ITS full of promise

Now in its 46th year, this popular event was last held in the home of Europe’s second-largest port in 1979. ITS 2014 will take place at the city’s CCH Congress Centrum, located next to the scenic Planten un Blomen Park.

From its inception, the ITS Convention and its associated exhibition has continued to grow, requiring the organisers, ABR Ltd, to seek ever larger venues. At the time of writing over 400 delegates have registered and the space for 107 exhibitors is fully booked. The event, held every two years in a different location, is the world’s largest gathering of tug, towage, salvage and offshore support vessel experts. It attracts the most senior players in the business from all over the world, affording them a unique opportunity once every two years to meet, learn and do business.

The conference programme will follow the usual form with 24 papers delving into a diverse range of subjects of concern to the towage, salvage and offshore industries. ITS conventions are renowned for their ground-breaking papers, high-profile speakers and audience discussions. The proceedings will be chaired by lawyer Mike Allen, assisted the editor of International Tug & OSV magazine editor Dawn Gorman.

An inaugural paper by Wolfgang Hurtienne, managing director of the Hamburg Port Authority will open the conference. The papers which follow will be concerned with a carefully orchestrated mix of subjects concerning all three industries.

A very small sample of the titles presented include: ‘Some solutions to the rising cost of wreck removal’ by consultant David Pockett; ‘Improving towing safety in supply vessels and anchorhandling tugs’ by Robert Allan of Robert Allan Ltd; ‘Fuel economy – Hybrid solutions and Beyond’ by Dirk Degroote and Robert M van Koperen of Damen Shipyards; ‘The Eddy Tug – From concept to Reality’ by Baldo Dielen partner of Eddy Tug, Brazil and Walter Van Gruijthusen, managing director of Eddy Tug BV.

In addition to the two dozen papers, there will be an interview by Mike Allan of Captain Nicholas Sloane, Casualty Manager –SCR, of Sloane Marine Ltd, USA.

Coffee/tea breaks take place within the exhibition and speakers can take lunch with the delegates, giving delegates every opportunity to network and visit the exhibition. Among the functions, supported largely by commercial sponsors, include a gala dinner and a harbour tour, including a ‘tug ballet’ by the local tug fleets, and lunch.

Of particular interest will be a unique opportunity to visit at least three new vessels embodying new technology that is represented in papers and the exhibition. Considerable effort is being put into ensuring such vessels are completed in time. They are the new Damen Hybrid ASD Tug 2810 built for Iskes, the first Advanced Rotortug 80-32 Hybrid and the prototype Eddy Tug 30-65 Hybrid.

By Jack Gaston