#ASLseaTrials - Arklow Vale, the leadship newbuild of the latest series of ‘V’ class cargoships on order to Arklow Shipping’s Dutch division is to carry out sea-trials tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The newbuild left the inland building yard of Royal Bodewes in Hoogezand, Groningen which is located in the north-east of the lowlands nation and is on her way down a series of connecting canals to Delfzijl. From there the Arklow Vale is to enter the River Eems estuary on the Dutch-German border which flows into the Wadden Sea.

Arklow Vale is built to a design of a Royal Bodewes 5,100dwt Trader Series in which 10 in total are on order.

In our last report, at that stage Arklow Vale was constructed at only module stage and with main sections yet to be joined up to complete the hull. The bow of the hull features a straight stem bow to reduce wave impact and reduce fuel through energy-efficiencies.

Arklow Vale was launched in September and in the customary fashion with a spectacular sideways launch. This resulted with a massive splash as the hull entered the canal for the first time much to the joy of yard workers and staff, owner-officials and spectators alike.

It is understood, Arklow Vale is owned by Avoca Shipping B.V. the Netherlands and will be operated Arklow Shipping Nederland B.V. based in Rotterdam.

The major port is where both newbuilds are registered, while the majority Irish flagged fleet are registered at their homeport of Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

#NewMegaBerths - The major UK port of Felixstowe is where a significant new berth extension was opened by Dr Therese Coffey MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.

The 190-metre extension at berth No. 9 increases the port’s capability to work two of the world’s largest containerships simultaneously. As previously reported in March, the massive MSC Oscar made a maiden call to the Essex port.

More than eighty ships of 18,000+TEU have already been handled at the port in 2015, confirming Felixstowe’s position as the port-of-choice for mega-ships in the UK.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Coffey said: “I am delighted to formally open this latest extension of the Port of Felixstowe. An ever increasing proportion of UK trade is moving on these huge container ships and UK ports need to provide the facilities they require.

He added, "Felixstowe was the first port in the UK to handle these vessels and this latest development will help ensure UK exports reach overseas markets in the most efficient way possible.”

Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of HPH Europe division, added: “The Berth 9 Extension represents the latest phase of development at the Port of Felixstowe. Our programme of continued investment has ensured that the UK remains a destination for direct calls by the latest generation of mega-ships.

“We are committed to ensuring we offer the best facilities and the highest possible levels of service and productivity to all our customers. The new facilities being opened today will help us deliver on this commitment and ensure that the Port of Felixstowe remains the Port of Britain.”

Berths 8&9 at the port were the first in the UK to handle the latest generation of giant container ships. The quay length of the port’s newest terminal is now 920 metres, and the total quay length in the port nearly 4,000 metres.

The port has acquired three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes to work on the extended terminal. The cranes are capable of working vessels with containers stacked 10-high, and 24-wide, on deck. There are now 10 cranes on Berths 8&9 and 36 in the port as a whole.

The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the UK, handling 44% of all UK container traffic. Its importance is recognised in the Government’s National Infrastructure plan which includes improvements to its road and rail connections as leading priorities for investment.

#AddedCapacity - Irish Sea freight-only operator, Seatruck Ferries is to add a third vessel to its growing Dublin-Liverpool route beginning on 17 November.

The additional mid-week departures will provide much needed peak capacity on a route which the operator claim is attracting increasing support from un-accompanied traffic.

The additional vessel is in direct response to demand and feedback from the Seatruck customer base and has been tailored to reflect the changing needs of the Irish market.

Driver shortages are causing operators to reassess their traditional accompanied method.

Seatruck Ferries believes in a switch to greater volumes of unaccompanied movements from ports, which reduces road mileage compared with the transit through Wales or Scotland. As economic conditions improve, this addition is the next stage in the freight operator's strategic development plan.

The move will complement the existing Seatruck services operating between Warrenpoint-Heysham and Dublin-Heysham (see ship's captain interview). The M6 Link road is nearing completion and will dramatically reduce the transit time to Heysham Port from junction 34 of the M6.

Commenting on the development, Seatruck CEO Alistair Eagles said,  "I am delighted to announce the deployment of additional tonnage on the Liverpool-Dublin route. October was another record month for this service and we are all really excited about the extra space that we will soon be able to offer to both existing and new customers.

He added. "2016 will be a pivotal year for Seatruck with not only the additional capacity on this route but with the opening of the M6 link which will be a game changer for the development of our routes from the Port of Heysham"

#NewBelfastTug – One of the largest UK independent harbour tug firms, SMS Towage has taken delivery of another tug for its Belfast operations last month. 

The new ASD (azimuth stern drive) tug to Belfast brings the overall investment in the Northern Irish city port to over £9m having began operations just over two years ago in October 2013.

