Products & services

YSA brings greater accountability and efficiency to cruise ship design

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 21 April 2022 21 April 2022

Powerful modelling software from the forefront of land-based architecture can help cruise ship owners to provide better accountability of the steps they are taking to enhance sustainability, material selection and inclusiveness in guest services, according to YSA Design.

The Oslo-based interiors and exteriors design specialist is breaking new ground in using the Revit data-based tools and Building Information Modelling (BIM) driving digital transformation in architecture ashore for the initial stages of ship design. The techniques will help owners meet new and broadening social responsibilities on the environment and accessibility, while also benefiting ROI, says YSA.

“The combination of Revit’s data-based capability and 3D BIM software allows designers to model spaces more effectively for compliance on accessibility and to increase control over the materials used,” says Trond Sigurdsen, Chairman, YSA Design. “Creativity in design is our calling card but these analytics enhance efficiency at the earliest stage of design, benefiting inclusiveness, hotel management and accountability on the carbon footprint of materials selected.”

In a market first for cruise shipping, Sigurdsen said that YSA Design had used the BIM-Revit design tool in a project as lead architect to improve communication with the Owner and Shipyard, and enhance sustainability in surface materials selection by taking account of supplier, origin and recyclability. He envisages levels of accountability being achievable for ship sustainability to match shore-based scales such as BREEAM. He described class societies as “slow in proposing sustainable classification” and IMO as “dragging its feet" on implementing environmentally friendly rules. “The EU`s Green Deal seems to be quicker in pushing shipyards and suppliers to use lower carbon materials,” he commented.

YSA Design is also developing population flow simulations, guest-centric energy optimisation and off-peak power harvesting analyses to increase efficient use of service engineering resources.

“Basing flow studies on simulations is less costly and risk-free. Ship designers have become familiar with these tools as a way of making spaces accessible on board ship and eradicating bottlenecks, but exporting files from 3D Revit takes design to another level,” said Sigurdsen. “It unlocks more effective design at the GA stage and the gains for inclusiveness, logistics and operations can be significant. Design efficiency can increase revenue space, cabin size or guest numbers. Alternatively, an owner with a set number of guests in mind might build a smaller ship which is compliant on accessibility but less power-hungry. Today, saving cruise ship energy is business-critical as well as a sustainability imperative.”

YSA Design’s commitment to energy efficiency in design has previously been showcased in its collaborative work with Ship Planner. Ship Planner has created a unique, open data platform to facilitate enhanced performance and sustainability in hotel management. Developed with energy services and engineering firm Scenso, Ship Planner uses onboard sensors to monitor hotel loads and provide actionable data to enhance efficiency in the three ship ‘life-support systems’: air, water and power.

P&O and Cunard double cruise ship drydock win for Harland & Wolff

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 11 April 2022 11 April 2022

Harland & Wolff has been awarded a drydock contract for two cruise ships from P&O Cruises and Cunard respectively that will occupy the Belfast drydock for 33 days in total. The companies have selected Harland & Wolff’s iconic 81-acre Belfast shipyard to undertake drydocking works on two of its ships – Aurora and Queen Victoria.

The works due to be undertaken to both ships are standard drydocking operations that will give Harland & Wolff the opportunity to demonstrate to the wider cruise industry, its skills, capabilities and expertise in these types of projects.

The first ship to dock under this agreement will be Cunard’s Queen Victoria that entered service in December 2007. With a length of 294m and a beam of 32.3m, it will be in the yard from 2nd – 19th May 2022. Queen Victoria will be the largest cruise ship ever to have drydocked in a UK shipyard and the only Cunard ship to have ever drydocked in Belfast.

The second ship is P&O Cruises’ Aurora that entered service in May 2000. With a length of 270m and a beam of 32m, it will be in the yard from the 9th – 23rd June 2022.

The arrival of these ships in Belfast will mark another milestone completed in relation to the Harland & Wolff’s re-activation strategy across its key markets. Harland & Wolff’s strategy has been very clear, i.e., to operate in five markets and six service sectors to ensure continuity of projects and to provide longevity of employment for the core workforce. This will result in improved productivity and reduced project costs for vessel owners.

With the recent release of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS), repairs & maintenance projects as well as through life support services are key activities that will facilitate the continuity of skills and enhance productivity levels that will be required to win new build projects. As indicated in the NSbS, there are over 150 domestic vessels to be built in the coming years in addition to the fabrication works for the renewables sector following the latest ScotWind licensing round and future licensing rounds yet to be announced.

Harland & Wolff, group CEO John Wood, commented: “When acquiring the assets of Harland and Wolff (Belfast) in December 2019 and in a pre-pandemic period, the cruise industry was one of our key target markets.

“Our facilities are ideally placed to capitalise on these types of large projects whilst we continue servicing our smaller but regular clients. We have now secured contracts in four out of our five markets; commercial, cruise & ferry, renewables and energy – we now look forward to completing the final milestone of securing a defence contract in the near future.”

Carnival UK, vice-president maritime David Varty said: “We are delighted to be able to have these two ships at a UK shipyard with such a long heritage and reputation and we very much look forward to supporting the UK maritime industry and working closely with the Harland & Wolff team on this project.”

Major European companies to operate in decarbonisation drive

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 01 April 2022 01 April 2022

Four major European companies have entered in two separate agreements to cooperate in the field of decarbonisation of the shipping industry.

RINA, the Italy based inspection, certification and consulting engineering multinational, and Fincantieri, the Italian company focusing on the design and construction of high value-added ships and the supply of complex technological systems in different sectors, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop synergies in the field of decarbonisation, with a focus on alternative fuels, carbon capture and renewable energies in the shipping sector.

