MJ News Briefs

HTL MOVE
The new HTL Group facility, located on Harfreys Industrial Estate, Great Yarmouth, UK is almost twice the size of the former premises, and allows the business to offer customers a greater volume of controlled bolting equipment & industrial tools than ever before.

JULY 2021

TERMINAL CEO
DCT Gdańsk has announced that it has appointed Charles Baker as its new CEO to lead Poland’s largest container terminal, DCT Gdansk, into its next lap of growth and expansion. He assumed his responsibilities with effect from 9 July 2021.

CLIMATE HUB
Unmanned Survey Solutions has joined UK Business Climate Hub, committing to cut its carbon emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2040. USS will take concrete steps to reduce its emissions as part of their climate commitment.

SCOTWIND
Ocean Winds (the lead developer of Scotland’s largest windfarm, 950MW Moray East) has confirmed that it is participating in the ScotWind leasing round.
OW has confirmed that it has made bids for five sites, both floating and fixed, (three with Aker Offshore Wind - floating) details of which will be published in the coming weeks.

SOUND FUNDING
Plymouth Sound, the home of UK’s first National Marine Park has been awarded £9.5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to make its vision of a park in the sea a reality.
People across the city and surrounding the Sound are celebrating after learning the bid for the Heritage Horizon Awards has been successful.

ELECTRIC OUTBOARDS
Torqeedo has announced the appointment of Anders Hård as its vice-president global services.
Hård is responsible for developing Torqeedo's international service and aftermarket sales and support strategy. In addition, his team develops tools, processes, and standards to ensure that Torqeedo customers have the best owner experience possible.

RCG
The world’s largest pure-play sustainability advisory firm, ERM, has acquired RCG (The Renewables Consulting Group) – a global market intelligence, management consulting, and technical advisory firm operating exclusively in the renewable energy sector.
The acquisition expands ERM’s capabilities to support clients across the entire lifecycle of large-scale renewable energy projects, from market intelligence and strategy development through to the development, construction, operations, and decommissioning of projects.

ELECTRIFICATION
Torqeedo, a specialist in marine electromobility solutions, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new headquarters and production facilities on 30 June 2021. The company will remain a tenant of the Air Tech Campus (ATC) Oberpfaffenhofen in the Munich metro area, where it has been located since 2012.

STENA
Swedish ferry company Stena Line is strengthening its position and expanding services in the Baltic Sea Region, by deploying two new large and modern ferries on the route between Ventspils in Latvia and Nynäshamn in Sweden this year. The first of the two vessels, Stena Scandica has entered Ventspils port on Tuesday 29 June to get ready for its maiden voyage on the route.

CROMARTY
Opportunity Cromarty Firth has appointed its manager to lead The PowerHouse, a global centre of excellence in the Scottish Highlands aimed at bringing together the foremost academic partners and innovative renewable energy organisations to the region. Mina Hanna, a former petroleum and renewable energy sources engineer, will be tasked with managing the centre, housed at North Highland College UHI’s Tern House, in Alness Point Business Park, Easter Ross.

AREG CEO
Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) has appointed David Rodger as CEO as the organisation seeks to further develop support to members and increase links with stakeholders to assist net zero strategies across north east Scotland and beyond.
David has extensive experience across the energy industry which has included communications and business advice. He will join AREG on October 1 following nine years with Shell.

June 2021

GYROS
Smartgyro S.r.l. has announced a significant expansion of its business with the appointment of key personnel and a move to new headquarters in La Spezia, Italy.
The Smartgyro engineering department is reinforced with the addition of Felice Grandi, Senior Mechanical Engineer, and Alessandro Breschi, Senior Software Engineer. Elisa Parri joins in the finance department.

IMCA
The International Marine Contractors Association has announced that Richard Purser has joined the team as Technical Adviser – Marine. He brings 25 years’ experience in the marine engineering industry as Chief Engineer in the operation and maintenance of modern Dynamically Positioned vessels, power plants, auxiliary equipment, and DP systems.

DEALER TRAINING
UK marine distributor SMG is introducing further dealer training.
Following the success of the virtual ‘Meet the Manufacturer’ event held in March, SMG provided additional training tools including online courses for Victron Power Solutions, Actisense NMEA networking and the BOS LE300 Lithium extension battery. Successfully completing dealers received accreditations and an exclusive promotional offer.

PROMOTED
International legal specialist Hill Dickinson is pleased to announce the promotion of two key members of its marine team, underlining the wealth of expertise within its offices around the globe. Edward Liu and Colin Lavelle have both been promoted to Partner.

RENEWABLES
Offshore wind consultant Andrew Duncan will lead North Star Renewables’ expansion in offshore wind and increase its foothold in other green offshore energy industries.
Mr Duncan was instrumental in helping the business to secure its first offshore wind contract, the recently announced £270 million award with Dogger Bank Wind Farm to deliver three-state-of-the-art service offshore vessels (SOVs) for three 10-year charters.

NORWAY
Sonja Vernøy Hansen of energy storage specialist Corvus Energy, has been selected to be a member of the Norwegian Government's strategy group for Maritime-21. Maritime-21 will provide a comprehensive review of Norway’s strategy for maritime research, development and innovation, and will also provide a special review of technology and research opportunities.

SHIPBUILDING
Industry body SEA Europe has appointed Mr. René Berkvens as the association’s new Chair for a period of two years, starting on 11 June 2021. From 2006 till 2020, René was the Chief Executive Officer of the Damen Group. SEA Europe represents close to 100% of the European shipbuilding industry in 18 nations.

HYDROGEN
e1 Marine has announced the appointment of Stuart Crawford as its Managing Director. Crawford will execute e1 Marine’s vision to drive positive change in the international maritime markets through the use of hydrogen as a fuel. e1 Marine’s system will require very minimal retrofitting. The system is a practical and effective replacement for diesel generator sets, and can be used for propulsion on coastal and inland vessels of up to 10,000 dwt.

ARCHITECT
UK naval architect firm, Walker Marine Design has expanded with the addition of Matthew Nash joining as a Naval Architect. Matthew studied yacht design and production, together with engineering at Southampton Solent University.

PORT GROWTH
Associated British Ports (ABP) has appointed Paul Reeves as its new Head of Commercial for the Southampton, UK region. This key role will be essential to supporting existing customers and driving further growth.
Paul is currently the Vice President of Sales for the UK & Ireland at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

May 2021

FERRIES
With the expectation that travel restrictions between Ireland and Britain will be removed soon, ferry company Stena Line is bringing its new vessel Stena Estrid back to its key Holyhead – Dublin route. It will replace the Stena Horizon, which will return to its former role serving Rosslare – Cherbourg.

SAFETY
Marine Fire Safety; specialists in firefighting and lifesaving equipment for the marine industry, has appointed Chris Waterman as their Technical Sales Manager. Chris will be responsible for heading-up the new safety division within the commercial, offshore and windfarm industries.

LEGAL ADVISOR
The Port of Milford Haven has appointed Hill Dickinson as its Principal Adviser on all marine and pensions matters. Milford Haven is the biggest port in Wales and the third largest port in the UK. It is also the UK’s leading energy port, handling 30% of all gas supplies brought into and used across the country.

PORTS
Forth Ports, the UK’s third largest ports group, has appointed a new Group HR Manager and Group Financial Controller at an important time for the business. Michelle Primrose has joined as Group HR Manager and Matt McCreath has been appointed as Group Financial Controller.

INTERFERRY
Interferry directors have given the green light for the global trade association’s 2021 annual conference to go ahead as planned in Santander, Spain, this October. Delegate registration will open on June 1.

BATTERIES
Sterling PlanB has appointed a new European Head of Solutions, Jens-Christian Strate. He will be joining European operations in Copenhagen this May, and will be responsible for managing the ongoing relationships with a number of Sterling PlanB’s key stakeholders, in the marine propulsion sector. This will include ship owners, naval architects, shipyard managers and OEMs.

STUDENT AWARD
The RINA-d’Amico “Student Naval Architect Award” was awarded by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in partnership with the d’Amico Group to Rebecca Benassi, who recently graduated in Naval Architecture from the University of Genoa. The award was conferred at the University of Genoa to the recently graduated student in Naval Architecture for a thesis on an innovative propulsion system allowing reduction of ships’ polluting emissions.

TAPIIT LIVE
Lars Ugland, a senior maritime industry executive, has been appointed to the Board of Tapiit Live, the only maritime technology business providing livestreamed, interactive training at sea.
A Norwegian national who comes from a long line of ship owners, builders, charterers and managers, Lars is a former chairman and director of a number of family-owned shipping businesses and is the current Non-Executive Chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

HANSEN PROTECTION
Survitec has completed the acquisition of Hansen Protection, a leading European provider of personal protective equipment. The transaction reinforces Survitec as the global leader for survival technology across the maritime, defence and government, energy, and aerospace markets.

SAILING
International legal and professional services firm, Ince, has announced the establishment of a global virtual choir from companies and organisations from across the industry to record ‘Sailing’ - the song made iconic by Rod Steward - in partnership with Royal Museums Greenwich and supported by four of the world’s leading maritime charities: Mission to Seafarers, Sailors’ Society, Stella Maris and Seafarers’ Charity.
The choir is recording a single to be released on 25 June 2021, the International Maritime Organisation’s Day of the Seafarer.

SOUTHAMPTON
ABP has announced that its new open access cruise terminal is to be named Horizon Cruise Terminal.
With nearly 4,000 name suggestions from across the world entered into a competition, Horizon Cruise Terminal was put forward by Anna Chojnacka Liberska from Chandler's Ford having been chosen at random from multiple entries of the same name.

UK HYDRO
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes as its new Chief Executive and Accounting Officer. Peter will be leaving the Royal Navy to take up the role.

TRADE LAWYER
Wikborg Rein, an international law firm headquartered in Oslo, has appointed Eleanor Midwinter as a Partner in the London office.
Since joining the firm in February 2017, Eleanor has played a key role in consolidating the firm's offering within international trade, energy and shipbuilding.

TOWAGE
Tina Benjamin-Lea will take up the position as new COO in Svitzer’s AMEA region, reporting to Svitzer AMEA’s Managing Director, Nicolai Vinther Friis.

SURVEY
Swathe Services have announced the appointment of Kerry Beckwith as their new Business Development Manager.
Kerry has spent 15 years working offshore on a wide range of projects and seagoing vessels gaining extensive operational experience.

April 2021

GREEN AWARD
Nippon Paint Marine Coatings’ revolutionary ship hull coating Aquaterras has won the Green4Sea Technology Award in an online-only event attended by the company’s President Seiichiro Shirahata. The paint system is described as the world’s first and only completely biocide free, self-polishing (SPC) antifouling paint.

