Molten Salt Reactors: Maritime’s Nuclear Option
A race is being run by nuclear scientists and ship designers. The prize? “Decarbonization’s” holy grail — believed to be a “small” thorium-fueled, molten-salt rector’s unlimited power to propel sea trade. At the same time, a recently revived discussion among leading marine-nuclear thinkers revolves now around how to put an ultra-modern, as-yet non-existent marine reactor aboard a modern commercial vessel. As with nuclear power generally, shipborne reactors produce national discussion first, then discovery. Now its global, and vessel designs are on the table.The word is, “Don’t be afraid” of upcoming marine nuclear.
CMHI Builds Alfa Lift
The construction of the 48,000 dwt semi-submersible offshore wind farm foundation installation vessel, Alfa Lift, is progressing at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard.CMHI has installed 78 out of 162 blocks in the dock of Offshore Heavy Transport’s (OHT) new wind farm foundation installation vessel.The hull structural steel construction of the remaining blocks is also taking shape; in total 103 of the 162 blocks have reached the non-destructive testing completion status.Alfa Lift, for which the first steel was cut on 1 March 2019…
Ustein Unveils Heavy Lift Jack-up
With the newly developed J102 heavy lift jack-up design, Ulstein says it presents its answer to the offshore wind industry’s need for fit-for-purpose, cost efficient yet future proof wind turbine installation vessels. The new design is part of Ulstein’s X-JACK series of heavy lift jack-up designs. “This underlines Ulstein’s firm commitment to serve the offshore renewables industry,” says Tore Ulstein, COO Design & Solutions.“Floating vessels we see as the preferred solution for foundation installation, where self-propelled jack-ups are the chosen tool for installing wind turbines…
SeaOwls, Ulstein Part Ways
Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein and Dutch offshore consultancy SeaOwls BV have decided to each go their own separate ways in the offshore wind industry.The jointly developed SOUL jack-up concept is geared toward the transport and installation of the world’s largest and powerful offshore wind turbines in the coming decades.The patent rights of the concept were developed under the cooperation of both companies and will continue to be held by both SeaOwls and Ulstein, but each company will pursue its own business…
Heavy Lifters for Offshore Renewable Market
Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) will enter the offshore renewables and installation market with a new heavy lift transport and installation vessel, a customized Ulstein Alfa Lift design developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions BV (UDSBV) and OHT.There is one firm order with three options to build the ship at China Merchant Heavy Industry (CMHI), ready for action in 2021.The dynamically-positioned, 48,000 DWT vessel is designed to perform heavy lift crane operations with the main deck submerged, a patent-pending design combining the benefits of a semi-submersible transport vessel with a large…
Ulstein, SeaOwls Partner for Heavy-lift Jack-Up Design
Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. (part of Ulstein Group) and SeaOwls B.V. are partnering to combine the former’s track record in heavy lift vessel design with the latter’s experience in jack-up technology and engineering to jointly develop the next generation self-propelled heavy lift jack-up vessel. The new design aims to serve the needs of offshore wind industry, but will also be suitable for operations in the offshore oil and gas market. Rather than developing a scaled-up version of a conventional heavy lift jack-up vessel, a complete new design is being developed by the two companies.
The Future of Well Intervention
Herrenknecht and Ulstein are due to present their vision of the future of heavy well intervention at the Offshore Energy 2015 exhibition in Amsterdam this week. Germany’s Herrenknecht Vertical GmbH (HVG) and the Netherland’s Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. (UDS BV) will present ULSTEIN DX105, a heavy well intervention vessel design for water depths up to 2,500m, featuring the HVG Terra Invader 750 drill tower. The integration of the Herrenknecht equipment resulted in a compact, fully integrated vessel design aimed at cost efficiency in medium and heavy well intervention operations…
Nordic Clinches $23.5m Offshore Seismic Contract
Singapore-based offshore specialist Nordic Maritime has been awarded a $23.5 million contract to provide 3D marine seismic data acquisition and processing services off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, India, to Cairn India Limited, starting later this month. The contract will see Nordic Maritime collaborate with SCF Geo of Russia and will feature that group’s seismic survey vessel Vyacheslav Tikhonov. The Vyacheslav Tikhonov will survey approximately 1,000 sq km of ocean bed. The project will also include the acquisition of gravity and magnetic data alongside the seismic data near Nizamapatnam Bay.
Teekay Offshore Buys Towage Firm, Orders New AHTS Vessels
Teekay Offshore Partners say they have agreed to acquire ALP Maritime Services B.V. (ALP), a Netherlands-based provider of long-haul ocean towage and offshore installation services to the global offshore oil and gas industry. ALP currently provides these services through a fleet of third-party owned vessels. As part of the transaction, Teekay Offshore and ALP have ordered four state-of-the-art towing and anchor handling vessel newbuildings, which will be capable of ultra-long distance towing, offshore installation and decommissioning of large floating production…
