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Tuesday 25 June 2013

Bureau Veritas launches Elastic Shaft Alignment notation

LEADING international classification society Bureau Veritas has introduced a new set of requirements for shaft alignment on high powered ships. The ESA notation will help ensure the integrity of the structure and shaft bearings on very large vessels such as ultra-large container ships and the next generation of very large LNG carriers.

Jean-Francois Segretain, deputy technical director, Bureau Veritas, says, “As ships grow in size and we seek more fuel economies we are now seeing vessels with shafts handling over 20MW of power driving large diameter propellers of over 30 tonnes weight. Critical attention has to be paid at the design stage to analysing the elastic shaft alignment and ensuring that the bearings and structure match the shaft response, especially when the vessel is turning. If this is not done, huge forces will either lead to bearing failure or excessive vibration. We have been called in to help solve incidences of both on new ships. This new ESA notation sets out standards of how the shaft must be analysed and the criteria the whole shaft, bearings, and aft structure must meet to avoid such problems.”

Bureau Veritas has unrivalled experience with shaft alignment studies dating back to the first ULCCs built in the 1970s. It is continually updating its expertise in this area and has developed special software for shaft analysis.

The Elastic Shaft Alignment (ESA) notation will apply to vessels with shafts in excess of 750 mm diameter, or smaller shafts handling over 20 MW of power, propellers over 30 tonnes or using synthetic bearings. The notation requires full analysis of the criteria covering hull flexibility with respect to loading conditions, bearing material stiffness, shaft speed and oil film behaviour.

Says Segretain, “We will make this notation obligatory for ships meeting these conditions in our class, and will also make it available as a voluntary notation for smaller vessels and vessels not in BV class. Getting the shaft/structure right is critical for modern designs and we have the deepest expertise in this area available anywhere. This notation helps to codify that and guide yards with new designs.”

For a graphic to illustrate shaft alignment e mail john@merlinco.com

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in conformity assessment and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 59,000 employees in around 1,330 offices and laboratories located in 140 countries. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

www.bureauveritas.com for corporate information                              www.veristar.com for marine information

 For more information:    
Philippe Boisson
+33 1 55 24 71 98
philippe.boisson@bureauveritas.com

 

 

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AKD expects creditors to pursue ARA vessel arrests as bankruptcies escalate

ROTTERDAM based law firm AKD says that creditors of ailing shipping groups such as STX Pan Ocean of South Korea, and TMT of Taiwan, could seek to take advantage of prevailing bankruptcy laws to enforce vessel arrests and other attachments in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region.

Haco van der Houven van Oordt, a partner with the shipping and offshore team at AKD in Rotterdam, says, “The recent reports of bankruptcies and voluntary liquidation proceedings involving shipping companies have now reached levels which exceed any in recent memory. STX Pan Ocean, South Korea’s largest dry bulk operator, has reportedly obtained bankruptcy protection and is now seeking recognition of protection orders in various international jurisdictions after creditors moved to arrest a significant part of its fleet operating around the world.

“Creditors are looking to protect their assets and limit their losses in the most efficient way possible. And because shipping is such an international industry, those creditors are becoming increasingly keen to understand the legal approach to bankruptcy adopted in different parts of the world. For example, bankruptcy protection does not enjoy worldwide currency. It works in those countries - including the US and the UK - which adopt a universal approach to cross-border insolvencies. But there are a few exceptions to this rule.  

“It is reported that several of STX Pan Ocean’s creditors have already arrested vessels in China, and we expect creditors also to turn to the Netherlands,  which adopts a territorial approach to bankruptcy. This means that creditors can still take action against the assets of STX Pan Ocean in the Netherlands despite the existence of bankruptcy proceedings and protection orders.”

