QUARTERLY
NEWSLETTERFOR
FOR
THE
JAMES
FISHER
GROUP
OF COMPANIES
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
THE
JAMES
FISHER
GROUP
OF COMPANIES
170
SPRING
SPRING 2017
2017
year anniversary
1847- 201 7
JCB safety system
Prolec has designed a bespoke
safety system for JCB’s new
Hydradig excavator: Page 3
Nuclear inspection
JFN in links with EDF Energy to
create a bespoke reactor core
inspection tool: Page 5
Offshore success
Significant offshore contract
wins for Subtech in Africa and
the Middle East: Page 6
Tidal completion
JFMS work with tidal energy
project site, MeyGen sees
speedy completion: Page 7
Diving into
the Chinese
market
JFD’s newly formed joint venture with a Chinese
diving equipment company has landed its first
major contract
QUARTERLY
NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
From the deep blue sea to outer space
JFD’s communication system, HeliCom Matrix makes the
world’s first astronaut-to-deep-sea-diver conversation
possible: Full story on page 2
Stop press
• James Fisher has created a partnership with
Myanmar-based company, Royal Marine Technology to
assist with the country’s expanding offshore oil and gas
development plans.
• Subtech South Africa has set up the Subtech Imbokodo
Trust that provides educational bursaries to prospective
new mariners in a bid to help promising students complete
the necessary studies for a career in the maritime industry.
The trust’s first beneficiary is Siyamthanda Vuyelwa who
hopes to achieve a diploma in marine sciences at Cape
Peninsula University of Technology.
Register
Late last year, JFD finalised details on an exciting joint
venture with diving equipment manufacturer Wuhu Diving
Equipment Factory, to form a company called Wuhu Divex
Diving Systems Ltd.
As both partners have extensive track records of designing,
manufacturing and installing diving systems, the new joint venture
was created to provide a strengthened offering to the Chinese
market and shipyards.
Now that vision has become a reality in the form of a new
saturation diving system contract – a mobile 300m saturation
diving system for Shanghai Salvage Company (SSC) which is one
of the biggest professional salvage companies in China.
‘JFD has enjoyed a ten year partnership with SSC and we are
delighted that this partnership is continuing through our new
joint venture with Wuhu,’ says JFD managing director Giovanni
Corbetta, ‘This partnership will allow access to greater resources
in China providing a stronger portfolio and capability.’
As a subsidiary of SSC, Wuhu specialises in commercial diving
systems for the domestic Chinese market, however, the link with
JFD gives the team access to the design and manufacture of
deeper saturation diving systems.
JFD Asia Pacific director, Doug Austin explains: ‘In the last
ten years the two companies have worked closely together on
projects, with JFD providing the design and outfitting expertise
and Wuhu providing manufacturing capability. However, when
SSC identified its need for new deep diving saturation systems,
the joint venture was formed and although it is contracted to
provide a saturation system for
the parent company, it is well
positioned to provide deep
diving capability to the growing
Chinese market, as well as
systems to new diving support
vessels being built in Chinese
yards for global markets.’
Wuhu: signing the joint venture
SPRING 2017
Enter your email address at:
https://www.james-fisher.com/media/
pelican-registration to receive up-tothe-minute news and information about
James Fisher companies straight to
your inbox.
BP eyes new visualisation
technology from R2S
Simulated deep dive at the US Navy
Experimental Diving Unit in Panama City,
equivalent to being 500ft below seawater
BP has been the first oil major to successfully pilot the use of R2S
Mosaic on its Clair platform north of Scotland
Heliox voice
audio signal
Astronauts aboard
the International
Space Station
Unscambler
400
The challenge
km
OR
Clean
audio signal
BI
To ensure the heliox speech
produced by a deep sea diver is
intelligible over huge distances
on a phone call between outer
space and deep sea
T
Ground control
to Major Tom
The solution
Divex HeliCom Matrix system
unscrambles the diver’s
high-pitched ‘Donald Duck’
speech to make it easy to
understand
JFD’s communication system has made history thanks to a VERY long
distance phone conversation between outer space and the deep blue sea
In February a historic phone conversation
took place between an astronaut on the
International Space Station 400km above
Earth and US Navy deep-sea divers on a
simulated deep dive, equivalent to being
150m below the surface of the ocean. The
feat was only possible thanks to JFD’s
communication system, HeliCom Matrix.
The communication system was able to
unscramble the divers’ conversation using
advanced digital technology which converts
the distorted speech caused by the heliox
gas (a mixture of helium and oxygen) they
breathe at depth.
