Maritime Safety News Archives - SHIP IP LTD

PUBLISHED SEP 20, 2021 1:44 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

CMA CGM issued a brief statement today to customers confirming that the French shipping company has again experienced a data breach. In the written statement, the company sought to downplay the significance of the breach and reassure customers after rumors of a second significant breach in the company’s systems in a year.

“We wish to inform you that a leak of data on limited customer information has been detected during our surveillance operations,” CMA CGM wrote. The scope of the breach was reported to include individual customers’ names, their employer’s name and their position in the company, as well as email addresses and phone numbers.

CMA CGM sought to minimize the reports of damage telling customers that its engineers had discovered the security issues. They said that their teams “have immediately developed and installed security patches.”

Reports, however, said that the hackers were threatening a large release of data as a means of demonstrating the carelessness of corporations at protecting customer data and privacy.

The carrier assured customers that there has been no operational impact from the current data breach. This is in contrast to an attack in September 2020. CMA CGM was a target of a ransomware attack which the company initially said was isolated to regional servers but force multiple applications offline.  The bookings, tracking, route finder, pricing, and invoicing systems were all unavailable and it took the company two weeks to recover.

The shipping industry continues to be a frequent target of cyberattacks. In March 2021, Japan’s K Line reported a large-scale ransomware attack that took its system offline. The phased recovery took more than a month to complete and then less than three months’ later K Line was again apologizing for a second data breach. HMM also reported a breach of its email system in June 2021.

The attacks also have not been limited to carriers. South Africa’s Transnet was the target of a large-scale ransomware attack earlier this year that interrupted operations at the country’s major ports. Transnet’s port terminal system was crippled forcing the company to resort to manual systems and to take the unusual step of declaring force majeure due to the scope of the interruptions.
 

SOURCE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/cma-cgm-confirms-reports-of-customer-data-breach

PUBLISHED SEP 20, 2021 3:01 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Light Structures AS, a supplier of hull stress monitoring systems, is rolling out a novel application of its sophisticated technology. Its fiber-optic systems provide onboard hull stress status to navigators on the bridge, allowing them to make decisions in real time about the forces on the vessel’s structure. This technology can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard’s fast response cutters, the U.S. Navy’s aluminum-hulled fast transport USNS Spearhead, and hundreds of tankers, LNG carriers and cargo vessels belonging to some of the industry’s top shipping companies.

On Monday, Light Structures announced that it will be rolling out a new version of its system on the world’s first offshore fish farm. SalMar’s Ocean Farm 1, a pilot facility off the west coast of Norway, is a cylindrical net enclosure built out of large-diameter steel tubing. It has the appearance of an offshore installation, and it was designed to comply with the same industry-standard structural requirements. After construction at CSIC’s yard in Qingdao, it was installed offshore in Frohavet, the semi-enclosed area between Norway’s Froan archipelago and the Trondelag county mainland.

According to SalMar, initial results from the facility are promising. The firm wants to expand on the project with similar installations off Norway’s coast, permit approvals allowing, and (eventually) with new partnerships overseas. It announced last month that it has reached an agreement with Norwegian offshore company Aker ASA to start a global offshore aquaculture venture, SalMar Aker Ocean AS, drawing on both companies’ digital capabilities and technology.

That technology now includes stress monitoring for SalMar’s novel offshore structure. The new stress information obtained by the monitoring system will be analyzed by class society DNV, and it will help inform the company’s ambitious plans for future developments.

In order to gather precise structural stress and fatigue data, SalMar contracted with Light Structures to design and install a fiber-optic monitoring system on Ocean Farm 1 in August 2021. The decision to use Light Structures’ equpment – rather than traditional electro-mechanical monitoring – was driven by the accuracy, dependability and adaptability of the technology, SalMar said.

Delivery is scheduled for the end of September, with installation completed by early October. No hot work will be required, according to Light Structures.

“We’re confident that precise structural stress and fatigue measurement by Light Structures will provide a significant contribution to the development of structural modifications and alternative offshore fish farm designs,” said Bjørn Erik Pedersen, project manager for SalMar.

SOURCE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/hull-monitoring-data-will-inform-design-of-first-offshore-fish-farms

PUBLISHED SEP 18, 2021 3:14 AM BY GEMINI NEWS

[By Anne Sliper Midling]

It is infinitely beautiful below the ocean’s surface. So beautiful that every year some divers are tempted to go a little too deep and stay there a little too long.

Decompression sickness (DCS) has been a known condition for more than a century. The disease – sometimes referred to as the bends – occurs when a diver returns to the surface too fast.

Gas bubbles form in the blood and tissues due to decreasing water pressure in the ascent. Some divers become paralyzed for life. Others get skin rashes or a little pain in their joints. The condition can be fatal.

No medical test is available that can reveal whether you have the disease or not. Until now. The discovery is the first step in developing a blood test that can make it easier to check if someone has DCS.

A hazard for adventurous recreational divers

To date, diagnosis and treatment are based only on symptoms. No one really knows when the treatment is good enough.

“Decompression sickness often occurs in adventurous recreational divers,” says Ingrid Eftedal, a senior scientist at NTNU’s Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging. She is one of Norway’s few experts on what happens to the human body under water.

Until now, researchers haven’t managed to describe in detail the biological changes that occur in DCS. Now Eftedal and a team from Malta have made a major breakthrough.

“DCS is simply the immune system going crazy and causing an inflammatory condition in the body,” says Eftedal.

Decompression sickness occurs when you come up too fast from a dive. Gas bubbles form in the blood and tissues due to the reduced pressure. The white dots in the image are gas bubbles in the heart. Photo: Andreas Møllerløkken / NTNU

The team’s findings have been published in Frontiers in Physiology, and their study is the first to describe all the changes in genetic activity in the blood of divers with the condition.