In addition to its territorial approach to the law of bankruptcy, the Netherlands is widely recognised as a haven for those looking to attach ships and/or to arrange for their swift judicial auction. There are very few legal hurdles to pass in order to obtain leave for attachment. And it is not just ships calling at Rotterdam and Amsterdam which are subject to attachment in the Dutch courts. All ships proceeding to Antwerp and Ghent have to transit the River Scheldt, where they are also subject to Netherlands jurisdiction.

Haco van der Houven van Oordt concludes, “It would be surprising if we did not see creditors looking increasingly to the ARA region in the wake of the continuing fall-out from the bankruptcies of major shipping groups.”


Note to editors
AKD’s shipping and offshore team provides a full range of legal services to the shipping and offshore industry. The team is ranked top tier in both Chambers and Legal 500. AKD is a full-service firm with over 250 lawyers. www.akd.nl

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Monday 24 June 2013

Barbican acquires specialist marine insurance broker

Barbican Group Holdings Limited (Barbican) has today announced that it has acquired Seacurus Ltd (Seacurus), a UK-based specialist marine insurance broker.

Established in 2004, Seacurus focuses specifically on revenue protection in the marine insurance market. A leading provider of marine kidnap & ransom insurance, the company offers a range of products designed to help companies in the shipping industry manage a wide variety of operating and financial risks.
Seacurus will continue to operate under its current brand. Details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

David Reeves, chief executive officer of Barbican, said: “Today’s acquisition marks a significant milestone in the continuing growth of our marine operations. Seacurus has built a leading position within the marine insurance broking sector, particularly in the kidnap & ransom arena. Its success reflects the experience and expertise of its team, led by Thomas Brown. Seacurus is an excellent fit for Barbican and we see clear synergies between us, not only in terms of the portfolios of business, but also the culture which exists in each organisation.”

Thomas Brown, managing director of Seacurus, added: “Becoming part of Barbican provides us with an excellent platform from which to further expand and enhance the comprehensive range of bespoke solutions we deliver to our clients in the shipping industry. We look forward to working closely with our new colleagues to achieve this.”
In April 2013 Seacurus launched CrewSEACURE, an insurance product for employers of seafarers required to meet regulatory obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and the International Guidelines on Seafarer Abandonment. The product offers cover in the event of an employer’s financial default, and includes the indemnification of unpaid wages.
                                     
                                          
Contacts
Barbican
Damian Beeley: +44 (0) 20 7861 3139
Zoe Pocock: +44 (0) 20 7861 3961

Seacurus
Chris Hewer:  +44 (0) 1903 50 20 50

Formed in 2007, Barbican Group Holdings is an insurance group writing business predominantly through its Syndicates at Lloyd’s. It also has a non-Lloyd’s financial solutions business based in Guernsey which offers commercial insurance solutions to the Channel Islands. Barbican Syndicates 1955 and 6113 at Lloyd’s have a stamp capacity of £227.5m for the 2013 year of account and underwrite cyber liability, financial and professional lines, healthcare liability, international casualty reinsurance, marine insurance, marine reinsurance, North American casualty reinsurance, property, property reinsurance and corporate, middle market and scheme/affinity group clients in the UK and Ireland.

Seacurus Ltd is an FCA-regulated insurance broker, founded in 2004, specialising in bespoke revenue protection cover for the maritime industry. It is a market leader in the design and implementation of solutions to protect companies from unforecasted balance sheet impacts, including credit default, charter party cancellations, hijackings and voyage disruptions caused by political events. Seacurus established the first delegated underwriting binding authority for marine kidnap insurance and is an approved Lloyd’s Coverholder.

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Friday 14 June 2013

Shipping confidence reaches highest level for two and a half years

Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry rose to their highest level for two and a half years in the three months ended May 2013, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. The survey produced evidence of increased enthusiasm for new investment, although doubts persisted about the availability of bank finance. Fuelled by ongoing concern about a surfeit of tonnage on the market, freight rates in the dry bulk sector in particular were expected to come under more pressure over the next twelve months, although the outlook for the tanker markets looked more encouraging.

