SMM 2024 larger and more international than ever

From the magazine – The SMM 2024 takes place in the Hamburg Exhibition and Congress Halls from 3 to 6 September. Many Dutch companies will be present. Find out what some of them are planning to present at Europe’s largest maritime trade fair.

This article was written by Hans Heynen, maritime journalist, hans.heynen@casema.nl, and appeared in SWZ|Maritime’s July-August 2024 SMM special.

SMM expects 2000 exhibitors from seventy countries and over 40,000 visitors from over 120 countries. According to business unit director Claus Ulrich Selbach, there will be many more exhibitors from China, Korea, and Japan than in the past.

Although shipbuilding has largely moved to Asia, Europe remains an important supplier of components, technology, and the building of special ships. The Netherlands plays a significant role in this field and is present at the SMM with 125 exhibitors. Of these, 42 can be found at the NL Pavilion of Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT).

C-Job Naval Architects

One of the frontrunners in the field of innovation and technology is C-Job Naval Architects. ‘Our mission is to drive the global maritime industry towards sustainability by dedication and ingenuity,’ explains communications manager Charlotte Mackenbach.

‘Over a decade ago, we pioneered solar power and batteries on a ferry. Today, we are at the forefront of maritime design and engineering, with real-world expertise in future fuels like hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia. Our advanced algorithms and data science applications push design boundaries and reduce total ownership costs. We empower our clients to build more efficient, compliant, and sustainable ships, ensuring their operations are future-ready and fit for business. We’re eager to continue to promote this at the SMM fair in September.’

International independent ship design company C-Job Naval Architects has its headquarters in the Netherlands. One of the key projects that made their name was the Texelstroom, a unique doubleended ferry with a hybrid propulsion system that operates between Den Helder and Texel, created in collaboration with its owner TESO.

Also read: How C-Job tackles the challenge of finding new talent

‘C-Job Naval Architects is active across all sectors of the maritime industry. But our main focus markets are offshore, dredging, passenger vessels, workboats and mega yachts’, adds Mackenbach. ‘Our dedicated team of engineers, IT consultants, supervisors, and project managers have a passion for innovation and are committed to helping our clients through every step of the ship design process and making change in the maritime industry.’

The SMM exhibition in Hamburg is one of the key events for C-Job. ‘We have been part of it in some form or other since our inception,’ states Mackenbach. ‘SMM allows us to speak to potential clients and other relations in the industry to catch up about both their and our plans. Our engineers are committed to producing new, innovative, and sustainable solutions for the global maritime shipbuilding industry, from the very first concept vessel designs, through to basic and detailed engineering packages. Our attention to detail and close cooperation with shipowners and yards means that we can develop exactly what the client has in mind for both newbuild, retrofit, and conversion projects.’

One of the groundbreaking projects from C-Job was the design of DEME’s heavy-lift DP3 installation vessel Orion (216 x 49 metres). ‘The Orion is the first purpose-built floating monohulled vessel of its kind and is speeding up installation of offshore wind parks considerably,’ explains Mackenbach. ‘C-Job and DEME, in close collaboration, developed the concept design of the floating DP3 offshore installation vessel and delivered the basic design package of the vessel to the COSCO shipyard in China where the vessel was built. Besides the concept design and basic design, C-Job was involved in the integration design of the major mission equipment, such as the 5000-tonne crane.’

Also read: C-Job: Ships could sail on nuclear power in the future

A groundbreaking project towards a decarbonised maritime industry is the design of the giant hydrogen tanker Gaia. Mackenbach: ‘We collaborated with LH2 Europe for the design. The Gaia is intended to transport hydrogen between Scotland and Germany. Currently, such a vessel does not exist, so we had to create it ourselves. The initial design of the vessel features three liquid hydrogen tanks, each with a capacity of 12,500 cubic metres. The total capacity of 37,500 cubic metres will provide fuel for 400,000 cars or 20,000 heavy trucks in just one single voyage, as well as operating on hydrogen from the cargo tanks. Gaia’s unique trapezium-shaped hull design creates enough deck space to fit the large tanks required to transport the ultra-lightweight hydrogen without the need for ballast.’

