Products & services

Seaspan appoints Tim Page as Vice President, Government Relations of Seaspan Shipyards

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 05 August 2014 05 August 2014

Seaspan today announced that Tim Page has joined Seaspan Shipyards as Vice President, Government Relations.

Tim will provide leadership to Seaspan Shipyards, acting as the primary representative with Government agencies and non-Government Organizations (NGO’s), responsible for building and maintaining relationships with federal, provincial and local authorities, regulatory agencies and key policy makers.

“I am thrilled to welcome Tim to our team of experts,” said Brian Carter, President of Seaspan Shipyards. “His appointment is the latest example of Seaspan’s unwavering commitment to its investment in people as we continue to establish a world-class shipbuilding and ship repair centre of excellence on the West Coast. Tim’s unique and diverse background coupled with his deep knowledge of public policy will be an asset for Seaspan’s government relations strategy.”

Tim comes to Seaspan from Ottawa, with over 30 years of experience in positions of leadership and senior management across diverse sectors of the Canadian economy. Most recently, he served as President of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries.

A graduate from Carleton University’s Master of Arts program, Tim also holds a BA (Hons.) in History and Politics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Wärtsilä wins ship design contract for environmentally sound Gulf of Bothnia ferry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 04 August 2014 04 August 2014

Wärtsilä has been selected as the partner for designing a new ferry as part of the ‘Midway Alignment of the Bothnian Corridor’ project. The scope of the design work will be both initial and basic design. The ferry is designed for sailing between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden across the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. The contract was signed today, August 4th.

The new vessel is required to be innovative, efficient and environmentally sound. Wärtsilä’s solid track record in innovative solutions and technology together with extensive experience in gas fuelled propulsion were important factors in the award of this contract. The design will also take into account the need for operational flexibility since the transport demands on this route vary from season to season. The demand for cargo transports is quite stable in the course of the year while passenger traffic peaks during the summer therefore flexibility will be important in the concept. Therefore, during peak periods the ferry will run to a tighter schedule than is required at other times when the speed can be reduced in order to save fuel costs. Ice conditions during winter months can be quite severe and therefore the design work needs also to consider the operations during harsh winters.

“The project has been initiated to develop a multi-modal logistics corridor across the Gulf of Bothnia. The planning and design of the new ferry is one of the key activities in the project. Feasibility and environmental sustainability are essential cornerstones, and Wärtsilä’s experience and expertise will contribute greatly to achieving a successful solution,” says Mathias Lindström, Director, Kvarken Council and Project Leader for the Midway Alignment of the Bothnian Corridor project.

“This is an important project and we are proud to have been selected as the design partner responsible for developing the ship design. Integrated solutions for gas fuelled vessels represents a key focus area for Wärtsilä, and is one where we clearly have a leading role in the global market. As a first step, the initial design will be finalized whereby we can start making more precise budgets and develop the project further,” says Magnus Miemois, Vice President, Ship Power Solutions at Wärtsilä.

The ship design phase is scheduled to be finalised by the end of the 2nd quarter in 2015.

Bolidt secures contract for Viking Ocean's newbuilds

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 29 July 2014 29 July 2014

Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems has secured the contract as exclusive partner to Viking Ocean Cruises for the supply of decking and flooring. The contract covers Viking Star, the first vessel due for delivery in 2015 and its sister ship, Viking Sky, scheduled for delivery in 2016, as well as options on a further two vessels.

“Viking Cruises has a long tradition of working with Bolidt through our extensive ‘Longship’ river cruise program,” says Richard Goodwin, Vice President – Engineering, Viking Cruises. “Bolidt has shown a willingness to adapt to our requirements and has always provided a quality product, and for this reason we are happy to continue this relationship on our new fleet of luxury cruise ships currently building in Italy.”

Viking is renowned within the river cruise sector, where it has experienced unprecedented expansion over the past few years. Its decisive move into the ocean cruise market will build on the same attention to ship design, itinerary, privileged access excursions and on-board experiences for a discerning clientele. The fleet will be comfortable, state–of-the-art ships that are intimate and thoughtfully created by experienced naval architects and designers to enrich the passengers’ interaction with their destinations in every way.