In May 2013, the average confidence level expressed by respondents in the markets in which they operate was 5.9 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), compared to the figure of 5.8 recorded in the previous survey in February 2013. This is the highest figure since the 6.0 recorded in November 2010. The survey was launched in May 2008 with a confidence rating of 6.8. The confidence rating for owners was unchanged at 5.7, while that for brokers was up from 5.6 to 5.9, the highest figure since November 2010. Confidence on the part of managers and charterers, however, was down to 6.0 and 5.5 respectively, from 6.2 and 6.0 in February 2013. Geographically, confidence in Asia was up (from 5.6 to 5.8), unchanged in Europe at 5.8, and down in North America from 6.1 to 6.0

A number of respondents felt that there were positive signs that a recovery was under way. One said, “The shipping market is dynamic in nature, and we are starting to see signs of exponential growth,” while another predicted with great confidence, “The shipping markets will continue growing over the next fifteen years!” Elsewhere the predictions were less expansive, ranging from, “The market will recover in 2014,” to, “Overall, we believe that 2013 will end up better than last year, and 2014 will show further improvement, even if some niche markets may not be able to maintain their current rate of growth.” Other respondents, meanwhile, continued to express concern about a surfeit of tonnage in the market. One said, “As soon as there is any hint of a sector with positive potential, owners run to the yards and start ordering” while another noted, “New orders need to be halted for two years in order to correct the over-supply situation.”

Elsewhere it was noted, “There are still too many owners ordering new vessels which will hit the water in the next two years. If we are to believe estimates that the world’s shipyards turned out five times as much tonnage in 2012 as they did in 2005, it is clear that the problems are far from being solved.” Another respondent commented, “Newbuildings from China are still being delivered, and that will doubtless continue because the yards are major employers of local labour and huge consumers of indigenous steel and other raw materials.” And it was not just China which was referenced in this context, with one respondent pointing out, “There are competitive prices on offer for newbuilding orders, even from Japanese shipyards.” Another respondent predicted a continuing over-supply of tonnage in all sectors except those below 20,000 dwt, adding, “Too many larger ships continue to be ordered and delivered due to perceived low newbuilding costs, but these deals do not come close to making sense based on current market returns.”

Despite significant increases in scrapping levels in the past eighteen months, a number of respondents felt that much more still needed to be done. “The level of new ordering is alarming,” said one, “particularly as some reports suggest that rates of scrapping may now be slowing down again. At current levels the fleet will continue expanding into 2014 and 2015.” Another respondent said, “The industry faces significant increased costs in terms of meeting new regulations over the next few years and, given the lack of available finance, this may accelerate the scrapping of older vessels, particularly those coming up for their fourth survey, but this is unlikely to be sufficient to get the industry out of the over-supply hole it finds itself in.”  

One respondent said,  “We are increasingly pessimistic about the ability of smaller, privately owned European-based shipowners to compete in the main non-niche markets due to lack of scale and financial muscle, as well as evidence of protectionist practices which render certain trades inaccessible.” Elsewhere it was noted, “We have some way to go before we can expect to see any improvement in freight rates, especially if a new wave of cheap, fuel-efficient ships is ordered for 2015 onwards.”

Regulatory demands featured in the responses from a number of respondents, with one commenting, “The increasing burden of regulation, and the desire on the part of Brussels to be more proactive in its control of what is a global business, is likely to lead to a large number of marginal players exiting the market completely. Whether this will be sufficient to accelerate a return to a better supply/demand balance remains to be seen.” 

The cost and availability of bank finance was uppermost in the minds of a number of respondents. “If the banks do not improve their funding resources,” said one, “shipping will remain depressed for years to come.” Another commented, “The banks are not willing to invest in older ships.” This was a view echoed by the respondent who remarked, “We have looked at several secondhand ship purchase deals which appear to be good enough to replace older tonnage, but our main lending bank is still not willing to finance them, even with high un-mortgaged equity values within our business able to back the loans.” Elsewhere it was noted, “The banks are behaving illogically, and their lack of support frustrates the shipping industry.”

