Ban on electric and hydrogen vehicles


due to fire hazard Havila Kystruten, the specialist Norwegian cruise ship operator, has decided that only cars and motor vehicles that use fossil fuel can be transported on board the company’s ships in selected ports along the Norwegian coastal route. This means that electric, hybrid and hydrogen cars cannot be accommodated on board. This is an


interesting turn of events in a country that is so technologically advanced in the area of green energy, but the decision should be applauded on the grounds of passenger and crew safety until they can be sure.


According to CEO of Havila Kystruten, Bent Martini, the company reached this decision after a “pure safety assessment, and the conclusion of the risk analysis shows that a possible fire in fossil vehicles will be able to be handled by the systems and the crew we have on board.”


As Bent Martini explained, “A possible fire in electric, hybrid or hydrogen cars will require external rescue efforts and could put people on board and the ships at risk. We take safety seriously, and this is naturally a risk we are under no circumstances willing to take. However, Havila Kystruten will continue to work on finding good solutions that can minimize the risk of transporting this type of vehicle in the future.”


Havila’s ships are built with their own battery packs, and they are installed in accordance with current requirements for fire safety on ships. This means that its batteries are separated into isolated and fireproof rooms, with specific fire protection systems.


Image credit: ABS


Floating wind foundation design for world’s largest


turbines approved A new kind of floating offshore wind turbine foundation, designed to handle the largest wind turbines in the world, has received ABS approval in principle (AIP).


The Bassoe D-Floater technology is capable of carrying 15-megawatt (MW) turbines in some of the harshest environmental conditions. 15-megawatt turbines are the next generation of power producing systems and are as tall as the Eiffel Tower and can weigh upwards of 2,000 tons each. “ABS is proud to add the Bassoe D-Floater to its list of pioneering offshore floating innovations that we have been able to support. This list includes classification of the first and largest floating wind project,” said Lars Samuelsson, ABS Head, Global Floating Offshore Wind.


The D-Floater is a three column, semi-submersible unit with a Delta-shaped pontoon configuration that allows the stacking of foundations inside each other, facilitating transport of at least five completed foundations on a single, heavy lift transport vessel and efficient storage in the marshalling port.


The AIP verifies that the design is feasible for the intended application and, in principle, complies with the applicable requirements of the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Installations. When constructed, the D-Floater will qualify for the following ABS Class notations:


A1, Offshore Wind Turbine (Floating), Fatigue Life (FL (25)), Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD), and Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM).


Photo credit: Havila Kystruten


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