Harland & Wolff has established a new subsidiary in Aberdeen as it looks to capitalise on opportunities in the energy sector.

Harland & Wolff (Technologies) (HWT) will operate in conjunction with the listed group’s four delivery centres across the UK while working independently and directly with the company’s clients in other shipyards.

It is good to see that the vastly experienced Richard Davidson has been appointed with immediate effect as managing director of the new HWT subsidiary. H&W said Davidson brings with him over three decades of experience in the energy and maritime markets and has been instrumental in introducing and commercialising new technologies centred around propulsion and fuels.

In his last role with Echandia, Richardson was responsible for developing and monetising large scale battery technologies for the marine market.

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Dutch energy storage systems provider EST-Floattech | Energy Storage Solutions is contracted to provide battery systems for the world’s first fully electric carbon-neutral event vessel, the Oceandiva London, which enters service on the River Thames later this year or early 2024.

The 86 meters long and 17 meters wide vessels batteries are charged by both green fast-charging shore power and onboard solar panels, with a biofuel generator as back up for longer excursions. The Green Orca system is made up of two lithium battery packs with a total capacity of 2.2 MWh.

The ship is part of the NET ZERO MARINE SERVICES (NZMS) program to decarbonise London’s river.

The new event vessel was designed for the British events company Smart Group Ltd by Amsterdam-based company Oceandiva – which operates similar ships in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The vessel was built by VEKA Group of Werkendam, the Netherlands. Electrical system integrator Werkina Werkendam commissioned EST-Floatech for the energy solution.

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National Maritime SME Working Group Champions Macduff Ship Design Ltd. has joined forces with Kongsberg Maritime, Echandia and Harland & Wolff, to create a UK consortium with a common vision to develop and build a zero emissions harbour and coastal tug.

The nature of the UK’s topography and infrastructure means that transporting large fabricated structures, components or raw materials by road is difficult. It adds significant pressure on the road network, as well as increasing the carbon footprint dramatically.

Creating environmentally-friendly tugs and a class of ultra-efficient large barges to service the UK’s Marine Coastal Highway would not only ease pressure on the nation’s roads and reduce emissions, but also help with the Levelling Up and Net Zero ambitions. Having the ability to efficiently move large loads on the Marine Coastal Highway would create greater opportunities for shipbuilding as well as fabrication of structures for offshore wind developments across the entire country, helping spread work beyond the industry’s existing focus on the central belt of Scotland and supporting the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

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The Royal Navy officer overseeing the Commando Force modernisation programme has set out plans for the acquisition of a new high-speed, low-signature Commando Insertion Craft (CIC) to replace the Royal Marines’ current Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) MK 5.

Speaking at the CNE 2023 conference in Farnborough, Captain Nick Unwin, Commando Force programme director, said that top-level requirements called for a vessel “that can carry a strike team and a small vehicle in from 150 miles, at 25 knots plus and with a low signature,” adding: “That’s the challenge we’ve set to industry.”

As a replacement for the LCVP Mk 5, which entered service in 1996 and is planned to retire in 2027, the CIC is envisaged as a new-generation medium lift craft that can deliver Royal Marine Commando teams and their equipment from ships some distance offshore without detection. The requirement reflects a view that amphibious operations – including beach assaults – must adopt radical new approaches to overcome modern coastal defences.

A competition for CIC design, manufacture and support is expected to commence at the end of 2024, with industry sources suggesting a plan to procure over 20 craft. A contract is planned before the end of 2025: the UK Ministry of Defence most recent equipment pipeline update, published in April this year, has declared a budget of £191 million for the programme.

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We are pleased to announce the further strengthening of our SME Maritime Working Group with the appointment of three new sector champions .