Robin Kirkpatrick AFNI MIoD

The contract for CalMac to run ferries on Scotland's west coast has been extended by a year. It comes as ministers are considering a direct award to the Scottish government-owned operator without a competitive tendering process. A direct award is Transport Scotland's preferred option, rather than accepting bids from rival firms. The contract had been due to expire on 30 September, but it said an extra year would allow further "due diligence" work to take place. The move comes after a long period of problems on the CalMac network. The firm has struggled to maintain services with an ageing and increasingly unreliable fleet which it leases from another government-owned agency CMAL. There have been delays to repairs to the main Arran ferry, cancellation of services to South Uist and islanders on Mull have also faced frequent disruption. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said it had not been possible to complete the required due diligence work for a direct contract award by 30 September. 🛥️ Read more ➡️ https://buff.ly/3Vk0Quq The Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network is here to support your business - reach out to share your views, concerns and opportunities. #SCCnews #businesssupport #businessnetwork #businessvoice #businessleader Sign up for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce enewsletter at https://buff.ly/3CpsQnu

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https://lnkd.in/eczVqGdx Very valid BBC article on CMALs new LNG ferries which raises the question was and is LNG a valid green soloution? The world has changed a lot in the last 10 years, so why has the LNG operation requirement not been reviewed? With the Arran route in such a mess and the largest vessel Caledonian Isles languishing in a Liverpool dry dock for unplanned steel corrosion repairs, surely getting the Glen Sannox into operation should have been the overriding priority for the summer rather than commisioning the LNG system which could be done when Glen Rosa enters service. In the legal contract between CMAL and the Operator Calmac Ferries, it is stated very clearly the operator has no control over specifing reqirements for new vessels. The contract very clearly states CMAL are entirely responsible for specifiying design and procurement of new vessels. These vessels have LNG propulsion because CMAL wanted them to have LNG propulsion. It is bizarre they are still insisting the LNG systems are finished when they have not put the bunkering facility in place. Contractually CMAL are also responsible for ensuring the operator properly maintains the vessels and CMAL technical staff carry out twice yearly inspections, one of which is at drydock. So how did the steelwork problems due to poor maintenance over the last 5 years on Caledonian Isles go unnoticed? The people and businesses of Arran must be apoplectic with rage over the arrogant mis-management of this shambles.

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Are Our Net Zero Commitments Achievable Amid North Sea Expansion? The recent decision to extend North Sea drilling licenses until 2060 has sparked a crucial debate about the feasibility of our net zero commitments. The North Sea Transition Authority’s issuance of 31 new licenses, adding up to 600 million barrels of oil, is seen as a way to secure domestic energy supplies and protect jobs in the offshore industry​ (Energy Live News)​​ (Offshore Technology)​. But can we truly achieve our climate goals with such moves? David Whitehouse, CEO of Offshore Energies UK, argues that these licenses are necessary to provide a stable supply of homegrown gas, reduce reliance on carbon-intensive imports, and support jobs during the transition to a low-carbon economy​ (Energy Live News)​. This perspective highlights the government's attempt to balance energy security and economic stability with climate objectives. There have been recent reports that Ed Milliband have overruled his officials and stopped the NSTA from issuing new licences, even those that were in the final round of approval with the regulator. However his department recently hit back “As previously stated, we will not issue new licences to explore new fields. We will also not revoke existing oil and gas licences and will manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan. We are working with the North Sea Transition Authority to ensure a fair and balanced transition in the North Sea" However, with the government's targets to cut offshore production emissions by 10% by 2025 and 50% by 2030​ (Offshore Technology)​, many are questioning the realism of these goals. The International Energy Agency and other experts emphasize the need to reduce fossil fuel dependence significantly to meet net zero targets​ (Energy Live News)​. Is it possible to maintain our net zero ambitions while continuing to expand fossil fuel production? Can the government effectively manage this balancing act without compromising on climate commitments? The stakes are high, and the path forward requires careful consideration and robust action. Can we achieve our net zero goals with this strategy? #NorthSea #EnergyTransition #NetZero #ClimateCommitments #RenewableEnergy #OffshoreEnergy

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Scotland Launches Consultation on Offshore Marine Conservation Measures The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on proposed fisheries management measures for 20 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland’s offshore waters. These measures are part of a broader effort to protect and restore marine ecosystems, addressing longstanding commitments to safeguard these critical areas. The consultation outlines potential restrictions on the use of specific fishing equipment, including demersal mobile and static gear, across 15 of the designated sites. In some cases, zoned restrictions are suggested, while full site-wide exclusions are proposed for five other sites where such measures are deemed necessary to meet conservation goals. The Scottish MPA network now encompasses more than 230 sites, covering 37% of Scotland’s seas. Each MPA is designated to protect specific features, from deep-sea sponge aggregations to cold-water coral reefs and ocean quahog, a clam species that can live for over 400 years. The consultation will be open until 14 October 2024, providing stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute their views. A subsequent consultation will address fisheries management measures for MPAs in inshore waters. https://lnkd.in/dU3-9A2C #socsea24 #conservation #marine #seas #maritime

