Technical Presentation –– 1 May 2024
Jonathan Branch, Principal Consultant and Director, Invicta Maritime Solutions, presentation on Pollution Prevention in a Defence Context: Could an International Naval Ship Pollution Prevention Code be Feasible? to a joint meeting with the IMarEST on 1 May in the Henry Carmichael Theatre at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts in the Sydney CBD. The presentation was attended by 8 with a further 7 Participating online.
As responsible owners, navies are moving towards seeking compliance with International Maritime Organisation pollution-prevention conventions such as MARPOL, but are navies obligated beyond their social licence? In Australia, national maritime legislation is unambiguous: naval ships are excluded from the civilian maritime international conventions, but is it really that simple?
This presentation explored the complexity of international conventions and national legislation which make it anything but simple. A structure was proposed which has been developed as part of the Australian Naval Classification Rules, providing a consistent application of international conventions to naval ships and an outline for justifying an operational capability imperative when this is not appropriate. The focus was on the Australian context, but explored how this approach could be applied internationally.
The presentation also considered other sovereign nations to see whether a Naval Ships Pollution Prevention (NAVPOL) Code would be feasible. The potential benefits are clear: an internationally-endorsed code would provide clarity in purchasing decisions from shipbuilders and enable a consistent approach for managing pollution risks for naval ships entering sovereign waters.
The presentation was/was not recorded, etc.*** and is expected to be available soon*** on the RINA YouTube channel.
The vote of thanks was proposed, and the thank you” bottle of wine presented, by Geoffrey Fawcett.
The Presenter
Jonathan’s professional career over the last 25 years began in a naval dockyard in Glasgow, followed by providing consultancy services in London, before transferring to Sydney as the Naval Business Manager for Lloyd’s Register within Australasia. Since setting up Invicta Maritime Solutions in 2018, he has been contracting to defence providing expertise in safety assurance, regulation, and governance.
He is currently supporting the Australian Naval Classification Authority and is the Technical Transition Lead, as well as being responsible for the Australian Naval Classification Rules environmental protection chapter.
Technical Presentation –– 17 April 2024
Jan de Kat, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Mærsk McKinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, Copenhagen, gave a presentation on Towards Zero Carbon Shipping as a webinar (i.e. streamed live only). The presentation was attended by 16 online.
The presentation began with an introduction to the Maersk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, providing a brief overview of its mission, organisational setup and activities. The following topics were discussed in detail from a technical and regulatory perspective: GHG emissions from shipping and latest IMO strategy, ship energy efficiency, and alternative fuels. Energy efficiency topics touched on technical and operational measures such as minimising propulsion power and fuel consumption across the operational profile, reduction of onboard power demand, and onboard carbon capture. As of 2023, ships over 5000 GT must monitor and report their carbon-intensity indicator (CII); compliance presents some challenges for certain ships and trades, which were discussed.
Reaching (close to) zero GHG emissions for shipping will not be possible without the wide production and uptake of ‘green’ fuels, i.e. fuels with a zero or close-to-zero carbon intensity from a lifecycle (well to wake) perspective. Recent newbuilding orders already show a relatively large number of ships being ordered which are capable of running on LNG/methane or methanol. The green marine fuel contenders are bio- (or e-)methane, e-methanol, e-ammonia, and biofuel. Each fuel option has its pros and cons. Green hydrogen forms the basis for many of these fuels, but by itself may not be suitable as a fuel for deep-sea shipping. Methane slip is an issue of concern for LNG as a fuel, and this applies also to the greener methane options; abatement technologies will be highlighted. For ammonia, a key issue is safety in view of its high toxicity; examples were provided of recent HAZID studies outlining hazards and risk mitigation measures related to its onboard use.
The presentation was recorded, etc. and is expected to be available soon*** on the RINA YouTube channel.
Committee Meeting –– 9 April 2024
The NSW Section Committee met on 9 April and, other than routine matters, discussed:
- SMIX Bash
- 2023: All transaction have now been completed and the donation to the Sydney Heritage Fleet and 50% share of the surplus to IMarEST have been paid.
- 2024: SHF have confirmed our booking for 5 December on board James Craig, and planning is under way.
- TM Program: Technical presentation for 17 April confirmed as live stream only; all other RINA presentations booked for 2024, with one postponed to March 2025, and one IMarEST presentation to be arranged for August.
- NSW Section nominee to AD Council: The nominee does not have to be a member of the Section Committee (but ideal if this is so); email circulated to members for expressions of interest, and two replies under discussion.
- AD Council Report: Jonathan Binns now President of the Australian Division, and has proposed a workshop to help set future goals for RINA in Australia.