A major finding was that the white blood cell activity of the innate immune system became strongly activated. These blood cells are the first line of defence in the body’s immune system, and their activation causes inflammation in divers who are afflicted. The finding could make it possible to develop a blood test that can diagnose the disease.

“Then we’ll be able to catch people who have a mild variant of DCS, and we’ll also be able to check when they’ve completed treatment,” says Eftedal.

Today, only a few Norwegian hospitals have solid DCS expertise. If you become ill in Trondheim, for example, you would need to be flown to Bergen to receive treatment in a pressure chamber where you breathe oxygen at high pressure.

A blood test would make it easier to make a definite diagnosis early.

Following the divers

Over the years, scuba divers have learned to reduce the risk of DCS with controlled ascents from the depths.

Very few people are diagnosed with DCS in Norway. Approximately five people each year in Central Norway receive treatment in a pressure chamber. The unreported numbers are probably much larger.

The low number means has made it difficult to study the condition. It is almost impossible to know where and when a patient is admitted with the condition, and thus equally impossible to obtain a large enough number of samples taken at the same time.

The solution lay in Malta. High numbers of recreational divers come there every year to explore the beautiful wrecks from the country’s long history of European and Arab conquests. The same thing happens every year: 50 to 100 divers go a little too deep, and stay there a little too long.

Doctors in Malta have a lot of experience with DCS and were very interested in collaborating with Eftedal and the research team at the University of Malta.

Together, the team took blood samples from divers who had been diagnosed with DCS and divers who had completed a dive without developing the condition.

The researchers took the blood samples at two different times: within eight hours after the divers came out of the water and 48 hours afterwards, when the divers with DCS had undergone treatment in a pressure chamber. They performed RNA sequencing analysis to measure changes in the gene expression in white blood cells.

The study showed that DCS activates some of the most primitive body defence mechanisms carried out by certain white blood cells.

“In the case of decompression sickness, something happens that’s reminiscent of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis. The immune system misunderstands. It’s conceivable that future treatment could also involve immunoregulatory drugs,” says Eftedal.

An earlier survey by Eftedal of healthy, experienced divers who regularly do recreational diving likewise showed changes in the activity of white blood cells during diving, even when the divers did not feel any discomfort or show symptoms of DCS.

This article appears courtesy of Gemini News and may be found in its original form here. 

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/study-decompression-sickness-may-be-caused-by-faulty-immune-response

PUBLISHED SEP 20, 2021 3:12 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Turkish authorities provided assistance to two Marshall Island registered bulkers that collided near the Dardanelles, a vital seaway leading from the Aegean to the Sea of Marmara. Both vessels reported damage but remained afloat and there were no injuries reported to the crew.

The Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said that it received the report of the collision shortly before 2:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, September 18. One bulker, the Danish-owned Clipper Como, reported significant damage requesting assistance. The 11-year-old bulker (37,300 dwt) reported that is listing between 5 and 10 degrees to port and down at the bow after sustaining a midship impact in the area of its number two hold. The vessel, which measures 623 feet in length, was carrying a load of raw phosphate stone from Morocco to the Turkish port of Samsun on the Black Sea.

Damage to the Clipper Como (DGM)

The other vessel, the 20-year-old Greek-owned Levantes reported damage to its forepeak tank. The 76,015 dwt vessel told the Turkish authorities that it was managing the intake of water with the ship’s pumps. The Levantes was outbound from Russia bound for Egypt loaded with 66,000 MT of wheat.

A rescue boat and two tugboats were dispatched to provide assistance and a Turkish Navy corvette also diverted to the scene of the collision. The Levantes was able to proceed to a nearby anchorage and later the Clipper Como was also moved to an anchorage. Divers conducted an underwater survey and reported that neither vessel was in danger of sinking.

Turkish authorities are investigating for possible pollution. They also reported that the Clipper Como suffered a loss of cargo, but the stone was not hazardous.

Current AIS data shows that the Levantes was permitted to depart and is heading to Greece where it will undergo repairs. Turkish authorities reported that they had been prepared to evacuate the Clipper Como and now that the vessel has been determined to be stable, they are looking at the possibility of offloading at least a portion of its cargo.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

(KEGM photos)

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https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/bulkers-damaged-in-collision-off-turkey

Mercy Ships is known globally for its charitable work performing medical procedures in developing countries. For the first time, the organization has a new ship, Global Mercy, recently delivered from a shipyard in China. Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant, Mercy Ships takes Maritime Reporter & Engineering News inside the construction of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.

Jim Paterson already had a career and Chief Engineer’s Certificate when he joined Mercy Ships nearly 34 years ago, in search of a life change to make a difference. “I sailed commercially for a few years and traveled the world and saw some really sad spots,” said Paterson. “I remember being up the river in Guayaquil in Ecuador and there were people begging for food … they were just so hungry. I got to know my minister back home, and I said, ‘This world just seems a mess. What can I do to make a difference?’”

His minister encouraged him to join an organization where he could leverage his marine engineer skills, which is how he found Mercy Ships. “We had Anastasis, our first ship, and I made an application. I thought we would do two years and go back home again … but here we are 34 years later.”

Paterson and his growing family spent eight years onboard ship, but “as the kids grew and the cabins weren’t getting any bigger,” he came ashore and made home in East Texas by the Mercy Ships headquarters, effectively starting the Mercy Ships Marine Operations Department.
“Prior to that, we did everything from the ship itself: we organized the dry dock, spare parts, everything. It was quite complicated back then, as there wasn’t email; we had to do everything by fax. It was much easier once we established the marine operations department here. With the introduction of the ISM Code, it was actually about to become a requirement.”