BIOFUELS
Global multimodal logistics company Samskip has increased its commitment to greener shipping through a new formal agreement with sustainable cargo initiative GoodShipping to run part of its fleet on marine biofuels.

US SHIPYARDS
Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. has announced the sale of assets and certain vessel construction contracts of its shipyard division to Bollinger Shipyards LLC for approximately $28.6 million. For Houston-based Gulf Island, net cash proceeds from the transaction are anticipated to be approximately $15 million.

CLEAN PROPULSION
Wärtsilä is participating in a consortium of Finnish research organisations and leading companies researching means for developing radical new solutions for clean and efficient marine and off-road transport. The project is expected to run until spring 2023, and has been granted funding of EUR 7.9 million by Business Finland.

ECDIS DAY
The date for the World ECDIS Day 2021 in Hamburg has been agreed on. It is the 6th of October and the groundbreaking presentations and exchange with industry leaders will be focused on ‘The New Normal in eNavigation’.

CONSTRUCTION DIRECTOR
Greenlink Interconnector Limited has announced the appointment of Paul O’Rourke to the position of Construction Director. Greenlink is a proposed subsea and underground electricity interconnector cable of approximately 190km which will connect the grids in Ireland and the UK.

ISO ACCREDITATION
Manor Marine, a UK- based provider of ship building, marine and general engineering services to the maritime and renewables sectors, has successfully achieved Health & Safety and Environmental Management Systems Certification by NQA, conforming to ISO 45001 – Health and Safety Management and ISO 14001 – Environmental Management.

SHIELDHALL CASH
The charity operating Steamship Shieldhall in Southampton, UK has received a grant of £61,200 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.
Shieldhall, Southampton’s heritage steamship and a member of the National Historic Fleet, was unable to sail at all during 2020. The award will assist the charity in opening up to new audiences, and promoting its June – September sailing programme, set to cover over 20 sailings.

SUBSEA
Al Gihaz Contracting, part of Al Gihaz Holding has announced its acquisition of assets, Intellectual Property and the management systems of Enshore Subsea Ltd. The acquisition will see the creation of a new joint venture with the aim of forming a leading seabed intervention and construction management services provider.

UKCS
The UK Chamber of Shipping has announced that Bob Sanguinetti has decided to step down as Chief Executive, to embark on a new role as Chief Executive of the Aberdeen Harbour Board, taking up his new role later this year. The recruitment process for a replacement will begin shortly.

RENEWABLES LEAD
Ashtead Technology has created a new role to head up its increasing activities in renewable energy. The integrated underwater technology and services company has appointed Scott Stephen to oversee the firm’s growing presence and enhance its service offering to support the global renewables market.

NAVIS SALE
Cargotec Corporation has signed an agreement to sell its Navis business to Accel-KKR, a Silicon Valley-based leading technology-focused investment firm for an enterprise value of EUR 380 million. Cargotec expects that the deal will have approximately EUR 230 million positive impact on its operating profit in 2021.

SAFETY SALES
Ocean Safety has appointed Matt Gruar as Southern Commercial Sales Manager.
Matt will support the company’s customers within the shipping, commercial fishing, superyacht, ferry and shipbuilding sectors in the busy south of England region.

March 2021

WINDSHIP
The Board of Directors of Windship Technology, a UK True Zero Emission company for the shipping industry, have confirmed the appointment of Graham Harvey as Chief Executive Officer. Graham’s remit will be to convert the significant progress that has been made in the overall Windship Technology solution and to commercialise the proposition.
Graham has spent a lifetime in and around the marine industry having studied Ship Science at the University of Southampton.

WINDFARM CHAIR
Trade body Scottish Renewables has announced the appointment of its new Chair. Adam Morrison, Project Director for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm at Ocean Winds, has been elected by the organisation's Board and will serve as Chair for a three-year term.

IPSWICH
The UK Port of Ipswich, owned by Associated British Ports (ABP), has reached a milestone of handling 2 million tonnes of cargo since the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020.
Since 23 March, the port has remained open and busy, handling 2 million tonnes of exports and imports of various products including agribulks, construction materials and timber.

LONGER LEASE
Portico, the deep water cargo terminal and customs agency based at Portsmouth International Port, UK, have agreed a 34 year lease extension with Portsmouth City Council. This lease gives Portico a distinct advantage to build on future plans for the next 20 years.

REBRAND
Attollo Offshore is rebranding in order to reflect its contribution to the energy transition, having supported some of the world's largest offshore renewables projects. Attollo Offshore will now simply be known as 'Attollo' to reflect its broadening horizons and increasing demand by its clients to deliver new services to support their ambitious clean energy agenda.

COMPLEX SOFTWARE
OneOcean, a specialist in compliance and navigation services for the maritime industry, has appointed Adam Pang as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer. Adam has an extensive background in disruptive technology and holds specialist knowledge in complex software as a service (SaaS) solutions.

TRAINING
Maersk Training UK (MTUK) has appointed a new managing director as the company looks to expand its offering to the North Sea energy sector. Leonardo Machado joins MTUK having previously been managing director of the company’s operations in Brazil for six years. Mr Machado played a key role in developing training for the wind and production industries.

COATINGS
David Heal joins coatings manufacturer Hempel to head up its renewable energy segment, as the company looks to strengthen its leadership position as part of its commitment to sustainability. Hempel is determined to grow and secure leadership positions within its renewable energy segment to become the leading coating solutions provider.

ELECTRIFICATION
Small electric marine motor specialist Torqeedo has announced a new direct distribution organisation in Norway to address the growing market for its marine electric propulsion systems in that region.

SHIPMANAGEMENT
Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) is strengthening its position in the German and Northern European market by appointing Johann Meyer as Geschaeftsfuhrer and Joint Managing Director of CSM Deutschland in Hamburg.
CSM Deutschland plays an important role in the company’s expansion plans in Northern Europe and Turkey, as well as for the Group’s cruise, offshore and energy, superyacht and maritime service businesses

February 2021

CYBERMAN
Nick Parkes has joined marine cyber risk management and insurance company, Astaara. Mr Parkes, who previously worked in engineering roles for both a commercial ferry company and a mechanical and electrical contractor, has a deep understanding of ships’ systems and equipment.

EMOJI DESPAIR
Responding to the decision by the international body which creates emojis, the Unicode Consortium, not to introduce a wind turbine symbol, RenewableUK's Director of Strategic Communications Luke Clark said: "We're very disappointed that Unicode has refused to include a wind turbine emoji in its lexicon of symbols.

DISTRUBUTION
Crewsaver, a Survitec brand and leading supplier of safety and survival equipment to the leisure marine industry, has appointed Kubus Sports as its official distributor for the Benelux region.
The Netherlands-based company will begin offering Crewsaver equipment to its customers from mid-February.

DIESEL
The first OXE Marine AB OXE300 diesel outboard motor has been assembled and shipped from PanLinks Polish site in the special economic zone of Tczew. The development of the production set up for the OXE300 therefore advances in line with the goal to start production in Tczew under the first quarter this year. Assembly of the first three units has recently been finalized and are waiting to be shipped out.

SUSTAINABILITY
Navigation and Communications marine electronics company Navico, parent company to the Lowrance®, Simrad Yachting, B&G® and C-MAP® brands, has announced the hiring of its first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer. Tara Norton joins Navico as Chief Sustainability Officer from French multinational Engie Impact.

MANOR MAN
Manor Marine UK Ltd has appointed Leif Cooper as Managing Director, following several years as Operations Director within the company. During his time at Manor Marine Leif has managed several high-profile projects, including the build of the Manor Endurance and the launch of the Manor Initiative and Manor Enterprise for Manor Renewable Energy

TRADE BODY
RenewableUK has announced that the organisation’s next Chief Executive will be Dan McGrail, who is currently the CEO of Siemens Engines. He will take up his post in May. Mr McGrail joined Siemens UK in 2004 and has worked in a variety of roles across the energy industry.

LATVIA
Stena Line and Noord Natie Ventspils Terminals have signed a 20-year contract securing continuous ferry operation from the Freeport of Ventspils in Latvia. This long-term agreement is an important part of Stena Lines expansion in the Baltic Sea and the route between Ventspils and Nynäshamn in Sweden. During 2021 two large modern RoPax vessels will start operating on the route increasing the freight capacity by 30%.

COATINGS
Alexander Enström has been appointed to head up Hempel’s new global marine organisation, starting on 1 February 2021. As Hempel Vice President and Head of Marine, Alexander Enström will be a member of Hempel’s Operational Management Board, responsible for Hempel’s marine business.

DANISH OFFICE
StormGeo, a specialist in shipping solutions in voyage planning, route advisory and fleet performance management, has announced the opening of a new office in Copenhagen, Denmark. The expansion in Denmark will strengthen the company’s partnership with shipping customers in this market.

INSURER
S&P Global Ratings has affirmed its 'A-‘ long-term insurer financial strength and issuer credit ratings for maritime insurer The Swedish Club.
In making its decision, the ratings agency pointed to The Swedish Club’s resilient capital position in a volatile year.

LAW MOVE
Thomas Miller Specialty (TMS), a global insurance provider across a number of sectors including marine and offshore, has announced it has moved its claims operations to the Thomas Miller Claims Management (TMCM) offices in Newcastle, UK with immediate effect. TMS Hamburg office is now live as European hub post-Brexit.

OCEAN SAFETY
UK-headquartered specialist in the worldwide supply, distribution, service and hire of marine safety equipment, Ocean Safety, has promoted Max Wilson to South West Area Commercial Account Manager.
Max will support the company’s customers within the shipping, commercial fishing, superyacht, ferry and shipbuilding sectors in the South West England and South Wales regions.

OUTBOARD APPROVAL
The OXE Diesel 125-200hp outboard engine series manufactured by Swedish company OXE Marine AB has received approval for 2021 model year by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

60 YEARS
A UK engineering firm which serves the marine sector is celebrating its 60th year with a revamp. Hampshire-based RHH Franks has relaunched with a new brand and long-term strategy of continual improvement.

V.GROUP
Global ship management company V.Group has announced the appointment of Bjoern Sprotte as chief executive officer, Ship Management. Based in Hamburg and reporting directly to V.Group CEO, René Kofod-Olsen, Sprotte replaces Franck Kayser, who will be assuming leadership of the Group’s important activities in Denmark.

UNDERWRITER
International freight and logistics insurer, TT Club has appointed Marcus Kuling as a specialist underwriter in the Benelux region. The thirty-year marine and transport insurance veteran will be based in Rotterdam as part of the Thomas Miller BV team and solely dedicated to servicing the TT Clubʹs European Membership.