Technical Presentation –– 3 April 2024
Dauson Swied, Senior Engineer, Baker & Provan, gave a presentation on Inadequate Knowledge Transfer Causes Maintenance Issues on Imported Ships to a joint meeting with the IMarEST on 3 April in the Henry Carmichael Theatre at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts in the Sydney CBD. The presentation was attended by 15 with a further 16 participating online.
Dauson began his presentation with an introduction to Baker & Provan, a heavy machining and heavy fabrication company established in 1946 with branches in Sydney, Perth, and Cooma and also offering assembly, on-site and workshop maintenance, repair, and overhaul services. Baker & Provan is ISO9001 quality accredited and a Defence services supplier for 30 years. They have the capability to design and build cranes for marine applications. Baker & Provan is the OEM for the boat davit on the Anzac-class frigates and the multipurpose crane on the Huon-class minehunters and provide the maintenance services. Being the in-country agent for Industrias Ferri SA, they also provide maintenance services on various cranes on LHD, AOR, and DDG vessels.
Most of the RAN’s major fleet ships have been designed and built overseas, and their subsequent maintenance in Australia has suffered due to inadequate transfer of knowledge and localisation during construction and delivery. These include material specifications, hydraulic fittings, fasteners, etc. Several examples were detailed.
Recommendations were made to the technical community based on Baker & Provan’s experience from maintenance jobs, such as adopting a common standard for hydraulic systems, and a recommendation for establishing a framework/guideline for knowledge transfer and localisation when importing ships and equipment.
The presentation was recorded and is expected to be available soon*** on the RINA YouTube channel.
The vote of thanks was proposed, and the “thank you” bottle of wine presented, by Greg Hellessey.
Dauson Swied (L) and Greg Hellessey
(Photo Phil Helmore)
Annual General Meeting –– 6 March 2024
The NSW Section held its twenty-sixth AGM on the evening of 6 March, following the March technical presentation in the Kirribilli Room at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, attended by 17 with Belinda Tayler in the chair.
Belinda in her third Chair’s Report, touched on some of the highlights of 2023, which included nine joint technical meetings with the IMarEST (ACT & NSW Branch), with attendances varying between 149 (in person plus online) for Tom Charter’s presentation on Electric-drive Technology for Tugs—The Future is Now, and 22 for Sean Langman’s presentation on Finite Element Analysis: Computed Prediction vs Reality. SMIX Bash 2023 was successful and was attended by about 200, including a number of intra and interstate guests.
Adrian Broadbent presented the Treasurer’s Report. The SMSA venue in the Sydney CBD had, as usual, been our major cost for the year. However, with a close watch on the outgoings, we had managed to operate within our budget and have a reasonable float in the Section account at 29 February 2024. SMIX Bash is funded separately through the Social account; accounts for 2023 have been paid and the proceeds of the raffle have been donated to the Sydney heritage fleet, resulting in a small surplus which was shared with the IMarEST; the account currently has a healthy balance, enabling preliminary arrangements for SMIX Bash 2024 to be made.
There have been a number of changes to the NSW Committee for 2024, although all members signified that they would be happy to serve on the committee for one further term. As a result, the committee for 2024 is as follows:
Chair Belinda Tayler
Treasurer Adrian Broadbent
Secretary Lauren Stotz
Assistant Secretary Phil Helmore
TM Program Coordinator Ehsan Khaled
Nominee to AD Council TBA
Auditor David Wong
Members Craig Boulton
John Butler
Valerio Corniani
Elettra Ganoulis
Molly McManus
Alan Taylor
Technical Presentation –– 6 March 2024
Michael Bakker, Sales Manager Oceania, Synchrolift, gave a presentation on Latest Developments in Ship Docking Facilities and Equipment to a joint meeting with the IMarEST on 6 March in the Kirribilli Room at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli. The presentation was attended by 13 with a further 11 participating online.
Syncrolift is a Norwegian-based company specialised in creating innovative solutions for dry docking of ships in a safe and efficient manner. With Syncrolift shiplifts and transfer systems, multiple vessels can be berthed ashore simultaneously for easy access, efficient repair, and maintenance works in an environmentally-safe work area and away from the waterside. Solutions are tailored to suit specific shipyard demands and requirements.
Syncrolift has the capability to provide solutions for dry docking of vessels up to 30 000 t. Particularly-relevant for the RAN, this would suit dry docking of the Canberra-class LHDs, the Supply-class AORs, the UK Astute-class submarines, and the future AUKUS SSNR nuclear-powered submarines.
This presentation outlined the history of lifting platform technology for ship docking and some of the current developments in Australia and overseas. A comparison of articulated vs rigid or hybrid platforms was discussed with emphasis on the latest safety features, particularly for docking nuclear submarines. Developments for docking support equipment include the various transfer systems, ship positioning systems and underwater equipment handling systems.
The presentation was not recorded.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Adrian Broadbent, and the “thank you” bottle of wine subsequently delivered via an eGift card.
