MAN Energy Solutions has won the order to supply the world’s first, low-speed, dual-fuel engine to run on methanol within the container segment. Hyundai (HMD) will construct the 2,100teu vessel in Korea for A.P. Møller – Maersk, while HHI-EMD, which has already experience with LGIM engines (eight engines in operation and 12 engines under construction for methanol carriers), will build the MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) type – also in Korea. The engine will be Tier III-compliant.

Upon launch, the newbuilding will become the very first, methanol-powered vessel that does not carry methanol as cargo. Mærsk has further announced that it expects the new vessel to be powered by green methanol with bio-fuel employed as pilot oil. The vessel is set to enter service in 2023 and will sail in the network of Sealand Europe – a Maersk company- the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bothnian Bay.

Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, said, “Maersk is displaying great leadership in adopting renewable methanol as part of its decarbonisation strategy – and well ahead of its initial 2030-ambition. For our part, we are designing dual-fuel technology that meets the growing customer demand for sustainable shipping chains and, here, our ME-LGIM engine plays an important role. It’s particularly pleasing to see it make its debut within the important container segment.”

Foldager continued, “Our other ME-LGIM references have proven methanol as a clean, efficient and safe, marine fuel that offers a clear path to decarbonisation through significant greenhouse-gas reductions, when produced from renewable energy sources. In general, as we move towards a zero-carbon future, MAN Energy Solutions’ dual-fuel engine portfolio is well positioned to handle whatever alternative fuels the market brings.”

MAN Energy Solutions states that its low-speed, dual-fuel references now exceed 408 units, with the ME-GI recording over 1.7 million operating hours on LNG alone, while the ME-LGI platform has accumulated more than 110,000 dual-fuel running hours. The ME-LGIM dual-fuel engine was developed for operation on methanol, as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on the company’s proven ME-series, with its approximately 5,000 engines in service, and works according to the Diesel principle. When operating on methanol, the ME-LGIM significantly reduces emissions of CO2, NOx and SOx.

Additionally, any operational switch between methanol and other fuels is seamless. Tests on the engine, when running on methanol, have recorded the same or a slightly better efficiency compared to conventional, HFO-burning engines.

Shipping analyst VesselsValue has published an article on its website that forecasts an increased demand for vessels supporting offshore wind farms.

World Energy Reports estimate that more than 100 wind farm installation and maintenance vessels will be required over the next decade. This is due to the proliferation of Offshore wind farm projects planned for construction over the next 10 years.

Last year, for the first time ever, Offshore renewable projects spending was higher than Offshore oil and gas spending with an estimated $56Bnl sanctioned for renewables compared to $43Bn for oil and gas.

Demand for wind farm installation and maintenance vessels will be met by newly constructed vessels and re-purposed or upgraded existing OSVs. Most of the existing fleet of wind turbine installation vessels will become obsolete by 2025 due to increased wind turbine sizes to accommodate higher MW capacity, larger foundation sizes and deeper water wind farm sites. The global capacity of Offshore wind farms at present is 25GW but this will increase to an estimated 235GW by 2030, 520GW in 2040 and as much as 1000GW in 2050.

The major renewable operators at present are in Europe, with the UK having the most installed wind farms, followed by Germany, China, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.  This is due to Europe being the current world leader in Offshore wind power. However, the majority of under-construction wind farms are found in China and Vietnam. This may be because the North Sea and particularly the UK/Germany sector already have many installed wind farms.

Asia has the highest number of future planned wind farm projects with China planning 69 wind farm projects followed by Japan with 55 planned projects and South Korea with 41 projects. Within China, South Korea and Japan, all wind farm installation vessels inside of wind farms (OCV/Liftboat/OSV) were from the host country which suggests governments in China/Japan/Korea will restrict access to home markets to domestic shipyards and owners only. VesselsValue’s Orderbook shows that of the 16 SOV and WTIV currently on order, half are for the European market and half are for the Far East market.

Installed gigawatt (GW) capacity at present is highest in Europe (19GW) with Asia far behind with an installed Offshore capacity of 5GW. However, when looking at predicted installed capacity for 2030, Asia pulls ahead of Europe with a GW capacity of 126 compared with 78GW in Europe. When predicted wind farm capacity for 2050 is compared, Asia will have a predicted capacity of 613GW, Europe 215GW and North America 164GW.

The Panama and Florida-based International Register of Shipping (INTLREG) is expanding its regional coverage in the Middle East by providing services now in Kuwait after being officially recognised as a classification society by the oil producing GCC country.

This new approval re-enforces INTLREG’s recognition as a maritime service provider operating in this region with approvals in two other GCC countries and survey/audit stations properly established to provide service to its clients.

