Author: FSG

FSG delivers second ROLLDOCK ship Customer “very satisfied” with performance

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Flensburg: shipbuilders in Flensburg today handed over ROLLDOCK STORM to Dutch shipping company Rolldock BV for immediate operation world-wide in the transport of specialised heavy cargo and project loads. The delivery of ROLLDOCK STORM means that Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has now successfully completed an order for two sister ships to the complete satisfaction of the customer.

ROLLDOCK STAR and ROLLDOCK STORM are 151.5 metre-long, multi-functional, specialised ships designed to transport challenging, heavy loads which do not fit traditional cargo transport moulds. They stand out particularly because of their maximum flexibility and offer a range of different loading and unloading possibilities. Two heavy-duty cranes move cargo weighing up to 700 tons. In addition they boast height-adjustable stern ramps as well as hatch covers which can also be adjusted, making the two ships adaptable to piers of differing heights in ports. As a result, individual loads of up to 3,000 tons can be taken on-board or offloaded in classical RoRo mode. In addition however the 8000 ton deadweight ships can be submersed by about six metres, meaning that cargo can also be floated in and floated out.

ROLLDOCK STAR, in service since January this year, carried a floating pavilion from Amsterdam to Gibraltar, a river cruise ship from Fos to Bordeaux and a submarine from Kaliningrad to Vietnam. FSG Chief Peter Sierk said “this demonstrates that we are now clearly moving in an extremely demanding and very specialist sector. Ships like this, as well as individual offshore ships, are now the future of FSG and follow on from our successes in the RoRo sector”. He added that the entire work force in Flensburg had demonstrated it was possible to successfully deliver excellent ships despite the highest of demands. “Rolldock has told us that they are very satisfied with STORM and STAR”, said Sierk. “In addition we know that STAR is performing splendidly in daily operation and that everyone at Rolldock is full of praise for our work.” The yard chief also has particularly positive words to say about FSG’s co-operation with the Dutch over the past two years. “In Rolldock BV we have found a partner who is absolutely reliable and is one we have been able to help, with our two special new buildings, to meet the demands of its customer’s world-wide. Our co-operation has been marked not only by great trust but also by growing friendship – because that’s something else that sets us apart: top quality professional work, but in a friendly environment.

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Australian owner orders innovative LNG-powered RoRo ferry from FSG

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Flensburg: Flensburger-Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has chalked up yet another global sales success by signing a contract with the Australian shipping company SeaRoad for a 181 metres long RoRo ferry ship new building. What is special about this ship however is that it will be the first of its kind for FSG to be powered by extremely eco-friendly LNG – liquefied natural gas – rather than by Diesel or heavy oil. FSG and SeaRoad have been working intensively over the past years on this project which can now successfully move on into a new phase with the signing of this contract.

For FSG Managing Director Peter Sierk this is very much more than just another contract. “On the one hand, our shipyard is to deliver a ship to Australia for the first time ever. On the other hand , this new building demonstrates yet again the high-level competence of our yard and our innovative capabilities”, he says. “We are very proud that SeaRoad has chosen us and that our ideas have prevailed over those of international competitors. We look forward to continuing the good and intensive co-operation we already enjoy with SeaRoad and which has been characterised over the the time by great trust, professionalism and by our mutual focus on f inding innovative solutions”, Sierk adds.

The world’s first RoRo ferry of this size with liquefied natural gas propulsion is designed to provide future regular liner service between Melbourne on the Australian mainland and Devonport on the island of Tasmania. She will boast a particularly flexible cargo carrying capability and be in a position to transport containers, including reefer units, trailers, cars and hazardous cargo as well as live animals – for example cattle. She will be the first RoRo ferry in the world able to transport reefer containers and hazardous cargo side by side. This will be made possible by a special concept developed by FSG. Commented Peter Sierk: “This liner shipping service will be of existential importance in supplying Tasmania with its basic essentials. That is why SeaRoad decided to commission a shipyard which can deliver quality, high-value vessels which guarantee trouble-free, reliable liner shipping.

Liquefied natural gas propulsion makes the new ferry a ‘green ship’. “LNG operation is currently the cleanest fuel combustion process in existence”, says Sierk. “The emission of sulphur oxides (SO2) and dust is almost nil while that of nitrous oxides (Nox) is also reduced by nearly 100% and that of carbon dioxide (CO2) by about 20%”, he adds. The liquefied natural gas is taken on board the ship in mobile tanks during regular ship loading and unloading. Once on board, the tanks are secured and become f ixed ship fuel tanks without the need for any transshipment thanks to a special locking system also developed by FSG. The newbuilding will be 181 metres long, 26.6 metres wide and have more than 1960 lane metres available. Her speed will be 20.5 knots.It is planned to start construction at FSG on Flensburg’s Batteriestrasse in September 2015 and to deliver the ship in the third quarter of 2016.

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State-of-the-art RoPax ferry successfully launched

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Flensburg: Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) successfully launched ‘Loch Seaforth’ at noon today for Scottish customer Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). The ship is a state-of-the-art, complex RoPax ferry built to carry up to 700 passengers and 143 cars, or 20 trucks. In just three months time the 116 metre long ‘Loch Seaforth’ will link the mainland of northwestern Scotland with the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides on the Stornoway-Ullapool route. Because of her high-value, modern design and construction, the ferry is suitable for round-the-clock operation and as a result will replace two older ferry ships.

