Sungdong becomes latest yard to build VLCCs

Emerging South Korean yard Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is moving into the VLCC sector.

According to local South Korean newspapers, Sungdong on March 28 concluded a contract with a European operator to build four 320,000-dwt VLCCs for delivery by 2011. The vessels were reportedly priced at $150 million apiece. With STX Shipbuilding also bagging its first VLCC order in March 2008, VLCC berths are swelling. Tanker prices are consistently rising at the moment. STX’s reported price for its debut VLCCs were $148.5m a piece. Sungdong, located in Tongyeong, has churned out 18 bulkers and product carriers since it upgraded from block factory to newbuilds in 2004.

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Cargo ship runs on wind power

SkySails' first cargo ship, with a huge computer-controlled kite, was recently flagged off by Eva Luise Koehler, wife of German President Horst Koehler.

The ship MV Beluga SkySails started its maiden voyage from the city of Bremerhaven, Germany to South & North America (and back) and the SkySails-System with its 1,722 square-foot towing kite has been put into operation successfully. This new technology can tow cargo vessels and superyachts, reducing fuel consumption by 10 to 35 per cent on annual average. SkySails used Maple symbolic mathematical software for engineers to develop its simulation devices. SkySails GmbH & Co. KG, based in Hamburg, Germany, develops, produces, and distributes towing kite wind propulsion systems for modern means of sea travel and transportation. These systems make the operation of ships more profitable, safe, environment friendly, and independent of scarce oil resources. The SkySails system consists of a large towing kite similar to a paraglider, which is navigated by a fully- automated control pod and is connected to the ship via a towing rope. The control pod performs similar tasks as a paraglider pilot - shortens or lengthens the control cords, thus changing the aerodynamic profile of the towing kite - and governs its flight path.

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Panama flag launches 24/7 service for users

The Panama Maritime Authority which oversees the world‚s largest Merchant Marine fleet is now offering access to the Bureau of Maritime Security on a continued basis, 24 hours a day seven days a week for the users of the Panama Registry.

SEGUMAR services and offices, previously located in New York, have been relocated in Panama, in the new headquarters of the Panama Maritime Authority. However, SEGUMAR New York will continue to attend technical inquiries from the customers area, act as liaison between the General Directorate of Merchant Marine and the customers of the geographical area, follow-up on PSC detentions and the liaison with PSC authorities of the geographical area, print and deliver the Technical Certificates issued and approved by the Segumar Panama Office and receive the payments by Recognized Organizations (ROs) related to the issuance of statutory certificates.
SEGUMAR Panama Office is composed by 19 technicians (available 24/7), all fully bilingual in English and Spanish who will receive all consultations about authorizations, issuances of certificates and will answer on the spot to the queries. They will process requests immediately.

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Petrobras and Mitsui eye biofuels goal

Brazil’s state-run giant Petrobras has formed a joint venture with Japan’s Mitsui Group in a bid to increase the business sustainability of its biofuels segment.

The venture, named Participacoes Nippo Brasileira em Complexos Bioenergeticos SA, aims to promote and sell Brazilian sugarcane ethanol in world markets with a focus on supplying ethanol to Japan. The demand for industrial ethanol in Japan is thought to reach 300 million litres per year. Mitsui and Petrobras also have another joint ethanol project in Brazil. The ethanol venture was signed in February to develop the conceptual design for a 1150 kilometre ethanol pipeline to be built between Senador Canedo municipality in Goias State and Paulinia in Brazil.

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The loss of the 'Bourbon Dolphin'

It is not possible to show that an individual error, whether technical or human, led to the loss of the anchor-handling vessel 'Bourbon Dolphin' on April 12, 2007.

This is the conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry, which submitted its report to Minister of Justice Knut Storberget. Eight individuals died in the accident, while seven survived. The special commission of enquiry chaired by appellate court judge Inger Lyng was appointed by the King-in-Council on 27 April 2007. It has held five open hearings and questioned 38 witnesses, including the survivors, officers from other vessels that participated in the operation, individuals from the owner company, the shipyard, the operator company Chevron, the drill rig 'Transocean Rather', the UK consultancy firm Trident, and The Norwegian Maritime Directorate and the classification society Det Norske Veritas. In addition the Commission has collected and reviewed a large quantity of documentation related to the vessel and the operation in which the 'Bourbon Dolphin' was involved when the accident happened. The Commission has also had access to underwater footage of the casualty taken straight after the capsize and of the wreck in December 2007. The Commission concludes that the proximate causes of the accident were the vessel's change of course to port (west) so as to get away from mooring line no. 3, at the same time as the inner starboard towing pin was depressed, causing the chain to rest against the outer port towing pin. This gave the chain an altered point and angle of attack on the vessel. A combination of weaknesses in the design of the vessel, and failures in the handling of safety systems by the company, by the operator and on the rig, are major contributory factors to the operation of April 12, 2007 coming out of control.

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