INTLREG is authorised by 33 flags across the globe. It is supported by a network of 98 locations providing related classification and marine services. It is able to offer ship owners and operators in the Middle East classification, statutory sand verification services.

Robert Padilla, CEO of the International Register of Shipping, believes they are ideally placed to support ship owners operating in the Middle East. “This is an important step for INTLREG and a real opportunity for ship owners in the Middle East to benefit from our comprehensive services covering classification services, maritime auditing,  training services, along with advisory support relating to both newbuild and existing vessels. We have been working in this important maritime sector for nearly 30 years and we understand the needs of ship owners and operators. Our services have been honed to provide them with the core services they need to remain in operation and on the right side of the regulatory bodies. During the past three decades we have worked closely with ship owners across the globe and this recognition by Kuwait is a testament to our continuing development. Establishing a surveyor and official representative in Kuwait re-enforces how we are able to support our clients locally”.

Methanol as a commercially and technically viable marine fuel is gaining greater traction over other alternative bunkers, including LNG, as more shipowners adopt the clean burning fuel as price spreads narrow and production ramps up proponents are saying.

Speaking at a virtual conference last week, Greg Dolan, CEO of the Methanol Institute, a trade body whose shipowner members include Maersk, Stena Bulk, MSC, MOL and Oldendorff Carriers, predicts that methanol production costs will fall to become more competitively priced than traditional diesel bunker and other alternative fuels.

Dolan suggested that the move to methanol would also help shipowners avoid the proposed carbon tax on diesel, which could be between $250 and $450/t of CO2.

“There’s a call by many including the world’s largest shippers for a carbon tax on diesel fuels. That would dramatically change the pricing picture for marine fuels and the only available alternative fuel options today are advanced biofuels, LNG and methanol,” he said.

As a transitional fuel, methanol is supported by the IMO in its recent adoption of safe handling guidelines under the IGF Code for low flashpoint fuels. “This has been an important milestone in the growth of methanol as a marine fuel,” Dolan said. “And while LNG paved the way for methanol, methanol adoption can be a model for ammonia and hydrogen in the future.”

According to Dolan, methanol production increased last year to 100Mmt, doubling production in a decade. He said production could reach 500Mmt by 2050, as predicted in a joint Methanol Institute/International Renewable Energy Agency report released earlier this year.

Commenting on those shipowners that have already announced plans to include methanol within their fuel pool, Dolan told attendees at the Maritime AMC-organised Alternative Fuels webinar that first movers, such as Maersk, understand “there is little time left to wait on potential solutions that might fulfil 100% of their 2050 goals. They know we don’t have 30 years to wait.”

Maersk announced in March that its first methanol-burning vessel will launch in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. The company also mooted an order for twelve 15,000TEU methanol-fuelled containerships.

Another advocate is Proman Stena Bulk. The joint venture between shipowner Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman is planning to build six 50,000dwt tankers with methanol dual-fuel engines for delivery in 2023. A further three vessels owned solely by Proman, scheduled for delivery in 2022 and 2023, will be traded globally for shipping chemicals and clean petroleum products.

Anita Gajadhar, Managing Director Proman Marketing, Logistics and Shipping, said: “For us, methanol is a proven fuel capable of meeting the shipping industry’s carbon reduction targets. When you look at the long-term pricing, it is competitive when compared to alternatives, like MGO. It is easy to bunker, it is safe to bunker, and it is widely available as bunker in 122 ports.”

Gajadhar claimed that methanol is currently being traded at a price lower than LNG in some ports, and is less to bunker than biofuel, currently traded at $1,200/t or more. “Methanol is actually going to be a little bit cheaper than some of the biofuels that are available in the market today…. In terms of CAPEX, it is also a lot cheaper to modify vessels for methanol than it is for LNG,” she said.

Methanol-fuelled newbuilds also cost less than a LNG-burning ship, according to engine builders MAN Energy Solutions and Wärtsilä. Kjeld Aabo, Director New Technologies two-stroke promotion, MAN Energy Solutions, told attendees that a 54,300m3 capacity product tanker running a methanol-fuelled engine would add about 10% to the newbuild price. The same vessel running on LNG would cost 22% more than a conventional HFO-burning ship.

The engine builder, which first unveiled and tested a methanol dual-fuel engine in 2016 and has a current orderbook of 23 ME-LGIM engines, said methanol combustion emits 8% less CO2 than an HFO Tier II engine. SOx emissions are reduced by 97% and NOx up to 60%. And since the methanol molecule contains no carbon-carbon bonds, it does not produce particulate matter or soot when burned resulting in smokeless operation. “I really believe there will be a big market for methanol in the future and the technology on the engine side is there,” said Aabo.

