TTS Review 04 · 6 TTS Review APRIL 2008 Return to offshore Focus on offshore market enhanced by...

TTS Review6APRIL 2008

Return to offshoreFocus on offshore market enhanced by the acquisition of intelligentrig and control system supplier Sense EDM

Continued growth in Chinese market

The extraordinary linkspan relocation project

Contents

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TTS Review is printed on paper from well managed forests and other controlled sources.The paper mill and printer are both certified to the ISO14001 environmental management standard.

High-tech drilling paves the way for Sense 2The acquisition of drilling equipment supplier Sense EDM ramps upTTS’ return to the offshore industry

The Stena Line relocation project 4Specialists from TTS Port Equipment on one of the mostextraordinary relocation projects in the history of the industry

A new generation of translifters for port handling 5Driver-friendly manoeuvrability in confined spaces increases RoRoloading efficiency

TTS to supply linkspans for new Stena vessels 6Upper- and lower-deck linkspans at Hoek van Holland will forceoperational and environmental efficiencies

Growing the car carrier, ferry and cruise sectors 8Globalisation and growing passenger travel continue to exploit TTScargo access efficiencies

Continued growth in Chinese market 12Understanding the importance of engineering know-how and itstransfer to Chinese companies strengthens TTS’ position

Anchored in expertise 14Meeting the demand for handling winches across the offshoreindustry’s wide range of vessels

Simplicity is key to safe offshore landings 15The world’s first motion-compensated helideck application foroffshore vessels

Boom time at TTS-LMG 16The dramatic increase in interest for handy, handymax and supramaxsized bulkers brings TTS a larger share of the market

Safety first for offshore operations 17A growing need for active heave compensation units and cranes foroffshore use

TTS companies 18The worldwide network

Cover picture: 3D modelling of the forthcoming delivery of highperformance drilling equipment to one of the world’s largestjack-up rigs for SKDP

TTS Review • April 2008 1

WelcomeJOHANNES D NETELANDPresident and Chief Executive Officer, TTS Marine ASA

L ast year, we made our long-awaited re-entry into theoffshore market, and we spent much of 2007 focusing onthat sector. I’m pleased to say that, by the end of the year

our companies had an order book of NOK1.5 billion – a stunningvindication of our strategy. Much of that order intake camefrom our newly-acquired drilling equipment subsidiary SenseEDM (which will shortly change its name to TTS Sense). You canread more about Sense in these pages.

Our offshore handling equipment business is also doing well,because of innovative products such as our new Active Rollhelideck. Designed to make landing on moving sea vessels easierand safer, the helideck has already been installed on one seismicvessel, and is attracting attention from around the industry.

Across all our businesses, aftersales care is a vital part of theservice we provide to our customers. I’m pleased to announce,therefore, that the TTS group has appointed a new director ofaftersales. Margrethe Hauge will be responsible for improvingthe quality of our aftersales service in all our operations. Manyof our customers will have met Margrethe already; we’ll havemore from her in the next edition of TTS Review, due out in thesummer.

Everyone in the marine industry is talking about thepossibility of a downturn in the market, but I’m pleased to saythat our markets are still very strong. More than 300 new shipswere contracted in January alone, and the offshore marketremains extremely active. This market strength is reflected in ourfigures. Average annual growth for the TTS group as a wholeover the last five years has been an amazing 42 per cent, andour margins also continue to grow. With a projected groupturnover in 2008 of NOK3.6 billion, we are proud of ourperformance.

But we know that good figures come only as a result ofdelivering products and services that help our customers getresults in their businesses – and so I’d like to reassert ourcommitment to supporting customers to the best of our ability.We will continue to develop and bring to market innovative newproducts, and we look forward to continuing to work with you,whatever the future may bring.

Welcome to 2008’s first edition of TTS Review. This year, for the first

time, we shall publish two issues of the Review, partly to cover different

events in the industry, and partly because the TTS Group is growing so

rapidly, one simply isn’t enough to include all our important news!

We know that good figurescome only as a result ofdelivering products and servicesthat help our customers getresults in their businesses –and so I’d like to reassert ourcommitment to supportingcustomers to the best of ourability

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T he return of TTS to the offshore industry was rampedup last May by the acquisition of Norway-based drillingequipment supplier Sense EDM. Now established as a

core part of the TTS group, Sense will change its name andbranding to TTS Sense on 1 May this year, and business isracing ahead.

Sense EDM was founded when Sense Technology and EDMmerged towards ends of 2005. Since then the business hasgrown to a point where it now has over 250 employees andoffices in Stavanger, Singapore, Houston and Edmonton,Canada, as well as its Kristiansand headquarters in Norway.

“We focus on delivering high-end, high-performancedrilling equipment, both onshore and offshore,” saysmanaging director Tom Fedog. “Our customers need to drillmore holes, extract more and optimise existing reserves. Thatmeans processes must become more efficient. Our aim is toprovide packages that have intelligent control systems andhelp oil and gas companies to extract more from their fields atlower cost.”

Sense started as a provider of control systems, drillingcabinets and operator chairs, and these remain at the core ofits business. But changes within the oil and gas industries,combined with the company’s expertise, have led it into newmarkets. In January it enhanced its capacity to deliveroffshore drilling packages with the acquisition of Wellquip.

Sense’s approach is paying dividends with some majororders. It recently signed a contract with Ability Drilling ASAfor delivery of five more land rigs, representing the largestsingle contract for TTS. Schlumberger ordered four land rigs inDecember 2007. These trailorised workover rigs are currentlybeing built in Canada, for use in Mexico.

Another key customer, Aberdeen-based PSL Halliburton hasrecently taken delivery of a small offshore rig with Sense'spatented rack and pinion technology. Halliburton alsorecently requested an upgrade package for this rig. "Deliveriesto large, multinational companies, such as Schlumberger andHalliburton, justify our focus on patented rig technology,"says Fedog.