Generally speaking, respondents were more positive than for some time with regard to the state of global and national economies. One said, “The US economy is slowly starting to recover, which will impact positively on demand and on freight rates, plus the likelihood of interest rates remaining unchanged for a few more years will serve to stimulate the market.”

The likelihood of respondents making a major investment or significant development over the next twelve months was up marginally on the previous survey, on a scale of 1 to 10, from 5.5 to 5.6 – the highest level since the 5.7 recorded in February 2011. Owners (down two points to 5.7) were the only category of main respondent to show a fall-off in expectation in this regard. Both charterers and managers, meanwhile, recorded an increased expectation (each from 5.7 to 6.0) of making new investments over the coming year, a view shared also by brokers (up from 4.8 to 5.2).

The percentage of owners who assessed the likelihood of their making an investment at 7.0 out of 10.0 or higher was up by one percentage point to 45 per cent, while the number of charterers who thought likewise was also up by the same margin, from 46 per cent to 47 per cent. Meanwhile, 45 per cent of managers rated the likelihood of their making a new investment over the next twelve months at 7.0 out of 10.0, or higher.
Geographically, expectation levels of major investments were up in all the main geographical areas covered by the survey – in Asia, from 5.4 to 5.5, in Europe from 5.5 to 5.6 (their highest level since February 2011), and in North America from 4.9 to 5.9. One respondent noted, “Regulatory demands on shipping are such that the industry cannot cope with large investments in a financially tight market.  Trust in shipping in general is low, given the market sentiment.

Demand trends, competition and finance costs once again featured as the top three factors cited by respondents overall as those likely to influence performance most significantly over the coming twelve months. The overall numbers for demand trends were down one percentage point to 22 per cent, static for competition at 20 per cent, and unchanged also in the case of finance costs at 16 per cent. Tonnage supply (down one percentage point to 12 per cent) featured in fourth place, ahead of operating costs (up two percentage points to 11 per cent), and fuel costs, which were one percentage point down on last time at 10 per cent.

Demand trends remained the number one performance-affecting factor for owners, although down by one percentage point to 21 per cent. Competition featured in second place at 18 per cent (up from 15 per cent last time), followed by finance costs, up one percentage point to 17 per cent. Tonnage supply, having featured in second place in terms of owners’ priorities last time, was down by two percentage points to 16 per cent. For managers, meanwhile, competition, although down from 20 per cent to 18 per cent, still featured in equal first place with demand trends (down one percentage point to 18 per cent), followed by finance costs, down from 17 per cent to 16 per cent. For charterers, demand trends, while down by five percentage points to 24 per cent, took over first place from competition, which was down from 31 per cent to 17 per cent. Finance costs featured in third place, with 16 per cent.

Geographically, demand trends were the most significant factor for respondents in both Asia and Europe (up by three percentage points in Asia to 23 per cent but down in Europe from 24 per cent to 22 per cent.) Competition and finance costs, in that order, made up the top three performance-affecting factors in both Asia and Europe. In North America, meanwhile, competition featured in first place (up eight percentage points to 28 per cent), followed by demand trends, where there was a fall from 38 per cent to 26 per cent,  and operating costs, at 11 per cent. Operating costs were referenced by a number of respondents. One said, “Owners who are in a position to control fuel costs by operating very efficient vessels, with highly skilled crews, will be at a clear advantage,” while another expected “further shortages of well-qualified and experienced crew, and an increase in their salary demands.”

