Carnival to dry dock 32 ships by 2016
In and effort meet new emissions regulations, Carnival Corp. earlier this month reached an agreement in principle with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Coast Guard to develop its own advanced emission control technology to be used in waters surrounding U.S. coasts. The plan calls for Carnival to dry dock 32 ships between now and the first half of 2016.
According to the EPA, Carnival will develop and deploy a new exhaust gas cleaning system on up to 32 ships over the next three years to be used in Emission Control Areas (ECAs), the area around U.S. and Canadian coasts where ships must reduce air pollution emissions. The new controls to be developed and deployed combine the use of sulfur oxide (SOx) scrubbers with diesel particulate filters. They employ technologies well known in the power plant and automotive sectors, but not previously used together on a marine vessel. The technology can also provide additional benefits in the reduction of particulate matter and black carbon. And according to the government’s press release, it will provide an opportunity for ECA compliance at a 50 percent or greater reduction in cost and may yield emission reductions beyond those required by current requirements.
The exhaust gas cleaning systems will be installed during vessel dry docks on the following schedule: nine ships in 2014; 16 ships in 2015 and seven ships in the first half of 2016.
Huntington Ingalls to close Gulfport Composite Center of Excellence
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Sept. 4 that it would be closing its Gulfport, Miss., composites facility by May 2014.
The closure is due to the reduction in the Zumwalt-class (DDG 1000) ship construction, the recent U.S. Navy decision to use steel products on Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), and an overall declining Navy use of composite products.
The closure will impact 427 employees either through headcount reductions, or intra-company transfers.
McDonough Marine Service launches new barge
McDonough Marine Service of Metairie, La., on Aug. 30 announced the launching of another new barge MARMAC 304 (300 feet by 100 feet by 20 feet), the third in a series of new ABS ocean-classed deck barges commissioned by the barge and tug company. The barge was built for McDonough Marine Service by Signal International in Orange, Texas.
The MARMAC 304 barge was designed with an ABS load line maximum cargo capacity of 13,200 short tons and uniform deck strength of 4,500 pounds per square foot.
MARMAC 304 will be fleeted in Amelia, La.
New fireboats for the Port of Long Beach
The naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. has been selected for the design and construction of two new fireboats for the Port of Long Beach. Custom designed for service in the U.S. port, the fireboats will be operated by the Long Beach Fire Department and will be amongst the largest fireboats in North America.
Robert Allan Ltd.’s design work began in 2011, with a series of kickoff meetings with the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Fire Department to establish the Statement of Requirements for the new vessels.
Functional requirements included:
• Firefighting of ships, boats and near shore structures
• On-shore support, including shore-side supply of water
• Water rescue including vessel dewatering, towing and dive support
• Medevac services and EMS / paramedic support
• Harbor security patrol, including detection of hazardous agents
• Disaster response, including a command information center
• Operation in contaminated (CBRN) areas, including vessel self-protection and decontamination facilities for personnel
The vessels are to have a maximum speed of 12 knots, a low wash (less than 12 inches) speed of 8 knots and onsite endurance of five days. Control stations are located both forward and aft in the wheelhouse, with bidirectional operation and visibility of all working deck areas being a key feature. Exceptional low speed maneuverability and station keeping are provided by the Voith Schneider propulsion system.
Propulsion power is being provided by a pair of Caterpillar 3512C Main Engines developing 2,012 bhp at 1,600 rpm, which are driving two Voith Schneider propellers. An additional two Caterpillar 3512C engines, and one Caterpillar C12 engine will team up with the drive engines to power the array of seven firefighting pumps, ranging in size from 2,000 to 8,000 gallons per minute with a total aggregate capacity of 41,000 gallons per minute.
The vessels will be equipped with 10 monitors total, the largest capable of delivering 12,000 gallons per minute at a 600-foot range. This monitor alone exceeds the requirements of a National Fire Protection Association Type II fireboat. In addition there will be nine other monitors ranging from 1,500 to 6,000 gallons per minute. Two of these monitors will be able to deliver 6,000 gallons per minute of firefighting foam at a range of 500 feet. There are four hydrants with a capacity of 500 gallons per minute in conjunction with the shoreside supply of up 22,000 gallons per minute.
New response boat for LA sheriff’s department
Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, Wash., delivered a Response Boat Medium-C (RB-M-C) to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The 45-foot by 14-foot-7-inch RB-M-C is the sistership of the highly successful U.S. Coast Guard RB-M and has been adapted to meet the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) detection mission requirements of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. A roof mounted RS-700 Gamma/Neutron Radiation Detection System from RSI enables the vessel to quickly and accurately measure and locate natural and man-made radioactive elements.
Designed by Camarc Design, based in the U.K., the all-aluminum vessel is powered by twin Detroit Diesel 60 series engines rated for 825 bhp each. Rolls-Royce Kamewa FF375S waterjets were chosen as the propulsors with Twin Disc MG5114SC transmission. This combination allows for excellent maneuverability and a top speed exceeding 42 knots.
Kvichak has already delivered three RB-M-C’s to the New York Police Department Harbor Unit and one to the Seattle Police Department Harbor Unit.
New ASD for Bisso Towboat
Bisso Towboat Co. announced in August that it has signed a contract with Main Iron Works LLC, of Houma, La., to begin construction of a 4,480-hp azimuthing stern drive (ASD) ship-assist tugboat.
The new tug will measure 100 feet by 38 feet by 18 feet and will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516C Tier 3 main engines producing 2,240 hp each at 1,600 rpm. Propulsion will be provided by two Rolls-Royce US205 FP Z-drives featuring 90.4-inch-diameter by 82.4-inch-pitch, four-blade stainless steel propellers set in stainless steel nozzles.
Electrical service will be provided by two 99-kW Marathon generators powered by John Deere Model Tier-3 engines. The tug will be equipped with one JonRie Intertech series 230 hydraulic bow winch equipped with 500 feet of eight-inch circumference synthetic hawser. Bollard pull is estimated to be 60 tons.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2013 with delivery in early 2015.
This tug will be the fifth ASD ship-assist tugboat constructed in the past 15 years for Bisso by Main Iron Works and the ninth new tug constructed in the past 23 years for Bisso by Main Iron Works. The new tug will bring the total number of tugs in the Bìsso fleet to 13.
New ASD for Signet Maritime
Signet Maritime Corp. announced delivery of its newest vessel, a Robert Allan-designed AZ 25/60 class towing and escort tug, Signet Magic, on July 26 from Signet Shipbuilding & Repair, in Pascagoula, Miss. This Signet-owned state-of-the-art ASD will be used at multiple Gulf of Mexico locations for harbor assist and ship and rig escort, designed specifically to work under limited maneuvering conditions.
The highly maneuverable and powerful Z-drive tug is built under the direction of ABS to the Load Line Convention Rules. Measuring 80 feet by 36 feet by 16 feet with ABS-certified 61.4 tons of bollard pull, the tug is powered by a pair of EPA Tier-3 Caterpillar model 3516C diesel engines producing a total 5,150 bhp at 1,600 rpm with two fixed pitch Rolls-Royce model US205 Z-drives.
Deck equipment includes a Markey DEPCF-48 electric bow hawser winch and a DEPC-32 deck winch on the stern.
Signet’s fleet expansion construction program is on schedule with three additional tractors for coastal and offshore towing to be delivered in the first and second quarters of 2014.
