Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR), one of Damen Shipyards Group’s most experienced yards in the repair and refit of complex offshore structures, has been awarded a contract by Stena Drilling for a refit of its drilling rig Stena Don. The vessel will arrive at DVR in October 2018 and is expected to remain there for around three months. The most significant aspect of the works will be the installation of an eight-point mooring system prior to the rig being deployed off the UK’s Shetland Islands.

Eight-point mooring system

Preparations are already underway at DVR to ensure that the installation of the mooring system can begin as soon as the Stena Don arrives at the yard. Various elements of the system need to be manufactured. These include the anchor chain blisters and sponsons which, weighing 1,200 tonnes in all, are currently being fabricated at Damen Shipyards Mangalia, ahead of being transferred to Rotterdam. “Maritime Journal | Damen Verolme Rotterdam wins refit contract for drilling rig Stena Don” verder lezen

The Japanese Government has selected a joint demonstration project proposed by Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and others to test automated berthing, collision avoidance and remote monitoring systems with the goal of bringing autonomous vessels into service by 2025.

A statement from MOL referred to autonomous shipping’s ability to “significantly reduce” human errors and accidents while also “reducing the workload for mariners”.

“Human errors account for 80% of marine accidents, and since automated and autonomous operations of vessels can significantly reduce human errors, they have the potential to make a great contribution to reducing marine accidents,” the statement said. “Furthermore, autonomous operations hold great promise in reducing the workload for mariners and represent a fundamental change in ocean transport.”

MOL announced its participation in the project a week after the 25 July decision by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, which, it said, “aims to achieve practical use of autonomous vessels by 2025” based on a target set by the Japanese Government in 2017.

MOL will partner in the project with the Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding (MES-S) arm of the Mitsui Group, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMST), and Akishima Laboratories (a division of MES-S).

Berthing and unberthing are some of the most difficult phases of ship operation, according to the group, and the demonstration project will use seagoing vessels to test and improve autonomous technologies.

During the 2018 fiscal year, the group will conduct demonstration tests using TUMST’s training ship Shioji Maru. In 2019 tests will take place on a larger, unnamed domestic ferry vessel.

The project will leverage the MOL smart ship project’s environmental and safety technologies, MES-S Group’s ship operation dynamic positioning and control technology and TUMST’s academic knowledge of autonomous ship operations.

MOL autonomous shipping project targets 2025 for ‘practical use’ of vessels
— Lees op www.marinemec.com/news/view,mol-autonomous-shipping-project-targets-2025-for-practical-use-of-vessels_53795.htm

Source: Marinelog

AUGUST 3, 2018 — Autonomous ship berthing and unberthing are to be trialed by a Japanese group that includes Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMST) and Mitsui Zosen’s Akishima Laboratories.

The auto berthing and unberthing project is being carried out under the auspices of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT).

“Human errors account for 80% of marine accidents, and since automated and autonomous operations of vessels can significantly reduce human errors, they have the potential to make a great contribution to reducing marine accidents,” says MOL. “Furthermore, autonomous operations hold great promise in reducing the workload for mariners, and represent a fundamental change in ocean transport. Through this project, MLIT aims to achieve practical use of autonomous vessels by 2025.”

Berthing and unberthing are some of the most difficult phases of ship operation. The demonstration project will identify technical issues by demonstrating autonomous operation with a real vessel and studying ways to achieve its practical use.

In this fiscal year, the demonstration test will be conducted by using the TUMST training ship Shioji Maru, with a test planned for the next fiscal year that will use a large-size ship in a domestic ferry service.

In addition to demonstration tests of auto berthing and un-berthing, project members also plan to conduct tests of remote monitoring and auto collision avoidance.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has signed partnership agreements with four recent participants in the annual PortXL innovation programme.
— Lees op www.portofrotterdam.com/en/news-and-press-releases/port-of-rotterdam-authority-signs-with-four-innovative-start-ups-for-port-of

BY MAREX 2018-07-25 18:18:33

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its investigation report on the 2017 grounding of the cruise ship L’Austral, operated by the French cruise line Compagnie du Ponant, noting the risks of “blind pilotage.”

