Electric Eel: Electric Pusher Vessel Design Unveiled
Lithuanian ship designer Western Baltic Engineering (WBE) is unveiling new designs for what it believes is the first ever electric pusher vessel for use on Europe’s inland waterways called the Electric Eel.Klaipeda headquartered WBE said the first electric pusher is due to be built next year for the Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority, a public body operating under Lithuanian Government Ministry of Transport and Communications.WBE’s Head of Sales & Marketing Eglė Mikalauskienė…
UDP Inks Deal to Upgrade the Engines of Its Pushboat Fleet
Ukrainian shipping company PJSC Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Belgian engine manufacturer Anglo-Belgian Corporation NV (ABC) to modernize its pushboat fleet.The LOI signed under the auspices of the Embassy of Belgium in Ukraine provides UDP with the possibility to install hybrid engines with equipment provided by ABC for up to 33 UDP pushboats. The fleet modernization would enable UDP to prolong the life of outdated fixed assets and…
Partners Set Out to Develop Hydrogen-powered Tugs
Norwegian engineering and equipment company TECO 2030 ASA said it has signed a letter of intent with Austrian-based powertrain deveolper AVL List GmbH and Dutch shipping company Chemgas Shipping B.V. for the use of fuel cell technology as the main energy source for tugboats in the Blue Danube hydrogen project and similar projects.The Blue Danube project is among Europe’s most ambitious hydrogen projects. It involves production of 80,000 tons of green annually based on wind power in Romania…
Second Ferry Export for Wight Shipyard
UK shipbuilder Wight Shipyard Co has completed its second export order. The order placed by Ultramar, the largest ferry operator in Mexico, consists of two 37m fast ferries which will be transported to Cancun Mexico at the beginning of July.The critical issues for these newbuilds were timely delivery and the weight saving target that needed to be achieved. Fuel costs are high in Mexico and are of paramount importance to Ultramar. The vessels were designed by Incat Crowther, which…
Scania Powers New Twin City Liner Ferry
Twin City Liner is a 39m low wash, high-speed catamaran ferry for operation by Twin City Liner on the Danube River between Vienna and Bratislava. The vessel was built by Wight Shipyard, with local support from Incat Crowther Europe.Operating on the Danube takes many interesting design specifications, and to this end the ferry features a low draft of 0.8m, minimal wake / wash, low air draft and a hull form designed for restricted waters where high current and debris are encountered. A retractable mast facilitates navigation and radar functions whilst fitting under low bridges.
Repower on Germany’s Inland Waterway
Germany is located on the divide between the South flowing Danube system and the north flowing Mainz River which is a tributary of the Rhine. Since 1992 the remarkable Rhine-Mainz-Danube canal and locks have connected the two systems allowing cargos to travel from the North Sea to the Mediterranean via the Black Sea. This allows inland river cargo vessels access to thousands of kilometers or inland waters. Even if a boat lays up at night, it can still rack up a lot of hours on its engine.As a result, repowers are a necessary but important decision for vessel owners.
New Eco-friendly Expedition Cruise Ship in the Works
Rolls-Royce said it has signed a deal with WestSea Yard, part of Martifer Group, to equip an expeditionary oceanic cruise ship for Portuguese based cruise company Mystic Cruises. The vessel, to be called the MS World Explorer, will be the company’s first expeditionary oceanic cruise ship. The MS World Explorer will offer expeditionary cruise itineraries in Antarctica from November to March and this new vessel’s inaugural Antarctic season is already fully chartered to, and being distributed globally by, Polar Cruise Company Quark Expeditions.
First LNG-powered EcoLiner Launched
Damen Shipyards Group launched the first LNG-powered Damen EcoLiner inland shipping tanker at its Romanian yard in early February. The EcoLiner, developed to deliver fuel economy for inland shipping operators while at the same time cutting emissions, features a design that combines conventional, proven engineering with sustainable innovations, including the world’s first installations of the ACES Air-Lubricated Hull, a gas-electrical shaft propulsion system and one of the first Van der Velden FLEX Tunnel installations. According to Damen, the pioneering vessel reduces fuel costs by up to 25%.
New Success for Europe in Cleaner Inland Navigation
The increasing use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as a fuel was given another boost with today’s commissioning of a new type of inland navigation vessel: Sirocco. Owned by Chemgas Barging, this conventional gas tanker is equipped with a main engine capable of running on marine gas oil as well as on the clean LNG. What makes this dual-fuel system unique is that it is positioned below decks in the cargo area, which improves vessel safety. This deployment is part of the ‘LNG Masterplan…
LNG Hybrid Barge Launched
The LNG Hybrid Barge is being eagerly awaited at the Port of Hamburg. On September 5, 2014, the technical launching was celebrated in Komárno, Slovakia. “This is an important day for the shipping industry, because the LNG Hybrid Barge is a big step forward for supplying cruise ships with environmentally-friendly energy,” said Dirk Lehman, Managing Director of Becker Marine Systems. Starting off from her place of construction, on September 12, 2014 the LNG Hybrid Barge with a length of 76.7 m, a breadth of 11.4 m and draught of approx.
Viking River Cruises Sets World Record: 10 Ships Inaugurated in One Day
Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) set a world record with the christening of 10 new Viking Longships. “Today is a proud day for Viking and for river cruising. We are honored to showcase 10 of our revolutionary new Longships and to have had such a celebrated group of women helping us christen them,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. Guests at the christening ceremony enjoyed remarks by each godmother and a presentation on the growth of river cruising by Hagen.
New-build Waterway Cruise Ship Godmother Chosen
AmaWaterways has chosen Valerie Wilson of Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. to be Godmother of the lines new ship 'AmaPrima'. Wilson will christen the ship at a traditional christening ceremony in Vilshofen, Germany on August 6, 2013. As the New York City-based Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Valerie Wilson Travel, Wilson leads one of the largest privately owned and family-managed travel agencies in the United States. She also serves on numerous advisory boards and as a mentor to up-and-coming travel professionals.
Neptun Werft Wins Viking River Cruises Order
Viking River Cruises orders 10 new river cruise vessels of the 'Viking Longship' class from the Rostock-Warnemunde yard. Two of the ships will be delivered in August and September 2013, and the others by April 2014. This order brings the total number of new vessels to be delivered to Viking to 10 in 2013 and 8 in 2014. In addition options for a further 8 vessels with delivery in the Spring 2015 have been signed. These new river cruise vessels are designed to operate on the various European inland waterways such as the Rhine…
Disney Fantasy: German Shipbuilding at its Best
These are the pictures which are going around the world on the occasion of towing again an enormous cruise ship out of the covered building docks and pull it in high precision work via the very narrow inland waterway across the grassland of the river Ems towards the open ocean. These pictures brings the city of Papenburg, with its 35.000 residents, into focus. The pictures are unreal as well as fascinating. With its periodical rerun, always then, when a new cruise ship leaves the Meyer Werft of Papenburg, they are burnt into the memory as a kind of an icon of the new ultra-modern Northwest.
Iconic Engines: Cummins K38-M
Most Americans will recall an iconic automobile engine from their youth. It might be an early 1950s Ford V-8 flat head or a 1970s Dodge 426 Hemi. Over the decades other engines have been added to the list. In a similar fashion mariners have identified classic marine diesels. One such is the Cummins 38-liter 2300-cu. inch engine known over the years as the KTA38. Canadian fisherman John Lenic has been running one in his 1978-built steel purse seiner Ocean Marauder. Still running on the original engine he swears by it.