The call was set up by a joint NASA/
US Navy initiative to test JFD’s new
communications system and a recent
overhaul of the US Navy’s experimental
diving unit (NEDU). It comes as part of a
close working relationship between the US
Navy and NASA which uses underwater
environments as a training ground for
astronauts.
Some of the key conditions of working
in space (such as zero gravity and the
importance of locks and pressure seals) can
be re-created underwater. ‘The physiology
and science is similar between saturation
02
diving and going into outer space,’ explains
lieutenant David Meadows of NEDU.
Both divers and astronauts have to live
and work in a hostile environment, using
equipment designed to keep them alive,
while coping with the physiological effects
of gasses on their bodies. However, the
main difference between the two is that
underwater there is lots of pressure, whereas
in space there is none. Due to this pressured
environment, divers have to breath heliox
which renders their speech high pitched
and difficult to understand. But JFD’s
helium speech communication system,
the Divex HeliCom Matrix System, utilises
the latest digital signal processing techniques
to unscramble the divers’ ‘Donald Duck’
speech so they can be heard and
understood clearly.
The HeliCom system uses a ‘vocal
tract modeller digital helium unscrambler’
which converts raw helium speech back to
intelligible communications making clear
communication possible over extreme
distances.
Steven Coull, JFD’s product engineering
manager says: ‘JFD is delighted to have
worked on this experiment with two world
leaders, NEDU and NASA. We are all
immensely proud that the HeliCom
Matrix played a vital role in ensuring
successful communications from seabed
to outer space. Clear and intelligible
communications are essential for diver
safety and the excellent client feedback we
received is testament to JFD’s commitment
to producing world class products.’
This ground breaking experiment was the
first of its kind. The ten-minute call – which
went ahead on February 7th – was streamed
live on Facebook. In that time, French
astronaut, Thomas Pesquet chatted with
divers, including master diver Eric Wilson,
as they discussed daily life underwater and
in space as well as the different projects
they were working on.
Although teamwork is a vital part of
working as an astronaut and a commercial
diver, so is being able to cope with
isolation. When you’re working ‘alone’ in
the hostile environment of space - or up
to 450m below the surface of the ocean you still need to constantly communicate
with the support team; whether that’s
mission control on Earth or dive control
on the surface.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
R2S Mosaic, the latest generation of Return
to Scene’s award-winning visualisation
technology which was launched last year,
has undergone its first field trial with BP.
BP’s Clair oilfield is the largest
undeveloped hydrocarbon resource in the
UK continental shelf, with an estimated
eight billion barrels of oil in place.
The pilot on BP’s Clair platform, west of
Shetland, began last October with the R2S
Mosaic capture of the platform’s production
and cellar decks. The completed project
was delivered on schedule in January.
As explained in the Autumn issue of
Pelican, R2S Mosaic uses specialised
photography and spatial awareness to
provide a completely immersive 360 degree
visualisation of an asset or location which
allows you to ‘walk around’ the whole
facility without actually being there.
It enables asset owners, operators, and
their suppliers to view, assess and measure
anything from specific project areas to
entire platforms, without the logistical and
cost constraints of repeated survey trips.
This makes it particularly useful for use
in hazardous environments and offshore
assets as it dramatically reduces the cost
of routine site inspections. It also provides
an intuitive visual data hub - a single point
of access from which to streamline the
management of data between the multiple
information management systems utilised
across oil and gas.
Return to Scene began working with
BP in 2009, and with a global agreement
in place, R2S has been rolled out across
assets in the North Sea and US Gulf of
Mexico. The team is also working on major
projects in Canada.
BP is a pioneering adapter of visualisation
03
technologies and it was the collaboration
between its digital innovation organisation
team and Clair’s operational team that
provided a green light to the R2S Mosaic
pilot. This not only ensures the costeffectiveness of the project, but it helps
BP in meeting its technology strategy
goals as well as wider industry objectives
of efficiency, innovation and collaboration.
Return to Scene believes it is helping BP to
achieve these goals through this on-going
relationship.
BP is undergoing a full assessment of the
functionality, value and application of R2S
Mosaic with a view to adopting it at scale.
If successful, this would see greater uptake
across BP globally.
Martin MacRae, Return to Scene’s
head of product development says: ‘Client
led research and development is central
to our business and it’s incredibly exciting
to be working with BP on this pilot project.