With Anastasis approaching the end of its service life, the organization found itself in need of a new ship. After much searching and inspecting various secondhand tonnage, it opted to convert a retired Danish rail ferry ship in the U.K. “The conversion took longer than expected, and we put that ship (Africa Mercy) into service in 2007; but we had already started to dream about another ship,” said Paterson. Living through the pitfalls of a conversion project, the organization started exploring a newbuild, and 2010 the decision was taken by the board to pursue new construction. “We weren’t used to building new ships, our broker friend Gilbert Walter from BRS introduced us to Stena RoRo, who had experience building ships,” said Paterson. So in partnership with Stena RoRo, a Tender Package was prepared and a bid package was sent out by BRS to 12 globally, with Tianjin Shipyard in Tianjin, China, emerging the winner to build the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.

Global Mercy is 174 meters long with a 28.6 meter beam and a 6.4 meter maximum draft, which allows it to go into quite a wide number of ports and not take up too much space. Photo courtesy Mercy ShipsInside Global Mercy

Today Mercy Ships has one operational ship, with the new ship on its way to becoming operational, enroute from China to Europe. “The ship is complete in all respects,” said Paterson, “but the hospital itself still needs to be fitted up and made to work.” Building the ship in China during a global pandemic didn’t help to make the process more efficient, so Paterson said there remains some work to finish the ship’s IT systems. “There’s a lot of work still to do, but once the ship comes online and works with Africa Mercy, we will more than double the impact of Mercy Ships delivering healthcare services to the countries that need it most, and primarily those that happen to be in West Africa.”

In designing the new ship, the first consideration was size, both to accommodate the needed crew, staff and medical facilities, but also a ship that wasn’t too big, as it is usually on scene for up to 10 months at a time, and many of the African ports are still developing, space constrained and extremely busy.

“So the ship is 174 meters long with a 28.6 meter beam and a 6.4 meter maximum draft, which allows it to go into quite a wide number of ports and not take up too much space,” said Paterson. With 12 decks and a gross tonnage of approximately 38,000, “it’s a big volume and a relatively short length” which allows for a 7,000-square-meter hospital including six operating rooms and 202 beds total, which includes 90 “low care beds for pre- and post-op that don’t need nursing care.”

“The ship is diesel electric (4 x Wärtsilä 6L32s, just under 3MW) because we spend such a long time tied up alongside, we want to maximize the installed power plant, so we rotate the generators through on a regular basis,” said Paterson. Designed by DeltaMarin in Finland, the ship uses ABB pods for propulsion for a 12-knot service speed.

“The amount of fuel that we use to push the ship through the water is quite small. The biggest electrical load actually is the air conditioning, and the air conditioning is probably the most complex part of the ship,” said Paterson. “We used Trident to do the design of the air conditioning and also the commissioning. The HVAC equipment is primarily comprised of four York Centrifugal Chiller Units and Flakt Woods Air Handlers. Airflow in the hospital is quite difficult, and also keeping it as energy efficient as possible with 100% fresh air. That took a lot of effort from Trident commissioning engineers.”

“But otherwise, the ship is pretty much like any passenger ship/RoRo ferry in terms of the construction; nothing too complicated,” said Paterson. “We do have quite a sophisticated waste management system on board, of course. We’ve got an advanced membrane reactor for treating the sewage produced by EVAC. The rest of the dry waste processing plant came from a variety of sources all integrated by the EVAC team. When operating properly the discharge should be fresh water and ash from the incinerator. One of our biggest challenges in the ports we go to is fresh potable water, because we’re sitting there for so long. We have to rely usually on water supply from the shore, sometimes not a problem, sometimes it can be a struggle. So we’re looking at how can we put a water maker on board that will actually make water from harbor water, and that’s easier said than done. We do collect, treat and filter the condensate water from the Air Handlers and use it for technical water such as laundry water.”

In terms of fuel for the ship, ultra low sulfur diesel was the choice, as alternatives such as LNG were not an option premised on the ship’s area of operation and fuel availability. “One of our biggest challenges at the moment is availability of some of these alternative fuels. In West Africa there’s not a lot to choose from, so we’re stuck with diesel for the time being. But the ship can burn different fuels, and in the future (fuel selection) may change.”

Other technical features include sophisticated self-tensioning winches to hold the ship steady for operations, and two large cranes capable of lifting 31 tons for lifting supplies on and off. “We send a couple of containers every month to keep the hospital going, and of course supply food, too.”
Aside from the challenges presented by COVID, Paterson said the newbuild process proceeded relatively smoothly, particularly given that this was the largest civilian hospital ship of international class ever built. “We were blessed to have a senior surveyor from Lloyd’s Register who had quite a bit of welding experience, and he actually taught the shipyard how to weld thin plate without buckling it,” said Paterson. “So the shipyard was grateful for that, and after the first couple of blocks, I’ve heard people comment, ‘You couldn’t get blocks better than this in Europe.’”
One hurdle to overcome early was the ‘Safe Return to Port’ mandate, “which actually set us back quite a bit on the design period. The safe return to port says you have to have an advised speed of 6 knots in Beaufort force eight if you lose half your propulsion. Well, if you only have 12 knots to start with and you’re trying to do six knots at Beaufort force eight, that’s quite a challenge.

Working with the designers, the shipyard, the flag state (Malta) and LR, the ABB pods ended up as the game changer as steering the ship at slower speeds in rough conditions was achievable. “You can steer a ship, basically, just over zero knots with podded propulsion,” said Paterson. “So once the shipyard got comfortable with that, we moved ahead. During the tank tests, she was doing six knots on one pod no problem. At sea trials, although the design speed is 12 knots, we actually were sailing along at 16 knots at one point. So she far outperformed her design.”