Two especially significant orders have been taken toprovide state-of-the-art jack-up rigs for efficient drilling to45,000 feet. These are being built in Singapore, one at Jurongand the other at Keppel FELS shipyard. “These will be theworld’s largest jack-up rigs and will be capable of drilling inwater depths to 150 metres in harsh environments. Thepackage will probably be the most advanced jack-up rigsolution yet developed,” says Fedog.

Drilling

High-tech drilling paves the way for Sense

2 TTS Review • April 2008

Two especially significantorders have been taken toprovide state-of-the-artjack-up rigs for efficientdrilling to 45,000 feet. Theseare being built in Singapore,one at Jurong and the otherat Keppel FELS shipyard

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“From the start, our vision has been to utilise advanceddrilling technologies to help operators reduce the number ofpeople on site,” adds Fedog. “Another important, continuingtrend is to optimise processes by giving real-time updates ofdrilling status. More accurate drilling and better drainage ofthe reservoir mean that operators can extract a higherpercentage of the oil in a particular field, which is crucialgiven the scarcity of resources and the oil price at themoment.”


Drilling

Historically, onshore drilling rigs have been the low-techpoor relations of their offshore counterparts. Companiesoperating onshore have been content to use smaller,simpler rigs based on older technology, while thoseoperating in more challenging offshore conditions havehad to invest in better equipment to work successfully.

Now this is starting to change, according to TTSSense MD Tom Fedog. “Onshore rigs are getting biggerand more advanced,” he explains. “Not every oilcompany shares this vision – some are happy withtechnology from the 1960s – but those who have theforesight to see the value that comes from increasedsafety and reduced manpower requirements areinvesting in larger, more advanced rigs. It’s very difficult,because of the rapid growth of the industry, to gethighly qualified personnel, so reducing the drillingcontractors’ need for manpower is a powerful incentive.As a supplier, we are pleased to see this shift, and we’rehelping bring it about. We have tried to transfer someof the things we’ve learned offshore into our onshorebusiness, and the results so far are looking good.”

The merger with TTS has already proved an importantstep for Sense. With the backing of the TTS group,Fedog says, the company is able to pitch for larger, morecomplex projects.

Onshore goes high-tech

Above: AHC 4-motor drawworks. Above right: One of nine land rigs

developed by Sense for Ability Drilling ASA

T echnical manager MikaelJimmerfors takes us through thestory. “Eleven or twelve years ago,

while working for a different company,we designed six linkspans for Stena Line’sHSS fast ferry services. These linkspansform an integrated part of the vessel, andare designed to minimise turnaroundtimes and reduce fuel consumption. Thelinkspan concept has been a greatsuccess – Stena is able to load or unload1,500 passengers, as well as cars andbuses, in 15 minutes.”

The linkspans, which are semi-submersible, measure 40m long by 40mwide and weigh over 1,000 tonnes, wereinstalled at the terminals for Stena’sHolyhead–Dun Laoghaire, Belfast–Stranraer and Harwich–Hoek van Hollandroutes. However, Stena recently decidedto close down the latter service and cameto Jimmerfors and his colleague, projectmanager Klaes Lundberg, now workingfor TTS, for help with the linkspan.

“The linkspans installed in Harwichand Hoek van Holland were newer, and ofan upgraded design,” says Lundberg. “SoStena simply asked us if we could movethem to Scotland and Northern Irelandfor use on the Belfast–Stranraer route.”

This was a challenge. When thelinkspans were originally installed, giantfloating cranes were used to lift theminto place. These particular cranes,though, are now deployed elsewherearound the world. “To lift them withcranes wasn’t practical, because the bestwindow the crane company could give uswas ‘The first or second half of the year.’But we only had a one or two weekwindow to do the work!” saysJimmerfors.

So the TTS engineers decided that thebest alternative was a skidding and jack-up operation. Using a giant North Seabarge as the main jack-up platform andtransport vehicle, they had to get theouter end of the linkspan on to the barge,then remove the pontoon from thelinkspan – essentially by cutting off itslegs. This made the pontoon extremelyunstable, another challenge given thethree-metre high tide, six knot tidal raceand the wake from ocean-going vesselscoming in and out of the port ofRotterdam every five minutes. “The workwas precision – landing the linkspan onthe barge and releasing it from the bankhad to be accurate within millimetres,”says Lundberg. “When it came to


The Stena Line relocation project

Linkspans

Specialists from TTS Port Equipment are close to completing one of the most extraordinary

relocation projects in the history of the marine industry

The trickiest partwas the handlingof the submergedpontoon – itweighs 150 tonnesand we had tobring it throughthe surface of thewater, whichcompletelychanged itsstability

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”Positioning the barge to support the linkspan

before removal of the underwater pontoon

removing the hinge pins, which eachweighed over 400kg and had been in placeeleven years, we had only half an hour torelease them using hydraulic jacks.”

Planning for the project took sixmonths, including using a simulation toolto build a 3D animation of the job. Theactual operation took place in September2007, using a crew of 25 specialists fromaround the world. “The trickiest part was

the handling of the submerged pontoon,”says Jimmerfors. “It’s so big andasymmetric in form – it weighs 150tonnes – and we had to bring it throughthe surface of the water, whichcompletely changed its stability.”

Once this huge job had beencompleted, the team took the barge toHarwich and did it all over again! Thebarge, by now absolutely fully loaded –

Lundberg says the linkspans overhung thebarge by 5m on each side – was towed toBelfast, fortunately in good weather. Oncethe barge reached the Harland and Wolffshipyard, the team used one of thecompany’s two giant cranes to lift thelinkspans off the barge, and put theminto storage for the winter. During Aprilof 2008, the team will reconvene inBelfast and install one of the linkspans inthe new Victoria Terminal Four.

“There are more HSS linkspans thatneed attention – Lloyd’s Register saysthat they need docking at least every 20years,” says Lundberg. “What is importantis that we have come up with a methodthat can be used to move otherlinkspans. There are other shore-seainterfaces where we could apply thesame method.”