There was a three percentage-point fall (from 40 per cent to 37 per cent) in the number of respondents overall who expected finance costs to increase over the next twelve months. This is the lowest figure in the life of the survey to date. The number of respondents expecting finance costs to come down, meanwhile, reached its highest figure (11 per cent) since November 2010. Owners were the only main category to record a fall in the numbers of respondents expecting an increase in finance costs (down from 37 per cent to 32 per cent). The figure for charterers was unchanged at 50 per cent, while for managers and brokers it was up 3 and 6 percentage points respectively, to 44 per cent and 38 per cent. The number of respondents in Asia anticipating an increase in finance costs was up by 2 percentage points to 40 per cent compared to last time, but the corresponding figure for Europe was down from 39 per cent to 32 per cent. In North America, meanwhile, 52 per cent of respondents thought that finance costs were likely to rise, compared to 42 per cent previously.

While the majority of respondents bemoaned the lack of available, affordable finance, one respondent noted, “Shipowners appear to be resorting more frequently to bond financing, and it seems that these investors are looking through rose-tinted spectacles when it comes to assessing the future and are prepared to support owners in this respect.”

Turning to freight rates, it was the tanker markets this time which generated the most positive comments.
The number of respondents overall who expressed an increased expectation of higher rates in the tanker sector over the next twelve months was up by two percentage points to 37 per cent – just one percentage point below the figure recorded when the survey was launched in May 2008, but some way short of the survey high of 50 per cent posted in May 2010. Owners (up five percentage points to 41 per cent) led the way in terms of increased expectations of better rates, while charterers unsurprisingly set their sights much lower, at an unchanged 29 per cent. The number of managers expecting improved rates was meanwhile down by one percentage point to 31 per cent. Geographically, the prospects for increased tanker rates were deemed lower this time by respondents in Asia (down from 33 per cent to 31 per cent) and in North America (down by 23 percentage points to 24 per cent), but higher in Europe, up from 36 per cent to 40 per cent.

In the dry bulk sector, meanwhile, there was a 10 percentage-point fall, from the highest figure in the life of the survey three months ago to 40 per cent this time, in the overall numbers of those anticipating rate increases. All the indicators were down – in the case of owners from 50 per cent to 43 per cent, managers (52 per cent to 36 per cent), charterers (60 per cent to 48 per cent), and brokers (44 per cent to 32 per cent). It was the same story from a geographical perspective. In Asia, expectations of higher dry bulk rates fell from 52 per cent to 33 per cent, in Europe from 51 per cent to 44 per cent, and in North America from 65 per cent to 35 per cent. One respondent said, “The dry bulk market is in crisis and will remain so in the small-to-medium size sectors for at least two more years due to overbuilding.” Another noted, “The dry bulk market is structurally unhealthy due to the massive overbuilding of vessels.” Others were more optimistic however, with one claiming to be hopeful that dry bulk rates will soon improve due to an improved balance between supply and demand.

In the container ship market, there was an eight percentage-point fall, to 26 per cent, in the overall numbers expecting rates to go up. Indeed, expectation levels in relation to rate increases were down across all categories of respondent, most notably in the case of brokers (by 25 percentage points to 19 per cent). Meanwhile, 26 per cent of owners (compared to 36 per cent last time), 28 per cent of managers (down 5 percentage points on last time), and 38 per cent of charterers (down from 47 per cent last time) expected container ship rates to rise in the next twelve months.

Geographically, expectations of improved container ship rates were unchanged in Asia at 24 per cent, just one percentage point up on the numbers in that part of the world who are expecting container ship rates to go down over the next twelve months. The numbers anticipating higher rates were also down in Europe, from 38 per cent to 29 per cent. In North America, meanwhile, the 39 per cent of respondents expecting container ships rates to fall over the coming year  was more than double the number (17 per cent) who though they would increase.

One respondent said, “In the container ship sector, the long-haul market sentiment is very bleak, with continued deliveries of mega tonnage and ongoing weak demand in the main western trades.” Another claimed, “The container ship fleet will grow by eleven per cent this year. Everybody seems to think that ever bigger ships are beautiful.”

Moore Stephens shipping partner, Richard Greiner, says, “For the third successive quarter, we have seen a small increase in confidence. This encourages the belief that we are witnessing the start of a sustainable recovery, although some difficult issues remain to be resolved.

