Author: Suvi Mannonen

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have expressed their support for the safe resumption of cruise ship operations following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement issued on 5 November, the organizations also encouraged their member states and relevant national and local authorities to designate all seafarers and marine personnel within their jurisdictions as key workers providing an essential service and to remove any barriers to crew changes.

Read more courtesy of Infomarine.net >

Aker Arctic Technology Inc, the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) have signed a contract for the development of new icebreakers for demanding Baltic Sea escort operations. Aker Arctic will develop a next generation icebreaker design that is capable of assisting larger merchant ships, incorporates latest environmental technologies, and is ready for a future fossil-free fuels.

Read the full story on the Aker Arctic site >

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) tied to a License and Cooperation agreement with UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies for the future sales and servicing of Rotor Sail solutions to the shipping industry. The agreement was signed on 22 October 2020.

Rotor Sails, also referred to as ‘Flettner Rotors, are comprised of vertical cylinders which, when driven to rotate, harness the renewable power of the wind to propel ships. These highly efficient mechanical sails capitalise on the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the Magnus Effect to provide additional thrust to vessels and deliver significant fuel and emission savings.

Read more on wartsila.com >

Deltamarin is collaborating with Cargill and BAR Technologies to design cargo ships using BAR Technologies’ WindWings, a new technology offering a solution to improve vessel efficiency, independent of the fuel or type of engine used.

“Deltamarin was selected as the naval architect for this project due to its track record in designing efficient cargo vessels and introducing new technologies to ships,” says Keith Dawe, Sustainability Projects and Investments Leader of Cargill Ocean Transportation. Deltamarin has a specific focus on optimising the hull form and appendages as well as propulsion and steering configuration for WindWings vessels.

Read more on the Deltamarin website >

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) has entered into three major supply contracts for the main equipment of Pohjanmaa Class multi-purpose corvettes commissioned by the Finnish Defence Forces. The main equipment will be purchased from leading global suppliers whose systems have been developed specifically for combat vessels. The contracts are worth over EUR 100 million in total.

The most crucial contracts for the supply of critical main equipment with long delivery times were signed during spring and summer in highly unusual circumstances. The coronavirus pandemic has posed significant challenges to numerous businesses, including the Squadron 2020 project.

Read more with Navigator Magazine >

One of Carnival’s most anticipated new cruise ships ever has completed her 10-day sea trials on Monday and has now arrived back at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Read more on CruiseHive >

The Wärtsilä Voyage Cloud Simulation Solution has been selected by the leading ship manager, Anglo-Eastern, to provide online capacity for the company’s training centres in India, the Philippines and Ukraine. The cloud-based simulators will be used for navigation, engineering, and liquid cargo handling simulator-based training. Anglo-Eastern has over 600 ships under management, and has a crew pool of more than 29,000 seafarers worldwide. It is the first global ship management company to implement the Wärtsilä Cloud Simulation Solution.

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The technology group Wärtsilä’s experience and track-record in delivering efficient and sustainable solutions for fishing sector vessels has again been recognised with another important order. The Danish shipbuilder Karstensens Shipyard has awarded Wärtsilä the contract to deliver the main propulsion machinery for an 89 metre-long pelagic purser/trawler being built for Faroe Islands-based Christian i Grótinum, a leading North Atlantic fishing group. The order was booked in July this year.

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The construction of the new fast shuttle ferry for Tallink Grupp is progressing at the Rauma shipyard. The keel of Rauma Marine Constructions’ newbuilding NB6003, a shuttle vessel named MyStar, was laid today, 18 September 2020. MyStar is set to be delivered to the owner at the beginning of 2022. The ferry will operate between Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia. The shipbuilding project will provide over 1,500 person-years of employment for the shipyard.

Read the full story >

Finnlines newbuilding programme continues as planned. The construction of Finnlines’ second new hybrid ro-ro vessel started at the Chinese Nanjing Jinling shipyard. The first steel plates were cut in the traditional steel cutting ceremony on September 16, 2020.

Finnlines’ ongoing EUR 500 million newbuilding programme, which includes three green hybrid ro-ro vessels, as well as two eco-friendly Superstar ro-pax vessels, will further increase Finnlines’ energy efficiency. The vessels will be built with the top technical and environmental views in mind. In addition to lithium-ion battery banks, which enable ‘zero emissions in port’, they will be equipped with several advanced technologies to save energy and thus reduce emissions further. The ro-ro vessels are expected to be delivered during 2021–2022 and the Superstar ro-pax vessels are set to start in traffic in 2023.

Read more on Finnlines.fi >