Translifters

A new generation of translifters for port handling

Linkspans on route to Belfast

A new generation of transliftersfor both RoRo and industrialoperations is to be launched by

TTS Liftec. The RoRo 2008 exhibition inGothenburg on 20–22 May will see theunveiling of a series of seven differentmodels, with payloads ranging from 50-130 tonnes.

The new models include severalimprovements. In the translifter controlsystems, sensors have been improved interms of reliability, and reduced innumber. “Parallel lifting sensors are nowavailable in the translifter, so additionalsensor assembly is no longer needed inthe tugmaster,” says Tatu Miikkulainen,managing director of TTS Liftec.

Extensive use of modular wireharnesses has also contributed toincreased reliability and modularity, andthe introduction of load-sensinghydropneumatic suspension for bogiesmeans that the translifters adaptautomatically to different load conditions,assuring the best possible suspension.“We’ve also improved the user interface,adding new features such as ‘Teach in’calibration, and the ability to adjust

different features,” adds Miikkulainen. Among the optional features is a

newly developed lifting gooseneck, whichimproves the stability of the tugmasterand control of the lifting function. Thegooseneck has been tested in operationfor a year and is now available for alltranslifter models. Further optionsinclude xenon work lights, CAN busconnection to the tugmaster, and aremote service interface.

One of the pre-launch translifter models

Over the past few years, we haveseen an increasing interest inthe concept of two-tier

linkspans,” says Håkan Jönsson, TTS PortEquipment’s sales manager. “We can nowsee a trend in the market whereoperators are running larger vesselswhich would otherwise take longer toload. Two-tier linkspans allowsimultaneous unloading/ loading of twodecks. Thus, by increasing efficiency inport and shortening the harbour stop, weare helping to reduce fuel consumption –an important consideration in the light oftoday’s increased oil prices.”

Jönsson continues: “An alternativesolution is to work with two separateopenings in the ship to both side andstern. Loading via one linkspan andunloading via another to the same deckcreates huge time savings. We are eveninvestigating scenarios where threelinkspans can be used.”

Stena Line BV has exemplified thistrend by choosing TTS to deliver adjustableupper- and lower-deck linkspans at Hoekvan Holland. The linkspans will serve twonew vessels now building at AkerYards,Germany, as a replacement for the twovessels currently serving the Hoek vanHolland to Harwich route, StenaHollandica and Stena Britannica. Theproject, which will maximise the efficiencyof the vessels, is scheduled for completionby the end of 2009.

“Fast loading and unloading times arecentral to the project brief, and that willbring a number of operational andenvironmental efficiencies,” says Pim deLange, area director for Stena Line.“Minimising time spent in harbour allowsthe vessels more time at sea. Sailing atlower speeds, thus using less fuel, willhelp minimise business costs as well asbeing environmentally sound.”

The new vessels will be the world’s

largest RoPax ferries, at 240 metres longwith 5,500 lane metres each, and willincrease the number of vehicles carriedby more than 30 per cent. The currentvessels, Stena Hollandica and StenaBritannica, have themselves recentlybeen lengthened to a capacity of 4,100lane metres each.

The installation itself will be donequickly, enabling port operation tocontinue as usual. “TTS will upgrade thelower linkspan in a very short timeframe,minimising interference to the vessel’soperating schedule,” says de Lange. “Thisis crucial, as it guarantees low effect toour business.”

The success of the interface between

the linkspan and vessel is the key toensuring optimum traffic flow, therebyminimising environmental impact. Thebottleneck in the port itself is to beinspected, then verified using TTS’simulation tool. (See opposite page.)

Taking environmental concernsfurther, the upper deck linkspan will bedesigned by means of several specialsolutions to reduce and dampen noiselevels in its operation; an importantconsideration as the structure lies closeto residential housing.

Lower-deck linkspan detailThe lower-deck linkspan is an existinginstallation, which TTS will convert tooperate via hydraulic cylinders. Theportal’s current counterweight and wiresystem, which is driven by motors, will bereplaced with towers equipped withhydraulic cylinders for lifting andlowering the linkspan, and locking theramp in the various required positions.

Upper-deck linkspan detailThe upper-deck linkspan will be a newstructure positioned in alignment withthe centreline of the new vessels, withthe access ramps placed beside the lowerdeck linkspan at quay level. Thisadjustable ramp will be elevated usingthe hydraulic cylinders built into thetowers of the lower-deck linkspan. Thelifting ramp, also operated by hydrauliccylinders, will be rest on the vessel.


Linkspans

Two-tier linkspan sets the pace for short harbour stop

Right: 3D modelling of the two-tier linkspan

in Hoek van Holland showing the

mechanically operated upper and lower decks

Two-tierlinkspans allowsimultaneous un-loading/loadingof two decks.Thus, byincreasingefficiency in portand shorteningthe harbour stop,we are helping toreduce fuelconsumption

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A new software tool developed by TTS Port Equipment canplay a major role in optimising the efficiency of portoperations. Working with simulation expert Dr Hyun-SeokKim, the software has been designed to simulate thelogistics process at RoRo terminals and also to model thecargo-related structure of vessels. But, according to TTSPort Equipment managing director Lennart Svensson, it hasmany more applications.

“We can use it to simulate the evacuation of passengersand crew from cruise vessels, so operators will know howlong it will take to clear the ship in an emergency,” he says.“And we are also simulating the loading and unloading ofcar carrier ships.”

Stena Line has been an early customer for the newsimulation software, using it to model the process of trailerloading and unloading on RoRo ships, among otherprojects. “Stena doesn’t just buy ships, the company alsocharters them when capacity is needed,” explains Dr Kim.“So showing them how they can use that capacity to besteffect before they commit to a vessel is obviouslyextremely useful for them.”

TTS is also working with Stena in relation to its contractswith port operators. At a new port in Poland, where Stenaplans to move its terminal, TTS is helping the company in its

negotiations with the port, working out how best to use theroads in and out of the port, how linkspans should bedesigned, and other projects. At Karlskrona in Sweden, thetool is being used to understand how Stena’s vesselsrunning the Hoek van Holland route should be accommo-dated, where the entry gates should go, and how theparking lanes should be lined up.

