A New Understanding and Modelling of TSP and BP Indices Compared to Safety IMO Ship Requirements

[Abstract] Due to the lack of information about the concept of Tons of Steering Pull (TSP) of many escort tugs, and the lack of research works relating the TSP demanded by a tethered vessel with respect to the TSP provided by tugs, the present paper shows an original study with mathematical models on how to solve these problems. What is more, an important percentage of the towing sector always employs Bollard Pull (BP), which is considered the only parameter capable of defining performance, so this paper aims to relate BP with TSP. The present research was carried out based on more than 25 escort tugs of different towing companies. Furthermore, a real case study of different tanker vessels was used for modelling purposes of tethered vessels’ TSP. Finally, once the proposed models were obtained, they were compared with International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines. The results showed charts with the main independent variables of tugs and vessels in order to be as useful and practical as possible to the shipping industry, mainly to ship owners and tug operators, from a safety point of view.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and the University of A Coruña (Spain) in their research project to reduce energy consumption in ships (Grant No. 64900

Risk analysis of marine activities in the Belgian part of the North Sea (RAMA): final report

RAMA is a 2-year project (04/2004 - 04/2006) executed by two Belgian partners, Ecolas NV (Environmental Consultancy Agency) and the Maritime Institute (University of Ghent), and financed by the SPSD II research program, specific actions, of the Belgian Science Policy (BELPSO). RAMA aims to assess the environmental risks of spills by commercial shipping activities on the Belgian Part of the North Sea. Shipping patterns, transports of dangerous goods, probability of risks and the potential impact of spill incidents (oil & hazardous and noxious substances) will be assessed. The risk analysis within this project studies both the chances of a spill accident happening and the environmental impacts in case of an accident. The valorisation of the RAMA project will result in a thorough analysis of the current status of the shipping at the North Sea in relation to the issue of safety. The scope of the project will however go beyond the mere result of a fundamental risk analysis of the commercial shipping at the North Sea. It is also aiming at the formulation of recommendations to improve the safety level for the environment and at an optimization of response in the framework of the Belgian "North Sea Disaster Plan"

Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009

The Arctic is undergoing extraordinary transformations early in the 21st century. Natural resource development, governance challenges, climate change and marine infrastructure issues are influencing current and future marine uses of the Arctic. The Arctic Council, recognizing these critical changes and issues, at the November 2004 Ministerial meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, called for the Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) working group to “conduct a comprehensive Arctic marine shipping assessment as outlined under the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan (AMSP) under the guidance of Canada, Finland and the United States as lead countries and in collaboration with the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) working group and the Permanent Participants as relevant.” The Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment, or The AMSA 2009 Report, is the product of that Arctic Ministerial decision in Reykjavik and was approved at the 2009 Ministerial meeting in Tromsø

Arctic Law & Policy Year in Review: 2017

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2017 Arctic Report Card, while 2017 did not shatter as many records as 2016, the Arctic shows no sign of returning to the reliably frozen region it was decades ago. Arctic temperatures continue to increase at double the global rate. 2017 marked the end of the United States’ chairmanship of the Arctic Council and the beginning of another term for Finland. At the May 11, 2017 Fairbanks Ministerial hosted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson–the first ministerial in which all eight member states were represented by their Foreign Ministers–the Arctic Council member states adopted the Fairbanks Declaration and the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation, the council’s third legally binding agreement. The purpose of the Agreement is “to enhance cooperation in Scientific Activities in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the development of scientific knowledge about the Arctic.” During its two-year chairmanship Finland intends to emphasize the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) while working to strengthen Arctic cooperation and its continuity at the highest political level

El remolque de escolta: propuesta fundamentada hacia la necesidad de la implementación de un remolcador versátil en el puerto exterior de La Coruña

Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en Enerxía e Propulsión Mariña. 5014P01[Resumo] O accidente do petroleiro “Exxon Valdez” e a catástrofe medioambiental derivada do mesmo desencadeou finalmente a promulgación da OPA 90, e con ela, a obrigatoriedade do remolque de escolta como a ferramenta vital orientada a evitar as consecuencias que potencialmente se poden producir cando buques tanque perden o goberno e/ou a propulsión navegando por zonas especialmente sensibles próximas á costa. Anos máis tarde, varias terminais petrolíferas do norte de Europa comezaron a esixir o remolque de escolta, sendo o xerme da súa progresiva implantación no continente. Os accidentes de petroleiros na Coruña e nas súas proximidades décadas atrás constitúen un exemplo paradigmático dos riscos e consecuencias derivados dun accidente destas características; de aí a necesidade de empregar tódolos medios posibles para evitalos. Ao novo porto exterior trasladarase todo o tráfico deste tipo de buques e por elo, partindo do estado da arte no mundo do remolque, nesta Tese analízase e, finalmente, proponse de modo fundamentado un tipo de remolcador versátil que, como elemento relevante do sistema de seguridade do porto, poida levar a cabo de modo eficiente as tarefas de remolque xenuíno de escolta e remolque portuario.[Resumen] El accidente del petrolero “Exxon Valdez” y la catástrofe medioambiental derivada del mismo desencadenó finalmente la promulgación de la OPA 90 en EE.UU. y, con ella, la obligatoriedad del remolque de escolta como herramienta vital orientada a evitar las consecuencias que potencialmente se pueden producir cuando buques tanque pierden el gobierno y/o la propulsión navegando por zonas especialmente sensibles próximas a la costa. Años más tarde, varias terminales petrolíferas del norte de Europa comenzaron a exigir el remolque de escolta, siendo el germen de su progresiva implantación en el continente. Los accidentes de petroleros en La Coruña y sus proximidades décadas atrás constituyen un ejemplo paradigmático de los riesgos y consecuencias derivados de un accidente de estas características; de ahí la necesidad de emplear todos los medios posibles para evitarlos. Al nuevo puerto exterior se trasladará todo el tráfico de este tipo de buques por ello, partiendo del estado del arte en el mundo del remolque, en esta Tesis se analiza y, finalmente, se propone de modo fundamentado un tipo de remolcador versátil que, como elemento relevante del sistema de seguridad del puerto, pueda llevar a cabo de modo eficiente las tareas de remolque genuino de escolta y remolque portuario.[Abstract] The oil tanker “Exxon Valdez” accident and the subsequent environmental catastrophe triggered the promulgation of the OPA 90 in USA and, with it, the escort towing as a compulsory vital tool focused on avoid the potential consequences which can take place when the steering and/or propulsion system on tankers transiting through sensitive areas near the coast are lost. Years later, several Northern Europe oil terminals started to demand the escort towing, being the germ of an ongoing implementation in the continent. Decades ago, accidents of oil tankers in La Coruna and vicinity were a paradigmatic example of risks involved and consequences associated with this type of accidents; hence, the need to use all available means to prevent them as the traffic of these vessels be transferred to the outer harbour. In this Thesis, starting from the state of art in the towing world, a type of versatile tug is analysed and finally purposed in a reasoned way so that the tasks of genuine escort towing and harbour towing could be carried out in an efficient way to be a relevant element of the harbour safety system

Governance of Arctic Shipping

This open access book is a result of the Dalhousie-led research project Safe Navigation and Environment Protection, supported by a grant from the Ocean Frontier Institute’s the Canada First Research Excellent Fund (CFREF). The book focuses on Arctic shipping and investigates how ocean change and anthropogenic impacts affect our understanding of risk, policy, management and regulation for safe navigation, environment protection, conflict management between ocean uses, and protection of Indigenous peoples’ interests. A rapidly changing Arctic as a result of climate change and ice loss is rendering the North more accessible, providing new opportunities while producing impacts on the Arctic. The book explores ideas for enhanced governance of Arctic shipping through risk-based planning, marine spatial planning and scaling up shipping standards for safety, environment protection and public health