into January’s eruption of the underwater Tongan volcano, with the conclusion that Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai (HT-HH) emitted the biggest atmospheric explosion recorded on Earth in more than 100 years.
New Zealand’s National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has discovered that almost 10 km3 of seafloor was displaced–the equivalent of 2.6 million Olympic-size swimming pools and a third more than initial estimates–with two-thirds coming from the summit and the rest from the surrounding flanks.
Three-quarters of this material was deposited within 20 km of the volcano. This leaves almost 3.2 km3 unaccounted for. The project leader, NIWA marine geologist Kevin Mackay, said this missing debris could be partly explained by aerial loss.
Despite the huge displacement of material, the volcano’s flank remains surprisingly intact. However, the caldera is now 700 m deeper than before the eruption.
Further evidence from the caldera shows signs that HT-HH is still erupting. The Maxlimer USV, remotely operated from the U.K. by SEA-KIT International, detected active venting from newly formed cones, explaining why glass fragments formed from cooled molten lava were picked up during NIWA’s earlier survey.
NIWA scientists have also unraveled one of the biggest unknowns of the eruption: the pyroclastic flows. Pyroclastic flows are currents made up of dense lava, volcanic ash and gases that can reach temperatures of 1,000° C and speeds of 700 km/hr. NIWA collected 150 sediment cores, which were sent to New Zealand’s University of Otago and the National Oceanography Centre in the U.K. for analysis. These samples showed pyroclastic deposits some 80 km away from the volcano. It’s possible they could have traveled even further.
A video, shot on board NIWA’s RV Tangaroa, shows the scale of the HT-HH explosion and the findings of the resulting undersea investigations: https://youtu.be/xYhCEeIO25k.
New Toolkit to Aid in Creation of Marine Sanctuaries
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation has launched an online toolkit to support community-led efforts to nominate new national marine sanctuaries.
The toolkit provides a step-by-step process on how to protect treasured places in the ocean and Great Lakes as sanctuaries.
The toolkit is available through the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation website on an ESRI ArcGIS StoryMap. The program walks users through the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s sanctuary nomination process in detail and features links to resources that will help create a compelling nomination.
The web-based application is designed to lead interested community members through the process from beginning to end and is part of the “Save Spectacular” campaign celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
You can see and utilize the program on the official ArcGIS website.
SEAMOR ROV Recovered, Revived from the Deep of Lake Michigan
In 2014, a Great Lakes shipwreck hunter was forced to abandon his SEAMOR ROV in Lake Michigan at a depth of 134 m (440 ft.) after it became entangled in the 1929 shipwreck of the Senator, a freighter carrying 268 Nash automobiles from Milwaukee to Detroit.
The shipwreck hunter made multiple attempts over the years to recover his ROV and was finally reunited with his SEAMOR Legacy 300T in July 2022.
After the successful recovery, the shipwreck hunter spent 12 hr. power washing and cleaning his SEAMOR ROV. It fired up immediately when he started it.
After spending eight years at depth in Lake Michigan, the ROV had no visible leaks, only a bit of corrosion at both ends of the thrusters, and just two parts that needed to be replaced: the gripper and one light. The camera and lights worked for about 30 sec., the propellers on the thrusters turned freely, the cylinder with the circuit boards was bone dry, and the cylinder with the camera and lights appeared to be dry.
Absolute Ocean: Cloud-Based Geospatial Data Management
Terradepth has launched Absolute Ocean (AO), a secure, easy-to-use, cloud-based geospatial solution providing high-level visualization, analysis, collaboration and management of all marine data.
In addition to offering Absolute Ocean as a software-as-a-service solution, Terradepth leverages the platform to deliver its own marine survey products, including AUV data, as well as those of third-party ocean data vendors.
A powerful geospatial engine enables users to view marine data and the base-map data sets in 2D and 3D, from a variety of perspectives, scales and viewing angles. Linear distances, profile measurements and areas of subsurface features can be measured. Data sets can be viewed by themselves, overlaid on each other or with third-party base maps, such as NOAA’s electronic nautical charts (ENCs), for analysis.
For hydrographic surveying companies, the platform offers a way to differentiate themselves from competitors through more effective data delivery to their customers.
Near-Real-Time Wireless Data Transfer for ADCPs
The Subnero Wireless Integrated Suite (SWIS) – ADCP edition is the Singapore-based company’s latest development that provides seamless wireless connectivity to a seabed-mounted ADCP integrated with the Subnero Wireless Network Communication (WNC) series of products. SWIS an ideal solution for subsea applications that need
near-real-time access to current measurements.
Users can interact with the remote ADCP through another WNC device deployed from topside, such as from a boat, buoy or platform, which can be dynamically configured to provide the best communication performance in a given environment. The topside device can be accessed using a laptop or a tablet.
When connected, the dashboard appears with all relevant information in one place. In addition to the list of measurement files that you can download, the user interface provides critical information such as the roll and pitch of the sensor, its temperature, battery voltage, etc. A single click allows you to download any file of interest, and you can modify some of the remote device parameters during a deployment.
SWIS features a content-aware data summarization (CADS) engine that leverages machine learning techniques to generate smart previews of the ADCP data files for a user-selectable date range and compression ratio. Smart previews are of the same format as a regular file generated by the ADCP, which you can open using the same ADCP vendor-provided software to seamlessly integrate into your existing workflow.
In addition, SWIS provides smart scheduling capabilities for optimizing battery usage, as well as fault tolerance by duplicating the data in both the ADCP and WNC device to ensure data retrieval in the event of an equipment failure. SWIS also supports downloading data from multiple ADCPs deployed in the same area using a single topside unit.
Hydrogen-Powered Lab Vessel Visits India
The Energy Observer visited Kochi, India, earlier this month for the 75th stopover of its round-the-world odyssey, after a tour of Southeast Asia that took the laboratory vessel to Singapore together with its exhibition village, then Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Energy Observer is the first hydrogen-powered, zero-emission vessel to be self-sufficient in energy, advocating and serving as a laboratory for ecological transition. The development of reliable, sustainable, emission-free and economically accessible energy solutions is at the heart of its global odyssey and its industrial subsidiary, EODev. The vessel has been sailing around the world for seven years, stopping in iconic cities to meet pioneers who devote their energy to the development of sustainable solutions.
Apply: Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
- A student must be enrolled toward a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2022 fall term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and February 16, 2023.
- The student’s graduate degree program must be through an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories.
- Students are eligible regardless of nationality; domestic and international students at accredited U.S. institutions may apply.
- Applicants must have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.
Public Comment Open for NOAA Aquaculture Environmental Assessment