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23rd Volume, No. 06 1963 – “58 years tugboatman” – 2022 Dated 26 January 2022
Buying, Sales, New building, Renaming and other Tugs Towing & Offshore Industry News
Distribution twice a week 19,100+
MIDWEEK–EDITION
TUGS & TOWING NEWS
K ONGSBERG M ARITIME TO SUPPLY 20 STATE - OF - THE - ART AZIMUTH
THRUSTER UNITS TO S ANMAR S HIPYARDS
Kongsberg Maritime is excited
to announce that it has just
signed a sizeable contract with
Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey to
deliver 20 high-performance,
future-proof US205FP and
US255FP thruster units for
installation on new Azimuth
Stern Drive (ASD) tugboats.
This contract win is particularly
significant as one of the tugs, a
60-ton Bollard Pull (BP) vessel,
is the first of a game-changing, next-generation design by the renowned towage company Svitzer and
the internationally recognized naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. This new first-in-class TRAnsverse
2600 tug can generate higher steering forces than other tugs of a similar size, and is uniquely capable
of pushing, pulling and maneuvering in all directions. KM’s reputation for customer flexibility is
underlined by the bespoke adaptations to its US205S FP (Fixed Pitch) azimuth thrusters which have
been agreed with Svitzer for this order. To begin with, the requested power is higher than the US205S
units routinely provide, so KM has deployed High-Performance Gear (HPG) in this project to meet
the customer’s requirements. Similarly, KM has increased the thrusters’ speed to 5rpm for this
delivery, in line with the TRAnsverse Tug’s enhanced reactivity and maneuverability. The thrusters
are also equipped with state-of-the-art Integrated HD clutches, which have already been sold to more
than 100 tugs worldwide. Meanwhile, KM’s concerted drive to reduce maintenance and lifecycle costs
is reflected in the inclusion of a Condition Monitoring system which will enable customers to extend
the vessel’s dry-docking period from five years to seven-and-a-half years, lowering the likelihood of
component issues arising which require unplanned maintenance intervals. Additional peace of mind
arises from a Remote Access function connected to the Aquapilot Thruster Control system, through
which KM can connect to the system remotely to carry out fault diagnostics and change parameters if
necessary. KM is also supplying full sets of deck machinery for this project. The DM delivery includes
a hydraulic, high-pressure, fully auto-tensioned escort towing winch with two rope drums equipped
with band brakes and friction clutches. Also included is an anchor capstan with an electric frequency
controller and an anchor lowering system which can be operated from the wheelhouse. Kongsberg
Maritime staff maintained a close dialogue with all parties, Sanmar Shipyards, Svitzer and Robert
Allan Ltd, throughout the entire sales process to ensure that the appropriate thrusters were selected
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
for the project, and that they would perform to everyone’s satisfaction. KM’s US series thrusters offer
project-specific Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling capabilities, while the range of
achievable propeller and nozzle combinations ensures the highest possible standard of operational
efficiency. Hakan Tunc, Engineering Director of Sanmar Shipyards, said: “The excellent collaboration
between Sanmar, Svitzer and Kongsberg Maritime’s technical and commercial departments has
resulted in optimization at every stage of the development of this innovative TRANSVERSE 2600
tugboat design, including its power, crew safety and environmental impact. We are proud to be the
builder of this RAL-designed and extremely special tugboat. We are also happy to continue our co-
operation with KM for the other nine projects.” Tomi Venttola, Sales Manager – Propulsion & Engines
of Kongsberg Maritime, added: “We are very happy to be involved in this innovative project, one
which has also challenged us to further develop our products and services. It has truly been a joint
effort from the tug team that led to this great result. The TRAnsverse Tug is set to form the basis for a
carbon-neutral methanol fuel cell tug which is currently in development, and the future-proof design
of our thrusters means they’re already good to go when newbuilds of this nature start to appear.”
(Source: Workboat365)
Advertisement
S VITZER AMEA EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH S UEZ C ANAL A UTHORITY –
T WO ADDITIONAL TUGS TO JOIN THE EXISTING FLEET
Svitzer, leading global
towage provider and part of
Maersk, is today
announcing another
extension of its current
contract with the Suez
Canal Authority (SCA) to
include two additional tugs
to service the Suez Canal.
Svitzer started operating in
the Suez Canal in late 2019
with the two tugs Svitzer
Port Said 1 and Svitzer Port
Said 2, providing towage
services to the SCA out of
Port Said. In December
2021, the two tugs were joined by sister vessels Svitzer Suez 1 and Svitzer Suez 2 and from end May
2022, two additional tugs will join the fleet in the Suez Canal. – one will be operating out of Port Said
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
and one out of Port Suez. With the newest additions to the fleet, Svitzer will operate six vessels in
the Suez Canal and employ 120 Egyptian seafarers. Nicolai Vinther Friis, Managing Director Svitzer
AMEA commented: “We have had a close and strong collaboration and relationship with the SCA
since 2019 based on mutual trust and respect as well as a desire to offer the best services to the
thousands of vessels passing through the Suez Canal every year. I am equally happy and grateful that
the SCA has awarded Svitzer yet another extension of the existing towage services contract and I
look forward to continuing our close partnership with the SCA.” Turkish tugboat builder Med
Marine will deliver the two vessels, both RAstar 2800 75tonnes bollard pull tugs with firefighting
capabilities and escort notation, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. With a fleet of 110 vessels operating
in seven ports and 11 terminals across 12 countries in the region, Svitzer is a leading towage provider
in the AMEA (Africa, Middle East & Asia) region. (PR)
Advertisement
RUSA GETS RID OF THE TUG “V EHINTINUEVE ”
In the absence of official
confirmation, one of the giant
MSC's towing companies
appears to be the new owner of
the Spanish tugboat
"Vehintinueve" (IMO
9740392), which is docked in
the port of Antwerp, where it
arrived yesterday from
Santander, they report.
industry sources. Construction
752 of Astilleros Armón Navia
and in service since March 2015, it is a port and height tug with azimuth propulsion, built by order
of Remolques Unidos. It has a pulling power of 91.35 tons. (Source: Puente de Mando; Photo:
Armón Shipyard)
R OSMORPORT SENT 16 ICEBREAKERS TO WORK IN THE G ULF OF
F INLAND
FSUE "Rosmorport" sent 16 icebreakers to the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland in conditions of
intense ice formation, strong winds of various directions, ice movements and compression.
Icebreakers operate in the seaports of Big Port St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Vysotsk, Passenger Port St.