The Turkish-built ASD Merchantman completed in 2009 has a 50 bollard tonnes. The near 25m long vessel is sister to the ASD Masterman (as previously reported on Afloat.ie) which entered service in the city also in 2013.

Together they form the most modern fleet of omni-directional tugs in Belfast Harbour, said joint managing director Gareth Escreet of Hessle, East Yorkshire-based SMS Towage.

“This is a significant level of investment, and shows our commitment and confidence in the growing level of activity we are experiencing in Belfast,” said Gareth.

“With an operational life here beyond 2030, it allows us to leverage the fleet advantages of commonality of spare parts, training, and vessel familiarisation.”

SMS Towage began trading in Belfast due to the attraction as desired for change from major port users and with potential for work from a new offshore wind terminal and a purpose built cruise terminal.

Last year, Belfast saw a record 112,000 cruise passengers pass through the port.

The tug firm also deals with regular vessel towage work from the Fred Olsen-owned businesses of Dolphin Drilling and Harland & Wolff.

The Olsen group includes the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines whose ships have visited the port. The most recent example been Boudicca which was on a ‘no passport required' cruise last month of the UK and Ireland.

#ExportAwards2015 - The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) will be sponsoring the Maritime Services Award Category in the IEA Export Industry Awards 2015.

The Export Industry Awards are organised by the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) to recognise the remarkable achievements of companies working in the export industry.

Shipping and Maritime service providers are invited to enter the Maritime Services company of the year awards. By entering this category, companies will also be in with a chance to be selected as the 2015 Exporter of the Year.

All winners will be announced at an annual Gala Dinner on Friday, 13th November at the Convention Centre in Dublin.

For more information including award application forms, please visit: http://www.irishexporters.ie/?s=awards

#BiggestContract - The Telegraph writes that Cammell Laird on Merseyside has beaten off foreign rivals to land a £200m project to build an advanced research ship for British Antarctic Survey.

Britain’s martime industry has been given a major boost with Cammell Laird landing the biggest commercial shipbuilding contract in more than a generation.

The Merseyside yard beat off competition from rivals in Europe and the Far East to win a £200m deal to build an advanced polar research ship for the Government-backed British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

Work will begin cutting steel for the new 410ft long vessel in autumn 2016 with the ship ready to go into service in 2019, cementing Britain’s position as a world leader in polar science. The project is expected to secure 400 jobs at Cammell Laird and a further 100 positions in the supply chain.

For much more on this newbuild contract, the newspaper reports here.

Earlier this year on Afloat.ie it was reported that Cammell Laird was awarded a contract for a £5.7m project by Northern Ireland's Department for Regional Development.

The contract is for a car-ferry on the Strangford Lough service which will replace an ageing ferry. A second ferry was also on the cards for the service to Rathlin Island.

#dAmicoEcoShips - Dublin based d’Amico International Shipping S.A. (DIS) announced the recent launch of two eco-ships at the shipyards of Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard Co. Ltd in Vietnam, bringing the fleet to a record number of over 50 units.

The operator DIS is listed on the Italian Stock Exchange and provides services in the international transport market of refined products and vegetable oils. For previous newbuild news click here. 

The launch on 6 October of newbuilds Cielo di Ulsan, a handysize Ice Class of 39,000 tons and High Trader, a medium range 50,000 tons product tanker showcase innovative design.

The Eco-Ships aim at offering incredible versatility in type of transport, elevated performance in terms of energy efficiency and consumption and an impressive reduction of emissions. This will allow these newbuilds to already meet international standards that will come into force in 2025.

With the addition of the two ships, the DIS fleet now comprises 51.83 double-hull tankers, with an average age of 7,6 years, of which 25.33 vessels owned and 26.50 chartered (decimal numbers due to ships in joint ventures with other companies).
The two eco-ships, worth a total of more than 62 million dollars, are a part of the maxi 755 million dollar investment plan that DIS launched in 2012 and which includes, to date, a total of 22 high performance vessels, of which 10 already delivered.

DIS already assigned the ships to two major international oil companies at the time of the order, under time-charter contracts, one lasting 30 months and the other three years, managing to anticipate the extraordinary global demand in the transport of refined petroleum products, today favoured both by the transfer of refineries (from the main consuming regions to oil production areas) and the decreasing of crude oil prices.

Cielo di UIsan is built with structures allowing navigation in presence of ice, and features equipment and systems capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -20°C. This 183m long and 29m wide handysize vessel will be used above all for routes in Northern Europe, the Arctic and the Northern Sea. This is the first model of a group of 4 ships that will join the DIS fleet, resulting from the joint work of the engineers of the d’Amico Group and the shipyard of Hyundai Vinashin.

High Trader, 183m long and 32m wide, is instead the “twin” of two other vessels already delivered to DIS and highly appreciated by oil companies for their ability to guarantee average savings of 6 tons of fuel per day (with ship fully loaded and a constant speed of 14 knots) and consequently a 20% reduction in Co2 emissions.