This process will provide us with essential
intelligence that will allow us to consider
any modifications that may prove valuable
to BP and our other oil and gas industry
clients.’
Although R2S Mosaic is based on the
same principles as the previous awardwinning version it includes many additional
features and functionalities designed to
optimise workflow, improve understanding
and increase efficiency.
Ruth Christie, Return to Scene’s business
development director adds: ‘The focus on
R&D and relationship-building with clients
such as BP helps us to ensure that R2S
Mosaic and other deliverables continue to
meet the project-critical requirements of
our customers and the future challenges
of the market.’
JCB’s Hydradig
gets a Prolec
upgrade
James Fisher Prolec (Prolec) has been
working closely with construction
machinery specialist, JCB, to design and
integrate a bespoke safety system into its
new Hydradig excavator which makes it
super-safe to operate in confined spaces.
The Prolec system ensures the Hydradig
excavator complies with tough regulations
set by major infrastructure project
companies for working in congested
environments.
But the specifics of Hydradig’s design
and function meant Prolec had to engineer
a bespoke solution which would fit the
excavator’s compact dimensions but be
capable of reliably controlling its range
of motion.
The safety solution Prolec has
successfully designed and manufactured
is the next generation variant of its flagship
‘rated capacity indicator and machine
envelope monitoring system’ which
physically limits a machine’s movement. It
works by asking operators to define safe
working zones on any site. The Prolec
system is then able to restrict a machine’s
movements should it approach these limits.
This has huge safety implications for
Hydradig, allowing the excavator to be used
on the new M6 smart motorway conversion
(working in the narrow confines of the
central reservation without risk to traffic on
either side). It also maximises productivity
because the movement restriction ensures
users can confidently make use of the
machine’s full capacity.
Prolec can now offer the new design to
Hydradig owners who want to retrofit their
excavators for use in confined spaces.
Prolec’s product support manager, Ed
Staveley explains: ‘The Prolec system
allows the Hydradig operator to manage
risk by constantly monitoring the machine’s
movement within defined safe zones
restricting its movement if it approaches
these limits.’
There is a growing requirement for plant
machinery to have these kinds of safety
systems as standard, and this project for
Prolec comes on top of a similarly high
profile job for Caterpillar.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
We meet Tanya Valova who joined the
Perth office of Australian marine engineering
consultancy Maritime Engineers last year and
has been forging strong links with other James
Fisher group companies
Tell us a bit about yourself
Although I grew up in Bulgaria we moved
to Germany in my teenage years. I have
always been fascinated with the ocean and
an avid fan of competitive sailing and this
passion culminated in me taking a masters
degree in mechanical engineering and naval
architecture (ship design).
As a student I worked part-time for the
ship classification society Germanisher
Lloyd, and after graduating I was offered a
position as plan approval engineer with the
company.
Over the next eight years I gathered
experience in the hull and outfitting
departments which involved a two year stint
representing the company in South Korea
and China and I found I really enjoyed
working with multiple clients across different
cultures.
In 2012 I took the big decision to move
to Perth in Western Australia to work with
a shipbuilding and marine engineering
consultancy. Four years later (in January
last year) I joined Maritime Engineers (ME)
as design office manager in the Perth
office (the company has offices in Australia,
Singapore and Japan) with a brief to run the
design aspect of the business.
What’s your current role?
As well as working with the team to try
to expand our markets, much of my focus
is on growing the business internally by
developing successful relationships with
our sister companies. In the last year I
have been helping to identify where we can
share knowledge and expertise with other
companies in the James Fisher group in
the hope that we can try to get projects
together and work as an expanded team.
As a result we are in the process of
strengthening our relationships with sister
companies such as Fendercare, Scan Tech,
Mojo Maritime and JFD.
Under the surface with:
Tanya Valova
Design office manager with Maritime Engineers
been involved in the recent redesign to
allow the mooring to accommodate larger
vessels of up to 90m long. We have also
been awarded a contract to undertake a
feasibility study of the Western Australia
Police fleet of vessels – although this will
be headed up by my colleague, Mark
Sambrailo.
In addition to this, we have supported
our Australian clients on a range of smaller
projects such as stability assessments
and the design of towing equipment and
bespoke mooring solutions.
What do you enjoy most about
your job?
I love the fact that I am able to mix
my technical expertise with project
management skills to get a complete overall
view of any project, seeing it through from
concept design to fabrication, working very
closely with the client the whole time. My
job is all about finding the best possible
solutions not just in terms of suitable design
but also in terms of project management
and cost control. I’m currently studying
for a post-graduate certificate in project
management so it’s all very useful.
