Departments

Knud E Hansen to design Tokelau passenger vessel

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 17 October 2013 17 October 2013

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has signed a contract with Knud E Hansen the Danish consultant naval architects, for the design of a 500 gross ton passenger vessel for Tokelau, a non-self governing territory of New Zealand consisting of three coral atolls (Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo).

The vessel, which is the only means of getting to and from the atolls, will be the first purpose built SOLAS passenger ship serving Tokelau, carrying up to 60 passengers in addition to 50 tonnes of cargo and supplies. With a design speed of 11.5 knots, the 270 nm voyage between Tokelau and Apia, Samoa will take just under 24 hours.

Given the size of the vessel, space is at a premium; however the vessel is equipped with 24 bunk beds, 16 reclining seats, a children’s play area, 80m2 of open deck area for passengers, a sick bay as well as comfortable accommodation for 12 crew. 5 ten foot container units are carried, including 2 reefers. A crane for loading/unloading cargo is also provided.

Considering the sea conditions, and the length of the voyage, passenger comfort is a high priority for the design. Vessel accelerations for the passengers are being minimised by placing the accommodation aft, and Lloyds Register PCAC(Passenger and Crew Comfort) notation is being used as a design criteria.

Environmental considerations are also high on the agenda, in keeping with the impressive green credentials of Tokelau, who are the world’s first solar powered country. Battery banks will provide electrical power for essential services including air conditioning during hours of darkness. Sail assistance is also being investigated. 

Wärtsilä Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems selected for three more Color Line ships

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 16 October 2013 16 October 2013

Wärtsilä, a leading solutions and services provider in the marine industry, has been contracted to retrofit its Open Loop Scrubber systems on three additional vessels owned by Color Line, Norway's largest cruise and ferry operator. “This confirms Wärtsilä's leading position in the scrubber market with 36 shipsets, totalling 75 scrubber units, either already installed or in the pipeline,” the company said in a statement.

Each vessel will be fitted with four systems designed to rid the ships' exhaust gases of harmful sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate emissions. The Wärtsilä systems will enable the vessels to comply with current and anticipated environmental legislation, and to operate without restrictions in Emissions Control Areas (ECAs).

The contract was signed in September 2013 and it follows a similar order placed in June 2013 to retrofit Color Line's SuperSpeed II ferry. The new contract covers the company's SuperSpeed I, Color Magic and Color Fantasy ships. SuperSpeed I sails between Norway and Denmark, while the other two vessels link Oslo, Norway with Kiel, Germany.

"Color Line sees environmental issues as a priority and the use of Wärtsilä exhaust gas cleaning systems on another three of our vessels is a significant step towards our goals in this respect. The marine sector is obligated to operate in a more sustainable manner and we applaud Wärtsilä for its leadership in environmental performance enhancing technologies," says Mr Jan Helge Pile, SVP Marine & Technical, Color Line Marine A/S.

"Wärtsilä continues to demonstrate its leadership in the delivery of innovative technologies that enable ship owners and operators to meet the dual challenges of environmental compliance and rising operating costs. Our exhaust cleaning systems are one of the increasingly important elements of this strategy, offering an efficient and cost-effective alternative to low- sulphur fuel," says Mr Sigurd Jenssen, Director, Exhaust Gas Cleaning, Environmental Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

In addition to the equipment delivery, Wärtsilä has also assumed responsibility for the basic and detailed engineering and for the installation supervision. "We see an increasing interest in our capability to supply turnkey installations," says Mr Leonardo Sonzio, Director, Retrofit, Environmental Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power. "By working in close co-operation with the customer, Wärtsilä can develop tailored retrofit turnkey solutions that span the entire project, from the very first enquiry until the system is successfully delivered and installed. In addition to the Exhaust Gas Cleaning System retrofit projects, Wärtsilä also offers complete services for retrofitting Ballast Water Management Systems."

The Wärtsilä Open Loop Scrubber System

The system operates in an open loop using seawater to remove SOx from the exhaust. Exhaust gas enters the system and is sprayed with seawater in three different stages. The sulphur oxides in the exhaust react with the water to form sulphuric acid. Chemicals are not required since the natural alkalinity of seawater neutralizes the acid.

Wash water from the system is treated and monitored at the inlet and outlet to ensure that it conforms to all applicable discharge criteria. It can then be discharged into the sea with no risk of harm to the environment.

Harris CapRock to provide communications services to Carnival Corporation's fleet

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 16 October 2013 16 October 2013

Harris CapRock Communications, a premier global provider of managed communication solutions for remote and harsh environments, has signed a five-year contract with Carnival Corporation to provide communications services onboard more than 100 cruise ships in its 10 cruise line brands. The dual-band satellite communications solution will enable the Carnival brands to reach dramatically improved bandwidth levels to meet the performance expectations of guests and crew onboard.

"At Carnival, our most important goal is to give our guests a great experience. For many of our guests, this means staying connected by phone and Internet, even when they’re on our ships in the middle of the sea," said Richard Ames, senior vice president of business services, Carnival Corporation. "Providing connectivity has been an important part of the Carnival experience, and with today’s agreement, we look forward to continuing to provide our guests with a high level of connectivity. We know our guests get excited about creating great memories on our cruises, and if they can’t wait to get home to share photos and stories, we’re happy to make it possible for them to call, text, email and tweet from the middle of the ocean."

To meet Carnival’s needs, Harris will deploy a fully managed, end-to-end Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) solution utilizing the latest generation of iDirect technology, via a hybrid C- and Ku-band solution. Carnival will receive equipment, installation, maintenance, service and 24/7 proactive monitoring and support from Harris’ Customer Support Centers. Transition and installation work will occur globally in various ports, spanning across the United States, Bahamas, Europe, South America, Australia and Singapore.

Each ship will be equipped with stabilized antenna systems to provide the optimal level of flexibility and availability. Bandwidth levels will be higher than what was previously delivered to each fleet, which accommodates new service requirements set by Carnival for its guests and crew, as well as for new entertainment solutions across the 10 cruise line brands.

"This agreement solidifies Harris and Carnival’s long-lasting communications partnership and enables guests and crew onboard to connect with their friends, family and businesses – no matter where they are cruising around the world," said Tom Eaton, president, Harris CapRock. "By teaming with Harris as its communications partner, Carnival has the backing of an industry-leading business and global infrastructure that ensures we are here to meet their communication needs at all times, no matter where its ships are traveling."

Carnival’s 10 cruise line brands include AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line.

Harris CapRock Communications is a premier global provider of managed satellite and terrestrial communications solutions, specifically for remote and harsh environments including the maritime, energy and government markets. Harris CapRock owns and operates a robust global infrastructure that includes teleports on six continents, five 24/7 customer support centers, local presence in 23 countries, and more than 275 global field service personnel supporting customer locations across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

MKN's FlexiChef wins international FCSI award

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 07 October 2013 07 October 2013

At the big international FCSI EAME (Europe, Africa, Middle East) meeting in Warsaw the MKN FlexiChef was awarded with the Manufacturer of the Year 2013 for distinguished development design. This important consultant award honors groundbraking designs as well as innovative solutions and people.

FCSI EAME president Martin Rahmann explains the decision of the judges: “Because of its flexibility, its numerous applications and its affect on overall kitchen design the FlexiChef is the most significant development in recent times.” 

Further important criteria  for the award of the prize were the numerous optimizing factors related to energy, capacity and cleaning.

The FlexiChef is equipped with the first automatic cleaning system for horizontal cooking technology.