“Despite increased scrapping, it is clear that there are still too many ships on the market. For as long as that situation persists, the freight markets will struggle to bounce back. Although the tanker market is looking healthier than it has for some time, the dry bulk trades in particular seem to be suffering from an over-supply of tonnage.

“Owners’ appetite for new vessels has not, it seems, been terminally affected by five very difficult years for the shipping industry. Some reports suggest that current newbuilding business is almost one thousand per cent up on last year, with Greek owners alone having reportedly ordered almost twice as many ships in the first four months of 2013 as they did in the corresponding period last year. This is not a complete surprise.
Our survey revealed evidence of an increased enthusiasm for investment, and the history of shipping confirms that it is an industry which is not reluctant to spend money.

“Increased newbuilding activity is also somewhat inevitable, not least because of the strong state support which governments in the Far East are providing to their strategically important shipbuilding industries. Neither is it a bad thing. Every industry needs new investment to survive, and if that is coupled with regulatory and environmental compliance – for example, in the shape of eco-friendly ships – then so much the better.

“If pulling the plug on newbuilding activity is not the way to resolve shipping’s problems, the answer must lie with addressing the issues which seem to militate against solutions built on new investment. We need more scrapping, for example, and fewer proposals such as the one currently before the European Parliament to ban the beaching of vessels for demolition. We need a more innovative approach to securing finance, embracing everything from bond financing to leasing, as well as the ability to convince potential investors of the credibility of business plans. We need a more concerted focus on risk management, which is not as well developed in shipping as it is in many other industries. And we need early identification of the need for restructuring, and awareness of the options available in that connection.

“Shipping is in reasonably good shape, given the problems it is facing. Indeed, it is difficult to think of another industry which is so capital-intensive in nature, so reliant on skilled personnel, and so heavily impacted by competition, politics, risk, protectionism, and regulation, yet able to remain optimistic in the teeth of a global financial downturn. Three months is a long time in shipping, but it is to be hoped that our next survey will complete a full twelve months of improving confidence. Shipping is an industry in which long-term investments have tended to bring long-term rewards. As such, it is worthy of a long-term outlook.” 

The Moore Stephens Shipping Confidence Survey includes responses from key players worldwide in the international shipping industry to a targeted, web-based survey by the Moore Stephens Shipping Industry Group.  Responses were received from owners, charterers, brokers, advisers, managers and others. Editors can apply for a copy of the survey by emailing chris@merlinco.com

Moore Stephens LLP is noted for a number of industry specialisations and is widely acknowledged as a leading shipping and insurance adviser. Moore Stephens LLP is a member firm of Moore Stephens International Limited, one of the world's leading accounting and consulting associations, with 624 offices of independent member firms in over 100 countries, employing 21,224 people and generating revenues in 2012 of $2.3 billion. www.moorestephens.co.uk

For more information:                                                 
Richard Greiner                                                              
Moore Stephens LLP                                                     
Tel: +44 (0)20 7334 9191                             
richard.greiner@moorestephens.com              

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Monday 10 June 2013

RINA approves new OSV rules and Environment notations

International classification society RINA has launched new rules for Offshore Support Vessels, new environmental notations covering cargo handling and transhipment operations and a new guide on complete ship model calculation of passenger ships.

All these initiatives were approved at a meeting of RINA’s technical committee held in Genoa this week.

OSV Rules

The free-standing and user-friendly Offshore Support Vessels (OSV) Rules have been developed in response to requests from shipyards and operators.