“We are currently looking at the complete layout of aport,” says Svensson. “Our ability to combine knowledge ofport and ship operations, plus simulation skills, means wecan offer a complete ship-to-shore solution. We haveambitions to deploy this experience in container ports too,and there are many other possible applications. Forexample, if shipowners are considering investing in newvessels, we can help them understand how best the vesselcould be used before they commit to it.”

Simulation tool aids operations planning for ports and shipowners


Cargo flow visualisation


Car carriers

Over the last two decades, the automotive industry hasbeen more affected by globalisation than perhaps anyother sector. Car manufacturers have built new

production plants in far-flung corners of the world, looking toreduce the cost of building their vehicles. This trend has had anumber of side effects, and one, which has had a big impact onthe marine industry, has naturally been the need to get carsfrom the point of production to their end market.

“The growth of the car carrier sector has been the backboneof our dry cargo business in recent years,” says TTS ShipsEquipment’s sales director Nils Ericsson. “For some time, theindustry has been thinking that the demand for car carriersmust surely slow down, but it hasn’t happened yet. The demandcontinues to increase, and the ships are getting bigger andbigger. Until recently, 200m-long ships were the norm, becauseif the vessel was any longer it would have to occupy two quayberths. But this isn’t the case any more, and bigger ships arebecoming the norm. The trend started with the elongation ofexisting ships, but now 230m is normal for a new car carrier.”

Ericsson says that environmental concerns are affecting thecar carrier sector: “Hoistable car decks are increasingly beingoperated by electrical rather than hydraulic power. In newvessels for the Japanese market, there is a 50/50 split betweenhydraulics and electrics, and we believe other markets will gothat way too. Hydraulics can lift bigger loads more easily, butpollution caused by hydraulic oil is a big issue. One drop of oil inthe water could stop a ship in harbour. And even the very smallrisk of oil leakage on newly painted cars is to be avoided.

Growing the car carrier, ferry and cruise sectors

Below left: a car carrier operated by Höegh Autoliners with TTS

external and internal ramps, doors and car decks. Below: Viking Line's

fast passenger/car ferry built by Aker Yards in Finland, scheduled for

delivery in April 2008

The growth of the car carriersector has been thebackbone of our dry cargobusiness in recent years, andwe foresee a continous highdemand several years ahead

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Wallenius, for example, has taken a big interest in green issues,and now others are starting to follow.”

Demand for car carriers is spreading around the world. Lastyear, for example, 45 new car carriers were added to the TTSorder book with deliveries to vessels constructed at yards inKorea, Japan, China and Croatia. In addition to this TTS won itsfirst orders for cargo access equipment for car carrier ships tobe built in Vietnam. The vessels, twelve of which are being builtby state-owned Vinashin on behalf of Ray Car Carriers andHöegh Autolines, will be the first Vietnam-built car carriers toinclude RoRo equipment. Deliveries of equipment for the newships started early in 2008, and the contracts will be completedin 2011. “Vietnamese yards are new to building car carriers, andwe are expecting a lot more business from that market,” saysEricsson.

A healthy market for ferry servicesAlthough the passenger shipping industry might not seem themost dynamic of sectors, there are in fact areas of high growth,says TTS Ships Equipment’s sales manager Björn Rosén. And thegrowth of these niches is helping TTS drive its own dry cargohandling businesses forward.

Rosén says that, in the important ferry services market, thekey has been the development of the RoPax vessel concept.Traditional RoRo ferries, designed to carry large numbers ofpassengers and their cars across relatively short sea crossings,have become difficult to justify for operators, because theirpassenger business is highly seasonal and competition from low-

cost airlines has transformed the way people travel. In season,though, strong demand for passenger ferry travel still exists, andthere is demand for cargo capacity all year round. The solutionhas been to build ships that can re-balance their loads, offeringmore passenger capacity when there is demand, but being ableto serve largely as truck ferries for the rest of the year.

This concept has been successful around northern Europe,and the Mediterranean area. And TTS solutions have dominated,especially in the Baltic market. For example, Viking Line’s fastpassenger/car ferry scheduled for delivery in April 2008features a full complement of TTS cargo access equipment.

“After the Estonia tragedy in 1994, there was naturally agreat focus on improving the safety of the bow part of vessels,”says Rosén. “And our patented folding frame solution has beendominant in the RoPax sector. The folding frame technologymeans that the ship will be watertight even if the bow door fails,which has obvious implications for safety. But it is also a veryspace-efficient solution, so the operators don’t lose valuablecapacity on the car decks.”

In recent years, most new RoPax vessels built for the Balticsector have been equipped with TTS solutions. “There arecurrently four Tallink vessels serving the Tallinn-Stockholm andTallinn-Helsinki routes, each using our equipment. Another willbe delivered this summer, with the final ship in the currentcontract scheduled for completion in 2009,” says Rosén. “Theimportant thing about many of these vessels is that they use ourhoistable car deck technology, which means the operators canswitch between car and truck capacity very easily.”


RoPax

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Cruise

Also in the Baltic, there are two TTS-equipped RoPax vesselsfor Swedish ferry line Destination Gotland, both featuring athree-ramp stern arrangement and bow equipment.

The Mediterranean is another area of successful RoPaxactivity, where TTS has supplied several ships to Greek, Italianand French owners. On the English Channel, TTS has suppliedequipment for two ships built to serve Seafrance’s busy Dover toCalais route, and ST Marine in Singapore is constructing a RoPaxship for Louis Dreyfus Lines’ (LDL) Portsmouth to Le Havreservice. The latter is a textbook example of the RoPax trend:formerly operated by P&O Ferries, the route was taken over byLDL after the previous operator concluded it was a loss-maker.The new service, focusing more on freight traffic except duringthe key summer season, has been a success, and LDL, whichoriginally chartered a ship to serve the route, has made the bigstep of investing in a new vessel.

