LIMASSOL, Cyprus: September 30, 2019. Flow Water Technologies, developer of the Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) FlowSafe, expects the system to save customers 1.3 billion kgs. of CO2 a year.
The carbon-neutral solution will be primarily installed on tankers with a vertical single-stage centrifugal Framo pump, powered by a hydraulic motor, and can be fitted at sea between the engine room and steering gear room without having to move existing machinery.
The company says research by an independent university has verified its BWMS delivers a fuel saving, in energy terms, in any configuration on a vessel.
“That is the equivalent CO2 saving of 222,000 average family cars’ use per year,” according to Flow Water CEO Mark Hadfield.
Originally developed for tankers with Framo-type pumps and pump rooms, FlowSafe can also be fitted in bulkers with Gravity Discharge.
“International Maritime Organisation (IMO) G9 Basic Approval has been awarded, IMO G9 Final Approval has been submitted, and we are soon to be submitting for US Coast Guard Type Approval,” added Hadfield.
Established in 2013, Flow Water offers a wealth of knowledge and engineering expertise in marine water treatment, assembly and manufacturing to provide customers with a sustainable ballast water treatment solution.
BELFAST/LONDON: August 05, 2019. Harland & Wolff, the iconic Northern Ireland shipbuilding and repair company founded in 1861 and builder of the RMS Titanic, is now in Administration.
Owned by Jersey-based Dolphin Drilling Holdings, the company, which has specialised in supporting the offshore wind energy sector, was hoping to build two Royal Navy frigates but failed to acquire the necessary bridging loan.
In its heyday, the shipyard employed 35,000 people. As it filed for Administration, that number had fallen to less than 130.
Recording the lives of men and women who build and sail ships, the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA) Annual Exhibition opens on October 10 at the Mall Galleries in Central London. More information is available from www.mallgalleries.org.uk
The annual exhibition will feature some 400 works by RSMA members and entry for two is free if you quote Freightweek at the gallery desk. The normal price is £8.00.
The Tony Williams ARSMA painting (pictured) shows the making of the Amber Pacific, a bulk carrier launched at the North Sands shipyard, Sunderland on July 16,1969. It is part of a series of paintings Williams is currently working on, celebrating the working lives of shipbuilders, miners and steelworkers, evoking the atmosphere of industry during the pre- and post-war years.
He depicts the harsh working conditions which led to a great camaraderie amongst these men whom the artist now sees as a corporate host of ghosts, walking or cycling with the ever-present cigarette and dwarfed by the monolithic vastness of ships and winding gear. A number of paintings from this series will be on display.
All works in the exhibition are for sale.
The RSMA is widely recognised as the focal point for much of Britain's finest contemporary marine art and many of the country's leading marine artists are elected members of the Society. Subjects range from deep water shipping to coastal scenes, competitive sailing to quiet harbours, marine wildlife to still-life.
MOBILE, AL: August 05, 2019. Airbus has officially launched the manufacture of the A220 aircraft in the US following the recent return of its first production team from on-the-job training in Mirabel, Canada where its primary final assembly line is based.
“The expansion of our commercial aircraft production in Mobile to a second product line further solidifies Airbus’ standing as a truly global aircraft manufacturer, and confirms without a doubt that Airbus is an important part of America’s manufacturing landscape,” said Airbus Americas chairman and CEO Jeffrey Knittel. “With Mobile, and our production network in Asia, Canada and Europe, we have strategically created a worldwide industrial base to better serve our customers.”
Airbus announced plans for the addition of A220 manufacturing in Mobile in October 2017. Construction on the main A220 flowline hangar and other support buildings for the new aircraft began at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley at the beginning of this year.
The first US-made A220 – an A220-300 destined for Delta Air Lines – is scheduled for delivery in Q3 2020. By the middle of next decade, the facility is expected to produce between 40 and 50 aircraft per year.
In June Delta announced it had increased its order to 95 aircraft and expects to take delivery of 45 -100s and 50 -300s over the next four years.
