Products & services

YSA Design’s Fabiana Vale Dornelas and Trond Sigurdsen to lead new Sustainability division

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 10 March 2023 10 March 2023

YSA Design has appointed Fabiana Vale Dornelas and Trond Sigurdsen as Head of Sustainability & Implementation and Head of Sustainability & Technology, respectively. In the newly created roles, Dornelas, Senior Interior Architect, and Sigurdsen, Senior Architect & Partner, will jointly coordinate YSA’s efforts to advance sustainability throughout its own organisation and across every aspect of its cruise ship interior design work.

“The creation of a Sustainability department reflects our commitment to achieving the highest environmental standards in our design work as well as in our internal processes,” said Jan Krefting, YSA Design Chairman, Partner and Senior Architect. “Fabiana and Trond’s experience working on cruise projects with a focus on sustainability made them the ideal candidates to lead this new and important company division.”

As a design studio that counts environmental responsibility among its core values, YSA Design already takes a painstaking approach to materials selection that places as much emphasis on sustainability as it does on style and function. In addition, the company only uses wood from managed forests and, where possible, sources materials locally to minimise transport emissions.

With Dornelas’s input, YSA has increasingly favoured lightweight, durable products that are manufactured using sustainable methods and can be recycled or disposed of responsibly at the end of their service life. Sigurdsen, meanwhile, specialises in state-of-the-art design solutions that can help shipowners to save space and minimise weight on board their vessels for optimal efficiency.

“I am proud and excited to have been appointed YSA Design Head of Sustainability & Implementation,” commented Dornelas. “While environmental concerns have been part of the company’s motivation from the beginning, there is always room for improvement. With this new division, we aim to set new standards in the sustainability of our design processes and materials selection as well as in the running of our office. I look forward to working with Trond and the rest of the team towards a greener future for YSA.”

“Having recently stepped down as YSA Design Chairman, I have been able to dedicate more of my time to the cutting-edge design and project work for which the company is renowned,” said Sigurdsen. “Now, as heads of the new Sustainability division, Fabiana and I will combine our expertise to frame and implement sustainable strategies relating to our materials selection, architectural processes, use of technology, office procedures – even the planning of our social events. I can’t wait to get started.”

YSA Design has proposed advanced eco-friendly solutions such as photovoltaic technology on vessels to capture energy that would otherwise be lost and solar panelling on penthouse suite roofs to encourage premium guests to pay a supplement for greener accommodation. In a recent project, a YSA team led by Sigurdsen and Dornelas completed extensive design work on board MSC World Europa, a modern, first-in-class, LNG-powered vessel featuring cutting-edge sustainable technology such as a solid oxide fuel cell demonstrator and a ‘Baltic standard’ advanced wastewater system.

ALMACO deliveres laundry and catering areas for MSC World Europa

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 17 February 2023 17 February 2023

The project on MSC World Europa represents an important milestone for ALMACO as it is the first laundry delivery and the biggest catering area delivery in the history of the company. The work took place at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, and on October 24, 2022, the 215,000 gross ton ship was delivered to the owner, MSC Cruises.

In December 2018, ALMACO was contracted by Chantiers de l'Atlantique and MSC Cruises to equip the newbuild MSC World Europa (W34) with state-of-the-art catering and laundry solutions. The work started in January 2021 and was completed on October 24, 2022.

MCS World Europa W34 is the first ship of the World-class series. The World-class LNG-powered ships are the largest ships built for a European owner at Chantiers de l’Atlantique and can host about 8,900 passengers and crew members each.

The ships all feature a large number of outstanding technologies for meeting high sustainability standards and for creating a renewed guest experience onboard. A big portion of the public areas are located outdoors, and guests can enjoy the stunning view and delicious cuisine prepared by some of the best chefs in the world right under the stars.

Largest catering area delivery in ALMACO’s history

The project on MSC World Europa at Chantiers de l’Atlantique is historical for ALMACO. It represents the largest catering and laundry scope the company has ever had.

The catering area scope entails delivery of all equipment to all catering areas consisting of 12 galleys and 58 pantries, a total of more than 5,000 m2. The catering scope also includes providing equipment for 46 provision stores totaling 2,150 m2.

Semi-automatic laundry system onboard

The laundry area scope given to ALMACO consisted of planning, equipment delivery, installation, and commissioning of all laundry equipment and areas. The laundry system, provided by Spanish Girbau, is based on the latest technology, and has a high degree of automatization. The laundry system is integrated to the ship’s innovative water recycling technology to purify the wastewater.

Vincent Querard, ALMACO’s Project Manager at the site says, “We have had excellent co-operation with Chantiers de L’Atlantique for many years. Although we have had galley and refrigeration machinery projects together before, most of our projects have consisted of provision store areas. So, we are thrilled to have the privilege to work with them on a full catering and laundry area scope this time. As expected, the work and collaboration were successful throughout the project.”