“L’Austral Grounding: Loss of Awareness during “Blind Pilotage”” verder lezen

July 25, 2018 Source: cruisefever.net: by Ben Souza

Source: Marinelog

JULY 24, 2018 — Efforts to prepare for the refloating of a Wagenborg cargo ship grounded in the Orkney Islands since July 18 are continuing.

The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard agency reports that in the past 24 hours the salvors — Multraship/Ardent/Wagenborg — have managed to successfully remove 28 tonnes of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) from the vessel, the 89 m, 2009-built Netherlands flag cargo ship Priscilla.

Taking into account daily consumption for ship services, 15 tonnes of MGO will be retained on board for essential services. Four tonnes of “solidified'” Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and two tonnes of Lubricating Oil (LO) will also be retained on board.

Acting SOSRep Hugh Shaw said this morning that “Good progress is being made and the agreed quantity of bunkers has now been safely removed from MV Priscilla. I am pleased to report that operations to prepare the vessel for a re-float are progressing well.”

[The SOSRep, or Secretary of State’s Representative, is a civil servant appointed to oversee the U.K.’s marine casualty response in order to reduce the environmental impact and financial cost.]

Since yesterday over 270 tonnes of cargo has been successfully discharged from the vessel onto a reception barge. The barge is currently en route to Windwick Bay where the cargo will be loaded onto the MV Priscilla’s sister ship MV Alana Evita.

A second barge is now loading cargo and operations will continue until approximately 1,350 tonnes have been removed in order to lighten the vessel. To control an unplanned refloat during lightering operations a tug will be connected to the stern of the MV Priscilla once 500 tonnes has been discharged.

Additional vessels on scene and supporting the salvage operation include the Multraship Multratug 20, Multrasalvor 3 and Multrasalvor 4. Wagenborg has provided the Wagenborg Barge 14 and cargo vessel Alana Evita. In addition Briggs has provided the Forth Guardsman, Forth Trojan and Sprucelight.

The Temporary Exclusion Zone remains at 1,000 meters while the operation and activity is ongoing.

The Priscilla’s six crew members are safe and remain on board.

Source: The Daily Star

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/718614/WW3-Russian-nuclear-submarine-fires-cruise-missile-sea-Okhotsk-video

THIS is the moment a Russian nuclear submarine fires a cruise missile at an “enemy ship” 93 miles away and hits its target.

“Russian nuclear submarine fires cruise missile to OBLITERATE target” verder lezen

Richard Branson has warned that UK citizens may struggle to “afford to come on our cruises because of Brexit” as he hit out at the “dreadful mistake” of leaving the EU.  Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is down on Brexit as he bangs the drum for his new venture, Virgin Voyages. “I’m worried about the UK generally, because of Brexit.
— Lees op www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/the-londoner-britain-is-cruising-to-brexit-disaster-a3894906.html

Source: Shipinsight.com

Synchro-NET aims at developing an innovative platform, called eco-NET, which is designed to catalyze the uptake of novel logistics concepts like slow steaming and synchro-modality in a collaborative cloud-based eco-system.

Synchro Net has the purpose to show how a powerful and innovative SYNCHRO-modal supply chain can identify and maximize the opportunities of smart steaming and synchro-modal logistics reducing the costs, the risk and CO2 emission.

Synchro-NET is the logistics European project co-funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme involving as partners DHL Supply Chain Spain (project coordinator), Bureau Veritas, Circle, Cork Institute of Technology, Cosco Shipping Line, CRAIN, Cross-border Research Association, EMC2, Fraunhofer, HydrOcean, Kongsberg Maritime AS, Kuehne+Nagel, LE Europe, MJC2, Politecnico di Torino, Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited (RSSB), SAM Electronics, Software AG and SYCO.

D 3.2 provides the SYNCHRO-NET tool set for the optimization of the waterway segment of the overall logistics transport chain.

It comprises an ECDIS workstation on-board used for on-board route planning and optimization. This workstation is complemented by a second ECDIS in the fleet operating centre at shore. Both are linked by a Maritime Connectivity Platform. The Maritime Module.

Integrator connects the web based SYNCHRO-NET modules for Weather Routing and Cooperative Speed Pilot with the Maritime Connectivity Platform and from there with the two ECDIS workstations. In a final operational phase of SYNCHRO-NET access to both modules is established through the Application Cloud providing extended security and access control for later cost designation.