Two Norwegian companies in approval phase to use hydrogen fuel on ships

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 18 November 2019 18 November 2019

The Norwegian shipbuilding and maritime technology group Havyard and its partner Norwegian Electric Systems have entered approval phase in a project aimed to enable the use of hydrogen to power large ships, Havyard said in a statement.

The two companies have contracted Linde Engineering, a German company, to supply the tanks and PowerCell Sweden to supply the fuel cells.

“The agreement entails that the Havyard companies, together with PowerCell and Linde, will design a hydrogen solution and take the first step towards certification. This solution will be offered to Havila Kystruten for retrofitting,” Havyard said in a statement.

Havila Kystruten has two 15,800 gross ton ships on order at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey and similar two at the Barreras yard in Spain. They are intened to operate a passenger and freight service along the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes.

“This encourages us to have a comprehensive solution in mind from the start. We will deliver a system that is safe, that takes up little space, that is easy to retrofit and, of course, that does the job.

The development of the hydrogen system is part of a PilotE project in which the Havyard companies and the research institutions Sintef and Prototech are working together, Havyard noted.

 

 

Losses on electric ferries add to Havyard Ship Technology woes

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 18 November 2019 18 November 2019

Losses on four electric ferries for domestic operator Fjord 1 are adding to the woes of Havyard Ship Technology (HST), the shipbuilding unit of the listed Norwegian shipbuilding and maritime technology group Havyard ASA (HGR).

“In connection with the review of updated project forecasts for HST's vessels under construction, as well as an overall assessment of HST's financial position, the respective Boards of Directors of HGR and HST have noted further losses on the projects with hull no. 131 and 135, and now also for hull no. 141-145. As a result, HST's equity is lost and furthermore, there are now also breach of covenants as of Q3 2019,” Havyard said. The hulls number 131 and 135 are not passenger vessels.

“As a consequence of the above, meetings have been held with banks and guarantors to ensure completion of ongoing projects at HST. Furthermore, a dialogue will immediately be initiated with customers and suppliers where the aim is to ensure outfitting of projects under completion at HST, and to find satisfactory solutions for other projects,” Havyard continued.

“Work on continued operations will be maintained on a secured basis (cash settlement or bank guarantee), so that the creditor's current positions will not deteriorated. For debts accrued as of today, the Board of Directors of HST has introduced a payment suspension until further clarifications has been made.”

“As part of the further work, an analysis will also be made of the consequences that the loss of equity in HST will have for the consolidated Group, which is expected to be reported when presenting the accounts for Q3 2019,’ Havyard stated.

Victory Cruise Lines reports successful inaugural season

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 16 November 2019 16 November 2019

Victory Cruise Lines has announced the success of its inaugural season under the management of the American Queen Steamboat Company. Committed to small-ship cruising on the Great Lakes, North American and Canadian coasts, Victory Cruise Lines transported nearly 5,500 guests thus far on the identical 202-passenger Victory I and Victory II.

Operated by American Queen Steamboat Company, a leader in U.S. river cruising, Victory Cruise Lines’ inaugural season ran from May 2019 through October 2019 with itineraries on the Great Lakes, as well as New England and Canadian Maritimes. The 2019 season featured 35 total cruises with 19 on the Victory I and 16 on the Victory II. Of those 35 sailings, 25 featured an occupancy of at least 80%, 12 of which were completely sold out.

In addition, the customer ratings for both the Victory I and the Victory II have been incredibly positive. Both vessels entered the fourth quarter of the season with satisfaction ratings trending upwards to 9.10. Scores for friendly and hospitable staff averaged 9.75 across both vessels, with the Victory II receiving a high score of 9.96. The cuisine and accommodations for both vessels averaged at a solid 9 throughout the season, and shore excursions secured high praise from guests for the richness and variety of experiences and locations featured in each itinerary.

“We are thrilled with the success of our first season managing Victory Cruise Lines” shares John Waggoner, Founder and CEO of American Queen Steamboat Company. “We look forward to continuing to grow and expand our offerings with the same authenticity and passion for service that exists across our fleet of riverboats as we look to the 2020 season.”