The agreement sees the involvement of the two companies in initiatives related to technology scouting, the analysis, study and simulation of new fuels and energy vectors - in particular hydrogen and ammonia - and carbon capture. The collaboration will also include Approval in Principle (AiP) activities, a risk-based approach to classification that allows new designs and concepts to be validated on the basis of safety equivalence, and the qualification of innovative projects and technologies.

In the field of renewable energy, the two companies will focus on offshore wind power plants and technological solutions for wave energy.

RINA and Fincantieri will also co-participate in EU-financed R&D projects and engage in the development of “green finance”.

Thanks to this cooperation, the two companies will complement each other's expertise in the provision of multidisciplinary engineering services, strengthening their position among the most important players in the conception of new projects and the development of cutting-edge technologies.

Two firms sign MoU to collaborate across three common areas of interest: decarbonisation, digitalisation and hydrogen

Meanwhile, on March 9 , MAN Energy Solutions that is part of the German MAN group and the Oslo based classification society DNV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Cooper. Effective immediately, the MoU is due to run for a period of three years.

Under the terms of the memorandum, the two companies will – by June 30th, 2022 – detail action plans within the fields of decarbonisation, the hydrogen value-chain and digitalisation.

Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO, and Dr Gunnar Stiesch, Head of Engineering, signed the memorandum on behalf of MAN Energy Solutions, while Remi Eriksen, CEO and Jon Rysst, Global Business Development Director, signed on behalf of DNV.

Lauber said: “Reaching the 1.5°C target requires a major reduction in the shipping industry’s carbon footprint, a storm that really demands all hands on deck. We welcome the opportunity to meet with like-minds – both inside and outside the industry – on this inevitable path to net-zero.”

Eriksen said: “Decarbonisation and digitalisation are transforming the maritime industry. Through collaboration we can tackle this transformation, and together with MAN Energy Solutions we will be shaping solutions that bring value to both our companies and, most importantly, to our customers.”

Tillberg Design of Sweden and Nobiskrug unveil 77 m megayacht design

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 01 April 2022 01 April 2022

Swedish firm Tillberg Design of Sweden has unveiled an innovative yacht design in collaboration with German superyacht builder Nobiskrug.The 77m (252ft) Yacht Lycka has been thoughtfully designed and engineered to embrace the latest technologies with a customisable, Scandinavian-inspired interior and plentiful deck spaces in a contemporary and sporty package.

Named for the Swedish word for ‘happiness,’ Lycka has been conceived to offer owners and guests the ultimate home away from home in a Scandinavian yet luxurious space designed to evoke a sense of rejuvenation, wellbeing and connection to the sea.

Clean, flowing lines lend a contemporary and modern look to the profile, with a Scandinavian lightness inside and out. Conveying a presence of balance and power, Lycka is both well-proportioned and thoughtfully equipped for active owners.

Functionality and beauty converge within Lycka’s expansive interior, which boasts Scandinavian-inspired simplicity with elements of luxury. An open plan design highlighted by large room high windows and folding balconies allows for interior and exterior to blend seamlessly on the main deck, which comprises a spacious salon and formal dining.

Amidships, a grand foyer features a spiral staircase encircling a lift that rises from the lower deck guest staterooms to the bridge deck above. A well-equipped galley and pantry area is positioned to port, while a charming breakfast nook with another fold-down balcony is nestled to starboard just outside of the owner’s suite. The full-beam owner’s suite offers a lounge seating area and spacious ensuite including a dressing room.

Lycka has been designed to accommodate up to 14 guests in the aforementioned owner’s suite plus six additional guest ensuites of equal size on the lower deck. Gracious crew quarters housing ten double cabins are situated forward.

150 years of LR in Italy celebrated with Fincantieri’s 75th vessel built to LR class

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 17 March 2022 17 March 2022

LR (Lloyd’s Register), a leading provider of classification, compliance and advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, and Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, marked a milestone in their long-standing relationship, with the delivery earlier this year of the Discovery Princess cruise ship – the 75th vessel to be built to LR class by Fincantieri.

LR Group CEO, Nick Brown, presented yesterday a plaque featuring an image of Discovery Princess to Giorgio Gomiero and Pierluigi Punter, respectively Senior Vice President Operations and Vice President Concept Design of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division, at the shipbuilder’s office in Trieste.

The relationship between LR and Fincantieri dates back to 1990. The 75 vessels comprise a total of over 6 million GT. Together they have been built for various different owners and have carried more than 190,000 passengers. This year, Fincantieri will deliver a further four cruise ships to LR Class.

2022 marks the 150-year anniversary of LR in Italy. Since the first LR surveyor in Genoa was appointed in 1872, LR has supported Italy to become a global leader in passenger ship building. Sharing rich maritime heritage, LR and Fincantieri have together achieved numerous notable industry firsts, such as Carnival Destiny, delivered in 1996, the first cruise ship over 100,000 GT and the world's largest cruise ship at that time. Grand Princess was also the largest cruise ship in the world when delivered in 1998. Additionally, LR classed the first dual fuel/LNG ferry ever built in Italy – F.A Gauthier, delivered by Fincantieri in 2015.

LR Group CEO, Nick Brown, said: “LR is immensely proud of our long-standing relationship with Fincantieri as we share a common vision for greater sustainability and the acceleration of digital technologies within complex new construction projects. We are delighted to celebrate this milestone of 75 passenger vessels delivered together in the year that LR marks its 150th anniversary in Italy.

Giorgio Gomiero, Fincantieri Senior Vice President Operations Merchant Ships Division, stated: “It is a pleasure to celebrate such an important and long-time partnership with Lloyd’s Register, especially in a demanding situation as the one we are experiencing. We are convinced, in fact, that to achieve the ambitious goals we set it is necessary to establish solid and profitable collaborations, based on mutual trust and on the sharing of a vision that is always oriented towards the future and constant improvement”.