C-Job’s Mackenbach is excited to be exhibiting again this year. ‘The SMM fair allows us to speak with (potential) clients from across the globe. Additionally, our strategic partnership with the Meyer Group, an international consortium including the Meyer Werft, gives us a natural focus on the German market.’ C-Job has a global network and a presence in seven offices across five countries covering Europe and the US. Hall B2.EG, stand 314

Also read: C-Job and LH2 Europe present massive liquid hydrogen tanker design

Damen Group

The largest Dutch company on the SMM is the Damen Group. The divisions of the group exhibit their products at several stands. ‘It is the largest international maritime exhibition in the world, and it attracts a lot of people,’ says sales director for North/West and South Europe Frank de Lange. ‘We are broadly represented with our naval division, our shipbuilding branch, our repair branch, our components branch, and our marine services branch.’

The Damen Shipyards Group always has a large stand in the central part of Hall B4 with a lot of exposure. A second Damen stand can be found in Hall A4.

Also read: Germany orders two more F126 frigates from Damen

‘We show our entire portfolio and the latest developments,’ says De Lange. One of those developments is the Fuel Flexible Tug ASD 2812 FF. Damen has adapted the tug’s design to make it ready for the renewable fuels of tomorrow. The first Flexible Fuel Tugs should hit the water in 2026. ‘In close collaboration with classification societies and several flag states we were able to adapt the design of our small workboats for the use of methanol in dual-fuel methanol engines,’ explains De Lange.

Damen also develops electric tugs and workboats. ‘Technically, we are now a bit ahead of what the ports can offer in terms of infrastructure for methanol bunkering and battery charging,’ adds De Lange. ‘But we also make ships greener in other ways with efficient rudders, nozzles, and engines tailored to the sailing profile.’

Damen has had a prominent position in the workboat market for years now. ‘We can sell more workboats than we can build,’ states De Lange. ‘The demand remains high for our ASD and RSD ships. We are quite happy with that. We also see an increase in demand for ships with alternative drive systems, including hydrogen and electric systems. However, those developments highly depend on the cooperation of ports and local authorities as the investments are substantially higher and depend on the final configuration.

Investments for some alternatives in combination with the required infrastructure become close to twice as expensive as for a traditional workboat. Ports play a vital role in the transition and are starting to move along. This means that something will happen in the coming years, however, there should be more focus on these alternative means of propulsion by setting the right boundaries as well as securing the availability of needed infrastructure.’

Damen will also show its Triton Data Platform at the SMM. This platform monitors the operational activity of a vessel. Workboats with short operational deployments can save a lot of fuel with Triton. It makes it possible to steer on human behaviour. ‘It’s not fuel efficient to sail full speed and arrive hours too early in a harbour,’ as De Lange points out.

Also read: Damen unveils offshore charging solution for electric CTVs

FN Diving

A good example of a Dutch specialised technical service provider is Rotterdam-based FN Diving with a second branch in Algeciras. FN Diving performs underwater ship repair, maintenance, and inspection. Their working technique reduces and avoids off-hire time for vessels. ‘When a ship has a problem, our technical department, in cooperation with our operational teams, reacts quickly and deploys the necessary equipment on our customer’s demand within 24 hours in the EU,’ says CEO Fred Noordman of family-owned FN Diving.

‘Our expertise covers almost every underwater aspect of a ship and ensures that essential repairs and maintenance can be performed without needing a drydock.’ For regular customers, FN Diving operates worldwide. ‘In the past, anyone could call on us, but that has changed,’ explains Noordman. ‘You have to be a regular customer now to be helped by the available technical staff.’

FN divers have had comprehensive training. ‘They cannot only dive and weld, but they also have knowledge of hydraulics, are electricians, metallurgists, ship experts and have knowledge of hydrodynamics, propulsion and all other facets they encounter during a repair job,’ states Noordman.

‘We have fifteen trained people in Rotterdam and twelve in Algeciras. Our regular customers demand a specialised team on site within 24 hours. That means that a team of four to five people has to be ready to leave within an hour. A couple of days ago, we welded up a hole in a ship in a last-minute operation. For that repair, we used a combination of an underwater welding procedure and a habitat procedure.’

FN Diving is mainly at the SMM to meet its regular customers. ‘It is largely relationship management for us,’ according to Noordman. ‘In addition, we show new techniques, such as a depth measuring robot and ROV (remotely operated vehicle, Ed.) for underwater inspections. However, an ROV has its limitations. It cannot do all the things a diver can do. An ROV can
see a hedge underwater, but if you want to know if it still opens, you have to grab the handle and rattle it. An ROV can see a rope in the propeller, but cannot remove it. When a real diver does an inspection, he can often tackle a problem immediately.’

