Wärtsilä to make scrubbers for new Algoma Central lakers
Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to supply fresh water integrated scrubbers for a series of six vessels with an option for two more, being built to transport bulk commodities on North America's Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, for the Canadian owner Algoma Central Corp.
A full propulsion system with integrated fresh water scrubbers lowers operating costs while reducing the vessel's environmental footprint by allowing owners to use high-sulfur fuels in Emission Control Area (ECA) Zones and meet sulfur emissions restrictions. This represents the first order for the new integrated Wärtsilä scrubber concept. Once in operation, the vessels will set new standards for environmentally sustainable shipping on the Great Lakes and for cargo vessels in general.
The integrated scrubber order is the last one of a series of Wärtsilä supply contracts awarded for these vessels. In addition to the unique integrated scrubber system, the complete solution provided by Wärtsilä includes engineering support, highly fuel-efficient engines, propulsion machinery and a bilge water system.
Wärtsilä combines the parts of the complete solution in an optimized way, which will result in savings for the owner and a significantly reduced environmental footprint. In addition, the scrubber will be the first integrated scrubber to be supplied by Wärtsilä. The Wärtsilä Oily Water Separator is the first bilge water separator unit approved without a filter.
An integrated scrubber saves space and weight, preserving the vessel’s cargo deadweight capacity. The integrated scrubbers are designed to clean the exhaust gases of the vessels’ main and auxiliary engines as well as the oil-fired boiler, thus enabling them to comply with current and forthcoming environmental regulations. The new Equinox-class ships ordered by Algoma Central are to be built in China at the Nantong Mingde Heavy Industrial Stock Company shipyard. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered during the first half of 2013.
The Wärtsilä scrubber concept works with fresh water in a closed-loop system in which sulfur oxides are neutralized with caustic soda. A small amount of scrubbing water is extracted to remove contaminants in a treatment unit on board, thereby fulfilling all the quality and monitoring requirements stipulated by the International Maritime Organization. In so-called zero discharge mode, the clean effluents are led to a holding tank for scheduled and periodical discharge. Contaminants are always disposed of at reception facilities in port.
One major advantage of fresh water scrubbers is the possibility to operate in zero-discharge mode, which means that no water is spilled to lake water when sailing in delicate waters. Moreover, in this specific installation, water from the Great Lakes will be used, with less or no need at all for producing fresh water aboard the vessel.
The Wärtsilä integrated scrubber system comprises numerous components, which are then combined and arranged to clean the exhaust gases of several diesel engines and oil-fired boilers on board. The system is suitable for all ship types.
Wärtsilä is the first manufacturer to have been awarded a marine scrubber certificate by the classification societies Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd and Bureau Veritas.
N.J. State Police take delivery of new patrol boat
Moose Boats, an aluminum boat manufacturer in Petaluma, Calif., has delivered an M1-44 catamaran to the New Jersey State Police in Point Pleasant, N.J.
The M1-44 is an all-aluminum catamaran powered by twin 600-hp Cummins diesel engines coupled to twin Hamilton 322 waterjets with Hamilton Blue Arrow Controls and a hydraulically driven firefighting system with a remote-control bow monitor rated for 750 gpm.
The M1-44 will serve as a regional marine firefighting asset throughout southern New Jersey. The boat features an extra wide fully enclosed cabin complete with a mini-galley, large workstation, dinette and three shock-mitigating seats. The cuddy cabin offers a full-size berth and head compartment. The interior arrangement is designed to maximize crew safety and comfort for year-round patrol missions.
The New Jersey State Police used a fiscal year 2007 Port Security Grant Program award to purchase the boat. The State Police marine unit selected a Moose boat specifically for its robust design in combination with its shallow-draft capabilities. The marine unit’s extensive patrol territory extends three nautical miles offshore, along the 127 miles of the Atlantic Ocean coastline with an interior tidal shoreline of approximately 1,750 miles, composed of the Delaware River and approximately 100 inland bays, rivers, creeks and coves.
Navy gets two high-speed vessels from MarAd for $35 million
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) has transferred two high-speed vessels, Huakai and Alakai, to the U.S. Navy. The Navy plans to use the vessels to transport troops and equipment. These vessels will help the Navy meet its operational requirements without the need to build new vessels.
Powered by waterjet engines, the catamarans can each carry 282 cars and 866 passengers. The Navy provided $35 million to MarAd for both vessels. MarAd took possession of the two ships after their original owners, Hawaii Superferry Inc., defaulted on loans that the MarAd had guaranteed. The vessels are currently docked at Lambert’s Point in Norfolk, Va.
Military to buy Boston Whaler patrol boats
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command has awarded a $36 million contract to Brunswick Commercial and Government Products to supply up to 60 32-foot and 37-foot Boston Whaler Justice models.
The boats will support U.S. Southern Command’s anti-drug assistance program within Central America and the Caribbean to counter trans-national organized criminal networks in Latin America.
The boats will be supplied over a four-year period. Both models feature Boston Whaler’s unsinkable Unibond construction, center console layouts, heavy-duty angled rub strakes and engine crash rails to prevent damage, and bow mounts for weapons. The 32-foot Justice is powered by twin Mercury Verado outboard engines and features twin bolster seats at the helm. The 37-foot Justice is powered by triple Mercury Verado outboard engines and includes an integrated bow thruster for maneuverability and a climate-controlled cabin with head and berth. Both models include shock-mitigating seats in the cockpit for crew safety and comfort in rough seas.
Kvichak delivers 30th patrol boat to Coast Guard
Kvichak Marine Industries Inc., of Seattle, has delivered the 30th U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat as part of an 80-boat contract awarded in 2011.
In early 2011, Kvichak won a five-year contract for the construction of up to 80 Transportable Port Security Boats (TPSBs). By January 2012, Kvichak had delivered the 30th hull.
The all-aluminum vessels are operated by a crew of four and include shock-mitigating seats to minimize crew fatigue on extended missions. Ballistic armor protection and up to four mounted weapons provide increased mission capability and crew safety during tactical operations.
The 32-foot 9-inch vessels are replacing the Coast Guard’s current aging fleet of smaller, outboard-powered fiberglass boats.
Powered by twin Yanmar 315-hp diesel engines with Bravo 1-XR outdrives, the TPSB is designed to provide security, maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations in coastal areas. The TPSBs can maneuver in as little as two feet of water and can operate safely in eight-foot seas and up to 30-knot winds.
The company is required to deliver an additional 20 vessels by July 2012. Delivery dates for the balance of the order — 30 boats — have yet to be determined.