The Volunteer Model: The Global Mercy will be operated by a full crew complement of *650+ skilled crew of mariners, medical professionals, galley staff, teachers, and many other professions with two things in common – they love the mission of Mercy Ships and they’re volunteering their time.  In fact, it is this volunteer model that has allowed for Mercy Ships to deliver free healthcare services for more than 40 years.  With the addition of the Global Mercy to the Mercy Ships fleet of hospital ships, the need for volunteers to join the Mercy Ships family will continue to grow.  Explore and learn more by visiting https://opportunities.mercyships.org/
Photo courtesy Mercy Ships

Global Mercy Equipment List
Ship Name: Global Mercy
Ship Type:  Hospital Ship
Ship Builder:  Tianjin Xingang Shipyard
Material: Steel
Ship Owner: Mercy Ships
Ship Operator: Mercy Ships
Ship Designer: Deltamarin
Delivery Date:  June 16, 2021
Classification:  Passenger Ship
Main Particulars

Length, (o.a.): 174 m
Length, (b.p.): 167 m
Breadth, (molded): 28.6 m
Depth, (molded): 9.5 m
Draft, (designed): 6.1 m
Draft, (scantling):6.4 m
DWT (at design draft): 6,523
Speed: 12 knots service, 14 knots top speed
Fuel Type: HFO // MGO
Main engines: 2 x ABB Azipod CO1400L 4 blades 3.8m diameter propulsion units
Total installed power: 4 x2, 880kW
Bow Thrusters: 1 x Berg 1500kW
Propellers: 2 x ABB Azipod CO1400L 4 blades 3.8m diameter propulsion units
Diesel Generators: 4 x Wartsila 6L32 2,880kW each driving ABB Alternators 690V 60Hz
Engine controls: Kongsberg
Radars: Furuno x2 FAR2127; x1 FAR3000
Depth Sounders: Furuno FE-800
Auto Pilot: Keiki PR-9000-E
Radios: Furuno SSB FS 2575C;  x2 Furuno VHF FM-8900S
AIS: Furuno x2 FA-170
GPS: Furuno x3 GP170
GMDSS: Furuno x2 Felcom 18, 1 Felcom 19,
SatCom: Furuno FB-8000
Mooring equipment: MacGregor x5 mooring winches  200EW, MacGregor x2 anchor windlass/mooring winch
Fire extinguishing systems: SEMCO. Watermist system.
Fire detection system: Consilium
Heat exchangers: Alfa Laval, Heatmaster
Motor starters: Vacon, ABB Variable Frequency Drives
Lifeboats: Palfinger x2 130 Person plus Palfinger 2 x 70 person combined Lifeboat Rescue Boat
Liferafts: Viking x 10 25 Person inflatables
Coatings: Jotun
Ballast Water Management System: Headway
Deck Cranes KGW x2 with two hooks 31T and 5T
Stores and Passenger elevators (6) Kone
Hospital equipment  Phillips Cat Scan, Steris washer disinfectors/sterilizers, etc.

SOURCE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

https://www.marinelink.com/news/supply-chain-shocks-ocean-shipping-490724

Mercy Ships is known globally for its charitable work performing medical procedures in developing countries. For the first time, the organization has a new ship, Global Mercy, recently delivered from a shipyard in China. Jim Paterson, Marine Executive Consultant, Mercy Ships takes Maritime Reporter & Engineering News inside the construction of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.

Jim Paterson already had a career and Chief Engineer’s Certificate when he joined Mercy Ships nearly 34 years ago, in search of a life change to make a difference. “I sailed commercially for a few years and traveled the world and saw some really sad spots,” said Paterson. “I remember being up the river in Guayaquil in Ecuador and there were people begging for food … they were just so hungry. I got to know my minister back home, and I said, ‘This world just seems a mess. What can I do to make a difference?’”

His minister encouraged him to join an organization where he could leverage his marine engineer skills, which is how he found Mercy Ships. “We had Anastasis, our first ship, and I made an application. I thought we would do two years and go back home again … but here we are 34 years later.”

Paterson and his growing family spent eight years onboard ship, but “as the kids grew and the cabins weren’t getting any bigger,” he came ashore and made home in East Texas by the Mercy Ships headquarters, effectively starting the Mercy Ships Marine Operations Department.
“Prior to that, we did everything from the ship itself: we organized the dry dock, spare parts, everything. It was quite complicated back then, as there wasn’t email; we had to do everything by fax. It was much easier once we established the marine operations department here. With the introduction of the ISM Code, it was actually about to become a requirement.”

With Anastasis approaching the end of its service life, the organization found itself in need of a new ship. After much searching and inspecting various secondhand tonnage, it opted to convert a retired Danish rail ferry ship in the U.K. “The conversion took longer than expected, and we put that ship (Africa Mercy) into service in 2007; but we had already started to dream about another ship,” said Paterson. Living through the pitfalls of a conversion project, the organization started exploring a newbuild, and 2010 the decision was taken by the board to pursue new construction. “We weren’t used to building new ships, our broker friend Gilbert Walter from BRS introduced us to Stena RoRo, who had experience building ships,” said Paterson. So in partnership with Stena RoRo, a Tender Package was prepared and a bid package was sent out by BRS to 12 globally, with Tianjin Shipyard in Tianjin, China, emerging the winner to build the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.