The booming cruise marketAnother passenger market that has boomed in recent years isthe cruise business. Possibly because of the ageing population inmany Western countries, cruises have become increasinglypopular of late, and cruise lines have been busy ordering newships to serve this demand. “We have had good success in thecruise market, because we’ve developed a range of reliableproducts, invested in a dedicated installation team and spenttime and effort building our relationships with the shipyardsand owners,” says Rosén.

In the cruise market, TTS has specialised in the provision andinstallation of side doors, tender platforms, provision lifts,gangway systems and baggage handling systems. “On largecruise ships which spend only a short time in port, gettingpassengers on and off the vessel quickly and efficiently is ofhigh importance, and the effectiveness of our equipment isvital,” says Rosén.

“Our Gothenburg office has been supplier to a very long andimpressive series for RCCL at Aker Yards, Finland, among whichis the Independence of the Seas, delivered in April this year. Wenow have a contract to supply equipment to two ships currentlybuilding at Aker Yards in St. Nazaire for NCL, and our Bergenoffice has two ships also building in St. Nazaire for MSC.”

Below: one of four Tallink vessels using TTS hoistable car deck

technology. Right: TTS-designed three-ramp stern arrangement for M/S

Gotland – and Navigator of the Seas carrying a similar complement of

TTS doors to Independence of the Seas, delivered in April 2008


Dry cargo handling in Vietnam

Vietnam has caught the attention of the shipbuildingindustry in recent years, and the trend looks set tocontinue, with the country determined to become one ofthe world’s top four shipbuilding centres by 2015.Vietnam’s commitment to this ambition is borne out in itsplan to invest over US$3 billion in new facilities over thenext ten years, as well as its allocation of some US$750million – the entire proceeds of its first sovereign bondfor the international market – to state-owned shipbuilderVinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group) in 2005.

Vinashin has been charged with developingshipbuilding as a key contributor to Vietnam’s nationaleconomy, and has risen to the task with gusto. It is now inthe second five-year phase of its 15-year plan, the firstpart of which saw it upgrading its shipyard capacities,enabling it to build dry cargo ships up to Handymax sizeand more technically complex vessels such as car carriers.

Successful completion of this phase has already bornefruit – Vinashin has experienced phenomenal growth overthe past six years, with an annual growth rate of over 50per cent on revenues and 120 per cent on net income.Empowered by its new capacity, the company is currentlymanufacturing car carriers on behalf of Ray Car Carriersand Höegh Autolines. These are the first RoRo car carriersto be built in Vietnam, and TTS is supplying the cargoaccess equipment for both contracts.

With a predicted boom in shipbuilding, over the nextfour years at least, Vinashin intends to boost itsshipbuilding capabilities. Its relationship with companiessuch as TTS will help to expand the market: Vinashin isable to broaden its expertise, and TTS is consolidating itsreputation in the region.

“Naval architects need five to seven years to mature,working in a good engineering environment,” NguyenQuoc Anh, chief business officer at Vinashin recently toldreporters. “Our engineers and architects will grow asproducts develop.”

The ability to offer TTS group's combined services andproducts, including deck machinery, marine cranes andcargo access equipment while establishing closecooperation with domestic fabricators, enhances thecommitment to the expanding Vietnamese market.

Vinashin is now upgrading and modernising itsshipyard technology for Aframax and RoPax vessels, anarea in which the company is especially keen to achieve asolid position.

Spotlight on Vietnam

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With the increased size of many cruise ships, a number ofdesirable ports are now closed to a high proportion of ships. Butpassengers still want to visit these ports, so designers have hadto find a way of getting passengers off the ship and safely intotender vessels for the transfer to land. TTS has developed aspecial tender platform for this purpose. “It's a very sophisticatedsolution tailored to suit the individual requirements of theshipowner,” says Rosén. “We’ve managed to design the platformsto fold and stow within a very small space.”

Designers have had to find away of getting passengersoff the ship and safely intotender vessels for thetransfer to land

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China

Continued growth in Chinese market

T here are few industry sectors that have not been affectedby the astounding growth of the Chinese economy overthe last decade. What started as a strategy by which

Western companies could reduce the cost of producing goodsfor their home markets has become an economic explosion thatnow sees Chinese consumers increasingly looking to buy highquality goods, with a subsequent rapid increase in commodityprices around the world. Oil would not be at US$100 per barrelwithout the demand from China.

The marine industry has been more affected than most by theemergence of China. The need to move Chinese-produced goodsto markets around the world is one of the major drivers behindthe boom in the shipping industry in recent years, and Chineseyards are now building a significant proportion of those newships. For companies in the marine industry itself, Chinarepresents both a threat and an opportunity.

The TTS group has proved itself well placed to benefit from theemergence of China. TTS has positioned itself as an engineeringbusiness, and it is engineering expertise that Chinese companies

Jiangnan TTS ShipsEquipment Co Ltd isproducing hatch covers – anarea central to TTS expertise– with the intent of servingthe shipyards within theCSSC group. The aim is tobecome a major supplier inhatch cover production

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need most. “In China, knowledge transfer is very important,” saysStellan Bernsro, head of TTS’ dry cargo division. “We areconstantly focusing on the quality issue and ensuring that thefabrication output is well in line with TTS standards.”

That’s why TTS has invested heavily in Chinese joint ventures.There is another benefit, in that the Chinese involvement hasincreased the group’s capacity to supply its customers at a timewhen sources of supply in the marine industry are hard to find.The group’s first Chinese investment, Shanghai-based TTS Hua HaiShips Equipment Co Ltd, which is a 50/50 joint venture with theChinese State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) now has severalyears of successful trading, well illustrated by the order intake in2007 comprising contracts for delivery of hatch covers to morethan 800 vessels.