With an order book of 551 aircraft as of end of June, the A220 serves the 100-to-150-seat airline market, estimated to be 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.
The company says it has purchased US$48 billion of components and materials from American suppliers in the last three years and currently supports more than 275,000 American jobs. Its facilities in the US include engineering centres in Kansas and Alabama; training facilities in Florida and Colorado; materials support and headquarters in Virginia; an innovative think tank (A3) in California; a drone data analysis business (Airbus Aerial) in Atlanta, Georgia; helicopter manufacturing and assembly facilities in Texas and Mississippi; and a satellite manufacturing facility (OneWeb) in Florida.
LE BOURGET, Paris: June 17, 2019. Bolloré Logistics Canada has announced a partnership with J2 Procurement Management and supply chain manager Groupe Robert to provide new aerospace subcontractors with logistics support following the establishment of the Airbus Canada Limited Partnership on June 01.
Headquartered in Mirabel, Québec, the new company is responsible for the development and manufacturing of the Airbus A220 aircraft. Majority owned by Airbus SE, partners include Bombardier and Investissement Québec on behalf of the Québec government.
J2 will be responsible for communication and order tracking with suppliers, from initial contact through to the final production line, while Groupe Robert will manage inventory, warehousing and assembly delivery. Bolloré Logistics will supervise the management of order flows, international transport, the delivery of goods, and Customs clearance.
“This grouping through a common interface with a turnkey solution will serve to optimise the aeronautics supply chain and support the sector in Canada by providing a completely integrated service adapted to present-day issues in subcontracting,” commented Jimmy Cardin, Bolloré Logistics Canada head of Business Development & Aerospace Industry.
Groupe Robert manages 41 distribution centres in Canada with 326,000 square metres of warehousing, particularly for the aerospace manufacturing industry in the Mirabel, Quebec area.
Pictured: Air Lease Corporation, the Los Angeles-based aircraft leasing company, has signed a Letter of Intent for 50 A220-300s.
LONDON: December 21, 2018. With potential relevance to the air cargo industry, pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer are to combine their consumer health businesses in a new joint venture with annual sales of US$12.7 billion.
GSK will control 68 percent of the new joint venture and Pfizer the remaining 32 percent and lead to the creation of two new UK-based global companies focused on Pharmaceuticals/Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare.
The two companies will combine GSK’s OTC products including Sensodyne, Voltaren and Panadol and Pfizer’s Advil, Centrum and Caltrate.
“Through the combination of GSK and Pfizer’s consumer healthcare businesses we will create substantial further value for shareholders,” declared GSK CEO Emma Walmsley (pictured).
“With our future intention to separate, the transaction also presents a clear pathway forward for GSK to create a new global Pharmaceuticals/Vaccines company, with an R&D approach focused on science related to the immune system, use of genetics and advanced technologies, and a new world-leading Consumer Healthcare company,” she continued.
As at 31 December 2017, GSK’s consumer healthcare business assets were £16 billion, with sales of £7.1 billion; adjusted operating profit of £1.25 billion; operating profit of £891 million and profit before tax of £884 million.
By the same measure, Pfizer’s consumer business was valued at US$10 billion with sales of US$3.46 billion; adjusted operating profit of US$600 million; operating profit of US$471 million and profit before tax of US$471 million.
Subject to shareholder and anti-trust approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2019. GSK has agreed to pay a “break fee” of US$900 million if its Board changes, withdraws or qualifies its recommendation; shareholders vote on the proposed transaction but don’t approve it by 30 September 30, 2019; or by March 31, 2020 at the latest due to any delay in anti-trust approvals.
LONDON: June 14, 2019. A survey by the British Institute of Directors (IoD) business group says only 23 percent of its members have made contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit in October and warns companies cannot afford to put their faith in politicians.
Over 50 percent “had still not engaged in any contingency planning, and only four percent said they would be using the extension period to pick up the pace,” said the IoD.
Interim director general Edwin Morgan commented: “It shouldn’t need saying but many seem to have forgotten that getting a deal would be by some distance the better outcome, both for the UK and the EU. If businesses can’t have faith in politicians, that means they have to look out for themselves,” he added.