Global Mercy is 174 meters long with a 28.6 meter beam and a 6.4 meter maximum draft, which allows it to go into quite a wide number of ports and not take up too much space. Photo courtesy Mercy ShipsInside Global Mercy

Today Mercy Ships has one operational ship, with the new ship on its way to becoming operational, enroute from China to Europe. “The ship is complete in all respects,” said Paterson, “but the hospital itself still needs to be fitted up and made to work.” Building the ship in China during a global pandemic didn’t help to make the process more efficient, so Paterson said there remains some work to finish the ship’s IT systems. “There’s a lot of work still to do, but once the ship comes online and works with Africa Mercy, we will more than double the impact of Mercy Ships delivering healthcare services to the countries that need it most, and primarily those that happen to be in West Africa.”

In designing the new ship, the first consideration was size, both to accommodate the needed crew, staff and medical facilities, but also a ship that wasn’t too big, as it is usually on scene for up to 10 months at a time, and many of the African ports are still developing, space constrained and extremely busy.

“So the ship is 174 meters long with a 28.6 meter beam and a 6.4 meter maximum draft, which allows it to go into quite a wide number of ports and not take up too much space,” said Paterson. With 12 decks and a gross tonnage of approximately 38,000, “it’s a big volume and a relatively short length” which allows for a 7,000-square-meter hospital including six operating rooms and 202 beds total, which includes 90 “low care beds for pre- and post-op that don’t need nursing care.”

“The ship is diesel electric (4 x Wärtsilä 6L32s, just under 3MW) because we spend such a long time tied up alongside, we want to maximize the installed power plant, so we rotate the generators through on a regular basis,” said Paterson. Designed by DeltaMarin in Finland, the ship uses ABB pods for propulsion for a 12-knot service speed.

“The amount of fuel that we use to push the ship through the water is quite small. The biggest electrical load actually is the air conditioning, and the air conditioning is probably the most complex part of the ship,” said Paterson. “We used Trident to do the design of the air conditioning and also the commissioning. The HVAC equipment is primarily comprised of four York Centrifugal Chiller Units and Flakt Woods Air Handlers. Airflow in the hospital is quite difficult, and also keeping it as energy efficient as possible with 100% fresh air. That took a lot of effort from Trident commissioning engineers.”

“But otherwise, the ship is pretty much like any passenger ship/RoRo ferry in terms of the construction; nothing too complicated,” said Paterson. “We do have quite a sophisticated waste management system on board, of course. We’ve got an advanced membrane reactor for treating the sewage produced by EVAC. The rest of the dry waste processing plant came from a variety of sources all integrated by the EVAC team. When operating properly the discharge should be fresh water and ash from the incinerator. One of our biggest challenges in the ports we go to is fresh potable water, because we’re sitting there for so long. We have to rely usually on water supply from the shore, sometimes not a problem, sometimes it can be a struggle. So we’re looking at how can we put a water maker on board that will actually make water from harbor water, and that’s easier said than done. We do collect, treat and filter the condensate water from the Air Handlers and use it for technical water such as laundry water.”

In terms of fuel for the ship, ultra low sulfur diesel was the choice, as alternatives such as LNG were not an option premised on the ship’s area of operation and fuel availability. “One of our biggest challenges at the moment is availability of some of these alternative fuels. In West Africa there’s not a lot to choose from, so we’re stuck with diesel for the time being. But the ship can burn different fuels, and in the future (fuel selection) may change.”

Other technical features include sophisticated self-tensioning winches to hold the ship steady for operations, and two large cranes capable of lifting 31 tons for lifting supplies on and off. “We send a couple of containers every month to keep the hospital going, and of course supply food, too.”
Aside from the challenges presented by COVID, Paterson said the newbuild process proceeded relatively smoothly, particularly given that this was the largest civilian hospital ship of international class ever built. “We were blessed to have a senior surveyor from Lloyd’s Register who had quite a bit of welding experience, and he actually taught the shipyard how to weld thin plate without buckling it,” said Paterson. “So the shipyard was grateful for that, and after the first couple of blocks, I’ve heard people comment, ‘You couldn’t get blocks better than this in Europe.’”
One hurdle to overcome early was the ‘Safe Return to Port’ mandate, “which actually set us back quite a bit on the design period. The safe return to port says you have to have an advised speed of 6 knots in Beaufort force eight if you lose half your propulsion. Well, if you only have 12 knots to start with and you’re trying to do six knots at Beaufort force eight, that’s quite a challenge.

Working with the designers, the shipyard, the flag state (Malta) and LR, the ABB pods ended up as the game changer as steering the ship at slower speeds in rough conditions was achievable. “You can steer a ship, basically, just over zero knots with podded propulsion,” said Paterson. “So once the shipyard got comfortable with that, we moved ahead. During the tank tests, she was doing six knots on one pod no problem. At sea trials, although the design speed is 12 knots, we actually were sailing along at 16 knots at one point. So she far outperformed her design.”

The Volunteer Model: The Global Mercy will be operated by a full crew complement of *650+ skilled crew of mariners, medical professionals, galley staff, teachers, and many other professions with two things in common – they love the mission of Mercy Ships and they’re volunteering their time.  In fact, it is this volunteer model that has allowed for Mercy Ships to deliver free healthcare services for more than 40 years.  With the addition of the Global Mercy to the Mercy Ships fleet of hospital ships, the need for volunteers to join the Mercy Ships family will continue to grow.  Explore and learn more by visiting https://opportunities.mercyships.org/
Photo courtesy Mercy Ships

Global Mercy Equipment List
Ship Name: Global Mercy
Ship Type:  Hospital Ship
Ship Builder:  Tianjin Xingang Shipyard
Material: Steel
Ship Owner: Mercy Ships
Ship Operator: Mercy Ships
Ship Designer: Deltamarin
Delivery Date:  June 16, 2021
Classification:  Passenger Ship
Main Particulars