Petersburg, Primorsk and Ust-Luga, Rosmorrechflot reports. The most powerful icebreakers of the
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
North-Western Basin Branch "Viktor Chernomyrdin" (25 MW on propellers), "Kapitan Sorokin" (18
MW), "Vladivostok" and
"Murmansk" (17.4 MW) entered
the water area. The icebreakers
Semyon Dezhnev, Ivan
Kruzershtern, Mudyug, Kapitan
Izmailov, Kapitan Nikolaev,
Kapitan Plakhin, and Kapitan
Kosolapov are also involved.
According to the company, with
the start of ice navigation, which
started in the Russian seaports of
the eastern part of the Gulf of
Finland on December 6, 2021, the
icebreakers of the North-Western
Basin Branch have already
provided assistance to more than 2.1 thousand vessels. (Source: Sudostroenie; Photo: Rosmorrechflot)
N UCLEAR - POWERED ICEBREAKER "S IBERI A " ARRI VED AT HOME PORT
FOR THE FIRST TI ME
The first serial (second in a row)
universal nuclear icebreaker of
project 22220 "Sibir" has arrived
in Murmansk. According to AIS
tracking services, the ship
entered the port of registry on
January 22. As it became known
earlier, in the coming days, a
solemn ceremony of hoisting the
State flag of the Russian
Federation will be held on the
ship. Recall that the icebreaker
"Siberia" was laid down in May
2015. Launching took place in
September 2017. The acceptance
certificate was signed on December 24, 2021. A series of universal nuclear icebreakers of project
22220 is being built at the Baltic Shipyard on the order of FSUE Atomflot (part of the state
corporation Rosatom). The lead icebreaker Arktika was commissioned in October 2020. Project 22220
universal nuclear icebreaker Project developer - Iceberg Central Design Bureau; Length - 173.3 m;
Beam - 34 m; Propeller power - 60 MW; Draft at the design waterline - 10.5 m; Minimum working
draft - 8.55 m; Displacement - 33 .54 thousand tons; Assigned service life - 40 years; Crew - 75
people. (Source: Sudostroenie; Photo: Baltiysky Zavod)
T HE RI VER ICEBREAKER "N EVSKAYA Z ASTAVA " IS O PERATI NG IN ST.
P ETERSBURG
The icebreaker "Nevskaya Zastava" entered the waters of the Neva in St. Petersburg to control the ice
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
situation. On January 20, the ship passed from the place of permanent parking up to the Volodarsky
bridge, the city committee for
nature management,
environmental protection and
environmental safety reported.
During the exit, the icebreaker
created a channel, which is the
only measure to prevent floods
that could lead to flooding of
coastal areas. "Nevskaya Zastava"
breaks channels in the
accumulation of ice, increasing
the capacity of the channel and
lowering the water level.
Another function of the channel
created by the icebreaker is to
prevent people from entering the ice. As reminded by the committee, access to the ice near the edge
of the icebreaker's channel is especially dangerous. Until April 15, 2022, the city has a ban on going
out on the ice. (Source: Sudostroenie; Photo: administration of St. Petersburg)
Advertisement
M ARCON I NTERNATIONAL ' S T UG M ARKET R EPO RT N OV 2021 N OW
A VAILABLE
We are pleased to announce
that Marcon International’s
November 2021 Tug Boat
Market Report is now
available on our website. This
report contains summaries of
data from Marcon's extensive
databases regarding tugs for
sale in the US and worldwide;
compilation of news from
vessel builders and operators
worldwide; and featured
listings from our files.
Marcon’s Market Overview
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
Summary In November, Marcon reported 475 tugs officially on the market for sale out of 5,221
tracked. This is down 22.89% from one year ago, and down 27.48% from five years ago. Marcon
closed ten sales and one charter in 2021. Many of the 2020 deals were well in the works before the
Covid-19 situation developed and oil prices crashed. Throughout most of 2020 and early 2021, the
market was extremely slow both domestically and world-wide. We continue to see a pickup in
inquiries and inspections and have multiple sales pending at this time as business rebounds. We are
hopeful, with the current pace of business, to return to pre-Covid sales levels in 2022. There remains
uncertainty in the market, but prices have been moving up for various classes of vessels and barges.
This is likely the result of both increased demand, as well as increased replacement cost due to
inflation. See the link to the market report on our website. Tug Market Report November 2021 (PR)
R ELUME / A MSTERDAM
Hereby a picture of the RELUME, she was under the agency of DHSS at Damen Shiprepair, the
tugboat SVITZER TEMPEST went along from the wharf to those piers just in case. (Source & Photo:
Peter Maanders – Port Towage Amsterdam)
G REAT VI DEO OF THE RESCUE SHIP CB C LAUDI
The rescue ship CB
Claudi, which is based at
Rescue Station
Hanstholm, has long since
passed the age of 40, but is
still going strong - and a
stable and booming base
for rescue operations in
one of the most
demanding waters in
Denmark. Recently, CB
Claudi conducted rescue
drills with one of the Air Force's rescue helicopters. In addition to practicing cooperation at sea, one
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
of the crew members in the helicopter also has the surplus to take great pictures and a video of the
rescue ship. Watch the video HERE (Source: Maritime Danmark)
ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS
E MERGENCY TO WING VESSEL DEPLOYED FOLLOWING TANKER
BREAKDOWN
An emergency towing vessel
has been sent to the location
of a tanker which has broken
down in the Pentland Firth.
Ievoli Black is making its way
up the west coast of Scotland
after the Cyprus-flagged
Kaprifol suffered engine
trouble this afternoon. The
Coastguard says the ship
remains anchored as repairs
continue on its engine. A
spokesperson for the
Maritime and Coastguard
Agency said: “At approx.
2.45pm today (21st January), HM Coastguard received a report that a motor tanker vessel had
suffered engine failure around two nautical miles north-east of Dunnet Head, Pentland Firth. The
vessel was able to drop anchor and remains anchored, awaiting assistance from an Emergency Towing
Vessel from Ullapool which is due to arrive in the early hours of Saturday morning (22nd January).
Shetland Coastguard are continuing to monitor the vessel.” (Source: The Orcadian; Photo: Flrrymon)
Advertisement
M ADRID B RI DGE C ARGO C OLLAPSE AS S HIP U NEXPECTEDLY D EPARTS
C HARLESTON
Madrid Bridge is on the move! After arriving at the Charleston anchorage late Wednesday with
about 80 containers collapsed on deck, AIS ship tracking data now shows the Madrid Bridge is
underway again off the coast of Georgia. We’re also now getting our first look at the extent of the
container collapse, taken while the vessel at the Charleston anchorage. According to a January 19
update from the ship’s operator, Ocean Network Express, the plan was for the Madrid Bridge to berth
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
at the Port of Charleston’s Hugh K.
