More News

Kongsberg completes Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine acquisition

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 April 2019 02 April 2019

Following European Commission approval, Kongsberg Maritime parent company Kongsberg Gruppen has today completed the acquisition of Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine (RRCM). Officially part of Kongsberg Maritime, RRCM will operate under the Kongsberg brand and the Kongsberg Maritime legal entity.

Kongsberg Gruppen announced its intention to acquire RRCM, an established and trusted global supplier of maritime technology and engineering products, in July 2018. With the unification of Kongsberg Maritime and RRCM, Kongsberg is represented in 40 countries, has more than 11,000 employees and an annual turnover of more than NOK 22 billion. A fleet of more than 30,000 vessels depends on the organisation’s combined expertise.

“I have looked forward to this day for a long time. Together we are now well positioned in the market and our ambition is to lead the development of the future maritime industry globally in close cooperation with customers and partners. We shall be the ocean space expert. We have spent a long-time planning and preparing, now the work of ensuring a successful integration begins,” says Geir Håøy, CEO of Kongsberg.

With RRCM, Kongsberg Maritime expands its global presence and customer proximity, supporting, empowering more sustainable, safe and secure marine operations for all vessel types through cutting-edge operational technology including automation, navigation and control systems. RRCM’s expertise also strengthens Kongsberg’s leadership in maritime digitalisation, ship intelligence and enabling technologies for autonomous vessels.

“Our goal is to further develop our track record of innovation and dedication in helping our customers meet the evolving challenges of the maritime industry be it through cutting-edge autonomy and digital solutions or highly reliable power and propulsion systems,” said Bård Bjørløw, EVP Global Sales and Marketing, Kongsberg Maritime.

“As we continue to create new future-proof answers to today’s challenges, we’re confident that that integration possibilities of the next generation of The Full Picture will unlock new efficiencies and contribute to sustainability," adds Bård Bjørløw.

“I am looking forward to welcoming 3,600 highly skilled new colleagues. Together we will work for a fast and smooth integration of people, cultures, products, solutions and innovative work. Through world-class technology, customer focus, the power to innovate and the willingness to change, we will deliver the results we have promised,” adds President of Kongsberg Maritime Egil Haugsdal.

Meyer Werft and Saga Cruises cuts steel for Spirit of Adventure

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 March 2019 29 March 2019

Construction work has begun at Meyer Werft in Papenburg on the second new ship for the British shipping company Saga Cruises. On March 27, the shipyard started its steel-cutting process for Spirit of Adventure. The second new build for Saga Cruises is to be delivered in summer 2020.

The teams of Saga Cruises and Meyer Werft pressed the start button on the computer-operated cutting machine that will process the first sheets of steel for the new ship. This marked the start of the ship’s production.

Like her sister ship Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure will be constructed in Building Dock I. It also means three cruise ships will now be delivered to various customers in 2019 and 2020 by Meyer Werft.

The Spirit of Adventure is the second ship for the successful British cruise line. The ships each have an overall length of 236 metres, a width of 31.2 metres and a tonnage measurement of 58,250 gross tons. 999 passengers can be accommodated.

The new ships will be tailored to the British market with a completely new design to make them stand out in every port, and their interior design and technology will set new standards.

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

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; 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

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; 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

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; 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.