One company that says it is prepared for any outcome is Dutch multimodal transport group Samskip. However CEO Diederick Blom warned that EU parliamentary elections, entrenched views from UK and EU politicians and the current contest to become the next UK prime minister point to a “hard” Brexit. “We comment as logistics professionals not politicians but managing the supply chain is core to meeting the expectations of business and consumers alike,” he noted.
Samskip expects UK exporters and importers to start switching away from trailers and towards containerisation very soon, repeating a trend established in the run-up to the original Brexit deadline. “We saw a significant push in container volumes up to March 2019, especially into Hull, as decision-makers facing uncertainity opted for the reliability and proven procedures of container shipping,” claimed David Besseling, Samskip UK Trade manager. “Concerns over supply chain security are fast re-emerging,” he added.
Besseling said the six-month delay has allowed his company to refine post-Brexit arrangements and lay down plans for new rail links eastward from Dutch ports to Berlin and Poland, adding to a previous focus on Duisburg and Mannheim.
“We have been able to demonstrate performance levels to UK importers and exporters where mutlimodal options have been added that will enable seamless Customs clearance. We are also confident that cross-docking services in Amsterdam will persuade more shippers of conventional wagon loads from Germany, Austria, Poland and Italy to containerise,” he continued.
International delivery expert ParcelHero warns the logistics industry is a bellwether for the UK economy and the collapse of an abnormally high number of leading supply chain companies in the last 12 months points to a Brexit-induced recession.
Company head of Consumer Research David Jinks commented: “Over the past 12 months we have seen the collapse into administration or complete demise of industry stalwarts such as the Canute Group, Bedfords, Simon Widdowson and TAS Transport. It’s no coincidence that many of their customers are involved in areas of the supply chain impacted by Brexit uncertainty, such as manufacturing.
“The international haulage companies at the coalface of Brexit are already suffering from its impact. For instance, the car transport specialist Beamish Transport failed in March directly because of the impact of Brexit on Britain’s car manufacturing output.”
“Northern Ireland’s specialist steel haulier Donnolley Transport was forced into administration in September as the weight of Brexit began to hit Britain’s steel industry; that was an early pointer to the eventual fate of British Steel. Add to the mix the likes of Axis Fleet Management, Simpsons Logistics and Harris Transport and it’s a rollcall of fallen companies," he continued.
“We are seeing the first rotten fruits of a potential Brexit-created recession; even as the Conservative leadership contest turns into a virility battle over who will be toughest on forcing through a no-deal Brexit in October. That would mean Customs chaos and new duties on British products,” claimed Jinks.
PARIS: December 14, 2018. Akuo Energy, an independent renewables producer and Atawey, a manufacturer of hydrogen refuelling equipment, are to deploy 33 refuelling stations around Paris and other French cities for 400 hydrogen-powered vehicles operated by outdoor advertiser JCDecaux and retailer Galeries Lafayette.
Supported by a €7 million European Union subsidy under its ‘Last Mile’ initiative, the vehicles will reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 35,000 tonnes over the project’s 15-year life cycle.
Atawey develops decentralised hydrogen solutions on site from renewable electricity and will use its experience gained from installing 11 stations equipped with electrolysers and the first high-capacity station for the Zero Emission Valley project in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Jean-Charles Decaux, chairman of the JCDecaux Executive Board and Co-CEO declared: “Through Last Mile, JCDecaux is continuing to implement its innovation strategy that aims to facilitate sustainable urban mobility, and is broadening its field of action via a project that, in many respects, has the same characteristics as its self-service bikes that have revolutionised the way people get around in 70 cities around the world: decentralised infrastructures, dense network, affordable prices, ease of use and low environmental footprint.
“Alongside our partners, we are delighted to be a stakeholder in this wonderful project that will meet the expectations of a substantial number of urban areas,” he added.
Galeries Lafayette (pictured), which supplies its Paris flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann from warehouses around the capital, says it is partnering in Last Mile as part of a programme to only operate zero-emission vehicles for local distribution.