Ships complying with the new rules are assigned the Service Notation Offshore Support Vessel followed by at least one of the following service features defining the specialised service:

supply for OSVs specially intended to provide facilities and assistance for the performance of offshore activities.

tug for OSVs specially equipped for towing.

salvage tug for OSVs specially equipped for towing having specific equipment for salvage.

escort tug for OSVs specially equipped for towing and having specific equipment for escorting ships or other units during navigation.

fire-fighting for OSVs specially intended and equipped for fighting fire.

oil recovery for OSVs specially equipped with fixed installations and/or mobile equipment for the removal of oil from the sea surface and its retention on board, carriage and subsequent unloading.

diving support for OSVs equipped to support diving operations, which are provided with a diving system.

cable laying for OSVs specially equipped for the carriage and/or laying, hauling and repair of submarine cables.

pipe laying for OSVs specially equipped for the carriage and/or laying, hauling and repair of submarine pipes.

In addition, in order to better describe the specific technical capabilities, equipment and arrangements, RINA has established a number of additional service features and additional class notations that may be assigned to an OSV, such as anchor handling and dynamic positioning.


Environmental Notations

RINA has introduced new requirements for the certification and the evaluation of the environmental impact of dry cargo handling systems. These respond to demands from transhipment and bulk port operators in sensitive areas which wish to demonstrate environmental responsibility and high standards of minimising airborne pollution from cargo handling.

The following two new additional class notations may be granted:

GC CARGO HANDLING (Green and certified cargo handling systems):

to ships provided with systems for handling solid bulk cargo which may be source of sea or air pollution (e.g. those handling coal, iron ore, sulphur, etc,), designed, tested and installed  according to Part F Ch 7 Sec 6 to minimize their environmental impact.

GREEN PLUS T:

to transhipment units:

- intended to operate at a fixed location

- complying with the provisions for the assignment of the GREEN PLUS notation and

- complying with the provisions for the assignment of the GC CARGO HANDLING (Green and certified cargo handling systems) notation.
 

Guide on Complete Ship Model Calculation of Passenger Ships


RINA has launched a guide aimed at shipyards and ship designers which details the procedures for the structural analysis of passenger vessels.

The structural arrangement of passenger ships presents significant differences with respect to other ship types, the most important being the presence of several decks contributing to the hull girder longitudinal strength.

The contribution of each deck to the longitudinal strength strictly depends on the actual arrangement and cannot be evaluated on the basis of a simplified beam analysis. The level of contribution of each of these elements is to be obtained through a finite element analysis of the whole ship.

The purpose of the Guide is to detail the procedure for the above analyses, taking into account the general arrangement of the longitudinal elements (side, decks, bulkheads) and the specific characteristic of passenger ships (windows, openings, recesses, pillaring systems).

The new rules and amendments will enter into force on 1 July 2013 and 1 January 2014 and will be available on www.rina.org.


RINA Services S.p.A. is the RINA Group’s company active in ship classification, testing, inspection and certification services. RINA Group is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, ship classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of around 280 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 150 offices in 53 countries worldwide, RINA Group is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards.  www.rina.org           

For more information:

Giulia Faravelli
Media Relations Manager RINA Group
Ph. +39 010 5385505
Email giulia.faravelli@rina.org

Susanna Gorni
Media Relations
Ph. +39 010 5385555
Email susanna.gorni@rina.org

Friday 7 June 2013

Multraship strengthens fleet with ASD tug

LEADING towage and salvage specialist Multraship has further strengthened its multipurpose fleet with the addition of the ASD tug Multratug 20.

Multraship has contracted with international broker and consultant DSB Offshore for the long-term bareboat charter of the 72-ton bollard-pull vessel, which was built by the Bogazici Shipyard in Turkey in 2010 and is equipped to undertake a range of services including towage, escort, anchor-handling, fire-fighting and salvage.

Multratrug 20 has two Schottel SRP 1515 propulsion units and is powered by two Caterpillar 3516B engines. Its 244 cu m bunker capacity allows for both coastal and open sea towage and, with a length overall of 32.5 m, it can comfortably perform harbour towage operations. Deck equipment includes a 200t/80t MacGregor escort winch, a 130t/65t towing winch, a deck crane, a triple shark jaw, tow pins and a 130t stern roller.