Jan 2021

MJP DIRECTORS
Maritime propulsion company, Marine Jet Power (MJP), has announced that it has appointed Björn Ingemanson, former President & CEO of Volvo Penta, and Glenn Edvardsen, CEO of VesselMan, to its board of directors.

TRIPLE HIRE
Cyber risk management and insurance specialists, Astaara has expanded with three new staff members. Victoria Knowles has joined as chief of staff, while Asti Rogers and Gemma Smyth take on the roles of head of operations and head of analytics respectively.

INLAND PORTS
Swissterminal has announced it will take over operations of the three French inland ports Ottmarsheim, Huningue-Village-Neuf and Ile Napoléon in the course of 2021. The company has won an international tender to operate the three Alsatian ports.

PUMPS
Marine and offshore pump manufacturer Hamworthy Pumps has appointed Dutchman Hans Christiaan Laheij as CEO. He has recently worked with German propulsion specialist Schottel in the position of Deputy CEO & President Marine. For a number of years, he has held several managerial positions at Wärtsilä.

SCHOTTEL
At the German Schottel GmbH Wismar subsidiary, a new crane system has been put into operation at an investment of 500,000 euro. The new system ensures a faster and more efficient production process and replaces an old system from 1979. Its two new cranes are double-girder overhead travelling cranes with a load bearing capacity of 50 tonnes each.

NLB OBE
Mike Bullock, the Chief Executive of the Northern Lighthouse Board, the General Lighthouse Authority for the waters surrounding Scotland and the Isle of Man, has been awarded an OBE in the UK's New Year Honours List recognising his work for services to the Safety and Welfare of Seafarers.

ENGINEERING DIRECTOR
Oceanic Systems (UK) Ltd, manufacturer of alarm, display and control systems for leisure and commercial vessels, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ryan Pannell to the main board of directors as Engineering Director.

CTV OPERATOR
Tidal Transit has recently made two new appointments, with Jimmy Duggan joining as Operations and QHSE Manager and Georgia Cuddihy as HSE Apprentice. Based in North Norfolk, UK, Tidal Transit has been chartering its purpose-designed vessels to the offshore wind industry since 2011.

MARINE CEO
Babcock, the UK headquartered aerospace and defence company, has announced that Will Erith has been appointed as CEO of its Marine sector, effective immediately. Will was previously Managing Director of the Surface Ships Business Unit within the Sector.

SIMULATION
Morten Hasås will join Kongsberg Digital as Senior Vice President for Maritime Simulation. Previously CEO of Scantech Industries, Morten has held top management positions at ScanSense, Scanmar and Kongsberg Maritime.

PORT BOARD
On the recommendation of the Supervisory Board, the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders has appointed Ms Nynke Dalstra as Port of Rotterdam Authority Supervisory Board member effective as of 15 December 2020. Until last year Nynke Dalstra was the CFO at Royal HaskoningDHV.

Dec 2020

HALL BUILD
UK shipbuilder Babcock International Group has awarded a £31.5 million contract to Robertson Construction for the development of a new Assembly Hall at its Rosyth site, which will initially be used for the Type 31 general purpose frigate programme.

BREXIT BUSTER
Stena Line will add an additional freight-only vessel to its Rosslare to Cherbourg route from 4th January 2021. The Stena Foreteller will join the Stena Horizon which already operates on the route, doubling the freight capacity as well as the frequency of sailings between Ireland and the Continent.

COASTAL AWARD
The Southsea Coastal Scheme has been hailed as a best practice example of investing public money at the 2020 Flood and Coastal Excellence Awards, run by the Environment Agency. The Portsmouth City Council-led project in the UK took the 'Best Investment Business Case' category.

TOTALLY SAFE
Total E&P UK Ltd has presented Fugro with their prestigious ‘Partnership of the Year 2019’ award at their annual HSE award ceremony. Fugro won the award after completing 122 days of successful inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) operations using their remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support vessel Skandi Carla.

CMAL
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), the owner of 26 ports, harbours and slipways across the West of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary, has appointed ABPmer as its Designated Person under the requirements of the Department for Transport Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC).

OPTIMISATION
ZeroNorth’s voyage optimisation software will be integrated with Veson Nautical’s Veson IMOS Platform, unlocking market-leading insights that reduce bunker spend and CO2 emissions for more tramp shippers.

SUT CEO
Dr Cheryl Burgess will join the Society for Underwater Technology as Chief Executive in January 2021, bringing over three decades’ experience in the energy industry including oil & gas (both offshore and onshore); renewables; and utilities.

TOWAGE
Towage operator Svitzer Europe has announced that Mattias Hellström has taken up the role of Chief Commercial Officer from 1st December 2020, reporting to Svitzer Europe’s Managing Director, Lise Demant.

PUBLISHING
Witherbys, the maritime publisher, has welcomed Royal Navy and industry stalwart David Balston as non-executive director (Deputy Chairman) to provide specialist sector expertise and support the company’s continued growth ambitions.

GDANSK
The Port of Gdansk says it will handle more than 48million tonnes of cargo in 2020. It handled 36.2million tonnes in the first three quarters of the year to September and is on course to handle the same amount of cargo it did in 2018 and just under 52.2million tonnes it managed in 2019.

BRITISH PORTS
ABP has welcomed Simon Brown to the company, as he has been appointed as Divisional Port Manager for Wales & South West in ABP’s Wales & Short Sea Ports (W&SSP) region.
Simon will have responsibility for port activities across all five of ABP’s ports in South Wales, in Cardiff, Newport, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea and ABP’s two ports in the South West, in Teignmouth and Plymouth

EMEC
James Ferguson, Research and Development Engineer, at the European Marine Energy Centre (an ocean energy test site) in Orkney has won the Scottish Renewables Young and Inspiring Award at the 2020 Green Energy Awards. The awards ceremony was hosted virtually at the end of November.

ELECTRIC APPOINTMENTS
Fischer Panda UK has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of David Payne as Business Development Director and Chris Baker as Operations and Technical Director, effective from 1st January 2021.

CABLE STORAGE
Osprey, a British company that supports Moray East Offshore Windfarm, has agreed a contract with Port of Sunderland for it to provide cable storage. The cables will be stored at a base at Endurance Park, Port of Sunderland on giant spools, before being transported to the Windfarm.

ADVISORY BOARD
Schmidt Ocean Institute has named an esteemed 10-member advisory board of international experts in science, maritime operations and communications. The board members, who will serve three-year terms, will provide feedback and guidance on Schmidt Ocean’s strategy and operations.

CABLING
Cabling major Prysmian Group, has signed a preferred bidder agreement with RWE Renewables Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, the world’s second biggest offshore wind farm developer, for the development of the turn-key high voltage submarine and land export cable connection worth over €200 million for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm project.

TRAINING
Stream Marine Training has boosted its management team and set out a clear strategic direction as Katy Womersley, former General Manager of Clyde Marine Training, moves over the River Clyde where she takes up the role of Operations Director at Stream Marine Careers.

ROLL OF HONOUR
Tanki, the start-up company behind a novel environmentally safe sanitary paper designed to prevent blockages in sewage treatment plants and toilets, has won the prestigious Maritime UK 2020 Innovation Award.

MACARTNEY
Underwater tech company MacArtney Group has appointed a new Managing Director. Phil Middleton will be heading up MacArtney’s UK operations based out of Aberdeen.
Middleton comes to MacArtney Group from the marine technology company Seatronics, where he has developed a wealth of experience in underwater technology over 18 years.

MJP
Marine Jet Power a supplier of waterjet propulsion systems, and parent company Verdane Capital, are pleased to announce the appointment of Jonas Tegström as Chief Executive Officer. Tegström succeeds interim CEO, Claes Rudling, who will resume his position on the Board of Directors.

NOV 2020

SUNDERLAND
Port of Sunderland is on course to record a three-year high for export volumes, despite facing a series of extraordinary external challenges.
The port, which is owned and operated by Sunderland City Council, has already seen export levels for the first three quarters exceed last year’s annual total and is on track to record its best year since 2017.

MDL MOVE
Global energy specialist company Maritime Developments (MDL) has opened a new global head office in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The cost-saving move merges two office-based teams - previously spread between Aberdeen and Peterhead.

OCEAN BUSINESS
Ocean Business organiser Diversified Communications UK has confirmed that the show’s next edition has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event will now take place from 6-8 July 2021 at the National Oceanography Centre, in Southampton UK.

STOCKHOLM
Ferry company Stena Line has moved its Nynäshamn ferry terminal to the newly built Stockholm Norvik Port. On November 9th the terminal was officially opened with the first arrival of the vessel Stena Flavia. Stockholm Norvik Port is a brand new roro and container terminal with direct access to one of the fastest growing regions in Europe.

DATA PARTNERSHIP
i4 Insight, creators of a platform that provides a single point of access for multiple data streams and applications, providing a holistic view of ship and fleet operations, is partnering with GreenSteam, a leader in vessel-based machine learning for hull and improved vessel performance.

CLEAN TYNE
UK’s Port of Tyne has won two Clean Energy Awards at the Maritime UK Awards. Announced during a virtual ceremony hosted by Dee Cafari MBE, Port of Tyne was named as the winner in both the Maritime UK 2020 Clean Energy Operator and Clean Energy Enabler categories.

SMM DIGITAL
SMM trade fair, will not be held as a hybrid event on Hamburg's exhibition campus in February 2021 as originally planned. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SMM team is working full steam on creating formats that will bring together the maritime community digitally from 2 to 5 February 2021.

HFW
Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has boosted its market-leading shipping practice with the hire of senior partner Paolo Ghirardani.
Paolo joins HFW's London office on 2 November from Stephenson Harwood, where he had been a partner for almost 30 years, including 15 years as the head of its global Marine and International Trade practice.

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE
Canadian tug designer Robert G. (Rob) Allan has recently been made an Honorary Member by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), making him one of only 50 living individuals to enjoy this privilege.

DNV GL
Jon Fredrik Baksaas, the former CEO of Telenor, has been appointed as DNV GL’s new Chair of the board. Although best known for his thirteen-year tenure as CEO and President of the telecoms firm, Mr Baksaas started his career with DNV (as it was then known) and spent six years at the company before leaving in 1985. He has also served as member of the DNV Council for 12 years.

INTERFERRY
Interferry, the trade association representing the worldwide ferry industry, has announced Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu as the new Chair of its board of directors.
He was elected at the association’s annual general meeting on October 27 - held virtually due to COVID-19 travel restrictions - in succession to John Steen-Mikkelsen, former CEO of Denmark’s Danske Faerger.

FSG
Philipp Maracke has taken over the management of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) as CEO. The shipyard was acquired by Tennor in September. Philipp Maracke was a member of the management of German Naval Yards Kiel where the 40-year-old has built up extensive expertise in the naval shipbuilding sector.