FN Diving has a Rotterdam mentality. ‘Don’t bullshit, keep working,’ says Noordman. ‘Recently, we were in Trinidad and Tobago. The pipelayer of one of our customers worked on a large project and damaged its propellers. We repaired everything locally under water and it could finish the job. The water was nice and warm, but there were also hammerhead sharks. That made it quite exciting. In Algeciras, we see orcas sometimes. Genuinely nice animals, but if you meet the wrong one, a blow with the tail or a punch with the nose is enough to throw a diver to the other side of the harbour.’ Hall B5.FG, stand 07

NIM

New at SMM is Dutch innovation society NIM (Nederlandse Innovatie Maatschappij), which was founded in 2023. The NIM is fully focused on the development and introduction of innovative technologies for the reduction of shipping emissions. ‘Our objective is to initiate a technological revolution that accelerates the sustainability of the maritime industry,’ says NIM director Arie Koedood.

‘We are working hard on the development of dual-fuel methanol retrofit kits that allow existing ship engines to run on methanol. The system we are working on does not yet exist and will first be developed for Caterpillar and Mitsubishi engines. There is already a lot of demand from the maritime industry.’

Also read: NIM: Breathing life into inland navigation innovation

One of them is Dutch geo-data specialist Fugro. It supports the development and is interested in retrofitting the Mitsubishi and Caterpillar engines of its existing fleet of research vessels with the system. ‘But it will also be suitable for inland shipping,’ says Koedood.

Mitsubishi is the most complicated engine for a retrofit kit, because it’s a mechanical engine. NIM’s main goal at the SMM is to announce they are working on this and to gauge interest. ‘Hamburg is an exceptionally good international fair for maritime shipping. We have a small stand at the NL Pavilion of NMT. That is an affordable way to exhibit at the SMM. In the past, I was there with Mitsubishi, and it is a busy fair with many international parties. There is already quite a bit of interest from the Netherlands, including from inland shipping.’ B7, NL Pavilion

Discom

Discom designs and builds tailor-made exhaust solutions that combine noise reduction with emission control and systems for heat recovery. The company exibits noise-dampening exhaust gas purifiers at the SMM that are capable of meeting maritime Stage V and Tier 4 emission standards. Discom has been designing and manufacturing maritime exhaust systems for over forty years. Originally, these were only for dampening engine noise. Today, exhausts can be equipped with heat recovery and exhaust gas cleaning units if desired.

Emissions of existing marine engines can be brought to Stage V and Euro 6 levels with these after-treatment systems. Discom’s Heat Recovery Steam module converts heat from exhaust gas into steam and electricity. As a result, the user needs fewer generators on board and saves on fuel and CO2 emissions. Hall A3, stand 418

Kwant Controls

Kwant Controls from Sneek is a specialist in nautical control units for the electrical remote control of all kinds of propulsion and steering devices, such as traditional main engine/clutch/CPP-FPP shaft lines, tunnel thrusters, azimuth thrusters, rudders, and water jets.

‘As the world leading manufacturer of nautical control levers and systems, Kwant Controls perfectly fits in the setting of the SMM, the most globally oriented maritime exhibition,’ says account manager Erik Miedema.

‘With our electrical shaft system (ELAS), we have been providing highly reliable lever synchronisation for many decades. Currently, the sixth generation is being delivered to a very wide range of seagoing ships, from azimuth levers on a cruise vessel to joysticks on an offshore supply vessel. This proven technology is used together with haptic features in today’s modern propulsion control systems to enable support in sophisticated vessel manoeuvring operations. During the SMM, we present a hybrid system configuration in combination with haptic control levers. The several mode transitions of such a system are arranged by an operator-friendly setting in the control lever. No complicated selection menus or a variety of buttons, just a human machine interface (HMI) and a motorised lever.’ Hall B6, stand 205

Lankhorst Ropes

Also based in Sneek is Lankhorst Ropes, a leading supplier of synthetic fibre and steel wire ropes for the maritime and offshore industries. The core business is the development and production of high-performance, synthetic, and steel wire ropes for mooring and anchor systems, as well as towing and crane hoisting and luffing applications. A high-performance rope from Lankhorst is the 8-Strand Tipto Eight mooring rope. Abrasion resistance and energy absorption ensure a long service life and low cost of ownership.