Length, (o.a.): 174 m
Length, (b.p.): 167 m
Breadth, (molded): 28.6 m
Depth, (molded): 9.5 m
Draft, (designed): 6.1 m
Draft, (scantling):6.4 m
DWT (at design draft): 6,523
Speed: 12 knots service, 14 knots top speed
Fuel Type: HFO // MGO
Main engines: 2 x ABB Azipod CO1400L 4 blades 3.8m diameter propulsion units
Total installed power: 4 x2, 880kW
Bow Thrusters: 1 x Berg 1500kW
Propellers: 2 x ABB Azipod CO1400L 4 blades 3.8m diameter propulsion units
Diesel Generators: 4 x Wartsila 6L32 2,880kW each driving ABB Alternators 690V 60Hz
Engine controls: Kongsberg
Radars: Furuno x2 FAR2127; x1 FAR3000
Depth Sounders: Furuno FE-800
Auto Pilot: Keiki PR-9000-E
Radios: Furuno SSB FS 2575C;  x2 Furuno VHF FM-8900S
AIS: Furuno x2 FA-170
GPS: Furuno x3 GP170
GMDSS: Furuno x2 Felcom 18, 1 Felcom 19,
SatCom: Furuno FB-8000
Mooring equipment: MacGregor x5 mooring winches  200EW, MacGregor x2 anchor windlass/mooring winch
Fire extinguishing systems: SEMCO. Watermist system.
Fire detection system: Consilium
Heat exchangers: Alfa Laval, Heatmaster
Motor starters: Vacon, ABB Variable Frequency Drives
Lifeboats: Palfinger x2 130 Person plus Palfinger 2 x 70 person combined Lifeboat Rescue Boat
Liferafts: Viking x 10 25 Person inflatables
Coatings: Jotun
Ballast Water Management System: Headway
Deck Cranes KGW x2 with two hooks 31T and 5T
Stores and Passenger elevators (6) Kone
Hospital equipment  Phillips Cat Scan, Steris washer disinfectors/sterilizers, etc.

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https://www.marinelink.com/news/ship-month-mercy-ships-quest-build-global-490740

Severe, unforecasted winds caused a containership to breakaway from a pier and damaged equipment at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal in New Orleans on Aug. 2, 2020, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

As longshoremen loaded and unloaded cargo from containership CMA CGM Bianca a sudden, localized thunderstorm passed through the area. Ten of the vessel’s 16 mooring lines parted in the high winds, and the ship moved away from the pier. Containers lifted by shoreside gantry cranes struck the ship. One damaged container dropped in the water spilling a cargo of plastic pellets, known as nurdles. A crane operator suffered a minor injury. Damages totaled approximately $15.1 million.

In its report, NTSB said the crane operators and CMA CGM Bianca’s crew reported extreme high winds that came on “in seconds” during heavy rains. Rains were heavy enough to completely obscure the visibility of security cameras at the terminal. Although the closest official weather station recorded winds peaking at 31 mph, a vessel located very close to the accident reported a wind gust at 73 mph. The CMA CGM Bianca’s master said that the storm was, “in the form of a tornado.” According to the report, the evidence suggests that the CMA CGM Bianca was struck by outflow winds from a downburst.

The National Weather Service classifies downbursts as “powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground. These winds can easily cause damage similar to that of a EF0 (65–85 mph winds) or even EF1 (86–110 mph winds) tornado and are sometimes misinterpreted as tornadoes.”

Investigators determined the probable cause of the accident to be the sudden onset of unforecasted severe winds likely originating from the outflow of a thunderstorm generated downburst.

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https://www.marinelink.com/news/severe-winds-cause-ship-breakaway-damage-490752

Remotely piloted aircraft are assisting Spanish authorities in actively monitoring sulphur emissions from ships transiting one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Over the summer the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) aerial drones have been monitoring the level of sulphur oxides released by ships transiting the Strait of Gibraltar. The operation carried out by the Spanish General Directorate of Merchant Marine  – under the direction of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda – marks the first time these emissions have been monitored by drone outside the special designated emission control areas (ECA) in Northern Europe. The flights have been in operation since mid-July from a base in Tarifa and will continue until the end of October.

The project designed to test the effectiveness of drones in measuring pollutant emissions from ships was set up by the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), in collaboration with the Algeciras Maritime Captaincy and the General Directorate of Merchant Marine. Using EMSA’s remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), the goal is to detect sulphur oxide emissions above a certain level indicating a possible breach of the International Convention on Maritime Pollution (MARPOL – Annex VI). The current limit for sulphur oxide in ship fuels is 0.50% by mass.

The aircraft used is a CAMCOPTER S100 and it is under contract to EMSA from the consortium of Nordic Unmanned, Norce and UMS Skeldar. It has several features making it a useful tool for the service, including the ability to take off and land vertically from an area less than 25 square meters, flight endurance of over six hours and a range of more than 100 km. To help detect the gases generated by fuel combustion and expelled through ship funnels, the aircraft is equipped with gas sensors and cameras that cover both optical and infrared spectral ranges.

Since 12 July, the RPAS has been carrying out daily two flights with an average of ten inspections per day. Current figures show that of 294 vessels controlled some 27 were found in possible breach of the limits of sulphur content in their fuel. The measurements and records are automatically encoded in the information exchange system which triggers an alert in the EMSA THETIS-EU database. While this does not confirm non-compliance directly, it does help port authorities target ships for inspection and proceed with the lab testing necessary for any eventual sanctions.