INCE
International legal and professional services firm Ince has announced the lateral hire of Eric Eyo as Partner to its world leading shipping team.
Mr Eyo has been involved in a number of significant shipping disputes. He has particular expertise in handling disputes in relation to the full spectrum of shipping contracts.

ENERGY STORAGE
Sterling PBES has announced the creation of Sterling PBES ApS in Copenhagen. This new Danish branch of the energy storage experts’ operations will ensure local resources and business development in Denmark as well as other European markets.

BMT
International multi-disciplinary engineering, science, and technology company, BMT, has appointed Peter Behrendt as its global Director of Strategy and Innovation. Peter joined BMT in 2017 as Managing Director for the Australian Defence and Security business.

RINA SPA
Paolo d’Amico, Executive President of d’Amico Società di Navigazione, is the new Chairman of Registro Italiano Navale, following the previous appointment as Vice Chairman and member of the Board of Directors. Registro Italiano Navale is the majority shareholder (70%) of Italian classification society RINA S.p.A., thus of the RINA Group.

ACTISENSE
UK marine electronics specialists Actisense have signed a distribution agreement with global marine electronics, navigation and communications experts, Radio Holland, part of Pon Holdings.
Radio Holland will bring their technical expertise to market and sell the Actisense portfolio of NMEA products across their extensive network of 70 locations in 30 countries.

OCT 20

BEST PRACTICE
In a move to support the commitment of The Nautical Institute’s work to promote professionalism, best practice and safety throughout the maritime industry, Ocean Technologies Group has agreed to be the Institute’s first Sapphire Affiliate member.

SHIP MANAGEMENT
V.Group is strengthening its leadership team with the appointment of Ulla Eithz Nielsen as Managing Director for V.Ships Germany. Based in Hamburg, Ulla joined V.Group in 2019 and previously held the role of Chief Operating Officer of Operational Excellence

OSLO LISTING
Swire Pacific Offshore has announced its intention to list Swire Blue Ocean on the Oslo Stock Exchange. In connection with the listing, Swire Blue Ocean will undergo a full rebranding, and future operations will be executed under a new name: Cadeler.

AGENT ENGINE
Yanmar Europe BV has signed an agreement with the Danish independent service provider VMS Group A/S as a new service agent for engines and spares. VMS Group will service the medium and high speed commercial marine diesel engines.

LOGISTICS
UK transport and logistics operator, Maritime Transport Ltd, (Maritime) has agreed terms to acquire Wincanton plc’s container transport business, Wincanton Container Logistics. The move follows a strategic review of Wincanton’s business and its decision to focus on its core activities.

INSURANCE
Britannia P&I Club’s overall credit rating has once again been confirmed as ‘A’ (stable) by S&P Global Ratings, the world’s leading independent credit ratings provider.

WARSASH
Seafarer, academic and keen sailor, Lars Lippuner, has been announced as Director of the UK’s Solent University Warsash Maritime School. Lars joined Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy in 2012. He went on to lead the overall commercial operations for the University’s Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering in 2017.

DOUBLE APPOINTMENT
V.Group, a global provider of ship management and marine support services, has announced the appointments of René Kofod-Olsen as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and of Graham Westgarth as Chairman of the Board.

SHIPYARDS
Damen Shipyards Group has completed the transformation of its corporate governance structure into a separate Executive Board and a Supervisory Board with the appointment of Supervisory Board members: Jurgen van Breukelen, Bert Greven and Henk Rottinghuis. The chairmanship will remain with Kommer Damen.

HHLA
The Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is taking a majority stake of 50.01 percent in the multi-function terminal “Piattaforma Logistica Trieste” (PLT) in the Italian seaport of Trieste. An agreement was signed on 28 September.

RENEWABLE CEO
RenewableUK’s CEO Hugh McNeal and Board have agreed to begin the process of recruiting the organisation’s next Chief Executive. A new CEO is expected to be appointed next year and Hugh will continue to lead the team until his successor is in place.

UNDERWRITING
Patrick Tiernan, Managing Director UK Commercial Lines & Global Corporate & Specialty at Aviva, has been elected as the new Chairman of the International Underwriting Association. He takes over from Malcolm Newman, Managing Director of the SCOR EMEA Hub.

V.GROUP
Mike Bradshaw, Global Head of HSEQ at leading ship management company V.Group has been appointed Chairperson of the UK Chamber of Shipping’s Safety Culture Working Group.

PRODUCT GRANT
Teledyne Marine has announced the award of a Wayfinder Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) to the RUMarino team from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez as the winner of their 2020 RoboSub product grant.

UNDERWATER AWARD
The Marine Technology Society and The Society for Underwater Technology are proud to announce that Dr. Edie Widder is the inaugural recipient of the Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration

STEWARDSHIP
Fugro CEO Mark Heine recently joined a select and diverse group of global business leaders and top United Nations (UN) and government decision makers for the first Ocean Stewardship Annual Review meeting.

ROTTERDAM
Boudewijn Siemons (56) has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Port of Rotterdam Authority as of 1 October 2020. As such, Mr. Siemons will also be joining the Port Authority’s Executive Board. Boudewijn Siemons succeeds Ronald Paul in this role.

LONDON OFFSHORE CONSULTANTS
Dr R. V. Ahilan, Group Chief Executive of LOC Group, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Ahilan is one of 53 new Fellows elected in September, in recognition of their outstanding and continuing contributions to the profession.

CHAIRMAN
WindEurope’s Board of Directors has elected Philippe Kavafyan, CEO of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, as the association’s new Chair for an 18-month term.

Sept 20

GERMAN OFFICE
Norway-headquartered Navtor, a provider of maritime e-Navigation solutions, is opening a new office in Germany. The Hamburg-based division will allow Navtor to work closely with key local shipowners.

CORK
The Port of Cork Company has made the announcement that Mr. Eoin McGettigan has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive of the company. Eoin replaces Brendan Keating who retired recently after 18 years of service as CEO.

SERVICE CENTRE
A new service centre is planned for Saint Petersburg to strengthen German propulsion major Schottel’s market position in Russia. The Board of Management has already approved the acquisition of a 3,000m2 plot of land. The future facility’s portfolio will cover local content requirements as it will allow local assembly of units with components such as propellers and nozzles.

MARITIME MINISTER
Robert Courts MP has appointed as a minister at the UK’s Department for Transport. This following Kelly Tolhurst’s move to Housing Minister to fill a gap created by the surprise resignation of Simon Clarke.

INSURANCE
Specialist P&I insurer in the smaller and specialist vessel sector, The Shipowners' Club, has announced the appointment of Peter Sydenham and Jan Vermeij to its Board of Directors. The co-option was agreed at the Club's Board meeting on the 4 September.

HULL SKATING
Jotun has signed the first commercial contract for container vessels with its ground-breaking hull cleaning package Jotun Hull Skating Solutions. The contract was signed with global container shipping and logistics leader MSC: Mediterranean Shipping Company.

BALTIC CREWING
Danica Crewing Specialists has opened a new office in Riga, Latvia – giving access to a large and growing pool of highly competent officers from the Baltic countries. Announcing the opening, Danica Managing Director Henrik Jensen said: “These countries boast large pools of highly competent and very experienced chemical, product and gas tanker officers. The area hosts as many as 30,000 seafarers.

SMS MOVE
UK vessel repairer The SMS Group is relocating its Southampton headquarters as part of a longer-term plan to ensure both sustainability and commercial longevity. The business says it will now proudly become the only ship repairer based within the Port of Southampton.

FORESHIP
Naval architecture and marine engineering company Foreship Ltd has appointed Benjamin Sward as President of Foreship LLC to take responsibility for the company’s U.S. activities, their growth and a renewed pursuit of opportunities in the commercial shipping and offshore sectors.

MARKET VALUES
VesselsValue, an online valuation and data provider has announced a new data partnership with leading InsurTech, Concirrus. This partnership will enable real-time fluctuations in global shipping fleet market values, demolition values and newbuild values to be added to Concirrus’ predictive risk models

FIRST DECADE
UK-headquartered offshore wind industry project services company CWind, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As a globally recognised name in the offshore wind industry, the company reports that it is very proud to offer a wide range of project services around the world.

NORWAY
Navtor, a Norway-headquartered provider of navigational software for the maritime industry, has announced that it has received a majority growth investment from Accel-KKR, a leading global software-focused investment firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA.

PORTUGAL
Global wave energy developer CorPower Ocean has appointed Miguel Silva as head of its Portuguese operation. The news comes shortly after CorPower revealed plans for a new 16 MEUR (USD18.1m) R&D, Manufacturing and Service Centre in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, becoming a core focus for the firm’s pioneering HiWave-5 Project with a showcase pilot wave farm planned in Aguçadoura.

ROSPA
Port of Tyne, one of the UK’s major deep-sea ports, has been awarded a prestigious Gold Medal in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Awards in recognition of its practices and achievements in helping everyone who works at the Port to get home safely at the end of the working day.

WIND SOLUTIONS
Associated British Ports (ABP) welcomes Andy Reay to the Commercial team, as he is appointed to lead the development of ABP’s Offshore Wind solutions.
With over 30 years’ experience of the offshore wind industry, ABP’s leading centres of offshore wind include the £310 million offshore wind facility at Green Port Hull (a joint investment with Siemens Gamesa) and operations and maintenance facilities in Grimsby, Barrow and Lowestoft.

FALMOUTH
Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, the statutory body responsible for managing the Trust Port of Falmouth harbour, in the UK has launched a nationwide hunt for a new CEO. The new recruit will manage in excess of 16 square miles of harbour area which, among its many uses, is a busy commercial port.

OTG
Maarten Van Gool has joined global learning and operational technology company Ocean Technologies Group, as Chief Financial Officer. Maarten's diverse experience in technology businesses spans three decades with blue-chip organisations.

ANNIVERSARY
Recently, window blind makers Solar Solve Marine’s Production Technicians, Ian Sharpe and Paul Meston, marked their 10th Anniversary working for the company. Both men work in the factory manufacturing Solar Solve Marine’s full range of Made-to-Measure products, to the company’s exacting standards and with a fast turn-around.

AUGUST 2020

ARCTIC PATROL
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has taken delivery of HMCS Harry DeWolf, its first of six new full-electric power and propulsion ice class patrol vessel with combat package. GE supplied the high-voltage electric power system.

759 MW PROJECT
Crosswind, a consortium of Shell and the Dutch utility Eneco, had secured the right to develop Hollandse Kust Noord offshore windfarm off the coast of the North Holland province. The consortium will build 69 Siemens Gamesa turbines of 11MW each.