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Aberdeen shipping port announces record-breaking profits    Port of Aberdeen, said to be the UK’s oldest existing business, has announced a record-breaking financial performance for 2023, marked by the opening of the £420 million South Harbour expansion. 🔽 Find more info in comments below 🔽 #PortofAberdeen #OldestBusiness #FinancialPerformance #SouthHarbourExpansion #OilAndGAs ⤵️ Click Follow on our page to keep up to date with energy news ⤵️

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The nascent tidal energy sector is projected to be worth $500 billion by 2050. The sector is currently lead by relatively small entrepreunerial businesses such as Inyanga Marine Energy Group and the potential for growth is substantial. There are various challenges to overcome but with our substatial subsea infrastructure experience we are confident that we can meet these challenges head on with our Innovative HydroWing Tidal-Technology and unleash a project pipeline with £179M within 5 years. We invite you to join our amazing jorney by particpating in our CrowCube fund raise- https://lnkd.in/evRUUukp Our fundraise is currently overfunding but there is still opportunity to get onboard and help us to play a major role in achieving net zero. https://lnkd.in/eM_di25A Donʼt invest unless youʼre prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more: https://lnkd.in/d2pbNbb

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Looking at the damage sustained to the Wind of Hope I find it hard to believe that the MCA and classification society would let the vessel depart from Grimsby for repairs when there are local shipyards able to carry out such. The MCA state “As part of its commitment to enhancing maritime safety, the MCA conduct rigourous inspections to ensure that vessels comply with international safety standards. These measures are crucial for preventing potential accidents and environmental hazards, thus maintaining the integrity of marine operations within UK waters “. How can this vessel be currently halfway across the north sea without even having temporary repairs carried out? Another prime example of how British companies are losing out on work within the UK offshore wind industry, totally unfair and unjustified.

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The Crown Estate announces nearly £5m funding for initial round of Supply Chain Accelerator in boost for UK offshore wind sector Thirteen organisations across England, Wales and Scotland are set to share nearly £5m in funding through the initial round of The Crown Estate’s innovative Supply Chain Accelerator (“the Accelerator”). This funding will help kick-start projects drawing down from a £50m fund established in May to accelerate and de-risk the early-stage development of UK supply chain projects that service the offshore wind sector. The Crown Estate’s match funding will contribute to a combined development investment of over £9m which, if the opportunities successfully conclude their respective development stages, could lead to more than £400m of capital investment. Projects receiving funding include those enabling floating wind platforms, anchoring and mooring systems, operations and maintenance facilities, test facilities, and those supporting the skills transition. In early 2024, The Crown Estate published the Celtic Sea Blueprint which predicted that 5,300 jobs and a £1.4bn economic boost could be generated through deploying the first floating offshore wind capacity, resulting from the current Leasing Round 5 process, in the waters off South Wales and South-West England. List of organisations to receive funding through The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator: ·      Blue Abyss Operations Ltd. ·      Celtic Sea Power Ltd. ·      Gabriel Engineering Ltd. ·      HR Wallingford Ltd. ·      Hutchinson Engineering Ltd. ·      Marine Power Systems Ltd. ·      Neath Port Talbot Group of Colleges (Subject to Contract) ·      Nerth Ltd. ·      Pembrokeshire College (Subject to Contract) ·      Plaswire Ltd. ·      Plymouth & South Devon Freeport (Subject to Contract) ·      Tardra Ltd. ·      Tugdock Ltd. #funding #ISeaSMEs #maritime #maritimeconnection #renewables https://lnkd.in/eB52BjW3