RPAS services are offered free to all EU member states by EMSA. They have been developed to assist in maritime surveillance operations and ship emission monitoring, and can operate in all seas surrounding the European Union. RPAS services can provide support to traditional coast guard functions, including search and rescue and pollution prevention and response. The services are offered to member states individually and as part of EMSA’s regional RPAS strategy, which allows multiple coast guard functions in several EU member states to be supported by one or more RPAS services. Further expansion of RPAS regionally is planned in 2021 and 2022.

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https://www.marinelink.com/news/aerial-drones-monitor-ship-emissions-490793

Among transportation planners, “resilience”, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must “expect the unexpected.” The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good. As the 2020-2021 pandemic moves toward winding down, a recovery from the dismal 2020 is underway, but activity on the rivers is uneven. Ken Eriksen, senior vice president for agribusiness at consultants and data provider IHS Markit, told Marine News, “The demand varies by barge type. For covered hopper the solid demand is associated with record U.S. grain and soybean exports and solid movement of fertilizers to support farmer crop production prospects.” He added, “Grain and soybean exports for the new crop year starting September 1, 2021 will be slightly lower, but still in the top five of U.S. export volumes. So, the covered barge market has opportunity.” A tabulation contained in a presentation by listed company Kirby Corp shows leading owners of dry tonnage, handling agricultural products but also coal and other bulks, to be Ingram (with 4,203 barges), the reorganized American Commercial Lines (ACL, with 3,091 barges) and American River Transport Co (1,839 barges).

Looking ahead, Eriksen looks for “the prospects are still solid despite lower export prospects beginning in September. The U.S. will be the market to source corn since Brazil’s winter corn crop has been hit hard by late planting, drought and now freeze damage.” He does caution, however, that farmers have planted less corn than anticipated, with reduced inventory available for export.

Coal, which was historically a big mover on the waterways, has been on a long down-swing as power producers decrease their dependence on fossil fuels. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), an information provider within the U.S. Department of Energy, suggests that 2020 coal production (preliminary estimated at 534 million tons) was the lowest since 1956. The agency notes further that U.S. coal shipments overall were down 22% in 2020 from 2019 levels and that coal shipped by waterways fell 20% from 2019 levels. Costs per ton to move coal have not surprisingly declined, with volumes. IHS Markit’s Eriksen points to a recent recovery in coal moves post-COVID (with record cold weather in the first quarter of 2021 contributing to a drawdown in stocks that had surged in 2020) and notes, “This year there was a slight bump up for domestic use and a bit higher exports. But that is more of a head fake than anything. The long-term prospects for coal movement is going in one direction, down.”

In the liquid markets, 2020’s second quarter saw dramatically reduced shipments, but resurgent demand began to turn things around late in the year and into 2021, albeit with reduced year-on-year utilization. Kirby Corporation, said that its “marine transportation segment’s revenues for the 2021 first quarter decreased 25% and operating income decreased 96% compared with the 2020 first quarter revenues and operating income. The decreases were primarily due to reduced barge utilization in the inland and coastal markets as well as reduced term and spot pricing in the inland market, partially offset by the addition of the Savage Inland Marine, LLC fleet acquired on April 1, 2020.” For its inland barging specifically, Kirby, with a May, 2021 fleet of 1,057 inland tank barges and 241 towboats, said, “Inland tank barge utilization levels averaged in the mid-70% range during the 2021 first quarter compared with the low to mid-90% range during the 2020 first quarter. The 2021 first quarter continued to be impacted by reduced demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic slowdown as well as the impact of reduced volumes as a result of Winter Storm Uri.”

The market is picking up. Kirby was forecasting that utilization “is expected to increase further as the economy recovers and refineries and chemical plants return to full operations following Winter Storm Uri. In the second half of 2021, the company anticipates barge utilization to improve into the high 80% to low 90% range which should lead to a more positive pricing environment in the coming months.” On its second quarter investors call, Kirby described a market where average barge utilization had risen to “the low to mid-80% range”, where term contracts represented approximately 65% of revenue with some 57% attributed to time charters. The rates had improved with Kirby reporting, “Spot market rates increased ~10% sequentially, but remained down ~10% to 15% year-on-year.” Martin Midstream Partners L.P., with a barge fleet primarily serving the Gulf Coast on shorter term charters, said in a recent filing, “We believe that refinery utilization will continue to increase in the second half of 2021 as a result of widespread vaccinations, government stimulus, and a rebounding economy. This should ultimately improve refined product demand…” Kirby leads the league tables on tank barge ownership (with 1,046 barges) followed by ACL with 408, Canal Barge with 363, Martin Midstream (tied to Marathon Petroleum) with 300, followed by Ingram with 298 and Florida Marine Transporters with 250, according to data in a recent Kirby presentation.

(Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The push toward a fleet of vessels fully compliant with Subchapter M inspection requirements where previously uninspected towing vessels would need to have a Certificate of Inspection (COI) continues. The U.S. Coast Guard explains, “In order to operate after July 19, 2022, all Subchapter M towing vessels must have a valid COI.” In its Maritime Commons blog, it notes, “Owners and managing operators (OMO) are responsible for ensuring that 75% of their respective fleets receive a COI before July 19, 2021.” Statistics provided to Marine News by the U.S. Coast Guard showed the aggregate fleet falling short of the 75% milestone, with some 3,217 active towing vessels have been issued COIs as of July 6, 2021, out of 5,227 such vessels overall. Trade association the American Waterway Operators (AWO) in an early June newsletter reported that USSG Commandant, Admiral Karl Schultz, speaking to an online audience, “…remarked that he thinks industry is ‘on a good trajectory’ with Subchapter M, noting that while there had been a learning curve, almost 75% of towing vessels are expected to be certificated under the TSMS option.” The TSMS option, short for Towing Safety Management System, enables Third Party Organizations (TPO), rather than by USCG inspectors, to conduct vessel examinations as part of vessels attaining COIs.