Leatherman terminal following an
inspection and assessment of the
vessels’s condition. While there, the
ship was expected to discharge
damaged containers and any import
Charleston-bound import containers.
But after arriving at the anchorage late
Wednesday, it seems that plan may
have changed. AIS as of Friday
morning shows the vessel being
“Underway Using Engine” at a speed of
6.3 knots (Port of Jacksonville,
perhaps?). So far there has been now update from ONE and the ship’s AIS is still showing a
destination of Charleston, with arrival expected January 23. As we have reported, the Madrid Bridge
lost some 60 containers overboard and another 80 collapsed on deck while on passage in the Atlantic
Ocean from Singapore to New York back on January 7. Rather than proceeding to New York as
planned, the ship was instead re-
routed to Charleston, skipping its
Norfolk, Virginia and Savannah,
Georgia port calls. As you can see in
the photos below, two bays have
collapsed container stacks, one
forward and one aft of the
accommodation. At least one
container can be seen hanging over
the side. As you can see in the photos,
two bays have collapsed container
stacks, one forward and one aft of the
accommodation. At least one
container can be seen hanging over the side. (Source: gCaptain)
G ENERAL CARGO SHIP HEAVI LY LISTED AFTER WATER INGRESS , G ULF
OF O MAN
General cargo ship Fox developed
heavy starboard list caused by
water ingress, on Jan 22-23, at
Salalah Anchorage, Oman. 21
crew were evacuated by Royal
Navy Oman, and transferred to
Salalah. Last AIS dated 1400 UTC
Jan 22, condition and status of the
ship as of 1500 UTC Jan 23 are
unknown. According to track and
records, the ship arrived from
Tanzania. (Source: Fleetmon)
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
Advertisement
A DREDGER CAUG HT FIRE AT THE M ORYAK SHI PYARD IN R OSTOV
On January 24, at 15:14, the duty
officer received a message about a
fire on the territory of the Moryak
shipbuilding plant on the left bank
of the Don. This was reported in
the press service of the Ministry of
Emergency Situations in the Rostov
region. Upon the arrival of
firefighters, it turned out that there
was smoke in the hold of the
dredger. As the ship stands alone,
there is no threat of spread. — The
area of the fire is specified. There
were no casualties, the department
said. Shipyard "Seaman" is located
at Lugovaya, 3. The company is engaged in the repair of river vessels. (Source: Blocknot)
A HECTIC YEAR END FOR SALVO RS
Salvage companies saved ships and completed wreck removals in Q4 2021. Five Oceans Salvage (FOS)
was tasked with assisting an immobilised bulk carrier off the southern coast of Turkey in October.
Owners of 9,000-dwt Beata signed a Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) with FOS, which dispatched
oceangoing tug EDT Andromeda from Limassol, Cyprus and Spanopoulos’ port tug Christos XXXVI
from Rhodes to assist. Christos XXXVI reached the casualty when it was drifting 5 nautical miles off
the Turkish coast and towed the 1994-built ship towards Greece. Later, EDT Andromeda met the
convoy off Rhodes and took over the tow to successfully redeliver the casualty in Crete. FOS also
removed the wreck of JSRY Floating Dock 1 in the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in Q4 2021. This
215-m, 32,065-dwt dock sank in August 2021 during undocking operations. FOS used a combination
of pressurising and pumping to refloat it. A team of 15 and a large array of salvage gear was mobilised
to Jeddah from FOS’s salvage depot in Athens, Greece. The dock was successfully refloated mid-
December. The salvage company secured another LOF contract on 5 November to assist 8,300-TEU
container ship Archimidis when it suffered engine failure while on a laden voyage from China to US
ports. This 2006-built ship was immobilised 150 nautical miles off Acapulco, Mexico when FOS was
called in. FOS chartered United Offshore Support’s anchor handler GH Challenger with 200 tonnes
of bollard pull from Chaguaramas, Trinidad, some 2,500 nautical miles away. FOS also used harbour
tug Mextug Duero from Lazaro Cardenas port to tow Archimidis away from the coast. On 16
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23RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
November, GH Challenger
took over and towed the
container ship to Cristobal,
Panama. Another Greek
salvage company, Tsavliris
Salvage, was active on a
maritime casualty in
November 2021. It assisted
43,071-gt container Navios
Nerine when it
experienced main engine
issues off Singapore while
on a ballast voyage.
Tsavliris mobilised four local port tugs and anchor handler Lanpan 26, with a bollard pull of 115
tonnes. The port tugs towed the casualty to the outer anchorage where it was connected to Lanpan
26. On 23 November, Lanpan 26 towed Navios Nerine to Paxocean shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. On
arrival, the vessel berthed alongside the repair pier with the assistance of shipyard tugs with Lanpan
26 providing standby services. Indian salvage success In Q4 2021, Smit was busy with wreck removal
and salvage work, helping with two Indian projects. In November, bulk carrier Aviator and tanker
Atlantic Grace collided off Okha, India. Salvage assistance was required after initial attempts to
disconnect both ships failed. Smit and its local alliance partner VMW, which has a full emergency
response centre in the region, quickly mobilised a team and tugs to assist owners and their
underwriters. On arrival, salvors assessed the damage and consulted with local authorities. They then
offloaded the bunkers from Aviator to prevent fuel spilling into the marine environment. Within
three days, most of the bunkers were removed and loaded into two hired tanker barges. At the same
time, the salvage team prepared for the separation operation. This was conducted by cutting pieces of
steel from Aviator, which were interlocking the tanker. On 4 December, Atlantic Grace and Aviator
were successfully separated in a controlled manner and both vessels were brought to a nearby
anchorage by tugs for a detailed dive inspection. Also off India, Smit was awarded a wreck removal
contract for accommodation work-barge Papaa 305, which had broken its eight-point moorings and
collided with a fixed structure near Mumbai during Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021. The barge, with
261 workers on board, started taking on water and eventually sank. Only 186 people were rescued in
the aftermath. Smit mobilised assets from its Singapore base to Mumbai. The wreck removal project
included setting up a cutting and disposal yard for Papaa 305. After arrival on site, Smit performed a
dive survey to confirm the chosen work method of cutting and lifting. Ten cuts were required and
Smit’s own sheerleg Taklift 7 was mobilised to lift the final pieces. Container ship accidents In Sri
Lanka, Resolve Marine was appointed by the owners of container ship X-Press Pearl and its P&I Club
to carry out debris removal operations around the casualty and surrounding waters. A specialised
vessel with dynamic positioning and a large heave-compensated crane sailed from Singapore to assist
in the recovery operations. An international team of experts was engaged on board for imaging,
positioning, recovery and processing and for handling debris ashore. In October, Resolve
extinguished a fire on a container ship transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca, between Vancouver
Island and the US mainland. Resolve mobilised three tugs with FiFi1 fire-fighting systems and its