New for 2020, Victory Cruise Lines will offer new itineraries to the American Southeast, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica and Panama. For the 2020 voyages on the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritimes and coastal New England, guests will also have the opportunity to select from new itineraries and a number of premium shore excursion upgrades, including pre- and post-cruise stays. The 2020 season is scheduled to begin March 29 and extend through December. In addition, Victory Cruise Lines will also unveil new itineraries for the currently under-construction Ocean Victory, which will offer expedition cruising in Alaska for the 2021 season.

Mystic Cruises first to use hydrojets on cruise ships

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 15 November 2019 15 November 2019

World Explorer is the first cruise ship to employ hydrojet technology to bring guests closer to marine wildlife by minimizing underwater noise. A technology initially developed for naval warships, the two onboard Schottel SPJ 82 Pump Jets can propel World Explorer at a near-silent cruising speed of five knots without scaring sea life away. Sailing under the Mystic Cruises brand, World Explorer – and sister-ship World Voyager, launching in 2020 – incorporates the hydrojet drive among many innovations that help maximize safety and minimize the ship’s environmental impact when bringing guests to some of the world’s most remote and captivating destinations.

Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Navigator, launching in 2021, also will be equipped with the innovative propulsion system and other innovative technologies. Atlas Ocean Voyages is the distributor of Mystic Cruises in North America and both are subsidiaries of Mystic Invest Holding.

“Our goal is to build one of the cleanest, safest and quietest ships in our category,” said Mário Ferreira, Chairman of Mystic Invest Holding. “We designed our cruise ships to bring our guests closer to and experience more of a destination, while ensuring that we do our part to help sustain these unparalleled places so we can bring future generations to enjoy them too.”

Unlike propellers, hydrojets diminish vibrations and cavitation and significantly decreases underwater noise. Sea life is highly sensitive to noise – which travels farther and louder in water – and tends to scatter when they hear propeller-only, propulsion ships. Each hydrojet pumps water in and out to produce drive and, like Azipods, can be directed 360 degrees in order to navigate the ship along pristine shorelines or dynamically position by GPS without the use of the ship’s twin four-blade propellers. For a video about how the Schottel SPJ Pump Jet works, please visit https://www.schottel.de/marine-propulsion/spj-pump-jet/.

In some destinations, guests will enjoy the thrill of wet landings aboard one of 18 custom-designed Zodiac MilPro Mark V inflatable boats. To ensure safer gasoline containment, each Zodiac is constructed with a special, reinforced bow chest that accommodates a larger-capacity gasoline bladder to deliver more than three times the average operational range. Each Zodiac also features 12 anti-skid panels – four more than average – to ensure safer guest embarking and disembarking anywhere along the buoyancy tube. Furthermore, World Explorer and her sister ships are designed with an onboard gasoline storage and pumping system that make Zodiac fueling operations even safer.

Conservation is also top of mind. Still and sparkling water in refillable glass bottles are delivered daily to staterooms and suites. Single-use plastics in forms of straws, cups, stirrers, etc. will not be offered and waste that cannot be repurposed or reclaimed will be stored in a dedicated and refrigerated hold for landing with a responsible handler in port.

As previously announced, FarSounder’s Forward-looking Sonar are installed at the front of the 1B-Ice Class certified hulls to ensure safe navigation through harbors, rivers, and ice fields. Each ship is also equipped with two C25:33L8P main engines and a Bergen C25:33L6P auxiliary dual generator. These connect to a low voltage AFE “SAVeCUBE” power electric system, which provides maximum fuel efficiency while operating at variable speeds and consumes as low as one-fifth the marine diesel oil compared to conventional engines.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is a Luxe Adventure cruise brand that is creating a community of new world explorers by delivering authentic and thrill-seeking, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the world’s most sought-after and remote destinations. Opening for reservation in Jan. 2020, the company’s first ship, World Navigator, will start sailing exciting itineraries in 2021. Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Navigator will be joined by sister-ships World Traveller, World Adventurer, and World Seeker in 2022 and 2023.