SAR MILESTONE
The HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter base at Prestwick, on Scotland’s west coast near Glasgow, has responded to 1,500 calls since 2016. One highlight was the rescue of a 22-year-old male surfer found 13 miles off the coast of Campbeltown in 2017. He had clung to his board for 32 hours.

MEGAWATT PUSH
The new EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy must include a target of 100MW of ocean energy installed in Europe by 2025 says industry body Ocean Energy Europe. This would be enough to power 100,000 European homes a year.

TOWAGE
Svitzer CEO Kasper Friis Nilaus has appointed Lise Demant his successor as Managing Director (MD) for Svitzer Europe and Videlina Georgieva as new global Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

BMT
BMT has announced that Dennis de Bruin has been appointed Managing Director for BMT’s Commercial Shipping Europe business, with immediate effect.

BUSY PANDEMIC
UK’s Port of Sunderland reported an 85% rise in exports during the second quarter of the year, as it helped keep goods flowing in and out of the country during the pandemic. From April to June, the port handled some 71,748 tonnes of cargo set for export - compared to just 38,661 tonnes for the same period last year – with vessel destinations around the North and Baltic Seas.

LEGAL APPOINTMENT
Tony Goldsmith, partner, master mariner and marine casualty specialist, has been appointed as Head of Marine and Trade at London law firm Hill Dickinson. Mr Goldsmith will succeed the firm’s current Head of Marine, David Wareing, who is due to retire in the autumn having held the position since 2017.

NEW MAN
Martin Oetjen will be appointed to the Executive Board of MAN Energy Solutions on August 1, and will be responsible for the Supply Chain and Production division. His scope of responsibility will therefore combine the previously separate Production and Purchasing divisions. The 52-year-old qualified engineer has already been responsible for the Supply Chain role since January 2020, as chief representative of the company.

NAVAIDS
Sealite has announced its plan to become the anchor tenant for a proposed $540 million technology precinct. It will be located near Sealite's current Headquarters in Somerville, Victoria, Australia. The Mornington Peninsula Technology Park is a greenfield project and will provide open space, community areas and low-density facilities for tech-based businesses.

EXPANSION
C-Job Naval Architects, the global independent ship design and engineering company, will open an office in Gdansk, Poland this July. The new entity will expand on the company’s existing activities and pursue new markets particularly in the Baltic and Scandinavian region.

July 2020

SEMBMARINE
Specialist shipbuilder Sembcorp Marine posted a net loss of $192 million for the six months ended 30 June 2020, following the shutdown of production activities at all its Singapore yards since April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a severe deterioration compared with the net loss of $7 million for 1H 2019.

CONNECTIVITY
The Spanish port of Valencia has reaffirmed its leadership as the first Spanish port with better connectivity according to a United Nations ranking. In the world ranking, it moves up two positions to rank 21 out of 900 ports analysed according to the index from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The index measures the competitiveness of port facilities and the service they provide to the economic fabric of their area of influence.

CHARTWORLD
Provider of digital navigation solutions, ChartWorld, has received ECDIS Type Approval from the Japan MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) to support Japan-Flag vessels. The certificate issued by the MLIT proves the system's compliance with all ECDIS-related regulations valid for the Japan Flag State and covers the eGlobe G2 system in touchscreen and regular configurations.

XODUS VP
Global energy consultancy Xodus Group has appointed a US renewables vice president to head up a new office in Boston as the company looks to grow its offshore wind services across North America.
Alexander Thillerup joins Xodus from Aegir Wind Solutions, where he was director of project management. With more than 15 years’ experience in the renewables industry across Europe and Australia, he has managed several industry-leading projects for developers, including the concept development of the 6MW tower for Equinor’s Hywind Scotland turbines, the world’s first floating windfarm.

VETUS
International marine systems supplier Vetus and anchor and mooring specialist Maxwell have announced the appointment of Thijs Boegheim as the new Sales Director EMEA and Global Marketing Director.
Thijs moves to his new position following two years as General Manager EMEA at Vetus brand Maxwell Marine.

COOLING
Mota has announced the creation of a new subsidiary Mota Asia K.K., a Japan-based entity of the French cooling system manufacturer. This new entity is an addition to the two factories in Europe and the US-based commercial office Mota North America Inc. created in 2012.

REALLY MOTORING
Danfoss Editron has broken its monthly manufacturing record at its production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland. The company increased the amount of power electronic products and permanent magnet motors it produced in June by 13% and 8% respectively compared to the previous record set in February this year.

FURUNO BUYS
Furuno, worldwide specialist in Maritime Navigation, Communication and Acoustic systems, has announced the acquisition of Danish company Emri A/S, specializing in autopilots, steering control, joystick dynamic positioning and manoeuvring systems, founded in 1972.

CELTIC PUSH
Yanmar’s UK distributor Barrus has strengthened its UK sales and service network with the appointment of three dedicated dealers for the Dtorque 111 Turbo Diesel outboard.
The new Committed Sales Dealers, named as Inverness-based Caley Marina, Fettes and Rankine in Aberdeen and South Shore Marine in Northern Ireland, are ideally positioned in the market to focus on meeting increasing demand for the Neander-engineered outboard, distributed worldwide by Yanmar.

SAFETY
Maritime safety firm Survitec has announced the strengthening of its Board of Directors with the additions of Nick Henry, Ian Plumb and Phil Swash as Non-Executive Directors.
These three industry leaders have exceptionally strong knowledge and experience in guiding companies through periods of major transformation to profitable growth. The new directors join a group of other industry experts led by Ron Krisanda, Survitec Executive Chairman.

JRC/Alphatron
JRC/Alphatron Marine has appointed Jeroen Kortsmit in the position of Group General Manager Key Accounts as of 1st July 2020. Jeroen will be responsible for the worldwide expansion and management of the marine electronics company’s customer relationship in the fields of customer satisfaction, maintenance agreements, digital services like E-learning as well as remote maintenance and support.

June 2020

VOLVO PENTA
Heléne Mellquist has been appointed President of marine and industrial engine manufacturer Volvo Penta and member of the Volvo Group Management Team.
Currently President for the European Division of Volvo Trucks, Heléne began her career at the Volvo Group in 1988 and has held many senior positions at the company.

PROPULSION
Gula Skrinet AB has reached an agreement with Caterpillar Luxembourg Sarl to acquire Caterpillar Propulsion AB and its subsidiaries. The sale was expected to close on June 30, 2020. The transaction will include the manufacturing operations in Sweden and Singapore and office locations in Shanghai and Dubai.

CEO SWITCH
Electric propulsion pioneers Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch has announced the appointment of Miika Reinikka as new CEO. Reinikka, currently the VP in charge of the company’s wind division, will take over from Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen, incumbent CEO and Founder, on 1 July.

OCEAN INFINITY
US marine robotics company, Ocean Infinity has announced the appointment of DebraAnn Braun as Chief Information Officer (CIO) based in the company’s HQ in Austin, Texas. DebraAnn has successfully led many technology companies through change and growth by optimising the use of Big Data to provide solutions.

CABLE COLLABORATION
WFS Technologies has joined forces with Subsea Energy Solutions to harness their combined global expertise and market-leading range of live condition monitored cable protection systems for the offshore energy industry.

TOWAGE
Global towage operator Svitzer has announced that the Board of Directors have appointed Kasper Friis Nilaus, VP and current Managing Director (MD) of Svitzer Europe, to succeed Henriette Thygesen as global CEO of Svitzer A/S.

QHSE
UK windfarm CTV operator Tidal Transit has welcomed Harriet Henderson as Quality, Health, Safety and Environment [QHSE] Manager. Tidal Transit is a Norfolk based company that has been providing purpose-built CTVs to the offshore wind industry since 2011 for both the construction and O&M phases.

KONGSBERG DIGITAL
Through a private placement, Kongsberg Digital has acquired additional shares in NorSea Digital, now KONCIV, together with the private investor Jacob Møller. NorSea remains its largest owner. The company provides digital logistics services through its cloud solution. Kongsberg Digital, a subsidiary of the Kongsberg Group, is a leading software company within digitalization of the energy sector and the maritime sector.

SKARPENORD
As part of its maritime brand building, Scana ASA has changed the name of its portfolio companies Scana Skarpenord, Scana Offshore and Scana Subsea to Skarpenord, Seasystems and Subseatec, respectively. Scana Skarpenord is one of the leading suppliers of hydraulic valve control systems for the oil, gas, and shipbuilding industries.

THEYR
Met-ocean data provider Theyr Ltd, has announced the appointment of Peter Mantel as a Non-Executive Director. Mr. Mantel brings a wealth of experience to Theyr, he previously pioneered the transformation from paper to electronic chart navigation as a Director and Shareholder of Transas Marine Ltd.

MERCY SHIPS
Mercy Ships UK, a medical aid and development charity that deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world, has appointed Joanne Balaam as Acting Executive Director.

HEMPEL
Global coatings manufacturer Hempel has begun construction of a new factory in Yantai Chemical Industrial Park, China. The new factory will help meet increasing demand for more sustainable and innovative coating solutions in the region. Hempel’s new Chinese factory will replace its existing production facility in Yantai

ROXTEC
Pipe and cable safety seal manufacturer Roxtec UK has moved to increase its presence in Britain’s maritime sector with the appointment of a new marine and offshore manager. Mark Whelan joins the Swedish-owned company having spent 10 years at another international manufacturer, most recently as a project manager for naval and commercial shipbuilding sector contracts.

ANTI-FOULING
Lamers System Care, based in Uden, Netherlands has been awarded the Distributor of the Year Award by ultrasonic anti-fouling system manufacturer Sonihull.

FENDERS
In the US, Marine Fenders International, Inc. (MFI) announced that it recently acquired all the assets of Urethane Technology Inc.’s (UTI), a leading manufacturer of specialty buoys and marine fenders. Jerry Thermos, CEO of MFI stated that he was pleased to conclude this transaction as UTI’s technology will further enhance MFI’s mission to remain one of the leading worldwide designers and manufacturers of foam filled marine fenders and buoys.

MAY 2020

EMEC
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), a Scotland headquartered ocean energy testing facility, has appointed Matthew Finn as Commercial Director.
Matthew will focus on driving forward the long-term growth of the organisation leading on EMEC’s commercial activities, bringing his unique experience and knowledge of the sector to the role.
Matthew has worked in the ocean energy sector for the last 14 years, helping to secure over £250 million of funding for a range of low carbon projects.

SATELLITE COMMS
In the US, Crowley Maritime Corp. has agreed a contract to install Fleet Xpress from Inmarsat, a specialist in global, mobile satellite communications, on the majority of its vessels.The 127-year old Florida-headquartered business owns, operates and manages a diverse fleet of almost 100 vessels.