team and equipment from Seattle and San Francisco response depots, including fire-fighting pump
packages. The fire was extinguished, cargo was stabilised, and the container ship was able to proceed
into a terminal to discharge cargo. Boluda prevents disasters off Spain Boluda Towage’s intervention
in November successfully prevented a disaster when oil tanker DHT Mustang was drifting
dangerously towards the extension of the north dock at Algeciras, Spain. When Boluda received a
10/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
call from Algeciras harbour pilots, it sent tugs VB Ceballos, VB Juangonzalez, VB Titan and VB Tron
to the tanker. In high winds, rain and reduced visibility, these tugs brought DHT Mustang back onto
course and then escorted the tanker until safely in shelter of the harbour. The next day, further up
the Mediterranean coast, tourist catamaran Ole was wrecked 1.6 km from the port of Cartagena with
33 passengers on board. As the craft broke in two, Boluda’s VB Glacial arrived, followed by three
more Boluda tugs, VB Anibal, VB Asdrubal and VB Brio. Along with other local vessels, they saved
passengers from the sea. (Source: Riviera by Martyn Wingrove)
Advertisement
T HE SHI P MANASSA ROSE M SPLIT IN TWO OFF C RETE
The ship Manassa Rose M,
which was caught in a storm
in the Mediterranean on its
way from Iskenderun to
Libya, split into two. An
operation was carried out to
save 10 sailors on the ship
trying to dock on Crete
Island, 2 sailors were first lost
among the waves and then
found. Eight sailors were
rescued with life rafts. Severe
storms began to cause
nightmares for sailors in the
Aegean and Mediterranean. Manassa Rose M, the 94.04 meters long, 16.24 meters wide, iron-loaded
Comoros flag ship, which was built in 1982, was caught in a storm off the island of Crete, traveling
from the Port of Iskenderun to the Port of Misurata in Libya during a severe storm. Trying to anchor
off the coast of Drapanias city on Crete Island, the ship first sat on a shallow area and then split into
two due to the waves reaching approximately 5 meters. 10 Sailors returned from death In the
incident that occurred, many rescue teams and ambulances were sent to the region. While the crew
who stayed on the ship for a long time got on their liferaft and left the ship, 2 sailors fell into the sea
and got lost among the waves. With the efforts of Coast Guard divers, 2 sailors were found and
rescued. It was announced that 2 seafarers fell ill due to hypothermia and were treated at the Hanya
Hospital, while 8 other sailors were treated at the Kissamos Health Center. “Environmental disaster
can occur at any time” Kissamos Civil Protection Director and Deputy Mayor Spyros Mavrodimitrakis
said in a statement, “We know that the captain locked the fuel tanks before the ship split in two and
11/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
there is no environmental pollution at the moment, but there could be a leak at any time due to bad
bark in the area. We are trying to take precautions as much as we can. "Two sailors who fell into the
sea during the rescue operation were rescued by divers, and 8 people managed to reach land with a
life raft," he said. (Source: Deniz Haber)
REMEMBER TODAY
S.S. S ANTA M ARIA – 23 R D J ANUARY 1961
First ship to be attacked by
terrorists after World War II.
The modern world’s first
maritime hijacking did not
involve the Achille Lauro, but
occurred on January 23, 1961
when 24 Iberian rebels took
over the Portuguese passenger
ship SS Santa Maria. The goal
of their leader, Henrique
Galvão, was to focus attention
on the brutal regime of long-
time Portuguese dictator
Antonio Salazar and, as an
added bonus, the similarly
brutal regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. He also wanted to rid Portuguese overseas
territories, primarily Angola and Mozambique, of their oppressive colonial governments. The rebels
had boarded as passengers, some in La Guaira, Venezuela and others in Curacao. They had weapons
hidden in their luggage. The rebels stormed the bridge early on the morning of January 23. While
the plan called for a peaceful takeover of the Santa Maria, the third officer (who was the officer of
the deck at the time) resisted and was shot dead. Several other crewmembers were wounded in the
ensuing confusion. The rebels forced the ship to cease all communications and turned the ship
southeast, toward Angola. After several days of searching for the missing ship, it was located by a
group of US Navy vessels. The rebels diverted toward Recife, Brazil, all the time surrounded by the
Navy warships. Upon entry of the Santa Maria into Recife, the rebels surrendered to Brazilian
authorities and were granted political asylum. The 600 passengers and 300 crewmembers of the Santa
Maria were freed. Henrique Galvão later tried to justify his actions in his book “Santa Maria: My
Crusade for Portugal”. Salazar remained in power in Portugal until 1968, when he suffered a brain
hemorrhage. The dictatorship remained in control, albeit with a different leader. Salazar finally died
in 1970. Henrique Galvão remained in exile in Brazil until he, too, died in 1970. The overseas
territories were granted their independence after the 1974 revolution in Portugal. (Source: Maritime
Logistics Professional) (See also the operation Dulcinea HERE)
OFFSHORE NEWS
F UTURE GREAT L AKES RESEARCH VESSEL GETS US$1 MILLION GRANT
FROM LO CAL NON - PROFIT
Wisconsin-based non-profit The Brookby Foundation has committed US$1 million to the University
12/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) in support of a new research vessel for the university’s School of
Freshwater Sciences. Maggi Sue
will replace Neeskay, a
converted Korean War-era US
Army T-boat purchased by
UWM more than 50 years ago.
The new vessel will be operated
in the Great Lakes and will be
fitted with sensors that collect
real-time data, interchangeable
lab pods that can be swapped
out based on the needs of
scientists, and a dynamic
positioning system. The vessel
will also feature wet and dry lab spaces for onboard experiments, a classroom and data visualisation
lab that will accommodate groups of students, and sleeping accommodations that will allow scientists
and crew to remain on the water for longer periods of time, gathering continuous readings without
needing to return to shore. The School of Freshwater Sciences has raised over US$13 million toward
the US$20 million needed to build the new vessel. Construction will take approximately two years.
UWM said the vessel will be the largest 100 per cent privately funded capital project in the
university’s history. (Source: Baird)
Advertisement
W ORK BOAT WO RLD OFFSHORE VESSEL CHARTERS ROUNDUP –
J ANUARY 21, 2022
Offshore vessel operators
welcome the new year with new
work on behalf of clients, mainly
in the installation and IMR
segments. The charters are for
activities in Western Europe,
Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and the
Caribbean. MMA Offshore
awarded new vessel charter,
extension MMA Offshore has
13/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
been awarded a new contract by Woodside for the anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) MMA
Cove to continue to provide production
support services for Woodside’s facilities
in Australia’s North West. The contract
is for a firm period of three and a half
years, with a further one and a half
years in option periods. MMA has also
been awarded a contract for the multi-
purpose vessel MMA Privilege to
provide accommodation and walk-to-
work support services in Côte d’Ivoire.
