A new state-of-the-art Operational Center to support the delivery of remote services to maritime customers has been launched in Hamburg, Germany, by the world’s leading classification society, DNV GL – Maritime. The launch also marks the two-year anniversary of DNV GL’s fleet wide roll-out of remote surveys and the milestone of 20,000 remote surveys delivered. This is DNV GL’s second Operational Centre dedicated to the delivery of remote services; the first was launched in Oslo in 2019.

VIKING, a leading marine safety specialist, acquired Drew Marine’s Fire Safety Rescue division in 2019 and absorbed the operation into its marine fire service (MFS) business, consolidated under a management and competency center based in Rotterdam.

Jon Fredrik Baksaas, the former CEO of Telenor, has been appointed as DNV GL’s new Chair of the board.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) and SeaRobotics Corp. (SRC), both based in Stuart, Florida, announce the joint development of the next generation Utility Class Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV).

Strohm, the world’s leading manufacturer of thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP), has  received a circa EUR 25 million Convertible Loan from its shareholders as it strengthens its position for low carbon energy transition activities and renewables. 

The investment, which was secured at the start of the year before the global coronavirus pandemic struck and subsequent oil price fall, will be used to support the firm’s strategic objective of tripling its 2019 capacity in the next 18 months and the continuation of its product development for the new emerging sectors.  

The business, which rebranded from “Airborne Oil & Gas” earlier this month to Strohm (October), ascertained the financial support based on the increasing market acceptance of its corrosion free TCP technology as a viable alternative to traditional subsea pipeline solutions with a significantly extended service life. 

In the last 12 months, Strohm has secured a series of new business wins adding to an already healthy order book with contracts in the pipeline to deliver around 20km in total of its spoolable, lightweight product. The company is also developing solutions for the emerging sectors of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen on the basis that installation of its TCP delivers a 50% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional steel alternatives.  

Bernhard Schmidt, chairman of Strohm’s supervisory board, said: “We are excited about the future of TCP and the instrumental role of Strohm in further developing this technology and opening up the market. I would like to thank the shareholders for their continued support of the company and their belief in the unique technology of TCP.  We enjoy working with the management team with whom we have a shared vision of TCP’s continuous growth potential in both the traditional and new markets within the energy space as a key transitioning technology.”    

Strohm’s shareholder base includes strategic investors such as Aker Solutions, Chevron Technology Ventures, Evonik, private equity investor HPE Growth, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Shell Ventures, Subsea 7, and Sumitomo Corporation.  

Strohm CEO Oliver Kassam added: “We are very pleased by the overwhelming and continuous support of our shareholders. As momentum grows in the energy transition space, this new funding allows us to triple our capacity and seize on new opportunities to support operators with a zero corrosion, lower CO2 emission technology at a lower cost. The market conditions are challenging right now but we remain confident of the robust growth potential of TCP in the traditional segments of brownfield production enhancement and deepwater riser solutions. 

Earlier this year, Strohm – which has the world’s largest track record for TCP - installed a second high flow TCP Jumper Spool for Anasuria in the North Sea, completed a 3km flowline in offshore West Africa, and secured new orders for 10km of flowlines and a deepwater TCP Jumper Spool both destined for the same region in 2021.   

Visit the Strohm website here  

Wärtsilä has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) tied to a License and Cooperation agreement with UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies for the future sales and servicing of Rotor Sail solutions to the shipping industry. The agreement was signed on 22 October 2020.

Equinor (60%), and its partner BP Canada (40%), have made two oil discoveries offshore Newfoundland, Canada.

International engineering federation FIDIC (the International Federation of Consulting Engineers) has signed a major strategic collaboration agreement with the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC), the umbrella organization for the worldwide private dredging industry, which will see the two organizations working more closely together and collaborating on matters of mutual interest over the next two years.

Element Materials Technology (Element) has further expanded its energy testing capabilities at its Amsterdam, Netherlands laboratory by adding additional corrosion inhibitor testing equipment.

Eco Wave Power has signed an MOU with MSMART Future Technology, as the basis for the development of a 50MW wave energy array in Vietnam. 

Greensea, creator of OPENSEA®, the open architecture robotics platform for the marine industry, has hired Andrew Keefer, Senior Robotics Engineer, to advance navigation and autonomy technologies.

AGR has secured a frame agreement with Vår Energi AS to supply temporary contract workers across their extensive operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. 

MAN Energy Solutions has won a contract to supply complete propulsion packages to two OPV-45 offshore patrol vessels currently under construction at Israel Shipyards in Haifa.

At a time of renewed interest and heightened activity in the offshore wind sector developers are seeking technological innovation from the supply chain to assist in their efforts to maximize efficiency and minimise cost.

Stinger Technology AS and Houston Mechatronics Inc. (HMI) have entered into a collaboration agreement.

Leading marine-davit manufacturer Vestdavit has secured a contract with shipbuilder Socarenam to supply fast rescue boat davit systems for six patrouilleurs d’outre-mer (POM) vessels for the French Navy.