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"Learning is not so much an additive process, with new learning simply piling up on top of existing knowledge, as it is an active, dynamic process in which the connections are constantly changing and the structure reformatted." - Dr. K. Patricia Cross It was really amazing to discuss how the learnings on the dry bulk side can have implications for the tanker industry. Cross-sectoral learnings are one of the key advantages and unique features of the Maritime Industry. As one of my mentors told me once, "The shipping industry is huge, but very closely knit!" Thanks Julia Swales for the opportunity for Maritime NXT and myself to share our thoughts in an interview with Alibra Shipping Limited, shared with TradeWinds. As I teach my course on "Geopolitical risks & their impact on trade flows" all through the year at various business schools, one of key impact factor I consider are "Critical Pathways" and their impact on trade flows. While the first idea that springs to mind hearing this term are the canals & waterways, the pipelines & internal trade routes are as vital as their larger cousins! This is why the Canadians have been smart with the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) Pipeline. This will help Canada bypass the Panama Canal to access the growing Asian markets. At the same time, they have take the right approach to the project - the ecosystem, collaborative and participatory one! It will be interesting to see how the trade flow impact pans out. On the dry bulk side, such internal logistic challenges are harder to surmount as most of the carriage and cargo operations is exposed to the elements but in case of the wet products, the pipelines and hose-to-hose cargo operations ensure smooth flow - both literally and figuratively! However, trade flow implications from dry bulk can be lessons for the tanker industry and vice versa. Watch out for this space as this will become even more strategic with geopolitical & political changes in North America! #geopolitics #tmx #canada #usa #asia #oiltrades #shipping #maritime #tankertrades #drybulk #tradeflows Jonathan Boonzaier Eng Dih Teo Kenneth Lim Yi Han Ng （黄翼航） Kris Ang Rodger Baker Thor Kristoffer Nielsen Dhrupad Mathur Marcus Hand Alibra Shipping Limited Mike O' Gorman Martin Jes Iversen Irene Rosberg Liping Jiang Satya Sahoo Marcus Ang Shantanu Bhattacharya Wei Hung Leong Kelvin Pang Peter Grube Nikos C. Papapostolou Manolis G. Kavussanos Amit Oza Mukesh Oza Shashank Khopkar

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Funding Secured for Clean Maritime Ammonia Cracker and Combustion Engine Integration Trials We’re delighted to share that an AFC Energy-led consortium has been awarded £676,500 of government funding to demonstrate the feasibility of ammonia fuelled internal combustion engines for the maritime sector, enabled by the integration of AFC Energy’s proprietary Ammonia Cracking Technology. AFC Energy will share the grant along with partners MAHLE Powertrain, Clean Air Power and the University of Nottingham. Funding has been secured under the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom and delivered by Innovate UK. Funding commences in Q1 of this year with results from the proof-of-concept demonstration expected to be published twelve months later. Ammonia is widely considered an excellent hydrogen carrier and sustainable fuel capable of supporting the #decarbonisation of the global maritime industry. The demonstration will have worldwide application across maritime vessels seeking to adopt ammonia combustion as its preferred zero carbon propulsion fuel. This is a great project with world leading partners to accelerate the adoption of ammonia as a fuel for the future.

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Scottish firms win in first UK Export Finance deal for oil and gas decommissioning UK Export Finance (UKEF) has closed its first ever transaction supporting overseas oil and gas decommissioning, securing finance for a major contract which benefits over 70 Scottish firms.  The export credit agency has issued a $7.5 million guarantee which allows Brazilian contractor Ocyan to secure financing from ABC International Bank plc for new equipment from Scottish business Maritime Developments Limited Ltd (MDL).  Based in Aberdeen, MDL is a specialist in subsea pipelaying which provides consultancy, equipment and personnel to the energy sector. It won the 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category. Supported by early-stage discussions with UKEF, Ocyan ordered MDL equipment in 2022 so that it could deliver a decommissioning contract in Brazil. Ocyan has since used the Scottish company’s Wheeled Horizontal Lay System technology to remove hundreds of kilometres of subsea cables and pipes from defunct FPSO oil and gas rigs in Brazilian waters. The newly agreed $7.5 million guarantee means that Ocyan can now finance the MDL contract on a reimbursement basis, boosting its access to working capital. #smes #maritimeconnection #finance #oil #gas #exports Department for Business and Trade https://lnkd.in/duvzwd8n.

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Important document and well done Marine Direcorate

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Thames Freeport Secures Over £1million in Awards for Skills Fund Thames Freeport  has announced the award of substantial funding totalling £1.2 million to support its Skills Fund, a critical component of the “Skills for the Future” campaign. This funding will significantly enhance workforce development and upskilling initiatives in the region, driving economic growth and preparing the local workforce to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding Freeport. The Thames Freeport Community Skills Fund, established as part of Thames Freeport’s ongoing commitment to economic regeneration, aims to create a highly skilled workforce capable of seizing new opportunities within the Freeport zone. This recent funding will support a diverse range of training programs, apprenticeships, and upskilling initiatives across key sectors, including logistics, manufacturing, and green technologies. Martin Whiteley, CEO at Thames Freeport outlined that these funds were part of a wider strategic investment for the freeport and the huge potential. He stated that: “These skills projects support the wider ambitions to build opportunities for sustainable, employment led, and inclusive 21st century city. The Freeport has a mission to create inward investment and new high-quality jobs that directly benefit the local community” #socsea24 #freeports #ports #skills #maritime Port of Tilbury London #hydrogen https://lnkd.in/ehmnyr3A