The contract is for a period of two years
firm, commencing in March 2022.
MMA Privilege will be mobilising from
Singapore in February 2022. Edda Accommodation secures work for Saipem off West Africa Edda
Accommodation has secured a new contract for Edda Fides with Saipem in Mauritania and Senegal
beginning in the second half of 2022. Edda Fides, currently on charter for Equinor, will first provide
accommodation and associated facilities for Chevron Australia before commencing work for Saipem
at the Tortue field off Mauritania/Senegal. The contract is firm for a period of six months plus
options. DOF Subsea deploys
vessels for contracts in North Sea,
T&T An
unnamed renewables company
has awarded DOF Subsea an
extension to an ongoing subsea
construction contract in the
North Sea. In direct continuation
of the ongoing project, Skandi
Acergy shall be further utilised
up to 169 vessel days. The
contract extension includes project management, engineering and range of bespoke equipment and
services tailored towards the renewables segment. DOF Subsea has also been awarded a new project
in Trinidad and Tobago for the vessel Skandi Constructor. The project commenced in early January
and has an estimated duration of approximately 40 days plus mobilisation and demobilisation. CWind
Taiwan wins Siemens Gamesa
crewboat charter CWind Taiwan,
a joint venture between the
International Ocean Group (IOG)
and the Global Marine Group’s
CWind, has entered into a charter
contract with Siemens Gamesa for
a crewboat to support the
installation of the 900MW Greater
Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind
farms in 2022. CWind Phenom
will be chartered to Siemens
Gamesa throughout the wind turbine installation campaign of the project. The crewboat will operate
alongside sister vessel CWind Phoenix. Ultra Deep Solutions DSVs tapped for South East Asia EPC
14/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
projects Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS) has been awarded another project in the South East Asia region
for an undisclosed EPC contractor. The company will utilise the dive support vessel (DSV) Picasso for
the contract commencing in February 2022. Meanwhile, UDS’ diving support construction vessel
(DSCV) Lichtenstein recently arrived in Myanmar to start a large subsea project for an undisclosed
EPC client. The scope of the work includes ROV and saturation diving support. (Source: Baird)
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A NCHOR HANDLI NG TUG – BOKA GLACIER
It’s been a busy old time at the
bespoke Dormac engineering
quay, located at Berth 501 in
the Ben Schoeman Dock in
Cape Town harbour. Recent
activity has included a
Pipelayer, an Antarctic supply
vessel, a Tristan da Cunha
supply vessel, a large stern
trawler and not one, but two
large anchor handling tugs.
The latter two being from the
same company and, to the tug
aficionado, one of them
looked vaguely familiar. On
8th January at 07h00, the
large ocean towing vessel
Boka Glacier (IMO 9344796) arrived off Cape Town from Port Louis in Mauritius.
She entered Cape Town harbour and proceeded directly to the Dormac 501 berth in the Ben
Schoeman Dock, a clear sign that she required a little bit of engineering support, or to fix a
maintenance issue. Built in 2006 as the fourth of five sisterships, by Niigata Shipbuilding at Niigata in
Japan, ‘Boka Glacier’ is 75 metres in length and has a deadweight of 3,567 tons. She is powered by no
less than four Wärtsilä 6L32 6 cylinder 4 stroke main engines, each producing 4,080 bhp (3,000 kW)
and driving two, nozzled, controllable pitch propellers for a service speed of 14.5 knots. Her auxiliary
machinery includes two Caterpillar 3408C generators providing 370 kW each, and an emergency
generator providing 124 kW. She has two CHO oil fired boilers. For added manoeuvrability she has a
bow transverse thruster providing 825 kW, and a stern transverse thruster providing 736 kW. Built as
a long distance ocean towing vessel, with full anchor handling capability, ‘Boka Glacier’ has a bollard
15/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
pull of 205 tons. She provides 384m2 of deck space for anchor handling operations, and she has two
fire monitors capable of pumping 1,200m3/h, which gives her a FiFi 2 capability. She operates with a
crew of 12, but can carry an additional 24 personnel when undertaking towing operation, or when on
other special contracts that require extra crew. Owned and operated by Royal Boskalis Westminster
NV of Papendrecht in Holland, ‘Boka Glacier’ is managed by Boskalis Offshore Fleet Management,
also of Papendrecht. For those observers who think she looks vaguely familiar, ‘Boka Glacier’ and her
four sisters were built for Fairmount Marine BV of Rotterdam, and she and her sisters have been
regular callers at Cape Town, and other South African ports, throughout their careers. She was
launched as ‘Fairmount Glacier’, and had an unmistakable, though ugly, colour scheme of green,
white and orange. Her then owners, Fairmount Marine, were purchased by Royal Boskalis
Westminster in 2014. By 2019, all five of the sisters had been repainted into Boskalis grey, and had a
name change from ‘Fairmount’ to ‘Boka’, in line with all other members of the Boskalis fleet. As well
as many long distance ocean
tows made by ‘Boka Glacier’, her
capabilities have also had her
being involved in many salvage
operations. In February 2014, at
the request of Tsavliris Salvage,
she steamed for 1,720 nautical
miles at full speed, into the
middle of a stormy North
Atlantic Ocean, to take the
disabled bulk carrier ‘Cassiopeia
Star’ in tow. The tow covered a
further 1,950 nautical miles and
‘Boka Glacier’ delivered her
charge back to the safety of the
port of Las Palmas, in the
Canary Islands. Prior to that in
January 2012 she was mobilised out of Cape Town by Five Oceans Salvage, and proceeded to Maputo,
in Mozambique, where the bulk carrier ‘Akiba’ had gone hard aground. It took two attempts by ‘Boka
Glacier’ to free ‘Akiba’, and she was towed back to Richards Bay to discharge her cargo. Once
complete, ‘Boka Glacier’ towed her to Durban where ‘Akiba’ was drydocked for hull repairs. One of
her earliest, and most poignant, salvage operations was in 2009, when she was used in the search for
the missing Air France airliner in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Brazil. Air France flight
AF447, an Airbus A330-200, disappeared at night and in bad weather. Using acoustic listening
devices called Towed Pinger Locators, provided to ‘Boka Glacier’ by the United States Navy, she tried
to locate the Underwater Locator Beacons of the missing airliner, but without success. The wreck of
the airliner was discovered later, and partially recovered. Her normal role of ocean towage has seen
her regularly calling at Cape Town for bunkers whilst in the employ of the oil and gas industry.