ABU DHABI: June 13, 2019. According to new data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 11 million people were employed in the global renewables sector last year – up from 10.3 million in 2017.
As more and more countries manufacture, trade and install renewable energy technologies, IRENA’s latest review says renewables jobs grew to their highest level despite slower growth in key markets including China.
However the diversification of the renewable energy supply chain is changing the sector’s geographic footprint as East and Southeast Asian countries emerge alongside China as key exporters of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Countries including Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam were responsible for a greater share of growth in renewables jobs last year, which allowed Asia to maintain a 60 percent share of renewable energy jobs worldwide.
“Beyond climate goals, governments are prioritising renewables as a driver of low-carbon economic growth in recognition of the numerous employment opportunities created by the transition to renewables,” commented Francesco La Camera, director general of IRENA. “Renewables deliver on all main pillars of sustainable development – environmental, economic and social. As the global energy transformation gains momentum, this employment dimension reinforces the social aspect of sustainable development and provides yet another reason for countries to commit to renewables.”
The IRENA report says solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind remain the most dynamic of all renewable energy industries, with PV accounting for one-third of the total renewable energy workflow ahead of liquid biofuels, hydropower, and wind power. Geographically, Asia hosts over three million PV jobs, nearly 90 percent of the global total. Last year, employment grew in India, Southeast Asia and Brazil, while China, the US, Japan and the European Union declined.
Most of the wind industry’s activity still occurs on land and is responsible for the bulk of the sector’s 1.2 million jobs. China alone accounts for 44 per cent of global wind employment, followed by Germany and the US.
Offshore wind could be an especially attractive option for leveraging domestic capacity and exploiting synergies with the oil and gas industry, says IRENA. While onshore projects still dominate, the offshore segment is gaining traction and could build on expertise and infrastructure in the sector.
Regional activity:
- Renewable energy deployment in Africa is still comparatively small, with only 4.0 percent of solar PV jobs worldwide, but off-grid solar has already generated more than 100,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa, a number that is set to multiply in coming years.
- China leads the world in renewable energy installations and accounts for more than a third of global renewable energy deployment and 4.1 million jobs.
- Employment in France’s wind sector expanded 37 percent from 2014 to 2017 to about 17, 000 jobs supported by a diversified industrial base of over 1,000 firms.
- Germany has the largest renewable energy workforce in Europe with nearly 291, 000 jobs. German firms are leaders in onshore and offshore wind development serving domestic and export markets and employed nearly 141,000 people in 2017.
- Japan’s solar PV installations reached 55.5 GW in 2018, the second largest capacity after China. However, the pace of new installations has since declined due to lower feed-in tariffs, land shortages and grid constraints.
- In Latin America, Mexico, Chile and Argentina are the largest renewables actors after Brazil. The region also accounts for half of all biofuel jobs worldwide with Brazil as the single largest employer and Colombia the fourth largest. Notably, says IRENA, solar PV capacity in Mexico quadrupled in 2018 to reach 2.5 GW and Argentina’s adoption of renewable energy auctions helped mobilise the private sector, increasing the number of jobs.
SEATTLE, WA/COSELEY, UK: December 05, 2018. Boeing and ELG Carbon Fibre are to upcycle over one million pounds annually of aerospace-grade composite material for other companies to make electronic accessories and automotive equipment.
The agreement covers excess carbon fibre used in building the B787 and the new B777X airplane from 11 Boeing manufacturing sites.
Prior to the new accord, the company had been unable to reuse carbon fibre that had been ‘cured’ for airplane assembly. UK-based ELG has developed a proprietary method to upcycle such composites and avoid consigning the material to landfill.
"Recycling cured carbon fibre was not possible just a few years ago," said Tia Benson Tolle, Boeing Materials & Fabrication director for Product Strategy & Future Airplane Development. "We are excited to collaborate with ELG and leverage innovative recycling methods to work toward a vision where no composite scrap will be sent to landfills."
