Danish ship repair specialist Orskov recently held a ceremony to open its extended repair facilities in Frederikshavn.

The new 25,000m² yard area was officially inaugurated by Orskov Yard and Port of Frederikshavn. The area comprises of Dock 5 and Jeppe Ørskov Pier. In addition, Arne Ørskov Vej, which is the main road on the new port expansion was also officially inaugurated by the 200 invited guests.

Arne Ørskov Christensen founded the yard in 1958, since then Niels Ørskov took over the management and operated the activities at Port of Frederikshavn. In 2003, 3rd generation stepped in with Christina and Jeppe Ørskov at the rudder, and the yard changed direction from a newbuilding yard to a ship repair yard. It was the beginning of a new era for the family-owned company.

At the ceremony Niels Ørskov was in charge of the official inauguration of Arne Ørskovs Vej and Malte Ørskov opened the Jeppe Ørskov Pier, named after his father.

“We pay tribute to Arne and Jeppe with street name and pier name. We have officially inaugurated Dock 5, which is another milestone not only in the story but in the reality of Orskov Yard. Nothing could be possible without the Ørskov family. Everyone with their own personality, but all with the same drive. All what we value – we want the best for this town, we want to survive, we want to grow,” said Fredrikshavn Mayor Birgit Hansen.

“The entire family is very honoured that Port of Frederikshavn and the Municipality in Frederikshavn chose to name the newly established main road on the port expansion Arne Ørskovs Vej. After all, he is the original reason why we are where we are. Likewise, we have had the great honour of having the newly established pier named Jeppe Ørskov Pier. Jeppe was very dedicated to the port expansion becoming a reality and thereby gaining growth to the yard and the town”, said Director and Owner Christina Ørskov and Chairman Niels Ørskov.

The new floating dock – Dock 5 – arrived in Frederikshavn in August last year and was named on January 15, 2021 by Jeppe’s daughter Luna at a private ceremony due to Covid-19, and now the quay area is finished.

“It is really a joyful day today. We have worked on this project for many years and now we have a new floating dock and a new beautiful quay area. The road has been exciting and challenging. Ever since we made the first drawings until we travelled around the world to look at potential docks, until we signed the contract with the Turkish yard Hat-San on a new built floating dock, signed the contract with Port of Frederikshavn, got the authority project in place and until the building of the dock in Turkey and the construction of the quay area here in Frederikshavn,” said Lars Fischer, CEO Orskov Yard.

Since Dock 5 was taken into use in January this year, 11 vessels have been docked and it has only been idle for 10 days. On average it has employed 100 full time positions a day, this in addition to the existing activities at Orskov Yard. Dock 5 has, with its size and draught, shown its worth and Orskov Yard now has the possibility of rendering service to large vessels, which otherwise were obliged to choose another yard. In addition to the new floating dock and the new quay area, a new machine and pipe workshop will be built, which will be finished by the end of the year.

“Jeppe was a great driving force with regards to the port expansion and he expressed that “we have to develop Port of Frederikshavn, otherwise we will close down activities”. Today we see some of the results – and Dock 5 has a great symbolic significance. Ørskov took an initiative as engine and has taken responsibility with a great investment, which will benefit the maritime service industry in the entire Northern Jutland,” said Mikkel Seedorff Sørensen, CEO Port of Frederikshavn.

Orskov is planning further expansion with an even larger dock featuring in the plans.

Japan-based Classification Society ClassNK has released its “Guidelines for Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)” that summarise the approval requirements for metallic marine equipment by additive manufacturing technology as part of its effort to meet the industry’s demand for a third-party certification for marine equipment manufactured with an advanced technology.

Additive manufacturing technology is a method for manufacturing by laminating and combining materials such as resin and metal based on 3D model data. Its feature is the capability to mould complex and high-precision shapes.

In recent years, the use of additive manufacturing technology has rapidly expanded in manufacturing metallic products, particularly in automotive, aerospace and medical care industries. Although there are few examples of the use of this technology in the maritime industry, it is expected that metallic products by additive manufacturing technology will become widespread in the future as most marine equipment includes metallic components.