The interior design of Viking Star, from London-based SMC Design and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios, offers a modern and contemporary feel. Bolidt’s products lend themselves perfectly to delivering this vision. The Dutch flooring and decking specialist offer flexible systems that can be used within many different design frameworks and yet still meet requirements in terms of cost, ease of maintenance and environmental protection.

Bolideck® Future Teak, an environmentally-friendly, slip-resistant and cost-effective alternative to traditional teak will feature in the ‘Wintergarden’ as well as on all outdoor decks, balconies and terraces. The choice of this sustainable product supports the overall environmentally-conscious design of the 47,800 dwt vessel, which will feature a hydro-dynamically streamlined hull and bow and be fitted with energy-efficient engines to maximise fuel efficiency. The vessel will also feature equipment to minimise exhaust pollution.

Bolideck® Select Soft will be used for areas such as the sportsdeck and jogging track. This system has been specifically developed for its excellent sound attenuation qualities, combined with ease of maintenance and durability. Bolideck® Select Soft provides a safe surface that is extremely comfortable, even when barefoot.

“Bolidt has delivered its decking solutions to some of the highest profile cruise ship operators in the industry and is extremely pleased to be selected to partner Viking as they extend their business into the ocean cruise sector," says Jacco van Overbeek, Bolidt Director Maritime Division.

Quantum of the Seas to feature VSM for broadcast technology control

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 02 August 2014 02 August 2014

The cruise ships of Royal Caribbean International belong to the most exciting experiences in the cruise business worldwide. Their first new-generation vessel Quantum of the Seas is being built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. Part of the extensive use of broadcast technology on-board is the VSM to be the overall Broadcast Control System to be used. Systems Integrator responsible for the project is Finnish company TV Tools Oy.

The on-board broadcast technology has been completely redesigned for the new ships. Technology is now HD throughout, and video and audio signalling is provided by a new platform. The heart of the system is the Riedel MediorNet signal routing system with 30-node spec. With an on-board broadcast centre all on-board broadcast systems can be controlled and the operators are allowed to work on two different productions simultaneously. The VSM system by L-S-B controls the different systems, including all Riedel hardware, the video router, multiviewers and signal processing equipment by Evertz, and the AJA KiPro Rack recorders. The VSM is also used to control projectors and screens in different zones. The programmes produced are transmitted to the on-stage projectors and screens; it is then recorded or transferred to encoders for transmission to one of the 36 IPTV channels aboard the ship.

Different areas of the ship will have 22 remote controlled HD cameras by Panasonic. The cameras facilitate the recording of different performances across different venues, including Broadway musicals in the 1.200 capacity Theatre, rock and jazz concerts in Music Hall, and the flying dancers in Two70 located in the aft section of the ship. At night, the aft windows will create panoramic video mapping onto the 35 -metre wide, 7 -metre high projection surfaces which will provide a backdrop to onstage performances.

Saint-Gobain to unveil many new products at SMM 2014

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 22 July 2014 22 July 2014

Exhibiting during the last 10 years in Hamburg at SMM, once again in Hall B5, Saint-Gobain will be presenting many new products with their Light Weight, Energy Saving construction materials with added Safety and Comfort. Saint-Gobain Marine Applications founded in 2003 is a consortium of seven international renowned Saint- Gobain companies: Isover, Weber, Vetrotech-Kinon, Sully, Gyproc, Optimera and Brødrene Dahl. Specialists in the field of glazing, insulation, flooring, interior finishing, interior boards, valves, pipes, fittings and more.

On Thursday 11th September visitors will be able to meet a special guest. Mr. Åge Skinstad. Head of the cross country division of the Norwegian Ski Federation since 2006. Mr. Skinstad is also a well-known expert sports commentator on Norwegian national television. Present on the stand and ready to explain how excellent team work leads to being an expert and to winning medals.

Saint-Gobain global team of experts provides architects, EPC’s, designers, owners and administrative authorities with a wide selection of innovative products and services for the construction or renovation of ships and platforms. ”The Saint-Gobain solutions are actually a way of `downsizing ́ as presently done in the car industry, these construction solutions offer significant weight saving and still a great freedom in design”, says renowned designer Steen Friis Hansen of Steen Friis Design in Denmark.

SMM Exhibition, Hamburg September 9 – 12, 2014. Hall B5 Stand nr. 406