Toni Stojcevski, General Manager, Project Sales & Development, Wärtsilä, agreed but warned “if we are going to be compliant in 2050, with a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, then we need to prepare and start executing today.”

While Wärtsilä introduced a methanol engine in in 2013, Stojcevski revealed that the engine builder expects to have an ammonia-fuelled engine operating next year and a pure hydrogen engine in 2025. The company also plans to launch a new methanol-burning engine based on its proven W32 series in late 2023. This will be available for newbuilds and retrofit.

Closing the webinar Dolan said: “Methanol engines are available. The fuel is available. The infrastructure is there and it’s affordable. We can act now.”

Classification society DNV is embarking on an instrumental role in helping to facilitate safe crew changes amid South East Asia’s COVID crisis as an auditor in the multi-party backed CrewSafe programme.

CrewSafe is the creation of the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund Task Force (SFTF), which was established by the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Maritime Officer’s Union (SMOU) and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) and later joined by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

The CrewSafe programme is based on Singapore’s crew change model to establish safe crew change corridors. DNV is one of the appointed auditors for the programme. CrewSafe audits comprise quality checks on quarantine/holding, medical, and swabbing facilities in countries engaged in crew supply.

CrewSafe accreditation will be granted to facilities that successfully pass the audits. DNV has already completed 15 audits at facilities located in Singapore, the Philippines, and India. The aim is to increase the capacity for owners and managers to bring new crew onboard and enable opportunities for onboard crew to return home.

“DNV is fully supporting and facilitating this programme as seafarers are the true backbone of our global industry,” commented DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen. “Seafarers need to be fully recognized as key workers, and CrewSafe is one such programme assisting crew source nations and fostering a higher level of confidence and quality control checks in the crew change processes.”

He added that seafarers play a vital role in world trade and supply chains but acknowledged that fatigue, despair, depression, and mental health concerns among those at sea are now threatening marine safety. “The ongoing crew change crisis shows that international problems need international solutions. CrewSafe is one such initiative DNV is rightly proud to be assisting,” said Ørbeck-Nilssen.

Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, commented, “Singapore takes its responsibility to facilitate safe crew change seriously. We are pleased to welcome DNV on board due to its renowned quality audits and look forward to working with our tripartite partners in ensuring facilities remain safe for crew change amid the pandemic.”

Michael Phoon, SSA Executive Director, said, “Many governments around the world are restricting travels to prevent COVID infections in the community. To provide assurance to all crew change stakeholders and facilitate safe crew change, the SG-STAR Fund Task Force initiated the CrewSafe programme. We are glad to have the support of DNV to conduct stringent audit checks on holding and medical facilities to ensure that the necessary quarantine and testing requirements can be fully met.”

Emissions verification specialist Verifavia insists that accurate calculation of IMO’s new Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) relies on inputting the correct data. Following a series of webinars designed to demystify EEXI, the company highlighted a common theme: the industry is unclear about the technical parameters required to meet compliance.

As agreed at MEPC 76, the EEXI must be calculated for ships of 400gt and above, in accordance with the different values set for ship types and size categories. The first stage requires shipping companies to collect and submit technical documents required for preparation of the EEXI technical file. To initiate the process, documents such as the capacity plan, sea and shop trial report (for main and auxiliary engines), NOx technical file, certificate of registry, IAPP supplement certificate, EEDI technical file and IECC must be examined. If suitable data cannot be obtained from these documents, various techniques may be used to bridge the gap such as statistical (conservative) estimates, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations or, if necessary, sea trials.

By inputting correct and accurate data into a formula, the attained EEXI is calculated and compared with the required EEXI. Any ship that does not comply must make the necessary modifications to improve energy efficiency or face market barriers. From January 2023, there will be a mandatory certification survey undertaken by the relevant class society, which will then provide an updated International Energy Efficiency Certificate (IEEC). Without this, the vessel will not be EEXI compliant and eventually can lose its licence to operate.

With the long-term financial implications and negotiation process with charterers front of mind, some forward-thinking shipping companies are starting the process now. Understanding which vessels will comply and which will need an Engine Power Limitation plan or design changes at a later stage ensures that any modifications can be made at a time that suits the vessel’s schedule. However, making an accurate calculation and reliable recommendations for any necessary technical adjustments relies upon assessing the correct information at the outset.

Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, commented, “At the first annual or special survey after January 2023, a ship’s efficiency will be compared against the EEXI benchmark set by the IMO. If the vessel makes the grade, the owner will receive an International Energy Efficiency Certificate. If it fails, there are two options: make modifications to improve efficiency or risk an operating ban. If the technical files submitted to class are incorrect, the vessel risks losing its licence to operate. It is essential to understand any gaps in meeting the requirements, plus the potential solutions needed to bridge any gap, sooner rather than later. Several ship owners, operators and managers are working with Verifavia to assess the scale of the challenge they are facing. They recognise that if vessels do not meet the requirements, an Engine Power Limitation plan can be created and actioned, or energy efficiency technology installed against a timeline that they can control.”

The new Seafarer Workforce Report from BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping published this week warns that the industry must significantly increase training and recruitment levels if it is to avoid a serious shortage in the total supply of officers by 2026.  Given the growing demand for STCW certified officers, the Report predicts that there will be a need for an additional 89,510 officers by 2026 to operate the world merchant fleet. The report estimates that 1.89 million seafarers currently serve the world merchant fleet, operating over 74,000 vessels around the globe.

Trusted by ship operators, agencies and governments, the Seafarer Workforce Report – formerly the Manpower Report – is an essential management tool for those tasked with developing crewing and training strategies, delivering the market intelligence that the industry needs to plan for the future.

The new report also highlights a current shortfall of 26,240 STCW certified officers, indicating that demand for seafarers in 2021 has outpaced supply. Although there has been a 10.8% increase in the supply of officers since 2015, this shortfall could be due to a reported increase in officers needed on board vessels, with an average of 1.4 officers required per berth.

In addition, some officer categories are in especially short supply. There is a shortage of officers with technical experience especially at Management Level, and in the tanker and offshore sectors there is a reported shortage of Management Level Deck Officers.

The good news is that in the past five years the industry has made good progress in reducing officer turnover rates from 8% to 6%, retaining qualified seafarers and increasing the number of years that they serve at sea. Indeed, compared with estimates from the 2015 report, the average age of officers serving at Management Level and Operational Level has increased.

Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping said, “The Seafarer Workforce report warns of a shortfall in officers by 2026. To meet the future demand for seafarers it is vital that the industry actively promotes careers at sea and enhances maritime education and training worldwide, with a focus on the diverse skills needed for a greener and more digitally connected industry. This is especially important as we recover from the effects of the pandemic, and we will need to address the real concerns that we could see seafarers turning away from careers in shipping. We must analyse and respond to trends in seafarer retention, and continue regular monitoring of the global seafarer workforce, to ensure that the supply of STCW certified seafarers continues to keep pace with demand.”

BIMCO Secretary General & CEO, David Loosley, added, “The Seafarer Workforce Report is not only a useful tool but also a necessary one when it comes to planning for the future and assuring that the backbone of world trade is sufficient in numbers and skills. The insight and data contributions from shipping companies, national maritime administrations, and maritime education and training institutions to the new report is invaluable in gaining a picture of what our industry must prepare for in the future of seafarer recruitment and retention.”

The Report also focuses on diversity within the seafarer workforce, analysing a range of demographic data, including age, nationality and gender. The latest statistics show that there is a positive trend in gender balance, with an estimated 24,059 women serving as seafarers, a percentage increase of 45.8% compared with the 2015 report. The percentage of female STCW certified seafarers is estimated to be 1.28% of the global seafarer workforce and it appears that there has been a significant rise in the number of female STCW certified ratings compared to STCW certified female officers, with female ratings found predominantly in the cruise ship and passenger ferry sectors. Female officer numbers are spread more evenly across the sectors.

The 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report delivers detailed information on the current supply and demand for seafarers for the world fleet, including country-specific data; details of the demographic composition of the supply of seafarers; forward projections for the likely supply and demand situations over the next five years; and identifies maritime training, recruitment and retention trends and their potential consequences.

A host of fresh updates to Docmap, OneOcean’s solution for HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment and Quality) management, has added increased functionality for users.

In addition to the recently launched mobile application for Docmap, the solution also includes a brand-new Certificate Management system and Scheduler.

The Certificate Management system allows users to store and access digital versions of certificates from across their organisation. Shore-based teams can track and organise certificates for their company, vessels, and crews. Users aboard can easily access the certificates they need to present to authorities as and when they undergo inspections and enter ports around the world.

It automatically notifies users when certificates are due for renewal, saving considerable time and effort in manually consolidating and tracking documents across fleets, as well as negating the potential for confusion and mismanagement.

As all documents are saved and dated in one place, users can easily access certificates to demonstrate system management and compliance during the audit and tender process. Docmap also integrates with major classification societies; this means that digital certificates from these providers are automatically uploaded into the system, from which they can be effortlessly retrieved and managed.