These include when she towed the FPSO Cidade de Anchieta, from a Singapore shipyard to Brazil, or
when towing the FPSO Pazflor, from a South Korean shipyard to Angola. Her last visit to Cape Town
was in January 2021 when she called for bunkers when towing the FPSO Carioca, from a Chinese
shipyard to Brazil. The last visit of ‘Boka Glacier’ to South African waters was in April 2021 when she
called at Ngqura. On this current call at Cape Town, her two day maintenance call at Dormac ended
on 10th January at 13h00, when she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.
(Source: Africa Ports & Ships by Jay Gates; Photo: Dockrat)
16/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
Advertisement
S EA M AR SECURES DSV EXTENSION WITH N EPTUNE
Dutch offshore vessel owner
SeaMar has clinched a one-year
charter contract extension with
Neptune Energy Netherlands
(Neptune) for the 1986-built
dive support vessel (DSV)
SeaMar Splendid. The
Gibraltar-flagged ship has been
supporting Neptune with
inspection, repair and
maintenance (IRM) campaigns
in the southern sector of the
North Sea on the Dutch
continental shelf. “Safety is our top priority. Inspection, repair and maintenance activities are
essential to Neptune’s integrity management. For the year ahead, we have planned 250 days of work
on 15 projects,” said Kaoutar Kaddouri, manager of integrity and marine operations at Neptune
Energy in the Netherlands. In March 2019, Neptune and SeaMar entered into a three-year contract
with two one-year options for the vessel. It was the third consecutive long-term contract between
the companies. The extension brings the SeaMar Splendid into its fourteenth IRM season for
Neptune. (Source: Splash24/7)
N ORWEGIAN OSV OWNERS ACCELERATE ELECTRIFICATI ON OF FLEETS
Norwegian offshore support vessel (OSV) owners are moving quickly to electrify their fleets.
Skudeneshavn-based Solstad Offshore recently reported completing the conversion of its ninth
offshore support vessel to hybrid-battery power. A battery package was installed on platform supply
vessel (PSV) Normand Solitaire during its maintenance at Westcon Yards in Ølensvåg, Norway. The
PSV also had a name change, with the addition of ‘Normand’ to its moniker. “With batteries installed,
its emissions will be considerably reduced in the years to come,” said Solstad Offshore in a media
post. With plans to spend US$34M over the next three years on upgrades to 11 OSVs, Solstad will
operate 21 hybrid-battery OSVs by 2025. Built in 2012 at the STX Langsten yard, Normand Solitaire
is a UT 754 WP design. It has an overall length of 92 m, beam of 22 m, draft of 7 m, with a clear deck
area of 1,023 m2. Meanwhile, a battery module was recently refit on Eidesvik Offshore’s Viking
17/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
Prince. The installation was completed during drydocking in conjunction with the 90-m PSV’s DNV
class renewal. Viking Prince
became the 10th of 12 Eidesvik
vessels in operation equipped
with batteries. The next vessel
due for refit is Acergy Viking,
which is fitted with a 24-m
offshore gangway to support the
offshore wind sector. Norway’s
SEAM was the supplier of the
hybrid-battery solutions for both
installations. Six out of SEAM’s 13
hybrid-battery installations have
been performed for Eidesvik. SEAM was born in 2021, following the acquisition of Westcon Power &
Automation AS (WPA) by private equity investor Longship Fund II from the Westcon Group.
Longship lead partner Hans Tindlund sees SEAM as “a leading provider of green propulsion systems.”
At the time of the acquisition, it had delivered more than 30 installations since 2016. “Longship is
impressed by the company’s competence and approach to drive maritime decarbonisation, and we are
looking forward to supporting WPA in the growth journey ahead,” added Mr Tindlund. (Source:
Riviera by Martyn Wingrove)
S TRATEGIC M ARI NE W INS F AST C REW B OAT O RDER FROM N EW
C LIENT B LUE P ETRA S DN B HD
Strategic Marine has
successfully secured a contract
to build and deliver a 40m Fast
Crew Boat (“FCB”) for new
client Blue Petra Sdn Bhd, a
fully owned subsidiary of Great
Ocean Supply & Services Sdn
Bhd (“Great Ocean”), based in
Malaysia. Great Ocean is a
licensed Petronas contractor
and a preferred supplier to the
Malaysian oil and gas industry,
and the vessel’s delivery is
scheduled for the 3rd quarter
of 2022. Strategic Marine’s
FCBs are renowned for their market leading performance and superior seakeeping, gaining extensive
positive feedback from experienced operators all around the world. The new vessel is designed to
meet the specific requirements of global oil majors and will feature, amongst others, a remote-
controlled water monitor with a capacity of 1200m³/hr, making it fully equipped to carry out external
fire-fighting roles and safety standby duties. Equipped with three Caterpillar C32 engines driving
fixed pitch propellors provide a robust and efficient propulsion system. The station-keeping and
maneuvering capability is enhanced by a tunnel thruster installed at the bow. Mr Syed Mohd
Shahriman, Chief Executive Officer of Great Ocean commented: “The firefighting capabilities made
this vessel a compelling proposition, and thanks to Strategic Marine’s commitment to continuous
18/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
improvement we have been able to work with the team to customize this flexible platform to meet
our client’s specific requirements. This new vessel will be an integral addition to our growing fleet,
allowing us to expand our capacity and range of services in order to grow and strengthen our market
position in the years ahead.” Strategic Marine’s General Manager, Commercial Mr Wayne Poh added:
“Our FCB solutions are popular with offshore operators, and each new vessel benefits from our
ongoing improvements, innovations and enhancements via our customer’s feedback. Our experience
gained from our growing portfolio allows us to offer larger purpose-built vessels, delivering time and
cost savings over one off custom-designed vessels, for our customers and improve the vessel’s carbon
footprint through optimizing our designs. We look forward to working with Great Ocean and hope
that this vessel will be the first of many vessels for them.” Internally the vessel will feature a large
galley and mess areas with dry store catering for a large crew with extended operational endurance.