SMM DATES
SMM, Hamburg's international maritime trade fair, has been postponed to 2-5 February 2021 in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its global impact on major events and international travelling.
“Finding a suitable new timeframe for SMM was not an easy task for us, and we are happy we have been able to do so," said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress.

ELASTEC
US-headquartered oil spill response specialist company Elastec celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 1st, 2020. The company was founded in 1990 with the invention of the two-drum oil skimmer. The patented product changed the oil spill response industry and set the foundation for the company to grow into the world’s largest manufacturer of environmental response equipment.

IMCA
The International Marine Contractors Association has announced that Phil Towers has joined the team as Technical Adviser – Diving.
Phil Towers has extensive experience in the subsea construction industry having held diving roles with operators BP, ExxonMobil, Qatargas and Repsol Sinopec. A major part of his career was spent with what is now known as TechnipFMC as a discipline expert in their Diving and Operations Support Group.

A&P GROUP
UK ship repairer A&P Group is celebrating after landing an internationally-recognised award for demonstrating high health and safety standards.
A&P Group has received the RoSPA Commended in the Engineering Services Sector Health and Safety Award, in recognition of its work to ensure staff, clients and supply chain get home safely to their families at the end of every working day.

ISLAND PRIZES
The Danish island of Bornholm is the first ever winner of the EU RESponsible Island Prize. The Danish island won the title in recognition for its innovative energy solutions and its contribution to a sustainable and climate-friendly Europe. The second prize went to the island of Samsø, also in Denmark, and the third prize to the Orkney Islands in the United Kingdom.

ROLLS-ROYCE
Rolls-Royce Power Systems has appointed Otto Preiss as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to the Management Board.
In the course of a professional career spanning over 30 years at power and automation specialist ABB, Preiss has accumulated wide-ranging experience in various global leadership positions. Most recently he was Group Senior Vice President, acting in the role of Chief Operating Officer Digital, and prior to that headed up ABB's global Motors and Generators division.

April 2020

SEPARATORS
Stelio Bardi Srl has been appointed as Wave International’s distributor for Italy, Monaco and Malta for its MiniBOSS oil water separators. Stelio Bardi is long established as a supplier of services and products to Italian shipyards, securing orders for refits and new build customers.
Stelio Bardi will be supplying the full range of Wave MiniBOSS oil water separators (OWS). Approved by the International Maritime Organisation, these OWS ensure that only bilge water to the required legal limits is discharged overboard.

ABPmer
Marine consultancy ABPmer has been appointed by the UK Environment Agency to provide independent Designated Person (DP) services for the Port of Rye, as described in the Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC).
Located on the River Rother with open navigational access to the English Channel, the commercial port is a busy recreational and yachting centre, with a larger fishing fleet. The Environment Agency is the Statutory Harbour Authority and the Local Lighthouse Authority for the Port of Rye, as well as the Competent Harbour Authority within the meaning of the Pilotage Act.

POOLE PROMOTION
Less than a year after joining UK maritime PR company Saltwater Stone, David Pugh has been promoted to a key position, overseeing the firm’s commercial shipping clients. With long-term experience in maritime content and telecommunications, David has proved himself an ideal candidate for the role since he was taken on by the Poole-based company in July 2019.
A former yachting journalist, David held the post of Editor of Practical Boat Owner, the UK’s largest circulation leisure sailing magazine, for four years.

NLB
Brian Archibald, Orkney Islands Council Harbour Master and Head of Marine Services, Engineering and Transport, is to join the Northern Lighthouse Board as a Commissioner (Non-Executive Director).
Before joining Orkney Island Council in 2012, Brian served for 36 years in the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer rising to the rank of Commodore. His Royal Navy Career included the command of three warships and the later part of his naval career was focussed on project team leadership for complex ship and weapon maintenance and procurement programmes including the design of the new Type 26 Frigate and the leasing of the Royal Navy’s ice breaker and patrol vessel.

CHARTS ONLINE
Elcome has announced the launch of its new online shopping portal for Admiralty standard nautical charts.
With this automated software tool, now available on Elcome’s website, customers can review, select and order charts from the most comprehensive inventory of ADMIRALTY charts. Orders are fulfilled by one of Elcome’s print-on-demand centres located in Dubai, UAE, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the products are shipped within one or two days to the customer’s office or the shipping agent for shipboard delivery.

DAMEN
As of April 1st, Marc van Heyningen will become the new Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Damen Shipyards Group. This completes the Executive Board of the leading Dutch maritime solutions provider.
Marc is a MSc in Civil Structural Engineering at Delft University and has spent the vast majority of his career working for Fluor Corporation in various general and operations management positions in, for example, The Netherlands, The UK, India and the USA.

SOLAR SOLVE
Just before the UK Government’s advisory measures to help reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus moved to the next stage, the North East Area Final of the FSB Business Awards was able to take place at a ceremony in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The fact that the ceremony was able to go ahead was very good news for South Shields based marine window blind manufacturer Solar Solve Marine Ltd, who won the International Business of the Year Category, sponsored by Newcastle International Airport.

SURVITEC
Global safety and survival solutions leader, Survitec has announced the appointment of Ron Krisanda as Executive Chairman for its worldwide life-saving equipment business.
As Executive Chairman, Krisanda will drive a comprehensive strategic plan to focus on customer needs and profitable growth. In this newly created role, he will lead both the Survitec Board of Directors and the Executive Management Team.
Most recently, Krisanda was CEO of Quality Metalcraft - Experi-Metal, Inc., a premium provider of highly engineered, metal formed assemblies for the automotive and aerospace sectors.

FIRE DAMPERS
UK-based maritime equipment specialist Marine Components International has won a new deal to supply A60 fire dampers for two new Offshore Support Vessels being built in Asia.
Poole-headquartered MCI said it was the first export deal it has made for the fire dampers since it was awarded the global rights to distribute the range by London-based manufacturer BSB, as reported earlier in Maritime Journal.

PORT OF TYNE
Victoria Beattie has joined the Port of Tyne, one of the UK’s major deep-sea ports, as its Head of Estates. In her new role, Victoria will be responsible for the Port’s diverse land and property portfolio, working alongside both internal and external stakeholders.
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Victoria has over 30 years’ experience in the Construction industry.

UKCS
The UK Chamber of Shipping has launched its new Strategic Plan for the next five years on the day John Denholm took over from Sir Michael Bibby as Chamber President.
The new Strategic Plan, which was signed off at the Chamber’s AGM on 12 March, outlines the plans and priorities for the Chamber and confirms its position as the voice of the UK shipping industry which contributes nearly £20bn a year to the economy and supports over 180,000 jobs.

BAREFLEET 100
Reygar Ltd, a provider of performance monitoring and control systems to the maritime and offshore renewable energy sector, has announced that the firm’s BareFLEET remote monitoring system is now in use across 100 vessels worldwide. This milestone comes as Reygar expands its control system capabilities across dynamic positioning, autonomous vessels, and consultancy, with two new engineering hires and a move to larger premises in Bristol.

POLARIS GONG
UK Maritime specialist PR and marketing company Polaris Media has won the Professional Services Business of the Year Award at the Mersey Maritime Industry Awards 2020.Ben Pinnington, Rita Hunt and Rich Morris from the Polaris team accepted the award at a ceremony attended by 500 people at St George’s Hall in Liverpool. Polaris won following a public vote and a judging panel process after being shortlisted with well-known corporate companies global marine surveyors Brookes Bell and national accountancy firm Haines Watts.

March

ISO HAT TRICK
UK boatbuilder, refit and repair provider Diverse Marine Ltd. has announced that its Business Safety Management System has been audited and certified to ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 and ISO45001:2018 by the British Assessment Bureau.
The company says it is one of very few boat builders in the UK to meet these Quality Management, Environmental Management and Occupational Health & Safety standards respectively.

ERRV OPERATOR
Offshore support vessel specialist Sentinel Marine has experienced a strong start to the year with a £36 million package of contract awards and extensions to operate its fleet of emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) in the North Sea.
The Aberdeen-based firm has invested in excess of £150 million building a fleet of 12 highly efficient multi-role vessels, which perform additional tasks beyond the traditional standby boat duties.

FORTH AWARD
Forth Ports’ Senior Harbour Master, Ashley Nicolson scooped the prestigious Women in Industry award for the first time at the CeeD (Centre for Engineering Education and Development) Industry Awards 2020.
Through her role at Forth Ports and her Vice President role at the UK Harbour Masters Association (UKHMA), Ashley is helping to drive the change required to ensure a more gender diverse workforce within the maritime sector.

HEAD OF SALES
OneOcean has appointed Robert Heijder as its new Head of Sales for Benelux and France. Mr Heijder has a wealth of knowledge and experience, most notably from his time with Transas, provider of ship operations solutions.
Mr Heijder has successfully driven sales teams and has a track record in selling ECDIS, simulation and shore-based systems. He brings the comprehensive expertise required to power OneOcean’s new Rotterdam office through the company’s next phase of expansion.

TAKING CONTROL
Boat-handling systems supplier Vestdavit has announced the acquisition of Tritec Production. The acquisition covers a complete steel fabrication, engineering and construction facility in Redzikowo, Poland, from where Tritec has been supporting Vestdavit as its principal davit assembly partner for more than a decade. Over the period, it has become expert in delivering the premium quality launch-and-recovery systems on which Vestdavit’s reputation relies.

GYROCOMPASS DISTRUBUTION
Radio Holland and Sperry Marine recently signed a Global Gyrocompass Distribution Agreement with respect to the Sperry Marine’s CompassNet Heading Management System, which includes the NAVIGAT 100 and NAVIGAT 200 spinning mass gyros and the NAVIGAT 2500 and NAVIGAT 3500 Fibre-Optic Gyrocompasses.
The global agreement enables Radio Holland offices around the world to sell Sperry Marine’s gyro compass systems, and, in addition, a great many Radio Holland offices to install, commission and service the respective equipment.

FUELSAVE AWARD
Fuelsave was recognised as the winner of the “Solution of the Future” at the Neptune Awards hosted at the 2nd Global Greentech in Shipping event held in Hamburg, Germany.
The award confirms the company’s position at the forefront of maritime innovation with its FS MARINE + technological offering. FS MARINE + dynamically injects hydrogen, oxygen, water and methanol into the air intake in different locations, quantities and combinations to positively influence combustion, achieving fuel economies.

VESCONITE SALES
Polymer bushing and wear material producer Vesconite Bearings appointed five additional sales people, the majority of whom are engineers, in late January.
Wian Venter will increase Vesconite’s presence in countries with a strong marine industry, with an initial focus on promoting sales of propeller shaft, rudder bearings and miscellaneous on-deck marine equipment.