“Recently, we were approached by CSSC about gettinginvolved with them in further joint ventures,” says Bernsro.“They regard TTS Hua Hai as a very good example of how a jointventure should work – often, in other cases, the partners havestarted with good intentions but the project has failed after a

couple of years for various reasons. CSSC came to us and saidthey would like us to join them in the creation of a new factory.

“A joint venture has been settled between Jiangnan HeavyIndustry Co Ltd, TTS Hua Hai Ships Equipment and ship designcompany Sdari. There is another partnership between CSSC, HuaHai and another Chinese company. This doesn’t count as aforeign joint venture, but we hold management positions withinthe company.”

Jiangnan TTS Ships Equipment Co Ltd is producing hatchcovers – an area central to TTS expertise – with the intent ofserving the shipyards within the CSSC group. “The aim is tobecome a major supplier in hatch cover production,” saysBernsro. TTS’ other key joint venture in China is at TTS KeyonMarine Equipment, which is aimed at producing a mixture ofhatch covers, RoRo equipment and cranes. “A central aim for usis to improve the quality of production in China,” adds Bernsro.“That’s the key to being successful in the Chinese market– thereare lots of funds available, they aren’t looking for money, butthey are seeking our know-how and expertise.”

TTS Ships Equipment’s sales manager Jan-Ove Lind agreeswith this, and says that the Chinese marine industry needs toupskill in order to successfully build more complex vessels. “Upto now, Chinese yards have been full of tankers, containershipsand bulk carriers,” he says. “The likelihood is that China will nowmove on to more complex vessels, for the same reason as Koreahad to, because India and Vietnam are looking to manufacturebasic ships at lower prices.”

“Efficient and flexible RoRo vessels are already being built inChina," says Lind. "Seventeen RoRo vessels are being built atJinling Shipyard for European forest products owners. And weare honoured to have been selected as supplier." In addition TTShas a strong position in the Chinese car carrier segments withsome 20 PCTCs under construction at several different Chineseshipyards. Tor Corona, for example, is the first of four newvessels built in China for DFDS operation, and has already begunserving the Denmark to Klaipeda route. With a capacity of 3,178lane metres facilitated by a complement of TTS equipment, thisrepresents a fine example of the trend.

These circumstances have presented a large opportunity forTTS: with the group’s expertise across many marine markets, itcan expect further gains in the Chinese industry.


China

Tor Corona, the first of four new TTS-equipped vessels built in China by

Jinling for DFDS operation


When it comes to shipping equipment, there is noeasy, one-size-fits-all solution to the diverse needsof many different vessels and operating companies.

But across the array of solutions employed on sea vesselsaround the world, quality needs to be consistently high.

Increasingly, shipowners and builders are looking tocompanies that can provide in-depth knowledge of their specificneeds, from the first contact through to aftersales service. Whilereaping the benefits of its reputation for supplying shipequipment for several industries, TTS is not resting on its laurels,but is building on the expertise in each of its divisions.

“Having begun as a niche operator, we were only supplying asmall market before we joined TTS,” says Volker Höppner of TTSKocks, formerly Kocks GmbH until its acquisition by TTS in 2005.“We have a history of expertise in supplying deck machineryacross the world, but we are now working with the otherdivisions of TTS to deepen our expertise.”

For Höppner, being part of the group enables each division toenhance its own specialist expertise by learning from the others.“TTS is an organisation consisting of several specialised divisions,each of them focused on an area of ship engineering where theyhave in-depth expertise,” he says. “Good design is not simplyabout knowing how the equipment works. Winches and otherdeck machinery must be designed to the exacting requirementsof onboard safety. This is central to product development, as is acommitment to reliability, long-term performance and to theenvironment.”

TTS provides a comprehensive portfolio of deck machineryequipment, offering tailored solutions to suit customers’individual needs. The division is working with other TTScompanies to broaden its knowledge of winch machinery, acrossseveral shipping industries, such as offshore and LNG.

“We are applying our expertise to the offshore industry wherethere is demand for handling winches across a wide range ofvessels,” says Höppner. “Each project is different, which is why itis important to continue building on the expertise we alreadyhave. This is not like a mass-market operation, where productsare manufactured cheaply in large quantities. We’re solvingproblems with any kind of winch use, on a case-by-case basis.”

This level of focus is paying off, as evidenced by a growingorder book and the expansion of its engineering staff to copewith demand. “We’re currently in the process of hiring anadditional engineering group,” adds Höppner. “We are alreadyreceiving details from TTS Offshore Handling Equipment (OHE) inÅlesund, regarding the supply of handling winches for offshorevessels.”

PROFILE – TTS Kocks

Anchored in expertise

TTS Deck MachineryWith over 50 years of experience in deck machinerydevelopment, design and production, TTS Deck MachineryDivision originated as Kocks GmbH before being acquiredby TTS in October 2005. The division has three units: TTSKocks GmbH in Bremen, plus two fabrication sites for theassembly of deck winches in Ostrava, Czech Republic andBusan, South Korea, and is part of a 50 per cent jointventure with TTS Bohai in Dalian, China.

The company prides itself on its design expertise andexperience, which enable it to develop and engineeradvanced and reliable winch system technologies thataddress the specialised requirements of all ship types.

Top: Anchor Handling/Towing winch capable of handling loads of up to

500 tons. Bottom: a typical array of TTS deck machinery

L anding a helicopter on a movingsea vessel is a risky and time-sensitive business, and for many

offshore support vessels (OSVs),helicopter access in due time for crewchanges is crucial. Delays due tounacceptable landing conditions causedby bad weather represent a significantcost driver in many operationalsituations. Increasing the weatherwindow available for safe landing andtake-off will have a direct impact onoperational efficiency for many types ofOSV. TTS Offshore Handling Equipment(OHE) has addressed these critical safetyissues with the launch of Active Roll, theworld’s first motion-compensatedhelideck application for offshore vessels.

Active Roll has been designed andbuilt for the new Petroleum Geo-Services(PGS) seismic vessel Ramform Sovereign,and was developed using input from anumber of parties. “The technical solutionis a result of exceptional cooperationbetween users, certifying bodies, PGS andTTS,” says Uwe Heim, marketing managerfor TTS-OHE. “Our primary focus was onsafety, as helicopter landing is one of themost safety-critical operations in theoffshore industries.”