The passenger saloon offers 80 comfortable reclining seats arranged with either single or twin seats in
each row to provide additional space and privacy. The aft deck has a large clear area of 120m² with
deck strength of 2t/m². The vessel cargo fuel capacity is 70m³ and cargo freshwater capacity is 30m³
allowing for extended endurance operations at sea. Strategic Marine can also provide service and
maintenance, fabrication and engineering, marine logistics services and financial services and
solutions for its products – providing a complete turnkey, asset lifecycle solution for its clients. (PR)
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S KIPSKOMPETANSE D ESIGNS T HE C ONVERSION OF O FFSHO RE V ESSEL
FOR T AU T ECH
From Offshore vessel to
sustainable Shell harvesting
vessel. The shipowner has
looked at and assessed several
vessels in this process and
Skipskompetanse has together
with others contributed with
insights in this process, by
designing solutions and assess
potential vessels. – After Ocean
Duke was chosen, we have
prepared the necessary
arrangements, conversion
descriptions and will further
deliver the necessary drawings,
calculations and production
19/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
data for the conversion that will take place at the shipyard Fiskerstrand Verft. We are excited to
contribute to converting excess offshore tonnage to new use in sustainable fishing or harvesting, Per
Jørgen Silden, CEO at Skipskompetanse, says. Skipskompetanse has great experience with several
types of fishing vessels and the design of multi-combination vessels. However, this project is
particularly exciting since the fishing method is completely new and the equipment for handling has
been developed during the project. Given the equipment is still under development, there is no
definite answer as to how the vessel will be arranged. It requires a very close collaboration across all
suppliers to ensure a great product. – With this project, we hope to contribute to set a new standard
for sustainable shell harvesting across the globe, Silden says. – We have worked closely with
Skipskompetanse all the way back to choosing the right offshore vessel. It has been a long and
groundbreaking work to find the optimal way to adapt the vessel to a completely new fishing gear,
combined with traditional shell factory and freezer. We are very satisfied with the design and the
final concept, and we are very much looking forward to completing the detailed design together with
Skipskompetanse and start with the production, Øystein Tvedt from TAU Tech says. (Source:
Workboat365)
S AIL P LAN H ELPS H ARVEY G ULF C UT O FFSHORE V ESSEL E MI SSIONS
U.S. offshore vessel operator
Harvey Gulf International
Marine has signed an
agreement with SailPlan, the
maritime cleantech company
that reduces ship emissions,
to add SailPlan to its fleet.
SailPlan is an emissions
monitoring and optimization
platform that combines the
real-time engine, fuel, and
navigational data from vessels
with the weather, mapping,
infrastructure, and traffic
data to benchmark, optimize,
and report fleet emissions. According to Sailplan, Harvey Gulf has already seen quantifiable emissions
reductions beginning with the Harvey Power, a 310-foot Platform Supply Vessel. "The addition of
SailPlan makes the Harvey Power the first Platform Supply Vessel in North America to be equipped
with a real-time emissions optimization capability," the company said. The Harvey Power is designed
to run on Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), electric battery power, and ultra-low sulfur diesel. SailPlan
says its solution helps vessel operators benchmark, optimize, and report greenhouse gas emissions
from vessels in real-time, saving fuel, reducing emissions, and enabling provable NetZero operations.
"SailPlan will help Harvey Gulf benchmark its emissions in all three operating modes using real-
world data while optimizing engine load to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions. With
operations in the U.S. and Mexico, Harvey Gulf will begin the program by modernizing its LNG fleet
with SailPlan," the company said. "SailPlan is a groundbreaking innovation in sustainable vessel
operations," said Shane Guidry, Chief Executive Officer of Harvey Gulf. "Our goal is to become a
world-leading sustainable operator, and SailPlan's technology allows us to accurately measure and
reduce our fleet's emissions. We're able to provide the real-time metrics to our charterers that
demonstrate our ability to affordably run Net-Zero operations." (Source: MarineLink)
20/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
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S HEARWATER CO LLABORATES WITH N ORWEGIAN OPERATORS ON
SEISMIC SURVEY TECH
Norwegian offshore seismic
vessel player Shearwater
GeoServices has joined forces
with Equinor, Vår Energi and
Lundin Energy Norway to
accelerate the development and
commercialisation of a
sustainable marine vibratory
source technology to minimise
environmental footprint and
enhance data quality from
seismic data acquisition. This
project builds on the existing
technology cooperation between Shearwater, Equinor and the Norwegian Research Council, with
Vår Energi and Lundin Energy Norway now joining and ensuring funding and commitment for the
multi-year development. “The joint ambition is to acquire better quality seismic data, faster and with
low sound energy by harvesting the untapped potential of marine vibratory sources,” said Massimo
Virgilio, CTO of Shearwater GeoServices. “We are investing in this technology as a solution for the
energy transition enabling monitoring of carbon storage and efficient exploration and production of
energy.” Geophysical subsurface imaging uses sound energy to generate reflections from geological
formations below the ocean floor. According to Shearwater, by selecting only the necessary sound
frequencies and emitting gradually over time and space, marine vibroseis potentially allows optimal
signal strength and direction towards subsurface targets, enabling surveys to be shorted in duration
and with low sound emissions. “Equinor has supported this development for several years already, as
we believe this new source technology has potential to reduce the environmental impact of marine
seismic surveys further and to increase survey efficiency. With better control of the frequency, phase
and amplitude of the emitted signal, the new source should also provide an improvement in data
quality,” added Nick Ashton, Equinor VP of subsurface solutions technology development. (Source:
Splash24/7)
N-S EA CHARTERS D UTCH HYBRI D SURVEY AND ROV SUPPO RT VESSEL
N-Sea Group has signed a long-term vessel agreement with Geo Plus for the advanced DP1 hybrid
21/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
survey and ROV support vessel Geo Focus. N-Sea said the move comes as it had taken significant
steps through a plan of growth
by creating an environment for
future investments, strategic
partnerships, and long-term
client relationships. The 35-
meter long Geo Focus is one of
six vessels that N-Sea will have
under full management and
control. The company believes
that by having dedicated vessels
it is able to provide safer and
more efficient operations
through working with fully
committed and integrated teams. “I would like to congratulate and thank Geo Plus on this unique
opportunity, as it secures N-Sea’s position as one of the most diverse companies in the subsea solution
industry for clients to accomplish and succeed their growth ambitions, by creating a community of
entrepreneurship, knowledge, experience, and innovation,” said Arno van Poppel, CEO of N-Sea. Geo
Focus, built in 2012 by De Haas Maassluis, features a Kongsberg EM2040 MKII multibeam
(moonpool) and a Kongsberg EA 400 singlebeam (hull mounted). It has the capacity to accommodate
18 persons. The vessel’s high spec survey equipment is permanently installed, N-Sea said. (Source:
Offshore Energy)
MUSEUM NEWS
T OEN DE B EER HET IJS KWAM BREKEN
De Beer kwam voor het eerst
tevoorschijn in de winter van
1926. Uiteraard niet uit
winterslaap, maar van de werf
Piet Smit NV, waar stoomsleper
Siberië was ‘geboren’. En ‘De
Beer van Rotterdam’, zoals haar
bijnaam luidde, kon toen meteen
al de strijd aanbinden met Koning
Winter. In 1929, een winter die
nog een stuk kouder was dan die
van 1926, zou de sterkste sleper
van haar tijd (bijna 600 pk)
opnieuw het ijs gaan breken. De oude foto’s van de Siberië in actie als ijsbreker zijn indrukwekkend.