The rope’s small diameter and low weight make handling easier. As a floating rope, the risk of getting the rope caught in the ship and tug propeller is minimised. New is the 12-Strand Tipto Twelve. A twelve-string knitted construction makes this rope rounder, more stable, more compact, and straighter in overall shape.

As a Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group company, Lankhorst Ropes is part of one of the world’s largest steel and synthetic fibre rope manufacturers, WireCo WorldGroup. Founded in 1803, Lankhorst Ropes has over 200 years of experience in the manufacture and supply of high-performance ropes for mooring and towing applications. Hall A1, stand 108

Radio Holland

Radio Holland, founded in 1916 by a group of shipowners and industrialists, is one of the oldest maritime communication companies in the world. Worldwide, the company contributes towards the safety of life at sea by delivering critical marine electronic solutions and providing global onboard and remote services. The company has a reputation as one of the leading global navcom, connectivity, integration, and service and maintenance providers. Radio Holland has a global service network of over sixty locations along major shipping routes with class-approved, skilled technicians. Hall B6, stand 314

Also read: Jumbo outsources NavCom service work to Radio Holland

Kranendonk welding robots

An important innovative Dutch company is Kranendonk, a leading robotics supplier for shipyard automation. Kranendonk has supplied robot solutions around the globe since 1983 and has subsidiaries in Denmark, Japan, China, Singapore, and the United States. Kranendonk continuously works on new robot applications and offers high-end automation solutions for the shipbuilding industry. The company works with the world’s largest manufacturers in optimising their production flow and automating key parts in the process chain. With intelligent and CAD-connected robot lines, production can be made incredibly efficient and effective.

The RinasWeld software from Kranendonk takes a leap forward from traditional robot programming methods, by effectively taking all programming overhead away. The user selects only the 3D CAD model of the product, after which the software will identify where and how to weld. Smart anti-collision lets the robot make maximum use of the available space, so welding in tiny spaces is no problem.

With these intelligent features, the RinasWeld software is the most advanced connection between 3D CAD and robotic welding. The software determines automatically where the welds need to be, how the robots can reach these places, and what parameters should be used for each weld. It means that the software will pick the right welding procedure specification (WPS) from a database of approved weld parameters. Hall B2.EG, stand 322

Sandfirden Technics

Sandfirden Technics from Den Oever supplies maritime generators and propulsion sets with Scania or AGCO Power engines. In addition to marinised diesel engines from Scania, Sandfirden offers Scania engines that run on LNG and green methanol. Sandfirdens’ R&D department specialises in the engineering and development of customised solutions for various sectors, such as luxury yacht building, inland navigation, and fishing.

For ships operating in Natura 2000 areas and inland shipping, the company offers a Stage V certified Scania engine. This is a newly developed engine with common rail injection and variable turbo geometry with a compact emission system and a 34 per cent higher torque at low revolutions. ‘During the SMM, the Scania IMO III genset is our most important product,’ says Sandfirdens’ Stefanie Zincken.

Zincken adds: ‘Diesel engines with aftertreatment still remain our most important product. We see a shift to diesel-electric propulsion. This makes it possible to use our gensets for the propulsion of larger ships. At the SMM, we show a very compact plug and play genset that is easy to install.’ Hall A3, stand 403

Also read: Rederij Doeksen fits cargo catamaran with new engines

Lagersmit Sealing Solutions

One of the oldest Dutch companies at the SMM is Lagersmit, founded in 1856. Lagersmit has specialised in the development and production of sealing solutions for propeller shafts, dredging pumps, and tidal turbines. From its high-tech production location in Alblasserdam, Lagersmit serves the worldwide maritime, dredging, tidal energy, water management, and industrial markets, with high-quality sealing solutions. The company’s network of offices, agents, and service stations covers the entire world.

The best-known seal of the company is the patented Supreme Ventus propeller shaft system. This system creates an air barrier between the water-retaining lip seal and the oil-retaining lip seal of the stern tube. The air pressure in the space between the two seals is continuously adjusted to the pressure on the waterside. This places minimal strain on the lip seals and permanently separates oil and water from each other.

On 20 December 2023, Lagersmit became a subsidiary of the Timken Company that acquired 100 per cent of the shares. Lagersmit’s leadership team remained in place, however, and the company will continue to serve its customers from its headquarters in the Netherlands. Hall A1, stand 231

Picture (top): C-Job Naval Architects designed the giant hydrogen tanker Gaia (by C-Job).