Multraship managing director Leendert Muller says, “The latest addition to the Multraship fleet underlines our long-term commitment to the maritime sector. Our new tug will be used primarily at sea, for towage, and to provide assistance and support for wind-farm and offshore construction projects.

“Although traditional shipping activities have been experiencing a difficult time during the economic downturn of the last five years, the offshore sector is healthy, with new technology being used to exploit new resources in new areas. At the same time, the renewable energy market continues to develop at an exciting pace, driven by the demand for clean, green sources of power.

“By continuing to bolster its multipurpose fleet, Multraship is ensuring that it is well-positioned now and for the future.”

For a photo of Multratug 20 (credit: Ruud Zegwaard) go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/Multraship
 
Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It draws on a century of experience in the maritime sector. Multraship’s core operations include salvage, wreck removal, harbour towage, ocean towage, services to the dredging, offshore and renewable energy industries, and support for inland navigation. It operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com


For more information contact:              
Eline Muller                                                 
Multraship B.V.                                           
Tel. +31 (0) 115 645 000                           
                                   

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Tuesday 4 June 2013

RINA Services and Russian Register join forces on yachts and ice class

RINA Group’s certification company, RINA Services (RINA), and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) have agreed to co-operate on specific projects where each society has complementary strengths.
 

Initially co-operation will focus on yachts and ice class where they have specific strength and expertise. RINA will use its expertise with yachts, pleasure craft and passenger vessels to help RS approve specific projects for yachts and passenger vessels which may operate in Russian waters or under the Russian flag, and RS will help RINA to meet the needs of some of its clients for Arctic navigation and offshore operations, especially with respect to ice class and winterization. Subject to the consistent and positive implementation of this scheme, the societies will consider further development of rules and relating software and training instruments in these or in other mutually-beneficial fields of interest.

 Ugo Salerno, CEO, RINA Group, says, “I welcome this step in what I believe will strengthen the long-term co-operation between our companies. Co-operating in specific areas where we each have particular expertise will help us build a platform for win-to-win situations in the marine as well as in other sectors. We are both growing in certification and validation across a range of industries and by working together we can meet the needs of our clients more effectively.”

 Mikhail Ayvazov, CEO, Russian Register, says, “RS is pleased to pursue the development of bilateral cooperation with RINA on issues that give us very good opportunities for common advancement ahead. Both RS and RINA are rather comparable in size and have complementary expertise in areas at hand. This approach, based on the principles of fair and equitable cooperation, opens very good perspectives for our companies to raise the level of our expertise in new and promising areas, where there is a demand from our clients for reliable services and where RS and RINA are committed to expand their presence.

VISIT RINA at NOR-SHIPPING Stand No: D04-35

 VISIT RS at NOR-SHIPPING Stand No: D04-28
 
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is one of the world’s leading classification societies. Established in 1913. Since 1969 RS has been a member to the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). RS is recognised by the European Union, maritime administrations of 70 flag states. RS is an associated member to the INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO and BIMCO. RS activities are aimed at enhancing maritime safety standards, safety of life at sea and marine environment pollution prevention. RS is the global leader in developing icebreaker and ice ship safety standards. RS has been involved in the construction of all icebreakers operating in Russia today. With modern requirements at hand for the ice class of ships, RS is entitled to participate in advanced projects of icebreaker and ice ship construction. www.rs-class.org
 
RINA Services S.p.A. is the RINA Group’s company which mainly provides Ship Classification and Testing, Inspection and Certification services. RINA Group is a multi-national which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, ship classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of around 280 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 150 offices in 53 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org

For more information RINA Group:

Giulia Faravelli
Media Relations Manager RINA Group
Ph. +39 010 5385505
Email giulia.faravelli@rina.org
 
Susanna Gorni
Media Relations
Ph. +39 010 5385555
Email susanna.gorni@rina.org
 
For more information Russian Register:

 Olga Sazonova
RS Corporate Communications
Ph. +7 (812) 312 8878
Email  sazonova.oa@rs-class.org


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