The collaborative process includedinput from offshore helicopter pilots andregulative bodies, and enabled TTS tofocus on simplicity and ease of use, inorder to minimise the risk of error as wellas maintenance issues. “The systemconsists of advanced, well-proventechnologies,” says Heim. “It has beendeveloped specifically to compensate forthe movement identified by the pilots asmost critical: sideways acceleration,induced by the roll movement of thevessel. By keeping the equipment simple,we have developed a product thatminimises operator error andmaintenance needs.”

Gains in productivity, enabled by thesesafety improvements, are of crucialimportance. “The value of seismic vesselsis immense – building a vessel can costmore than NOK1 billion, and day ratesare extremely high,” says Heim.“Productivity is therefore very important,and the helideck widens a typical andvery crucial bottleneck.”

The Active Roll project underlines TTS-OHE’s expertise in the offshore industry.Ramform Sovereign was launched inÅlesund on 12 March, and the helideck isalready attracting interest as itundergoes assessment for its finalcertification, expected by mid-2008.

“Offshore activity is likely to grow overthe coming years, as companies searchfor and open up new subsea wells, andlay pipes for resources such as oil, whichare found in deeper waters,” says Heim.“As the industry develops, it will be moreimportant than ever that vessels canoperate safely and at maximum capacity.Accessibility is becoming increasinglyimportant, and the Active Roll helideckaddresses this key issue.”

The value ofseismic vessels isimmense.Productivity istherefore veryimportant, andthe helideckwidens a typicaland very crucialbottleneck


Offshore Handling – helidecks

Simplicity is key to safe offshore landings

The Active Roll Compensation system is the

world’s first motion-compensated helicopter

deck application

“

”


Cranes for bulkers

T he future of the container carriermarket has provoked livelydiscussion recently. Worldwide

demand for marine cargo flow andoffshore solutions reached a record highin 2007, with an increasing number ofnew vessel orders in shipyards aroundthe world. Dry bulk rates exploded in mid2007 and have hit all-time highs duringthe first half of 2008. The market hasexperienced a dramatic increase ininterest for handy, handymax andsupramax sized bulkers.

There are several reasons behind thisbooming market, such as increasingcharter rates, a dramatic increase indemand for raw materials and energyproducts, and a high average age ofexisting fleets. In this market – bulkers inthe range of 30,000 up to 58,000 DWT –keeping up with demand is key tosuccess. TTS-LMG Marine Cranes hasbeen able to achieve this, consolidatingits position in the industry over the past12 months with a growing share of themarket.

With a history going back to 1846, thecompany became part of TTS in 2004 andis now growing rapidly in terms of bothturnover and personnel. Sales have keptpace with demand for all of itsoperations worldwide, and it hassucceeded in winning market share. Atthe end of 2007, the total value of ordersreceived by TTS-LMG was more thanthree times the amount at the end of2006. The past year’s contracts haveentailed the supply of four cranes foreach vessel, with lifting capacity in therange of 30 tonnes and an outreach of24–28 metres.

“TTS-LMG has considerable experiencein wire luffing cargo cranes, acombination of experienced technicalstaff and a dedicated aftersales andservice department,” says Thomas

Krabiell, sales director at TTS-LMG MarineCranes. “We are focusing on ourstrengths and engineering a product thatis both innovative and reliable, and we’reable to meet market demands with theright product at the right time.”

As shipbuilding migrated to Asia andEuropean shipbuilding declined, TTSincreased its activities in Asia, which hasbeen particularly fruitful for TTS-LMG.Partnerships in the region, such as TTSBohai Machinery, its joint venture inDalian, China, and its wholly-ownedsubsidiary TTS Marine Shanghai, haveenabled TTS to handle an increasing

volume of orders. “We can supplement the high

capacities in these workshops with TTSmanufacturing facilities in Germany inorder to satisfy the market in Korea andVietnam,” adds Krabiell. “A boom can testa company’s strength as much as thelean times do. We have learnt thatflexibility is the answer – both for ourown business and for our customers’businesses. Whatever the marketconditions, we can provide top quality,innovative cargo handling systems at abudgeted through-life cost. We arestrong enough to guarantee that.”

Boom time at TTS-LMG

TTS-LMG wire luffing cranes Type KL 30t – 28 m


Active heave compensation

Momentum is building in theoffshore lifting equipmentmarket, with growing demand

for active heave compensation (AHC)units and cranes for offshore use. Sincereturning to the market last year, TTSMarine Cranes has seen considerableinterest not only in its products, but alsoin services such as aftersales and training.

Key to TTS’ presence in the offshoremarket is its strong engineering base incybernetics, drive systems and mechanicaldesign. The use of dynamic and visualreal-time simulation tools enables thedevelopment of optimal handlingsolutions in a swift and cost-effectivemanner, and the success of this approachcan be seen in the demand for, andongoing development of, active heavecompensation equipment whichcontributes significantly to both the safetyand the efficiency of offshore operations.

Indeed, TTS actively engages with theoffshore industry to emphasise the

importance of training in ensuring safetyand efficiency. “As a dedicated supplier tothe offshore industry, TTS is focused onHES and preventative behaviour,” saysKjetil Roksvåg, sales director at TTSMarine Cranes.

“To that effect, we offer trainingpackages using simulated craneoperation, enabling training to take placeon land in a controlled environment.Both novice and experienced craneoperators are therefore able to learnabout working crane systems in safety.As well as day-to-day operations,operators can learn how to handleunexpected situations in a controlledenvironment, thus reducing risk topersonnel and operations”.

TTS currently offers a two-dimensional crane simulator withintegrated load chart, for simulatinglifting operations from the crane cabin. Itenables operators to simulate a lift fromvarious approaches to ascertain capacity

and reach, helping to ensure safeoperation.