Boeing and ELG conducted a pilot project to reuse excess material from Boeing's Composite Wing Center in Everett, WA, where the wings for the 777X airplane are made. ELG used a furnace to vaporize the resin that holds the carbon fiber layers together and over the course of 18 months saved 1.5 million pounds of material that was cleaned and then sold to companies in the electronics and ground transportation industries.
"Security of supply is extremely important when considering using these materials in long-term automotive and electronic projects," said Frazer Barnes, managing director of ELG Carbon Fibre. "This agreement gives us the ability to provide that assurance, which gives our customers the confidence to use recycled materials."
The two companies say they are considering expanding their agreement to include excess material from three additional Boeing sites in Canada, China and Malaysia.
SÅO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil: May 29, 2019. Aerospace manufacturer Embraer and Brazilian electronic equipment company WEG have signed an R&D agreement for the development of electric aircraft engines.
The partnership echoes the recent announcement by Airbus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines to determine efficient aircraft electric propulsion systems.
“By creating this technological development agreement with WEG, we have combined more than 100 years of innovation from two leading companies in generating knowledge and strengthening the supply chain, as well as increasing Brazilian competitiveness in the global market,” commented Daniel Moczydlower, executive vice president of Engineering and Technology at Embraer. “Advances in scientific research can make clean and renewable energy a major enabler of a new era of urban and regional air mobility that is more accessible to the population.”
The two companies say they want to create innovative technologies that can generate opportunities for developing new market segments as well as enhance Brazil's desire to be a world leader in sustainable technologies.
“Our powertrain technology, developed over years for tried and tested applications in trains, buses, trucks and boats, and in constant evolution, has paved the way for this exciting scientific and technological cooperation project. Together with Embraer we will work not only to enable the electric propulsion of aircraft, but also to increase the technological capacity of WEG, of Embraer and of Brazil, taking our country to an even more competitive level,” added Manfred Peter Johann, Superintendent Director of WEG Automation.
A single-engine aircraft, based on the EMB-203 Ipanema, will be used as a test bed to determine the new technology with a first flight scheduled for next year.
Founded in 1961, WEG is a Brazilian global electric-electronic equipment company providing electric engine automation in several sectors including infrastructure, steel, pulp and paper, oil and gas and mining. With manufacturing units in 12 countries and a presence in over 135, net revenue was US$3.0 billion in 2018.
Pictured left to right: Manfred Peter Johann, Superintendent director of WEG Automation and Daniel Moczydlower, executive vice president of Engineering and Technology at Embraer.
RAYONG, Thailand: December 04, 2018. Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between France’s Total and Dutch lactic acid derivatives producer Corbion, has begun making bioplastics at its PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) plant in Rayong, Thailand.
The new facility is producing a broad range of ‘Luminy’ PLA resins from renewable, non-GMO sugarcane sourced locally in Thailand for eventual use in packaging, consumer goods, 3D printing, fibers and the automotive industry.
The joint venture company says being biobased and biodegradable, PLA products can be mechanically or chemically recycled - or in some cases composted and returned to the soil as fertilizer.
“The start-up of this state-of-the-art plant establishes Total Corbion PLA as a world-scale PLA bioplastic producer, ideally located to serve growing markets from Asia Pacific to Europe and the Americas” declared CEO Stephane Dion.
“The subsequent increase in global PLA capacity will enable manufacturers and brand owners to move into the circular economy and produce biobased products with lower carbon footprints and multiple end of life options,” he added.
Total and Corbion say the production of Luminy resins is a “major milestone” for the bioplastics market as the new plant, with a production capacity of 75,000 tonnes, will increase global output to 240,000 tons per year.
“This state-of-the-art PLA plant is the result of impressive team work by many,” said Corbion CEO Tjerk de Ruiter, “This is good news for consumers and producers who want to make a conscious choice to improve their carbon footprint and make their contribution to a circular economy. A world of innovation and business opportunities has opened up while contributing to a better world.”
Pictured: Members of the quality laboratory at Total Corbion PLA's new poly lactic acid (PLA) plant in Rayong, Thailand