Moreover, the profit ability of the ship is driven by its great commercial versatility: High Trader can in fact carry up to nine different types of cargo during the same trip. Cielo di Ulsan and High Trader are equipped with systems for the treatment of ballast water so as to minimise the impact on marine ecosystems and comply with IMO3 and IMO2 requirements. DIS has currently other 12 new eco-ships, including 3 Handysize, 3 medium-range and 6 LR1, under construction.

Management commentary

Marco Fiori, Chief Executive Officer of d’Amico International Shipping commented: ‘We have added two more ships of great construction quality to our young fleet, which are capable of offering our customers safety, efficiency and profitability. In this context, the partnership with the shipyards of Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard has proven to be strategic for the development of our fleet, which today reaches the record number of ships in the history of d’Amico International Shipping.”

He added, “This extremely positive moment on the market and increasingly close relations with major oil companies and multinational manufacturers of vegetable oils, which request our ships more and more often, confirm that DIS has taken the right route. With the addition of other 12 eco-ships currently under construction by 2018, we will further consolidate our competitive position on the global shipping market that today already sees us among the leaders.”

#NMCIopenDay - The National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) is set to open it’s doors to the public for the annual College Open Day on October 22nd. The college located at Ringaskiddy in lower Cork Harbour will be open between 10:00 and 15:00.

The Open Day is for all from transition year students, to leaving certificate students, teachers and parents. The college will welcome members of the public to have an opportunity to tour the state of the art facilities at NMCI, a $100million dollar facility.

Degree courses are on offer at the NMCI. They are a B.Eng. in Marine Electrotechnology, B.Eng. in Marine Engineering or a B.Sc in Nautical Science. So should they peak your interest you will have an opportunity to find out about each of the courses.

A recent study by Drewry estimates the current officer supply to be 610,000, representing a shortfall of 19,000 personnel. This shortfall is forecast to rise to 21,700 by 2018 given that there will be a requirement for an additional 38,500 officers by this time.

As there is a placement element amongst these courses, NMCI have partnered with key industry leaders to give students seagoing time. A number of our industry partners will also be present on October 22nd to discuss employment opportunities with students.

#DetainedBulker - A 39,200dwt bulker is understood to remain under detention in Greenore having docked at the Co. Louth port at the end of last month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Maltese-flagged Cielo di Monaco, a 'Handy Size' open shaped hatch bulker which arrived from Sheerness, Kent was detained by Irish authorities on 30 September. It is also understood the vessel may have damage to its 180m long hull.

According to the Paris MoU, the 2014 built bulker is listed as detained by the organisation that aims to eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships though a harmonized system of port state control.

Ireland is a member state of Paris MoU and carried out the detention of the bulker managed by d'Amico Dry, a subsidiary of the Italian owned d'Amico group, which also has a large product tankers fleet. The subsidiary is domiciled in Dublin and has charter operations based in other locations among them Monaco. 

A another bulker similar to the Cielo di Monaco, the 37,000dwt Cielo di San Francisco as previously reported on Afloat.ie went aground on a Dublin Bay sandbank in 2013. The Italian flagged bulker was re-floated near the Kish Lighthouse. On that occasion the 2011 built vessel was making a maiden call to Ireland, firstly with an arrival to Cork's Ringaskiddy terminal.

Last month, Afloat reported that d'Amico Tankers Ireland Ltd had announced an order for the construction and sale of two 75,000dwt long-range product tankers. 

#BigBoxData - French container giant CMA CGM Group has announced that the new CMA CGM Bougainville (see previous report) will be the first container ship in the world to be equipped with 'Traxens' technology. This will transform containers into smart connected objects.

This technology transforms standard containers into smart, connected, objects and introduces the multimodal transportation system into the Big Data era.

The Traxens’ equipped smart containers aboard the CMA CGM Bougainville will be able to communicate among themselves and to the ship’s communication infrastructure by using built-in relay antennas, allowing even the most deeply hidden container to be connected.

All the collected data will then be sent to CMA CGM Headquarters in Marseille via Traxens’ data centers.

The Traxens system collects real-time data throughout the container’s transport whether on land or at sea, adding considerable value to the shipping line and to its customers, insurers, and customs.

A wide range of data from each container can be gathered and transmitted to the CMA CGM group: location, temperature, humidity level, vibrations, impacts, attempted burglary, customs clearance status and more.

The devices provide even greater added value in the refrigerated transport of perishable goods. They can remotely control and adjust the temperature of refrigerated containers and will allow resource optimization for routine inspections.

With more than 12 million containers transported by CMA CGM it means that a huge amount of information will be collected and analyzed with the objective of improving the service provided to the end customers.

The CMA CGM Bougainville will be inaugurated by Mr. François Hollande, President of the French Republic.