ETV CONTRACT
Vroon Offshore Services Ltd has secured a three-year contract extension with BP, worth around £30million.
One of the largest providers of emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) in the North Sea, VOS will continue its exclusive provision of four class-leading, high-performing vessels to support BP’s North Sea and West of Shetland assets until 2023. These are VOS Discovery, VOS Fairness, VOS Innovator and VOS Vigilant.

PAINT POSITION
Katarina Lindström will join Hempel as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer from 1 August 2020 and will play a central role in delivering on the company’s ambition to double in size.
As Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Katarina Lindström will be a key member of Hempel’s Executive Management Board, responsible for driving the company’s strategic agenda in terms of operational excellence, innovation and sustainability.

BARRUS
Having distributed Blue Gee marine repair products in the UK since early 2019, Barrus has purchased the intellectual property and legal rights for the Blue Gee brand.
Blue Gee was established in 1985 as a British manufacturer of marine construction and repair materials. The brand has become well-known for its innovative product creation with a range of neat, easy to use epoxy and GRP products.

LIBERIAN REGISTRY
The Liberian Registry is strengthening its presence in Norway with the opening of a new full-service office in Oslo. This marks Liberia’s 4th new office opened since 2019, as the Registry continues to grow its global network to uphold its commitment to quality and local service worldwide.
The Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, has announced the appointment of Ms Hege Solstad as General Manager of the Norwegian office.

VEETHREE
Manufacturer of marine digital displays and gauges, Veethree Technologies, has appointed new Business Development Manager Jon Newman and Business Development Executive Laurence Jenkins.
The new recruits are joining at an exciting time for the company, formerly CANtronik, which last year united with the Veethree brand, a global group of companies with more than 1000 employees across four continents.

BRIDGE OIL
KPI Bridge Oil has announced that it has agreed to acquire OceanConnect Marine. Subject to the receipt of regulatory approval, the two companies will merge to form a new brand and entity, KPI OceanConnect.
The merger will create one of the largest, most experienced independent marine fuels service and solutions providers in the world, with a 170-strong team operating across 15 locations globally.

LOGISTICS
The major international logistics hub of Bremen in Germany will host a one-day Masterclass on Tuesday, 29 September, for anyone working in the oversized and heavy loads transportation industry. The one-day PPG Project Cargo Certificate for Forwarders, 3PLs, Clients and ECPMs will be held at the Radisson Blu Bremen Hotel and focuses on improving project cargo management capabilities within organisations. Further information at the PPG website.

CONSULTANCY GROWTH
Nash Maritime now works at a larger office at Ocean Village Innovation Centre, Southampton, UK, having first started out there last year with a virtual address.
The firm currently has a team of six highly qualified professionals and a network of specialist industry associates providing shipping, navigation and marine risk expertise in maritime operations and infrastructure development projects. Founded by Dr Ed Rogers, with fellow director Jamie Holmes joining soon after, Nash Maritime has been involved in more than 30 offshore renewable projects to date.

C DATA
C Data Marine, a UK based provider of professional IT Solutions to marine related industries, has been awarded a contract with the UK’s Ministry of Defence providing logistics business systems software and support for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The RFA fleet delivers vital logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy. This contract will enable further development of bespoke software applications that support RFA ship upkeep activity and commercial spares procurement.

GREEN TOURISM
Orkney-based Pentland Ferries, which operates from St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney to Gills Bay in the north-east of Scotland, has become the first ferry operator in the UK to have achieved a Green Tourism Award.
The awards programme recognises the commitment of tourism businesses to sustainability and is seen as a prestigious hallmark of environmentally sensitive practices and operation. The award for the family-run company follows the introduction in November 2019 of a new purpose-built vessel, MV Alfred, which brought highly superior environmental credentials to the service.

OEMACHEM
OEMAchem, a global chemicals company based in Hampshire, UK has enjoyed a record-breaking start to the year with rising demand from the marine sector.
OEMAchem supplied 150 tonnes of marine chemicals for 17 vessels on four continents in the first month of the year – including four leading cruise lines.
Managing director Mark Chiverton said: “It’s been a superb start to the year and has set us up for a fantastic 2020.

CLASSIFICATION
US classification society ABS is engaged in a pilot program with the Royal Canadian Navy and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to deliver the ABS Digital Asset Framework for the RCN’s Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels.
The ABS Digital Asset Framework forms the foundation of a broader Conditioned-Based Class program that transforms ship classification from a calendar-based schedule to a condition-based model.

TURBO MARKETPLACE
A Voith online platform was recently created connecting interested parties in unused, used and reconditioned Voith equipment made available through Voith’s worldwide customer network.
Supporting both sellers and buyers with expertise and services, such as technical advice and condition assessment, Voith acts as an important interface. With in-house or on-site inspections performed by qualified Voith service technicians, interested customers can check the condition of the equipment beforehand. Corrective maintenance is recommended if necessary and can be obtained through Voith’s global service network.

ROTTERDAM NUMBERS
The Port of Rotterdam saw a freight throughput of 469.4 million tonnes in 2019, fractionally higher than in 2018 (469 million tonnes). Investments by the Port of Rotterdam Authority were again at a high level, with gross investments including participations amounting to €338.3 million (2018: €408.1 million).
The net result excluding taxes amounted to €241 million (2018: €254.1 million). Significant underlying shifts were observable between the various commodities. Whereas crude oil, container, LNG and biomass throughputs increased, coal and mineral oil product throughputs decreased.

RENEWABLEUK
Trade body RenewableUK has appointed the former MP for Great Grimsby Melanie Onn as the organisation’s new Deputy Chief Executive. She will begin her role on 9th March.
In her new role as Deputy CEO, she will focus particularly on public speaking and media work. She will also lead on helping supply chain members to grow, and on the development of the skilled workforce the industry needs, including opening up wider areas of the sector to more women.

ENPRO
Enpro Subsea was crowned subsea company of the year and Dr Tony Trapp MBE was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the industry at Subsea UK’s annual awards.
The awards celebrate the achievements of companies and individuals in the UK subsea industry during Subsea Expo – Europe’s largest subsea focused exhibition and conference.

SHIP REPAIR
Titan Acquisition Holdings, a US leader in ship repair and commercial and defence-related fabrication services created through the combination of Vigor Industrial and MHI Holdings, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Huntington Ingalls’ San Diego Shipyard. The shipyard is one of the largest fleet service and repair sites in America, located in the nation’s largest Navy port.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and closing is expected in the second quarter of the year.

CORK CRANES
The Port of Cork has announced that it has taken delivery of two Liebherr post-panamax size ship-to-shore (STS) container gantry cranes at the Cork Container Terminal in the Republic of Ireland. The assembly process has commenced on site and is due to be completed in the coming weeks.
The Port of Cork is the second largest port in the Republic of Ireland in terms of turnover.

HOLDS & HATCHES
Recognising that around a third of all cargo claims and a significant number of seafarer accidents are connected with the use and operation of holds and hatches, The London P&I Club has launched comprehensive guidance to help seafarers and ship operators protect themselves further. A common-sense booklet generously illustrated with practical examples of best practice is being offered to all Club members and is particularly aimed at fleet superintendents.

WEATHER DATA
StratumFive, a big picture data applications company, has announced that it has finalised the acquisition of US-based weather routing and analytics company FleetWeather Group.
With a 50 year history of service to shipping, the integration of FleetWeather Group strengthens StratumFive’s current suite of mission-critical solutions with forecasting, routing, monitoring and claims expertise, enhancing value delivered to users.

VOLVO PENTA
Volvo Penta has announced the start of production and assembly of Seven Marine outboards at the organization’s wholly-owned facility in Lexington, Tennessee, USA. As of January 2020, the entire lineup of Seven Marine engines has been incorporated into the Volvo Penta production process.

FEB 2020

NAVTOR
Tor Svanes, the founder and CEO of Norway-headquartered e-Navigation specialist Navtor, has been honoured for his role in enabling the development of ‘smarter shipping’ within the maritime industry. Svanes, who established Navtor in 2011 after previously leading both Jeppesen and C-Map Norway, was revealed as the recipient of the prestigious SMART4SEA Leadership Award at a gala awards event at the Yacht Club of Greece in Piraeus.
Svanes has quickly grown Navtor into a global leader in e-Navigation, providing an array of innovative digital products and services that tackle industry challenges and deliver powerful business benefits. From its base in Egersund, Norway, Navtor has expanded to a network of five further international offices, with around 6000 active subscribers and customers from over 60 countries.

WBV EXPERT
CDG Coast Dynamics Group, Ltd has announced the appointment of Whole Body Vibration expert Dr. Tom Gunston to the Kinetix technical team, as Chief Scientist. Maritime agencies seeking deeper insights from their impact mitigation strategies can now work one-on-one with Dr. Gunston to assess, monitor, and improve programs intended to keep crews safer on the water. Dr. Gunston’s professional experience and education have been heavily focused on the assessment and mitigation of occupational exposure to shock and vibration in military land, sea and air platforms.

OFFSHORE IT
Teekay Offshore has selected Marlink’s ITLink solutions portfolio with its benchmark IT operational platform, KeepUp@Sea, to streamline and improve fleet IT management. The deployment of ITLink positions Marlink as a single supplier of diverse Information Communication Technology (ICT) services for Teekay Offshore vessels, following a satellite services contract renewal in May 2019.
Marlink will provision ITLink solutions across Teekay Offshore’s fleet of shuttle tankers, ALP towing vessels and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units to ensure more availability of operational tools, resulting in more efficient and sustainable fleet operations.

TORQEEDO
Torqeedo has announced the appointment of Jochen Engelmann as vice-president sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
In this position, Mr. Engelmann will have responsibility for expanding sales and driving the company’s growth across the EMEA region for Torqeedo’s marine electromobility systems (electric outboard motors).
Mr. Engelmann comes to Torqeedo from Volvo Penta, where he was head of sales, central Europe for the industrial engine division.

JAN 2020

SEABED 2030
The new Director of The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, Jamie McMichael-Phillips, has now taken up his position as leading one of the most challenging projects of the next decade, the mapping of the entire ocean floor by the year 2030.
The announcement of his appointment was made at a conference held at the Royal Society in London.
Seabed 2030 is an international initiative, supported by over 100 maritime organisations. The project has four Regional Centres, based in strategically-located areas of the world, which feed data into a Global Centre hosted at the British Oceanographic Data Centre in Southampton, UK.

DENMARK OFFICE
Britannia P&I’s Exclusive Correspondent in Denmark will become a full branch office and be renamed TR(B) Denmark.
The new branch office will continue to be headed by Mr. Michael Boje-Larsen, a lawyer with considerable experience in maritime law, including P&I and FD&D cover. Michael is supported by Rishi Choudhury, an Associate Director of Britannia P&I, a FD&D specialist who has been working with the Club since 2006. Further expansion of the team is planned for early 2020.