We zien de stoere stoomsleper zich een weg door het ijs beuken, soms samen met een groep andere
stoomslepers. Tussen grofweg 1880 en 1916 waren er flink wat koude winters geweest en dus is het
helemaal niet vreemd dat men rekening hield met koude winters en een boot als de Siberië al bij
nieuwbouw voorzag van een steven die geschikt was om ijs te breken. In die tijd was het tenslotte
vrij normaal dat eens in de zoveel jaar niet alleen de kanalen, maar ook rivieren dichtvroren. Het
volledige over deze bijzondere sleepboot kunt U HIER lezen in de nieuwsbrief van het Nationaal
Sleepvaart Museum
22/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
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WINDFARM NEWS - RENEWABLES
O PUS M ARINE IS GROWING WITH TWO NEW SHIPS IN A SIA
• Boats for the OPUS
Marine fleet on the way to the
new operational area in Taiwan
• “Valkyrie” and ”Wotan”
arrive at Greater Changhua wind
farm of company Orsted
Opus Marine GmbH, the offshore
transport service provider of
Zeitfracht group is currently
expanding its fleet with two new
crew transport vessels for projects
in Asia. The two CTVs are called
“Valkyrie” and “Wotan”, they will
sail under the Taiwanese flag for
their OPUS Taiwan subsidiary.
The two brand new crew boats were built at the Penguin shipyard in Singapore, based on the proven
Windflex-27 design. The new additions to the OPUS fleet for use in the Greater Changhua wind farm
are currently being transported on a heavylift carrier from the Singapore shipyard to the Taiwanese
port of Kaohsiung. (PR)
C HINA C ONNECTS 16.9 GW OF O FFSHORE W IND C APACITY TO G RID IN
2021
China connected 16.9 GW of offshore wind capacity to the grid in 2021, the latest data from the
country’s National Energy Administration has shown. Back in 2020, China installed then record
3,060 MW of new offshore wind capacity, reaching 9,898 MW of installed capacity at the end of that
year. China thus had 26,798 MW of connected offshore wind capacity at the end of 2021, a 171 per
cent increase compared to the end of 2020. China is now firmly in the first place in terms of both
installed and connected capacity and has more than doubled the gap between the now second-placed
UK which had 10,206 MW of installed offshore wind capacity at the end 2020. The country has also
nearly doubled the installed offshore wind capacity globally, which stood at 35.3 GW at the end of
23/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
2020. Judging by the numbers that we currently have available, there was 52.2 GW of installed and
connected offshore wind
capacity worldwide, with more
than half of it located in
Chinese waters. This number is
bound to be adjusted upwards
as the capacity installed in 2021
in Europe and other markets is
added to the mix. December
2021 was particularly busy
offshore China, especially for
China Three Gorges which
connected 3.1 GW of offshore
wind capacity in a single day on
25 December. Developers had
raced to connect all this new
capacity to the grid in order to meet China’s Feed-in-Tariff deadline which expired on 31 December.
(Source: Offshore Wind)
DREDGING NEWS
A GGREGATE DREDGER H ANSON T HAMES MAKES ITS FIRST DELI VERY
Port of London Authority
(PLA) has just released these
beautiful photo of the new
dredger Hanson Thames
alongside the Dagenham
terminal. The marine
aggregate dredger, built at
Damen Shipyards in
Romania, arrived safely in
the UK last month and
already entered in active
service. The dredger
completed its first delivery of
sand and gravel to Dagenham
Wharf today. “She will be an
integral part of Hanson Aggs.
S.E. team supplying part of
our construction materials offering in 2022,” said Piers Nickson, Hanson Aggregates Area Operations
Manager. Aided by a number of special features specific to its innovative design, including a 1,400
kW permanent magnet electric motor which powers the dredge pump, the vessel is able to dredge
aggregates at -55m. The new dredger also features a dry unloading system built by Damen’s partner
PLM Cranes BV. According to Damen, the Hanson Thames design achieves the optimal balance
between payload and efficiency within limited dimensions and is ideally suited to operating within
the dimensions of Shoreham lock on the English south coast. (Source: Dredging Today)
24/3423RD VOLUME, NO. 06 DATED 26 JANUARY 2022
Advertisement
D REDGING OF THE Ś WINOUJŚCIE -S ZCZECI N FAIRWAY COMPLETED IN
NEARLY 98%.
The progress of work on
deepening the Świnoujście-
Szczecin fairway to 12.5 m can
be estimated at 97-98 percent -
Wojciech Zdanowicz, director of
the Maritime Office in Szczecin,
told PAP. He added that the
works are going according to the
schedule and the investment
completion date - March 28 - is
not in danger. We have
completed the works related to
the dredging of the fairway, and
at the moment acceptance works
are underway. We are doing a survey to see if this depth is really 12.5 meters - and I can say that the
track we started on is this depth. We will continue to check it very carefully - said in an interview
with PAP the director of the Maritime Office in Szczecin Wojciech Zdanowicz. He added that "in
material and financial terms, the advancement of works can be defined at 97-98 percent. This is
almost the end of the investment". Two islands were created from the excavated material selected
during the dredging of the track, on the 22nd and 28th kilometer of the fairway, with a diameter of
approx. 1.3 km and approx. 1.8 km, respectively. One of them, W22 (in the competition of the
Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation in 2020, the name Brysna was selected for it),
is to be a bird habitat. The works have been fully completed, the island is covered with a stone rip-
rap, a marina for small inspection units has already been built, and all plantings have been made -
explained the director of the Medical University. He also added that on the second island, W28
(named Śmięcka), the stone rip-rap ends. It will be an active silting field, so we will have space there
for the next 30-40 years to deposit spoil from the fairway maintenance. Currently, it has a rather
characteristic shape - it resembles an atoll, there is a lot of free space inside - said Zdanowicz . Recent
works are also underway in the area of the Orla Przesmyk strait in Szczecin, where the escarpment of
Ostrów Grabowski is being strengthened. According to Zdanowicz, the final installations and
commissioning of additional systems are also underway - ship positioning and new hydro-meteo
sensors. The deadline for completion of the investment - March 28 - does not seem in any way
endangered. According to the contract, after this date there are two more months to obtain permits
for the use of individual elements - he said. He emphasized that before ships with greater draft could
enter the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway, it would be necessary to adjust the quays. The Maritime
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