“When we reached agreement on this project with CMAL a year and a half ago, the contract was dependent on the highest possible degree of reliability”, recalls FSG chief Peter Sierk. It was not only that CMAL wanted to start its service with ‘Loch Seaforth’ on schedule in July of 2014. “It was also because ‘Loch Seaforth’ was to replace two older ferries in 24 hour operation on a dependable, no-delay time-table that CMAL placed such very high demands on reliable and trouble-free daily operation”, adds Sierk.

Today’s launch demonstrates FSG capability yet again. “We are completely on schedule”, commented Sierk “and we are convinced that we will be able to hand over this newbuilding to our customer right on time, as we have done with all our other ships over the past 15 years”

It was in summer 2012 that the Flensburger Werft bid won the contract, over stiff international competition, because of many advantages: delivery and deadline reliability, high cost effectiveness, an outstanding price-performance ratio and top-class Flensburg shipbuilding quality along with low operational costs and low emissions.

“The construction of ‘Loch Seaforth’ demonstrates once again that we succeed when we develop individual and innovative solutions on behalf of customers. Our strength lies in the fact that we understand the requirements of the customer, make intensive efforts to try to meet them and then develop a tailor-made solution. That’s something you find almost nowhere else”, says Peter Sierk.

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FSG wins order for two Well-Intervention Vessels

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Next successful step into the Offshore market: FSG wins order for two Well Intervention Vessels

Flensburger-Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) is happy to report an order from Offshore vessel operator Siem Offshore, based in Kristiansand, Norway, for two identical newbuildings for well intervention services, based on a 307 WIV design of the Norwegian company SALT Ship Design.

FSG has made a name for itself over the past 15 years as the world leader in the building of RoRo and RoPax ships, and entered the Offshore market with two orders for Dutch operator RollDock as well as two orders for Seismic vessels for WesternGeco. For the Flensburg-based yard, this is another successful step in the expansion of its production portfolio. Managing Director Peter Sierk said “we have been working in the Offshore sector for some years now and this order of complex products proves that we have established our position in this high-tech market.

The two vessels will be owned by Siem Offshore and chartered by the worldwide leading Offshore service provider Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.

The new WIVs will have a length of 158 metres, a beam of 31 metres and a max. service speed of 17 knots. The vessels are compliant to MODU code and Well Intervention 2 notation. They provide accommodation for 150 persons.

Delivery of the two new orders from the yard is scheduled for February 2016, respectively July 2016. Afterwards they will be equiped with Helix topside equipment.

Still on the yard’s order book are one multifunctional heavy-lift ship for RollDock (Netherlands), two seismic vessels for WesternGeco (England), and one RoPax ferry for the Scottish ferry company Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd.

FSG launches ROLLDOCK STORM & STAR in global operation

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Flensburg: Better two than one. Flensburger-Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) today successfully launched ROLLDOCK STORM, the sister ship of ROLLDOCK STAR. The newbuilding rolled down the slipway into the Flensburg Fiord right on time and under the watchful eyes of her builders and of representatives from Dutch owners Rolldock BV.

While ROLLDOCK STORM is now being completed at the yard’s outfitting quay and prepared for her hand-over in May, predecessor ROLLDOCK STAR has already completed her first contracts for her owners. She carried a floating pavilion from Amsterdam to Gibraltar and a river cruise ship from Fos to Bordeaux. Plans now are for her to transport a floating object from the Baltic to the Far East.

These initial projects have served to illustrate why Rolldock BV ordered the two 151.50 metre long multi-functional specialised carriers in the first place: namely to carry demanding, heavy project loads which lie outside the scope of traditional cargo transport. FSG head Peter Sierk said “Rolldock BV has made a name for itself throughout the world as a special transport company and it chose us to build its modern, state-of-the-art newbuildings. It was an enormous challenge for all of us at FSG and one which we met with vigour and motivation. We can see the result of that in ROLLDOCK STAR, a ship which fulfills the tremendously high demands set by our customer and which impresses that customer with her high quality and high-value workmanship.

We know, straight from the horse’s mouth, Sierk said, that by adding the two Flensburg newbuildings to its fleet, RollDock BV now sees itself in the best possible position to cope with international competition. “In Rolldock BV we have found an absolutely reliable partner – one we can support with our two special ships and help to meet the demands of its customers world wide”, he said. “It proves, yet again, that we Flensburg shipbuilders are only ever successful when our products help our customers along – and they certainly do that”, the FSG head declared.

ROLLDOCK STAR and ROLLDOCK STORM stand out mainly because of their maximal flexibility and offer a range of different loading possibilities. Two heavy-duty cranes move cargo weighing up to 700 tons. In addition both ships boast height-adjustable stern ramps and hatch covers making them adaptable to port piers of differing heights. Because of this, individual loads weighing up to 3,000 tons can be loaded or unloaded in classical RoRo mode. Furthermore, the ships are submersible to about 6 metres and thus can handle cargo being floated in or floated out. Deadweight is 8,000 tons.

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