BUNKERTRACE
Blockchain and DNA-based fuels tracking system BunkerTrace won the Excellence in Supply Chain Management and Innovation award at the Lloyd’s List Europe Awards in December.
The annual award is given to a company that demonstrates how its technology best serves its customers within the land and sea supply chain. The judges recognised BunkerTrace’s potential to vastly increase transparency in the marine fuels supply chain innovation by providing end-to-end traceability, and proving evidence of compliance with International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 2020 regulation.

WÄRTSILÄ DIVESTMENT
The technology group Wärtsilä announces the divestment of shares in Wärtsilä ELAC Nautik GmbH (ELAC Nautik) to Cohort plc, a UK listed company, specialising in defence, security and related market sectors.
ELAC Nautik became part of Wärtsilä as a result of the acquisition of L-3 Communications MSI in 2015. Its main market focus is on hydroacoustic products, including sonars, underwater communication systems and echo systems for small and medium sized military submarines.

INSURANCE HIRE
Britannia P&I Club has announced that Konstantinos Samaritis will be taking over as head of its office in Greece with effect from 1 January 2020.
Konstantinos is a qualified Greek lawyer and accredited mediator. He joined Britannia’s Managers, Tindall Riley, in 2018, having previously worked in both Standard and Skuld’s Greek operations for ten years.

MASHFORDS
UKDocks Mashfords are a new distributor for Moteurs Baudouin and Oxe Diesel outboards, becoming the first official Oxe dealer in the UK.
David Hoskin announces; “We are pleased to be working with Proteum Ltd, becoming authorised distributors for Moteurs Baudouin and Oxe Diesel outboards. We are excited to offer these high quality marine products and look forward to a positive and fruitful relationship with Proteum and our future customers”

ORDTEK
UXO (unexploded ordnance) Risk Management consultancy Ordtek, based in both the USA and UK, has announced the appointment of Gary Thirkettle as its new Operations Director.
With a career spanning over 25 years in the offshore site investigation industry, he brings a proven depth in both operational and commercial experience to Ordtek.
Ordtek has recently opened an office in Boston, USA to support a number of offshore wind farm developments in the region. After the success and lessons learnt in Virginia, Ordtek is now helping shape offshore UXO risk management in the USA through industry guidance.

PORT OF TYNE
The Port of Tyne, one of the UK’s major deep-sea ports has announced that Kate O’Hara will join its business development team as Commercial Director.
With wide-ranging experience within the ports and maritime sector and an acknowledged expert in the cruise and ferry sector, Kate was previously Chair of Cruise Britain, a Board member of Visit Greenwich and an active member of the Council of Management of Cruise Europe.

TRINITY HOUSE
Commander Graham Hockley RN, recently retired as Secretary to UK lighthouse authority, Corporation of Trinity House, has been appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the New Year’s Honours List 2020 in recognition of a decade’s distinguished service.
Commander Hockley is one of several maritime names to be recognised in the 2020 list.
He joined Trinity House in 2009 as Secretary; in that role he oversaw a number of activities for which the Court, Corporate Board and Corporate Department are responsible, including co-ordinating the governance of the Corporation and liaising with HRH The Master’s office, as well as managing the Corporate Department. He helped the charities’ annual expenditure rise from £3.6m to £5.8m.

RELA
Specialist in energy claims and risk assessment, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters (RELA), has announced the appointment of Alan Tucker as Head of RELA. Alan will drive RELA’s expansion in key renewable energy markets globally. In addition, RELA has hired Martin Dobson, who joins the company as a Senior Loss Adjuster.
From its offices on Gracechurch Street, London, RELA provides loss adjusting services, including pre-risk surveys, engineering valuations, and loss mitigation, to insurers of large-scale renewable energy projects as well as risk advisory services to both insurers and investors. The firm’s services cover all types of renewable energy ranging from solar and on- and offshore wind, to hydro, wave-tidal, bio energy and geothermal projects.

AVL
AVL is now offering its comprehensive know-how and decades of expertise in new technologies to the maritime business. For that reason, high-tech company AVL recently opened its very first AVL maritime office in Hamburg. AVL Marine specializes in the optimization of vessel operation, new technology integration, digitalization, efficiency enhancement and solutions for clean air. Numerous customers and partners were welcomed at the official opening of the representative office located at Caffamacherreihe 7.

DEC 2019

BUOY COMMS
Buoy Communications recently launched in Rotterdam as the latest Communications & PR company for the global maritime industry. Buoy is on a mission to honestly improve the reputation of the maritime industry, one brave company at a time.
Buoy is owned by Irishwoman Joanne Kelleher, who has been working as a Communications and Marketing professional in the maritime industry for more than 12 years.

STEERPROP
Azimuth propulsion manufacturer Steerprop’s Board of Directors has appointed Riku-Pekka Hägg as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Hägg will begin in his new role at the start of January 2020.
As former Vice President of Ship Design at Wärtsilä, Hägg brings decades of maritime technology know-how, digital and strategic experience to Steerprop. This appointment will help strengthen the company’s strategic ambitions to take advantage of the upcoming changes in the marine industry.

ALEWIJNSE
Alewijnse Marine, a Dutch specialist in maritime electrical and automation technology, is looking to grow its presence in the Mediterranean as the superyacht maintenance/refit sector continues to enjoy strong growth.
Alewijnse has signed a frame contract with an undisclosed Mediterranean superyacht repair yard. The contract covers the delivery of electrical integration and automation solutions with Alewijnse offering a combination of local service backed up by the full resources of the group from its base in the Netherlands.

FORESHIP
Finland-headquartered naval architect Foreship has announced plans to establish a new business entity in Germany, targeting January 1, 2020 as the launch date for Foreship GmbH.
The new company, to be based in the heart of Hamburg’s Hafen City, will have the objective of developing closer ties with German owners, shipyards and marine engineering companies to better service existing customers and attract new ones. Foreship GmbH will be led by Managing Director Olli Somerkallio, current Head of Machinery at Foreship.
Foreship CEO Lauri Haavisto says that the new German operation offers firm evidence of Foreship’s plans to grow its existing cruise business, attract new customers and target additional ship types.

ANTENNA PARTNERSHIP
Intellian has announced that it has signed a strategic partnership with Japan Radio Co., Ltd. in maritime satellite communication antenna technology.
The marine industry is moving forward with the era of smart shipping, and demand from ship operators to share ship-to-shore navigation information, which is aimed at increasing efficiency and productivity in ship operations, has rapidly grown in recent years.
Through this strategic partnership, Intellian and JRC will start from the mutual provision of satellite terminals and technologies, considering joint development in the future

IT MERGER
C Data, a UK provider of professional IT Solutions to marine related industries, has amalgamated with Seatime Marine Consultants in response to the needs of both organisations’ growing customer base.
The new business will be known as C Data Marine – Marine Engineering and Information Technology, with immediate effect. Collectively the team will focus on energy audits for vessels, surveying and MCA coding; alongside IT hosting, application development services and the provision of safety and maintenance management solutions. C Data Marine is expecting to exhibit at Seawork 2020 to showcase its range of offerings and breadth of clients it is working with across the entire industry.

SEA-FIRE
Sea-Fire Marine, a global leader in maritime fire detection and suppression systems, was recently honoured with a Most Innovative Marine Companies Award. The tribute recognizes 10 companies that reinvent themselves in response to market changes; for Sea-Fire, it is its global reach and eco-responsibility. The accolade was presented by Soundings Trade Only at its 40th-anniversary gala dinner.
The award cited the example that the company opened a location in Columbia, South America, chiefly to serve the country's navy and coast guard. It's this dedication to its international customers that set the company apart for the judges.

DANFOSS EDITRON
Danfoss Editron has appointed Erno Tenhunen as its new Marine Director. He will lead the company’s marine business, with overall responsibility for sales, the delivery of projects and developing new systems technology at a time when electrification is a hot topic in the global marine industry.Erno adds nearly 20 years’ experience to Danfoss Editron’s already well-established marine team. Erno joins Danfoss Editron from ABB. Most recently he led ABB’s Digital Solutions unit in Finland, focusing on developing new and innovative digital systems for ships including those relating to automation, navigation and intelligent operations.

PUMP DISTRUBUTION
Xylem has announced two new distributors for its Rule and Jabsco brand marine technologies in the Netherlands. Combi Noord BV and Technautic BV will join existing Xylem distributor Exalto BV from December 1, 2019.
“Combi Noord BV and Technautic BV are both well-established and respected suppliers to the marine trade in The Netherlands. We chose them to work alongside Exalto BV following a thorough review of distribution in the area,” said Tim Greenslade, Marine Sales Manager for Xylem EMEA. Xylem will cease working with distributor Lankhorst Taselaar from March 31, 2020 and with Schulteco with immediate effect following the retirement of Schulteco owner, Hans Reems.

SEL LTD
Safeguard Engineering Ltd (SEL) has added James Hannon to its growing team of expert safety and environmental consultants. James joins as a Senior Safety Consultant and brings a wealth of experience to the Port and Maritime sector of the business. His extensive capability includes the provision and improvement of port marine operations, safety and security. He is a specialist in port operational procedure, port legislation and the construction of byelaws and other legislative requirements related to marine operations in ports. He has worked with London Gateway, Falmouth Harbour and Solent Gateway.
The Safeguard team is a well-established provider of Maritime Safety Consultancy and provides specialist advice and support services to the maritime industry.

MET SATELLITES
The upcoming deployment of two next-generation meteorological satellite systems will bring weather forecasting accuracy and climate monitoring into a new era, the head of Europe’s meteorological satellite agency has said.
EUMETSAT Director-General Alain Ratier said the organisation’s two next-generation meteorological satellite systems, Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) and EUMETSAT Polar System – Second Generation (EPS-SG) are scheduled for launch in late 2021 and late 2022 respectively.

GTMARITIME
Industry-leading data and communications solutions company GTMaritime has won the Smart4Sea Award 2019 for Cyber Security, after a public vote recognised GTMailPlus as the product making the most noteworthy contribution to cyber security in shipping this year.
The prestigious award goes to the organization demonstrating a significant achievement, breakthrough or contribution to any aspect of cyber security.

HAMBURG
For Germany’s largest universal port, seaborne cargo handling in the first nine months of 2019 proved highly satisfactory. The growth trend evident since the beginning of the year was maintained. With seaborne cargo throughput up 3.2 percent at 104 million tons, growth in Hamburg clearly exceeded the figures from its major competing ports in Northern Europe. These reported an advance averaging one percent. Container handling at seven million TEU – 20-ft standard containers – was up by 6.9 percent.