To ensure safety and proper use of the technology in the maritime industry, the guidelines specify the approval requirements for the feedstock used in metallic marine equipment by additive manufacturing technology, the manufacturing process, and the test and inspection for the products.

Furthermore, the guidelines summarise the terminology, type, and features of the technology to be used as an introduction to additive manufacturing technology, and include the information about the characteristics and the management method of metallic powder used in additive manufacturing as appendices.

Australia-based Global Energy Ventures (GEV) which plans to ship green hydrogen produced in Australia has announced that it has completed the ship specification engineering for the pilot 430-tonne ship and a work package has been submitted to ABS for their review. The detailed work package includes the ship engineering analysis and drawings, stability analysis and tank design calculations.

ABS has been formally engaged to provide an AIP for this pilot ship. The AIP process assesses the design in relation to international codes and standards to ensure there are no major engineering, regulatory or safety issues. GEV is leveraging the successful 2,000-tonne AIP program to fast-track AIP for the pilot ship by end of Q3 2021, and to ultimately target Full Class Approvals by late 2022. The application for the pilot vessel leverages the engineering work that resulted in ABS issuing an AIP for the full scale 2,000-tonne ship in March 2021.

C-FER Technologies has recently completed an independent analysis of hydrogen permeability which supported GEV’s design assumptions and the selection of a stainless-steel inner liner. C-FER is now supporting the selection of carbon steel and welding techniques in preparation for prototype construction and testing in 2022.

Martin Carolan, Managing Director and CEO commented, “GEV continues to advance the development of our hydrogen shipping program with the pilot 430-tonne ship specification and supporting analysis now complete, allowing ABS to commence their review for Approval in Principle. Our team of experts led by inventor John Fitzpatrick and COO of GEV Canada, David Stenning, continue to deliver the approvals program on time and budget.

GEV is targeting the pilot 430-tonne compressed hydrogen ship to be the first commercial scale vessel available for the marine transport of hydrogen and support our commercialisation activity which now includes the recently announced Feasibility Study for the HyEnergy Project, located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.”

In the first quarter of 2024, A.P. Moller – Maersk will introduce the first in a ground-breaking series of eight large ocean-going container vessels capable of being operated on carbon neutral methanol. The vessels will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and have a nominal capacity of approx 16,000teu. The agreement with HHI includes an option for 4 additional vessels in 2025. The series will replace older vessels, generating annual CO2 emissions savings of around 1 million tonnes. As an industry first, Maersk says the vessels will offer its customers truly carbon neutral transportation at scale on the high seas.

The vessels will be designed to have a flexible operational profile, enabling them to perform efficiently across many trades, and add flexibility regarding customer needs. They will feature a methanol propulsion configuration developed in collaboration with makers including MAN ES, Hyundai (Himsen) and Alfa Laval which represents a significant scale-up of the technology from the previous size limit of around 2,000teu. The dual fuel engines will permit operation on methanol and low sulphur fuel. The vessels will be classed by ABS and sail under the Danish flag.

Additional capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the dual fuel capability, which enables operation on methanol as well as conventional low Sulphur fuel, will be in the range of 10-15% of the total price, enabling Maersk to take a significant leap forward in its commitment to scale carbon neutral solutions and lead the decarbonisation of container logistics.

CAPEX for the announced vessels is included in current guidance for 2021-2022 of $7Bn. Maersk further reiterates its strategy of maintaining a fleet capacity in the 4.0 to 4.3 million TEU range, as a combination of Maersk managed and time-chartered vessels.

Maersk will operate the vessels on carbon neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol as soon as possible. Sourcing an adequate amount of carbon neutral methanol from day one in service will be challenging, as it requires a significant production ramp up of proper carbon neutral methanol production, for which Maersk continues to engage in partnerships and collaborations with relevant players.