With the Colonial Pipeline outage in May, earlier this year, “resilience” has taken on powerful meanings for the inland refined oil products barge business. A blog from Vanderbilt University details research on this very topic, noting that gas stations in Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville (accessible by inland barging) fared far better with fuel availability than those in land-locked Charlotte, Asheville and Raleigh- where stations saw widespread closures due to supply outages.  IHS’s Eriksen agrees: “At the time [of the outage] there was not much known on the full impact so barges became an insurance to get product moving and positioned.” Kirby, in reporting its second quarter results, chimed in, saying, “Barge demand was further increased by the Colonial Pipeline outage that occurred in May,” noting that its inland utilization had temporarily increased up to near 90%, touching pre-pandemic levels.

Sustainability, which is intertwined with resilience, is a major theme now coming to the inland and coastal towing sector. In June, 2020, AWO announced that it had joined the newly launched Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, an organization with the mission of accelerating “the U.S. and Canada maritime value chain’s pathway to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by jointly developing and executing a roadmap to a commercially viable net-zero emission logistics value chain.” In a presentation at the Coalition’s launch (during a June, 2021 Marine Money conference), Board member Ted Tregurtha, President of Moran Towing, explained that the U.S. and Canada are unique with equipment being long-lived, and unique sets of rules and regulations. He said that North America “would have to place greater emphasis on retrofits in order to make progress in an acceptable timeframe”. Coalition members also include Kirby Corporation (with its CEO, David Grzebinski also serving on the board), Crowley Maritime and Bay Houston Towing Corp. Sustainability also affects cargo flows; in the Q&A following Kirby’s Q2 earnings presentation, Grzebinski noted an uptick in movements of biodiesel and renewable diesel moving on the waterways.

In a sign of future developments, New Orleans- based Maritime Partners LLC, known for its role in providing lease finance for inland equipment, has teamed up with deepsea tanker owner Ardmore Shipping, and Element One Corp, a distributor of hydrogen in liquid form, in the new venture e1 Marine, a business that may soon bring fuel cells to the inland markets. Austin Sperry, co-founder of Maritime Partners, told Marine News, “At present, almost every vessel operating on the inland waterways is powered by an internal combustion engine. Since it’s likely that there will soon be regulation requiring zero (or very low) greenhouse gas emissions, the total addressable market is almost the entire sector.” He explained further, “From our research, we concluded that methanol to hydrogen is the most promising option for towing vessels operating on the inland waterways…that’s why we invested in e1 Marine, alongside Element One and Ardmore Shipping. Methanol-to-hydrogen is more scalable than the alternatives, the technology is proven on land and almost entirely built with off the shelf parts.” In discussing the e1 Marine technology, he said that “…it works as both a newbuild and retrofit solution, producing zero NOx, SOx and PM emissions.”

The move away from fossil fuels in the inland sector has already begun. Sperry tells Marine News, further, “The most reputable players in the sector are already investigating their options and weighing their investment decisions. Indeed, we’ve had exploratory conversations with a number of them about how they could finance their next generation fleets. But it will require comprehensive regulation—which we expect soon—to bring full market adoption.” In a video released by AWO in late June, a top executive from Ingram Barge describes the company’s exploration of electric propulsion, alternative fuels (including hydrogen and methanol) as well as dual and multiple engine technologies. In the same video, executives from Campbell Transportation (active in both dry and liquid sectors) describe a program where 20% of its fleet is being repowered for more efficiency and sustainability.

“From our research, we concluded that methanol to hydrogen is the most promising option for towing vessels operating on the inland waterways…” – Austin Sperry, co-founder of Maritime Partners

Finance
The inland sector continues to be relationship based, with local banks and specialist units in regional banks providing loan financing on towboats and barge fleets. Reflecting trends from the broader maritime sphere, lease financing has continued to be an important capital source. Austin Sperry, from Maritime Partners explains, “Historically, the value of leasing was that it could provide a better loan profile and higher loan to asset ratio.” In describing his firm, he said, “We’ve grown from a single tug to more than 550 vessels within five years of launching our business, and the feedback we receive is that people choose us over the alternatives because of our reliability, integrity and ability to innovate custom leasing and financing solutions for which the larger lenders don’t have the flexibility.”

Recent deals seeing regulatory filings include First Horizon Bank, based in Birmingham, Ala., putting 20 open hopper barges built at Arcosa Marine onto a bareboat charter to M/G Transport Services, and a bareboat charter to the same carrier for an additional 15 barges (10 covered and five open, all built at Arcosa) from U.S. Bank Equipment Finance. Another deal saw Banc America Leasing placing 50 covered rake barges (built 2006) on a bareboat charter to Ingra, headquartered in Nashville. Consolidated Grain and Barge (CGB), a large grain mover that had previously been tied to the Japanese trading house Zennoh, is the ultimate lessee of 157 grain barges in a complicated transaction where the ultimate ownership is tied to Japanese financier MUFG Bank. In mid-2021, the leases were modified as Zennoh acquired multiple assets from agribusiness giant Bunge Corporation.

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https://www.marinelink.com/news/expect-unexpected-inland-waterways-490760

Cargo ships near collision in Huangpu river on Sep 9 2021 – one of the ships (stern view) recklessly speeds out from channel and sailed straight into opposite lane, endangering the oncoming ship. Latter ship had to swing to starboard and nearly hit the bank, it was escorting tug which saved the day. Reportedly, Captain of reckless cargo ship is to be penalized.
New FleetMon Vessel Safety Risk Reports Available: https://www.fleetmon.com/services/vessel-risk-rating/

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https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2021/35377/near-miss-huangpu-river-shanghai-video/