Low oil pressure likely cause of Viking Sky engine failure -NMA

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 March 2019 27 March 2019

Low oil pressure has emerged as the likely cause behind an engine failure on Viking Ocean Cruises’ 2017 built Viking Sky on Saturday off the coast of Norway, Sjofartsdirektoratet (the Norwegian Maritime Authority - NMA) said in a statement.

“For the present, our conclusion is that the engine failure was directly caused by low oil pressure. The level of lubricating oil in the tanks was within set limits, however relatively low, when the vessel started to cross Hustadvika,” NMA said.

“The tanks were provided with level alarms, however these had not been triggered at this time. The heavy seas in Hustadvika probably caused movements in the tanks so large that the supply to the lubricating oil pumps stopped. This triggered an alarm indicating a low level of lubrication oil, which in turn shortly thereafter caused an automatic shutdown of the engines,” NMA said.

The NMA said it has drawn up a general safety notice about ensuring a continuous supply of lubricating oil to engines and other critical systems in poor weather conditions. “This should be done in cooperation with the engine supplier and, moreover, be included in the ship’s risk assessments in the safety management system,” it noted.

Viking Ocean Cruises said in the same statement: “We welcome the prompt and efficient investigation carried out by the NMA and we fully understand and acknowledge their findings. We have inspected the levels on all our sister ships and are now revising our procedures to ensure that this issue could not be repeated. We will continue to work with our partners and the regulatory bodies in supporting them with the ongoing investigations.”

NMA said it is in a continuous dialogue with the company and classification society, and this cooperation has been successful. “We will follow up the ongoing work to rectify damages on vessels. Furthermore, we will continue the constructive dialogue with the classification society, company and the Accident Investigation Board Norway in order to reveal underlying causes and identify appropriate measures,” it said.

The 47,842 gross ton Viking Sky is under technical management of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, which is part of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA group in Norway, the last named company says on its website.

 

Tallink Grupp confirms its LNG ferry order

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 27 March 2019 27 March 2019

AS Tallink Grupp and Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) have signed the contract for the construction of a new LNG-powered fast ferry for the Tallinn – Helsinki route shuttle operations, which enters into force today.

Similarly to the group’s newest vessel Megastar, the new shuttle ferry will also be dual fuel operated, its overall length will be approximately 212 metres and with a passenger capacity of 2,800. The vessel will cost approximately 250 million euros and it will be built at the Rauma shipyard in Finland, providing approximately 1,500 man-years of employment for the shipyard. The delivery of the vessel is expected in January 2022.

The new vessel is another step for Tallink Grupp towards achieving even greater energy efficiency and eco-friendliness for its shipping operations. The new shuttle ferry, with a gross tonnage of approximately 50,000 and a service speed of 27 knots, will use LNG as main fuel and meet all the current and future known emission regulations.

According to the contract, 30 percent of the total cost will be paid during the construction period and the rest after the delivery of the vessel. AS Tallink Grupp plans to finance 70 percent of the new ship cost in 2022 by long-term loan, the loan terms will be concluded in the near future.

Commenting on the contract, Paavo Nõgene, the CEO of Tallink Grupp, said: "The construction of Megastar and bringing this next generation vessel onto the Baltic Sea, has transformed our shuttle service between Tallinn and Helsinki. The vessel has been extremely well received by our customers, with over 4 million passengers already having travelled on the vessel. In addition to the increased passenger comfort, just as importantly, Megastar has taken our operations also to the next level in terms of environmentally friendly operations and increased efficiency.

It was therefore only logical that a similar vessel should be built for the route sooner or later to enhance our operations on this important route for us even further. We are pleased to have signed the construction contract with RMC, thus supporting also our regional economies due to the construction taking place in Rauma, and we look forward to starting the shipbuilding process.“

Commenting on the contract, Jyrki Heinimaa, the CEO of RMC, said: "We are very proud that Tallink trusted us in giving this important project to RMC for successful design and manufacturing their newest shuttle ferry, which takes some benefits from the existing fleet, but exceeds them in performance thanks to the integration of the newest technology applications, for example concerning power demand. In RMC’s path to global technology leadership in ferry building, this project is a great milestone and brings us on an even level with the market leaders.

“The project itself is extremely awaited in Rauma, since it allows us to continue our amicable co-operation with our colleagues at Tallink, of which we have had great experiences already since the beginning of the millennium, when M/S Romantika was under construction in Rauma as the first newbuilding ferry of Tallink Grupp.“

AS Tallink Grupp is one of the leading providers of passenger transport and cargo transport services in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. The company owns 14 vessels and operates seven ferry routes under the brand names of Tallink and Silja Line. AS Tallink Grupp employs over 7,400 people in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia and Germany. In 2018, Tallink Grupp provided services to 9.8 million travellers and transported approximately 385,000 freight units of goods. The shares of Tallink Grupp are listed on the Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Stena RoRo signs contract for a ninth Stena E-Flexer

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 27 March 2019 27 March 2019

Stena RoRo has placed an order for a further newbuild in the so-called Stena E-Flexer RoPax class with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International. This is a continuation of the eight newbuilds already ordered and Stena RoRo has an option for another two ships. The vessel, which will operate on LNG, has been assigned for a long-term charter with Brittany Ferries. Delivery is set for autumn 2023.

Long charter contracts have thus been signed with Brittany Ferries for a total of three vessels, whereof two will operate on LNG-fuel. The keel of the first vessel was laid in a ceremony in January in the shipyard. These three newbuilds will complement the company’s current fleet of high class freight and passenger vessels.

”We are very pleased to have placed another order with the AVIC shipyard, with which we have had a very positive cooperation over the last three years. The shipyard hasbeen able to meet our demands for flexibility and thereby enabled us to serve our customers with tailormade products. The newly signed third charter contract with Brittany Ferries is a further proof of this," comments Per Westling, CEO Stena RoRo.

Juneau reaches settlement with industry

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 20 March 2019 20 March 2019

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) has reached a settlement with the cruise industry, which brings to an end a nearly three-year legal battle over the proper use of head taxes and passenger fees. The agreement follows a U.S. District Court judge’s ruling last December that said such fees were legal under the U.S. Constitution’s Tonnage Clause, but that they may only be used in ways that directly benefit the ships. The CBJ collects two fees – a Marine Passenger Fee of $5 and a Port Development Fee of $3 – amounting to $8 per passenger.

Under the terms of the agreement, Juneau may continue to use the passenger fees for “the planning, design and construction necessary to improve private and public cruise ship docks.” In addition, the fees may be used to fund restrooms, signage, motorcoach staging areas, passenger queuing facilities, and other cruise-related infrastructure expenditures. The parties further agreed to meet annually to discuss the use of passenger fees for future projects and that the fees would not be increased from their current levels for a period of at least three years.

In a statement, CLIA Alaska said: “We are pleased to reach resolution with the CBJ and appreciate the considerable efforts by the Mayor, Assembly and City Manager toward what is a very positive outcome. The agreement achieves our goal of providing certainty and predictability of how passenger fees will be utilized going forward, while still supporting services to our guests and the local community. Working together allows for continued positive economic benefits to Juneau in a manner that sustains the quality of life for residents and provides a great experience in a world-class destination.”