Shoreside HSEQ teams can monitor vessel processes in real-time, and the new Scheduler function allows teams to create and schedule reports on a recurring or ad hoc basis for crews to complete. As with the Certificate Management functionality, the solution saves substantial time and effort in verifying, tracking, and consolidating reports, thereby enhancing safety and compliance with ISM codes. The scheduler helps to clearly define responsibilities onboard and ashore, providing simplicity and allowing teams to devote more time to other duties.

“As the global frontrunner in maritime compliance and navigation solutions, OneOcean is committed to forging ahead with evolving digital technologies and fresh initiatives,” said Martin Taylor, OneOcean CEO. “The new features and functions in Docmap 2021 demonstrate the constant drive to ensure that our customers benefit from the most comprehensive, user-friendly compliance and safety software available.”

Inmarsat Maritime Ventures, a subsidiary of Inmarsat has signed an agreement with SRH Connect (SRH) for SRH to acquire Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband customer base in Greece and Cyprus. The SRH acquisition involves customer contracts purchased by Inmarsat Maritime Ventures from Speedcast at the beginning of this year.
SRH already provides customer support for Inmarsat’s Fleet Network Manager portfolio after signing a customer support agreement in March 2021. As part of the sale agreement, SRH will become a formal Inmarsat distribution partner for FleetBroadband and a Value-Added Reseller for Fleet Xpress.
“Following the rapid and successful migration of the services of all of these customers as part of the agreement with Speedcast and the implementation of a customer support agreement with SRH, we are now delighted to have put in place a formal agreement for the sale of this FleetBroadband customer base to SRH Connect. It remains our preference to entrust the FleetBroadband base generally in the Greek and Cypriot market with partners rather than handling direct, allowing them the opportunity to upsell to Fleet Xpress,” said Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime.
“With this agreement SRH is going back to its roots, connecting the maritime world again. At the same time, this is also the basis for the execution of our vision for the future of shipping. A future where connectivity will be the basis for our suite of digital solutions. Solutions that integrate the entire ship with the business environment on shore.” said John Laderos, Executive Chairman of SRH.
“We are delighted to acquire this valuable fleet and look forward to providing a high-level of account management to this set of unique customers in Greece and Cyprus with the opportunity to upsell to Fleet Xpress.” said Theodoros Nikolopoulos, Chief Executive of SRH.

Wärtsilä has been selected to supply an integrated propulsion and dynamic positioning thruster solution, including the engines, a Wärtsilä NOx reducer emission abatement system, as well as steerable and tunnel thrusters to deliver optimum performance for vessel dynamic positioning in this new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV). The ship is being built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co yard for Norwegian heavy transport and WTG installation contractor OHT ASA and is the first of two next-generation WTIVs to be added to the OHT fleet.

The GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G design jack-up vessel is customised for offshore wind turbine installation and XL monopile foundations. The vessel will feature a telescopic crane with a maximum capacity of 2,500 tonnes and a maximum lifting height of approximately 165m. The compact design of the Wärtsilä thrusters is an important benefit since the weight of all onboard equipment can be critical for a jack-up vessel. The lightweight Wärtsilä thruster package meets this requirement while delivering excellent station-keeping capability.

The Wärtsilä scope includes four Wärtsilä 32 and two Wärtsilä 20 engines, the Wärtsilä NOx reducer (NOR) system, five steerable thrusters and one Wärtsilä tunnel thruster. Delivery to the yard will take place during the first half of 2022. The ship is expected to be delivered during the second quarter of 2023.

Effective station-keeping is enhanced by the thrusters’ proven retractable system, which has an energy efficient 8-degree tilting feature. This reduces the power need and, therefore, also fuel consumption. The thrusters also deliver thrust that can be up to 23% more effective than non-tilted units. The Wärtsilä steerable thrusters feature a modern electric steering system to provide higher redundancy, reliability, and a lower lifecycle cost.

“There is rapid growth in demand for the installation of offshore wind turbines, and the vessels designed to carry out this construction work need to be state-of-the-art. The same applies to the propulsion solutions because reliable and efficient dynamic positioning is essential in all sea conditions. The full scope of Wärtsilä solutions will provide the operational and environmental performance demanded for the next-generation market,” said Torben Mikkelsen, OHT’s Newbuild Project Manager.

“The aim is always to provide optimal propulsion performance for efficient vessel operations, and the advanced range of Wärtsilä solutions selected for this ship will do just that. By enabling efficient free sailing and outstanding dynamic positioning, we are at the same time contributing to the decarbonisation of shipping,” said Dirk Folchert, Senior Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power.