The project, including all catering and laundry areas have been delivered and MSC World Europa welcomed its first guests in November 2022. Sailing out of Dubai, guests can explore the modern metropolis of Abu Dhabi, the wildlife on Sir Bani Yas Island, and Al Ahsa Oasis in the Persian Gulf. For summer 2023, MSC World Europa will return to Europe where she will offer 7-day cruises on the Mediterranean Sea visiting ports in Italy, Malta, Spain, and France.

RINA and ABB sign MoU to cooperate in shipping decarbonization

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 13 February 2023 13 February 2023

RINA, the international classification society, has today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABB. The MoU focuses on establishing a collaborative relationship with the aim to develop new concepts to reduce emissions in shipping for various vessel types. The collaboration will include the development of commercially viable solutions, including fuel cell systems with carbon capture, to move the shipping industry forward with decarbonization. It further focuses on promoting the use of hydrogen, and the introduction of modern approaches to ship propulsion.

Giosuè Vezzuto, Executive Vice President Marine at RINA, says, “We are delighted about the MoU with ABB. It demonstrates the high level of commitment between our companies. There are many challenges to overcome, and collaboration is crucial if we are to succeed in addressing them to protect the environment.”

“We are happy to strengthen our collaboration with RINA to drive decarbonization in shipping. ABB is known for its long-standing commitment and expertise in developing electric, automated and digital technologies to make the maritime industry more sustainable. Bringing new, commercially viable solutions to the market is a long process that requires close collaboration between class societies and technology providers. I look forward to seeing the benefits these new solutions deliver to the industry and the environment,” says Rune Braastad, Business Line Manager, Marine Systems, ABB Marine & Ports.

As the classification society and third-party certification provider, RINA’s role within the agreement will be to work on providing Approval in Principle of design concepts that match the technologies available from ABB and the applicable rules and regulations, along with project and type approvals. Further areas include Hazard Identification and Operability (HAZID/HAZOP) analyses, review of feasibility studies, cyber security certification, and support with ERP and digital solutions.

As the technology provider, ABB will focus on the development of suitable solutions based on latest technologies, providing information on possible ways to increase fuel efficiency in existing systems, and presenting and discussing solutions with owners, designers, and shipyards.

ALMACO refurbishes cabins and suites onboard Artania

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 16 February 2023 16 February 2023

In April, 2022, ALMACO was awarded the contract to refurbish cabins and suites onboard Phoenix Reisen’s cruise ship Artania. The work took place in Marseille, France when the ship was on drydock in November 2022 and has now been delivered to the company.

Artania is a cruise ship of German-based tour operator Phoenix Reisen, which is operating an ocean and river cruise ship fleet. In November 2022, an ALMACO refurbishment team consisting of 180 skilled experts boarded Artania as she arrived in Marseille, France for an 4-week-long drydock. The team undertook the assignment to upgrade Artania’s guest cabins and suites.

ALMACO’s scope of work onboard Artania consisted of refurbishing several cabins and suites. ALMACO refurbished 255 cabins covering an area of about 3060 m2 on three different decks onboard the vessel. The scope also included the refurbishment of 64 suites of which 52 were junior suites and 12 were gold suites located on decks seven and eight. The scope of work for both the suites and the cabins included new carpets, furniture, and fabrics, as well as electrical work and wall modifications.

“The project was a success and went according to plans thanks to the great teamwork we experienced with Phoenix Reisen,” says Jean-Pierre Lepage, ALMACO’s Vice President of Modernization Accommodation Systems. Eric Guiot, Project Manager at ALMACO, adds “ALMACO’s expertise and long experience in cabin refurbishment was of great importance in making the project run smoothly. Both Phoenix Reisen and ALMACO are very proud of our refurbishment team and the work performed onboard Artania.”

PowerCell in final negotiations on one of the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell project in marine industry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 11 February 2023 11 February 2023

PowerCell has signed a letter of intent to negotiate final terms concerning one of the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell project in the marine industry. The project in northern Norway comprises two ferries for passengers and cargo transport which will be powered by hydrogen used in fuel cells.

The project is headed by Norwegian electrical integrator SEAM, a leading supplier of integrated zero emission solutions to the maritime industry. The final contract is expected to be signed March 3rd 2023 at the latest.

As part of the project, PowerCell will deliver its PowerCellution Marine System 200 which will enable the ferries to produce around 6 MW of power each, combined for the two ferries around 12 MW. The solution has a flexible product design with high power to weight ratio, safe operation and can easily be customized to the energy needs of different projects. The Marine System 200 is also very durable and well adopted to the challenging marine environment and service life of marine vessels.

“We are very excited that PowerCell has been chosen as the sole supplier of this project,” says Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell. “This shows that we have a world- leading and industrial stable product offering and ability to create unique solutions tailored to customer needs.”