Products & services

Bermello Ajamil & Partners merging with Consult DC to form B&A Europe

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 18 September 2013 18 September 2013

B&A and Consult DC, two firms well known throughout the cruise and maritime industry for their knowledge, leadership and perspectives, will unite to form B&A Europe located in Copenhagen.

The firm’s Principals have worked with each other on a variety of projects over the past two years and the timing is right to bring these groups together allowing Consult DC to have the needed planning, architecture and engineering expertise at their fingertips and this also allows B&A to have a direct presence in the European market where a number of key projects have already been completed including the St. Petersburg Cruise Port.

"From B&A’s perspective we would anticipate that Luis would continue working with the cruise community, his clients and on-going projects. He has a well-deserved reputation for providing great effort, solid strategic ideas and excellent results. We are looking forward to providing him with the tools he needs to expand service opportunities to architecture, engineering and planning throughout Europe," said Mark Ittel, Partner for B&A.        

In his new role, Luis de Carvalho will be Managing Partner for B&A Europe. The experience Luis has from his past roles within the cruise industry and in tourism will assist to solidify what B&A is trying to do with its global cruise tourism business. In addition, B&A Europe will focus on providing a number of key services throughout Europe and the emerging African marketplace.

Wärtsilä to provide integrated solution for Canadian dual fuel ferries

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 11 September 2013 11 September 2013

Wärtsilä,  a leading solutions and services provider to the marine industry, says it will supply an integrated solution for two dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) Ro-Pax passenger ferries being built on behalf of Canadian ferry services provider Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ). The contract was issued in August by Chantier Davie Canada (Davie), Canada's largest shipyard, the builder of the two vessels.

For each of the two vessels, the contract includes the supply of Wärtsilä 20DF engines, the Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage and treatment system, Wärtsilä electrical power and automation systems, andWärtsilä's Control & Communication Centre (3C), the integrated bridge control, navigation, and communication control system. Wärtsilä will also provide the yard with site management and commissioning services.

The Ro-Pax ferries will operate on LNG fuel, which offers notable environmental and economic benefits compared to conventional marine fuels. However, Wärtsilä's dual-fuel engine technology allows a seamless switch to other fuels should it be necessary. Wärtsilä has been a pioneer in promoting the use of LNG as a marine fuel, and has developed industry leading technologies that make this possible.

Alan Bowen, CEO of Davie commented: "Wärtsilä is a leader in LNG dual-fuel technology and we are very pleased to add the ferries to our working partnership with them, which presently extends across all construction programmes at Davie. As leaders in their respective fields, Davie and Wärtsilä are together able to provide the highest quality of products to a broad range of industries from passenger transportation to offshore oil & gas."

"Wärtsilä's extensive know-how and experience in developing dual-fuel technologies, together with our systems integration capabilities, brings significant added value to customers seeking environmental compliance with operating cost reductions. By being able to offer a total solutions offering and integration support to the shipyard, we can reduce scheduling risks while increasing efficiencies and lowering costs. Furthermore, our lifecycle support capabilities in Canada are first rate, and this will provide the needed operational reliability to the owners," says Mr Magnus Miemois, Vice President Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

"These orders highlight the global emergence of LNG as a prime fuel for ferries, and prove the value of our dual-fuel system for the uninterrupted and safe transport of passengers, cars and rolling cargo," according to Wärtsilä's Wilco van der Linden, head of business development for Merchant, Cruise and Ferry Solutions.

The two Ro-Pax double ended passenger ferries are each capable of accommodating 432 passengers and 8 crew members, and offer various capacity combinations for up to 115 car equivalent units or 16 tractor semi-trailers. They will operate throughout the year between Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine on the Saguenay River in Québec, Canada and are scheduled to start service in 2015.

Emirates chooses M-iQ technology from MEIKO

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 12 September 2013 12 September 2013

Emirates – the official international airline of the United Arab Emirates which was recently voted the world's best airline – has once again chosen technology from the Offenburg, Germany-based commercial dishwasher manufacturer MEIKO to expand its flight catering operations. A brand-new second facility at Dubai International Airport will be equipped with three machines from MEIKO's M-iQ range of warewashers. "We've been doing business with Emirates Flight Catering since 1988 and we're tremendously proud to have this opportunity to develop the relationship further through this major contract," explains Klaus Engesser, head of exports at MEIKO.

The Arabian Peninsula's leading in-flight catering company is already at the planning stage of a project to incorporate the three new M-iQ machines. "This is a customer that places a great deal of emphasis on cutting-edge systems, intelligent interface design and reliability," says Eric Waag, MEIKO's key account manager for in-flight catering. Working in close collaboration with the Heidelberg, Germany-based company io-consultants – one of the industry's most prestigious planning and consultancy firms – Waag successfully convinced the customer to equip its new facility with the very latest M-iQ technology: "MEIKO was the best choice because Emirates Fight Catering was looking for a solution that combines intelligent material flows with outstandingly smooth organization. The key factors behind Emirates' decision to continue their long-standing business relationship with MEIKO included the high energy efficiency of our M-iQ machines, their user-friendly operation and, in particular, our sophisticated filter technology."

A MEIKO press release explains how the M-iQ system, which is widely regarded as a revolution in dishwashing technology, uses a proprietary filter technology to allow the machines to wash for longer periods without requiring the wash water to be changed. The new catering facility for which MEIKO has received an order for "EKFC Short Term Expansion-SE-03 Ware Wash Equipment" comprises 60,000 m2 spread over three floors. The optimized material flows and superb levels of organization required for the facility will be supported by MEIKO's highly efficient conveyor warewashers which are designed to minimize idle periods by increasing the time between wash water changes. The contract includes a longer drying zone in the machines specially tailored to Emirates' specific requirements: "The customer wanted everything to come out completely dry – even Gastronorm containers and plastic boxes – to ensure that all the key hygiene parameters were met," says Waag.

Each of the three M-iQ machines is 13.5 metres long with a useful width of one metre and a passing height of 2.40 metres. The machines will be assembled on-site, though the MEIKO branch office in Dubai will work closely with the assembly and installation experts at the company's headquarters in Germany. "We will also be working in close collaboration with the technical consultancy firm io-consultants based on the excellent professional relationship we have already built up with them in previous major projects," says Waag.

"We consider it to be an honour and a distinction to have maintained a decades-long partnership with a company that has received more than 400 awards worldwide for its outstanding quality," says Engesser, summing up the views of his export team. By 2014 Emirates Flight Catering will be operating on the safe side with M-iQ when it comes to providing catering and other services to more than 105 airlines at Dubai International Airport.

Hempel launches Hempaguard after five year development

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 11 September 2013 11 September 2013

Hempel, the Danish producer of marine coatings, says it has introduced Hempaguard, a groundbreaking hull coating concept for the shipping industry that offers outstanding resistance to fouling during idle periods and significant fuel savings. "The new patented technology, ActiGuard®, has been five years in development and is based on silicone-hydrogel and biocide science," the company said in a statement.