Shiprepair & Maintenance 2nd quarter 2017
One of Scandinavia’s leading yards, Öresund Dry Docks (ODD) is working on a major project to convert two of HH Ferries vessels into what are claimed to be the world’s largest emission-free ferries. ODD was selected to carry out this prestigious project last year and work on the first vessels is now gathering pace.
Tycho Brahe was drydocked in April and will be fitted with 4.16MW of batteries, which will be containerised and lifted onboard at the yard, allowing it to operate in a fully electric model. The conversion also requires the installation of four fully automated charging arms. The second ship, Aurora, will undergo the same retrofit during a drydocking this October.
In general terms, ODD has got off to a busy start to 2017, with regular visitors, many operated by local ferry and passenger shipping companies, providing a high level of work. Alongside Tycho Brahe, other early 2017 projects have included Viking Line’s Viking XPRS, which was docked in ODD’s large graving dock; Finlandia for Eckero Line, which was repaired in the yard’s floating dock; DFDS’ Pearl of Scandinavia; Viking Line’s Cinderella; Richard With for Hurtigruten; and UECC’s car carrier, Auto Bay.
Magnus Malmström, ODD sales manager, says: “We have had a very good start to 2017 and we are doing better than at the same stage of last year. A notable and welcome trend is that customers
are moving towards making faster decisions between quotation and final order. But competition in the Baltic region is very tough and we have to fight hard for every contract.”
To support its market position, ODD has recently invested in the installation of two new cranes – one on each side of its graving dock. The company is also still planning to develop a new, larger drydock and hopes the business case for that investment can be made soon. ODD has established a Maritime Centre within the yard, and over the past year more companies have established a presence there, increasing the size of the cluster of subcontractors at the Öresund shipyard.
Denmark’s Fayard, which operates four docks up to 500,000dwt size, is also targeting eco-friendly work, in particular the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and ballast water treatment installations. In order to get planned installations right first time and quickly approved by both owner and classification society, Fayard is using some of the latest technology available.
Thomas Andersen, chief executive officer, says: “We now have 3D scanning and engineering tools in our toolbox and the results so far have been very positive. Before any installation, each piece of equipment is processed and the solution is looked through thoroughly by the owner using virtual reality devices, or a laptop, and everything is verified and approved. The final layout is then submitted to Class, still using the 3D CAD model, and when finally approved the same 3D model is also used for the workshop drawings.”
When it comes to ballast water treatment system (BWTS) installations, Fayard has adopted what it suggests is the bold position that any BWTS installation time must not exceed the normal duration of a drydocking. Anderson suggests: “Proper preparation by all parties is expected to be key, and our toolbox supports all parties in making these preparations.”
The volume of work at Fayard in the first part of 2017 has been high, with all four graving rocks and its alongside repair berth serving vessels of varying types. One feature of this year to date has been the docking at Fayard of vessels with a wide variety of propulsion systems, including LNG powered ferries, a methanol powered ro-ro ship, electric, diesel-electric and hybrid ferries, and pure diesel systems onboard vessels of all kinds.
The yard has also picked up a major project to lengthen a chemical/product tanker for a Danish owner. All the steel sections have been manufactured in house at Fayard’s workshops.