In addition to the two-dimensionalsimulator, TTS is working with theOffshore Simulator Centre in Ålesund todevelop a three-dimensional offshoreknuckleboom crane simulator, which willbe part of a training program for craneoperators. Potential users got to see thetools at the Offshore Cranes and LiftingConference in Aberdeen, UK during April.TTS Offshore Handling Equipmentdiscussed the importance of training andshowcased a crane simulator withintegrated load chart, as well asproviding an example of a 3D trainingprogram and a demonstration of the 3Dsimulator technology.

Safety first for offshore operations

Customers have welcomed TTS' return to this

market with a large order backlog for

advanced AHC cranes


Worldwide networkwww.tts-marine.com

CANADASense EDM (Canada) Ltd6708 – 75th StreetEdmonton, Alberta T6E 6T9Tel: +1 780 430 1833Fax: +1 780 430 [email protected]

CHINATTS Hua Hai Ships Equipment Co. Ltd 18th floor, 3255 Zhou Jia Zui RoadCN-200093 ShanghaiTel: +86 21 6539 8257Fax:+86 21 6539 [email protected]

TTS-Keyon Marine Equipment Co. Ltd.Lan Gan Qiao,Feng Huan Town216514 Zhang Jia Gang CityTel: +86 5125 8425 988Fax: +86 5125 8425 [email protected]

TTS Marine Shanghai Co. Ltd No. 433 Gao Xiang Huan RoadGaoDong Industrial Park, PuDongShanghai 200137Tel: +86 21 5848 5300Fax: +86 21 5848 [email protected]

TTS Bohai Machinery Co. LtdSujia, Dalian Wan StreetDalianTel: +86 411 8711 2670Fax: +86 411 8711 [email protected]

CZECH REPUBLICTTS Kocks Ostrava s.r.o.U Reky 808720 00 Ostrava-HrabováTel: +420 596 782 708Fax: +420 596 782 [email protected]

FINLANDTTS Liftec Oy Tuotekatu 8, FI-33840 TampereTel: +358 3 31401400Fax: +358 3 [email protected]

GERMANYTTS Kocks GmbHWachtstrasse 17/24, D-28195 Bremen,P.O. Box 104080, D-28040 BremenTel: +49 421 52008-0Fax: +49 421 [email protected]

TTS Ships Equipment GmbH Wachtstrasse 17-24, D-28195 BremenP.O. Box 103840, D-28038 BremenTel: +49 421 3 35 84 0Fax: +49 421 3 35 84 [email protected]

TTS-LMG Marine Cranes GmbHEinsiedelstr. 6D-23554 LübeckTel: +49 451 4501 730 Fax: +49 451 4501 [email protected]

ITALYTTS Marine s.r.lPonte Colombo, 16126 GenovaTel: +39 010 24 81 205Fax: +39 010 25 43 [email protected]

KOREATTS Kocks GmbH Korea Co. Ltd#1664-10, Songjeong-DongGangseo-Gu, Busan 618-270Tel: +82 51 831 8401Fax: +82 51 979 [email protected]

TTS KoreaRM 625, Ocean Tower# 760-3 Woo 1-Dong, Haeundae-GuBusan 612-726Tel: +82 51 740 6081-3Fax: +82 51 740 [email protected]

NORWAYSense EDM ASAndøyfaret 7NO-4623 KristiansandTel: +47 38 00 05 70 Fax: +47 38 00 05 [email protected]

Sense EDM ASJåttåflaten 10NO-4020 StavangerTel: +47 51 81 16 00Fax: +47 51 81 16 [email protected]

Sense Drill Fab ASSpjotnesetNO-4645 NodelandTel: +47 480 30 500Fax: +47 3818 [email protected]

Sense MUD ASAndøyfaret 7NO-4623 KristiansandTel: +47 3800 0570Fax: +47 3800 [email protected]

Wellquip ASSømsveien 216NO-4638 KristiansandP.O.Box 6033NO-4691 KristiansandTel: +47 917 94 000Fax: +47 38 10 89 [email protected]

TTS Marine Cranes ASLaksevågneset 12P.O. Box 32 LaksevågNO-5847 BergenTel: +47 55 34 84 00Fax: +47 55 34 84 [email protected]

TTS Marine Cranes ASRegional office, Barstølveien 26Servicebox 602NO-4606 KristiansandTel: +47 38 04 95 00Fax: +47 38 04 95 [email protected]

TTS Offshore Handling Equipment ASLarsgårdsvn 4P.O. Box 9 Servicebox, NO-6025 ÅlesundTel: +47 70 32 92 60Fax: +47 70 32 92 [email protected]

TTS Handling Systems AS Holterkollvn 6, P.O. Box 49 NO-1441 DrøbakTel: +47 64 90 79 10Fax: +47 64 93 16 [email protected]

TTS Ships Equipment AS Laksevågneset 12P.O. Box 165 LaksevågNO-5847 BergenTel: +47 55 11 30 50Fax: +47 55 11 30 60 [email protected]

SINGAPORESense EDM Singapore Pte Ltd International Business Park 3#03-23 Nordic European CenterSingapore 609927Tel: +65 68906521 / 23Fax: +65 [email protected]

SWEDENTTS Port Equipment ABKämpegatan 3SE-411 04 GöteborgTel: +46 31 725 79 00Fax: +46 31 725 78 [email protected]

TTS Ships Equipment ABKämpegatan 3SE-411 04 GöteborgTel: +46 31 725 79 00Fax: +46 31 725 78 [email protected]

USASense EDM363 N. Sam Houston Parkway East,Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77060Tel: +1 281 405 2691Fax: +1 281 405 [email protected]

TTS Marine Inc. 6555 Powerline Road, Suite 410Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309Tel: +1 954 493 6405Fax: +1 954 493 [email protected]

VIETNAMTTS Vietnam4th Floor, Harbour View BuildingNo4, Tran Phu StreetHaiphong CityTel: +84 31 3686519Fax. +84 31 [email protected]

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