“The time to act is now, if we are to solve shipping’s climate challenge. This order proves that carbon neutral solutions are available today across container vessel segments and that Maersk stands committed to the growing number of our customers who look to decarbonise their supply chains. Further, this is a firm signal to fuel producers that sizable market demand for the green fuels of the future is emerging at speed,” said Soren Skou, CEO, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

“We are very excited about this addition to our fleet, which will offer our customers unique access to carbon neutral transport on the high seas while balancing their needs for competitive slot costs and flexible operations. To us, this is the ideal large vessel type to enable sustainable, global trade on the high seas in the coming decades and from our dialogue with potential suppliers, we are confident we will manage to source the carbon neutral methanol needed,” said Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO, Fleet & Strategic Brands, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

The new vessels come as part of Maersk’s ongoing fleet renewal program and will replace tonnage of more than 150,000 TEU which is reaching end-of-life and leaving the Maersk managed fleet between 2020 and Q1 2024.

More than half of Maersk’s 200 largest customers have set – or are in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero carbon targets for their supply chains. As part of Maersk’s ongoing collaboration with customers, corporate sustainability leaders including Amazon, Disney, H&M Group, HP Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, The Procter and Gamble Company, PUMA, Schneider Electric, Signify, Syngenta and Unilever have committed to actively use and scale zero carbon solutions for their ocean transport, with many more expected to follow.

The second of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans constructed for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed a rigorous program of sea trials in Cebu, Philippines.

After launching in April, Bañaderos Express (Austal Hull 395) has successfully completed sea trials off the coast of Balamban, Cebu, prior to the planned delivery of the vessel in September 2021.

Bañaderos Express has easily achieved contract speed of 37.5 knots during multiple trials, confirming the vessel’s capability to achieve high-speed performance while delivering optimum comfort for passengers and crew.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the results of the sea trials were another great demonstration of the Austal trimaran’s unique capabilities and exceptional seakeeping characteristics. “Austal’s proven trimaran hull design and integrated smart-ship technology, including MARINELINK-Smart and Motion Control System help deliver high speed performance and improved seakeeping, with greater passenger comfort,” Gregg said.

“The new Bañaderos Express is the sister ship to the Bajamar Express, constructed in Australia and delivered in 2020. Fred. Olsen Express recently celebrated the first year anniversary of Bajamar Express’ operations which included an impressive 2,000 trips, transporting 307,000 passengers, 129,000 vehicles and 222,000 line metres of cargo vehicles, delivered on schedule on 97% of journeys. The 9/10 customer satisfaction rating achieved for Bajamar Express bodes very well for the new Bañaderos Express and further highlights the effectiveness of the trimaran hull form, Austal’s design and construction capabilities, and of course Fred. Olsen Express’ impeccable service standards,” he added.

Fred. Olsen Chief Executive Officer Andrés Marín said that the completion of Bañaderos Express’ sea trials was significant, as it signals the vessel’s delivery and start of operations in the Canary Islands is imminent. “We are absolutely confident that Bañaderos Express will make a big difference to the connectivity between Gran Canaria and Tenerife Islands; providing residents and tourists with an all-trimaran service, proven to be the most comfortable way to travel by sea. The much anticipated arrival of Bañaderos Express will, in fact, position the Canary Islands at the forefront of maritime connectivity, with the largest fleet of trimaran ferries worldwide,” Marín said.

“Her sister ship, Bajamar Express, has already proven to be a very popular and successful addition to the Fred. Olsen Express fleet, with outstanding performance over the past 12 months of operation. Named as a “Significant Ship of 2020” by the Royal Institute of Naval Architects in the UK, Bajamar Express has also been recognised by thousands of our customers who have highlighted the comfort of the trimaran, the exceptional customer experience provided by our Fred. Olsen Express crew and the ship’s great reliability and punctuality. “We now look forward to the Bañaderos Express delivery ceremony at Austal Philippines, and her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands, which will be shared in real time through our website and social media profiles. The voyage by Bajamar Express from Australia had more than 15,000 viewers, and this time we are aware the expectation is even higher,” he added.