The latest news from across the industry that ‘got us talking’
Welcome to our weekly news round-up! Take a look at ‘what’s got us talking’, a collection of topical industry news from both our marine and industrial sectors.
The Wight Shipyard Co. announces merger with multinational shipbuilder OCEA
East Cowes aluminium shipbuilder secures long-term future with innovative all-share deal that will secure jobs and futures on the Isle of Wight with increased order book.
Britain’s leading aluminium shipbuilder, The Wight Shipyard Co. today announces an all-share merger with the complementary multinational shipbuilder OCEA to create a combined group to capitalise on the fast ferry and offshore renewable energy markets opportunities.
Speaking about the merger, Peter Morton, CEO of The Wight Shipyard Co. commented: “This is a transformational deal for The Wight Shipyard Co. and for the Isle of Wight, confirming the resurgence of the shipbuilding industry in the United Kingdom. We have been working with OCEA on a number of projects and it was very clear from the outset that we complemented each other in terms of skills and experience and, going forward through the business cycle, both companies can benefit from the synergies and opportunities that this deal presents. We have enjoyed a first-class working relationship with OCEA to produce vessels and solutions to the highest standards, pushing the boundaries in terms of fuel efficiency, the environment and modern shipbuilding practices.”
Finalists announced for 2022 Maritime UK Awards
Maritime is today announcing the 32 finalists for the third annual Maritime UK Awards. The winners, across 14 different categories, will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony hosted by award-winning broadcaster, Jennifer Reoch, at the Glasgow Science Centre on 10 March.
The awards, which will be given to individuals as well as businesses, charities, colleges and universities, focus on a wide range of areas including business growth, innovation, sustainability and diversity. They recognise the very best of the UK’s maritime sector, organised by industry, for the benefit of the industry. For the second time, the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Awards is to be awarded as part of the ceremony.
Highly respected experts from a variety of businesses and government departments were involved in the judging panel. The maritime sector is one of the UK’s biggest industries, adding £46.1bn to the economy every year, and supporting 1.1 million jobs.
Cummins announces “fuel-agnostic” engine platforms
Cummins Inc. announced that it is expanding its powertrain platforms to leverage a range of lower carbon fuel types for transportation applications. Calling them “the industry’s first unified, fuel-agnostic engines,” the company said the new platforms will use engine blocks and core components that share common architectures and will be optimized for different low-carbon fuel types.
Getting to zero is not a light-switch event,” said Srikanth Padmanabhan, president, Cummins Engine Business. “Carbon emissions that we put into the atmosphere today will have a lasting impact. This means anything we can do to start reducing the carbon footprint today is a win for the planet. We need to take action now.
Cummins said the new fuel-agnostic engine platforms will incorporate a series of engine versions that are derived from a common base engine, which will yield a high degree of parts commonality. Below the head gasket, each engine will largely have similar components. Above the head gasket, the engines will incorporate different components for different fuel types. Each engine version will operate using a different, single fuel.
This new design approach will be applied across the company’s B, L and X-Series engine portfolios, which will be available for diesel, natural gas and hydrogen.
Rewarding green ships
The Isle of Man Ship Registry is introducing reduced fees for ‘green’ ships
The Isle of Man Ship Registry (IOMSR) said it will become the first flag state in the world to incentivise ship owners by offering reduced registration fees for ships deploying green technology.
The green discount will give ship owners a 15% reduction on their annual registration fee. The reduced fee is available to operators of cargo ships, commercial yachts or passenger ships which are investing in biofuel, alternative fuels, wind, or shore-side energy technology.
The IOMSR green registration fee applies to vessels which can provide evidence of using biofuel or biofuel blends as the primary source of fuel for a period of not less than 120 days during the 12 months preceding the 1 April.
Hitachi introduce new ZW310-7 wheel loader
New loader designed to put operators in complete control in the toughest quarry conditions
HITACHI are introducing a larger next-generation model from its Stage V-compliant wheel loader range. Said to be the safest machine on the market thanks to its all-round visibility and intelligent systems, the new ZW310-7 has been designed to put operators in complete control of their workspace, even the toughest job site conditions.
To protect the operator and machine from potential hazards, the ZW310-7 allows a superior view from all angles, with excellent visibility to the rear and either side of the narrow engine hood. With the Aerial Angle camera system, operators also have a 270° bird’s-eye view of the job site, while the rear obstacle detection and warning system alerts them immediately if anything is close to the rear of the machine.
‘The new ZW310-7 wheel loader has been designed to give a powerful performance, low total cost of ownership, and exceptional efficiency to European customers,’ said Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) product manager Bill Drougkas. ‘Built to the highest quality standards, it will significantly boost productivity at busy quarries and large recycling plants and have a positive impact on profits.’