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UK based operator Mainprize Offshore and Strategic Marine are proud to announce that we have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of six state-of-the-art Supa Swath vessels, with an option for an additional six vessels. Read The Full Article:- https://lnkd.in/eU6TEjG7 "We are thrilled to enter into this agreement, which aligns with our vision of advancing maritime technology and expanding our operational capabilities," said Mainprize Offshore's Managing Director, Mr Bob Mainprize. "The SUPA Swath vessels represent a significant investment in the future of our fleet, offering superior performance and versatility." Strategic Marine's CEO, Mr Eng Yew Chan commented, "This MoU underscores the strong partnership between our companies. We are confident that the SUPA Swath vessels will greatly enhance Mainprize Offshore's fleet and contribute to their continued success in the maritime industry." More News At Workboat365.com Subscribe To The Workboat365 LinkedIn Weekly News https://lnkd.in/eMY2JUnT WMD | #offshorewind #offshorewindenergy #propulsionsystems #propulsion #shipbuilding #commercialmarine #maritimeindustry #maritime #marine #marineindustry

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06/06/24 Support growing for Ferguson Marine and Inchgreen to build Orkney Ferries. —————————————————————— ‼️Today’s GT has two articles supporting the need to build new ferries at Ferguson Marine and nationalise Inchgreen. We need to stop the bureaucrats in Transport Scotland and CMAL blocking any direct award of ferry contracts to Ferguson’s and their outdated thinking towards catamarans. We only have to look at the two delayed ferries to understand where the fault lies and a positive change in direction is urgently required if Ferguson’s is to survive. Fortunately, CMAL had no control on the procurement of Orkney or Shetland ferries. ALBA & LibDem fully support a change in direction by the Scottish Government and to award the small ferry contracts and nationalising Inchgreen. Therefore, we urge the Scottish Government to grasp the offer by Stuart Ballantyne to build these 6 ferries for the Orkney community. Remember the statement:- ‘We will leave no stone unturned to save Ferguson Marine and the 350 jobs’ Maybe they need reminded https://lnkd.in/eTAP4wBX

Scotland urged to fast-track investment zones and freeports amid foreign investment dip Specialist business lawyers Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP have analysed industry data, indicating a significant drop in overseas investment activity targeting Scottish firms. In 2023, only 23 Scottish businesses were subject to overseas deals, compared to 36 in 2022. The research says foreign investment in the UK is increasingly concentrated in London and the South East, with these areas accounting for 42 per cent of deals in 2023, up from 35 per cent in 2019. Fraser Gillies , managing partner at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie, said: “This new research highlights that investment activity in the traditional FDI hotbed in the south-east of England has increased, whilst in Scotland, deal activity has been rising steadily over the last five years but reduced in the most recent 12 months. “Government initiatives such as freeports and investment zones could be a game-changer for providing favourable conditions for UK-based businesses, attracting more interest and investment from abroad, and levelling up the economy" #freeports #maritime #ports Scottish Maritime Cluster #ISeaSMEs #investment

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Last week, the North Sea Transition Authority launched a consultation on publicly naming operators that miss #decommissioning deadlines after its 2024 Decommissioning Cost and Performance update highlighted industry-wide shortfalls. One key challenge for the industry is waste stream management, where inefficiencies are driving up costs and emissions. We offer a proven decommissioning solution that reduces disposal costs, speeds up operations, lowers emissions, and recovers valuable oil. Interested? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e7ycRUxi

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First funding round now open for applications The Crown Estate application window is now open for an initial £10 million first round of funding that will be specifically aimed at UK projects that could support floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. The application process will close on 30 July 2024. Successful projects will be announced from October 2024 following assessment of applications, negotiation of funding and commitment agreements and necessary approvals. The accelerator will provide matched funding of up to £1m per project to UK supply chain projects to help them undertake the early-stage development works necessary to get them “investment-ready”. We will also be asking for an option to participate in the capital investment phase of projects that are taken forward. A further £40 million has been earmarked that could potentially be deployed to support UK projects that meet opportunities identified by the Industrial Growth Plan, which sets out how to triple offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next 10 years. Make an application 👇 https://lnkd.in/eK9CxfRu #socsea24 #maritimeconnection #floatingoffshorewind #offshore #smes #ISeaSMEs

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