Because of our expertise in naval
architecture, marine and ocean engineering
design we are also looking at other group
companies to see where we can help each
other, whether that be sharing knowledge,
supporting projects or offering advice. I
am convinced that together we can be
stronger, more efficient and provide our
customers with the best possible service.
What projects have you worked on?
When I joined ME, the team had already
been working on the Dampier floating wharf
project in Australia (pictured left) but I have
04
What other projects are you
working on?
We were involved in the tendering
process with JFD on the new contract
to create a saturation diving system for
Shanghai Salvage that will operate up
to 500m deep (as featured in the Winter
issue of Pelican). The project is fascinating
because no one has designed anything
capable of reaching these depths. We are
hoping to support JFD with the structural
design of the frame system and the
transport vessel interface.
There is so much to look forward to –
these are exciting times for ME.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
Core inspection expertise
JFN has won the contract to manufacture highly specialised
inspection tools for EDF Energy’s nuclear reactors
Since 2012 EDF Energy has been
using special ‘eddy current inspection
tools’ which were specially developed
with James Fisher Nuclear (JFN)
working in collaboration with Serco (now
Amec), Bloodworth Consultancy and
Manchester University to help assess
the health of the graphite blocks that
make up the reactor core of many of its
nuclear energy sites.
It is vital to regularly monitor the
graphite that is critical to the safe
generation of electricity and so ensure
the continued safe operation of EDF’s
nuclear reactors. But an increasing
desire to extend the safe life of existing
nuclear plants has stimulated the need
for ever more advanced inspection
technology.
The multinational electricity generator
has been working closely with JFN in
recent years to ensure the inspection
technology is as sophisticated as
possible. When EDF Energy was given
a ten-year extension on Dungeness B
it asked JFN to upgrade its inspection
system and ensure it was fully
compatible with the specifics of the
Dungeness B reactors.
The teams worked in collaboration
to design a new highly sophisticated
evolution, called ECIT. The system is
undergoing final tests, and JFN has
been given the go-ahead to manufacture
three ECIT core inspection units at its
modern engineering facility in Malton,
Yorkshire, with a view to delivering the
final tools and all their equipment by the
middle of 2019.
The new system has been further
How ECIT works
developed to be robust and adaptable
enough to provide reliable and accurate
data in the hostile and highly radioactive
environment of the reactor cores of
EDF Energy’s fleet of operating
advanced gas cooled (AGR) nuclear
power stations. The data from each
inspection is relayed to operators on
the charge face – on top of the nuclear
reactor - to enable rapid assessment
of the condition of the core by the EDF
Energy inspection team.
The EDF commission is for three tools,
each with a control console, a calibration
unit and a storage unit to allow safe
handling and transportation of the tool
once it’s been deployed in the core.
‘The recent product development has
combined all the good design of our
previous system along with operational
experience from the field to significantly
improve it,’ explains project lead for JFN
Sarah Town.
‘We were asked to modify the tool
specifically for use in Dungeness B
nuclear power station, which has much
tighter size restrictions, and this added to
the engineering challenge,’ Sarah adds.
The increased understanding of
changes to the status of these cores
will enable EDF Energy to improve the
assessment of station lifetimes to help
keep costs down and reduce downtime.
EDF Energy owns and operates 15
nuclear plants at eight nuclear power
stations in the UK. These stations have a
combined capacity of around 8.8 million
kilowatts (kW): a significant proportion
of the UK’s total installed electricity
generation capacity.
ECIT (eddy current
inspection tool)
works by applying
an electromagnetic
field to the graphite
bricks which make
up the reactor core.
Because graphite
is electrically
conductive, eddy
currents are induced
in the material.
This electrical
conductivity can be
measured to give an
indication of graphite
density and stability.
The eddy current
generates data and
highlights heat spots
and any weaknesses
or changes in density
or cracks in the
graphite which could
have a significant
impact on the
reactor.
The ECIT control
console (left) is now
more ergonomic and
easier to work with
as well as to clean
and decontaminate.
This will make ECIT
safe to handle and
transport once it’s
been in the core.
Strainstall in world first product approval
Strainstall’s market-leading container weighing
system, CWS, has just received full Automatic
Weighing Instruments EU-type approval from the
National Measurement and Regulation Office.
This is a world first, and a critical milestone in the
product’s development.
The EU-type approval enables complete
compliance to the International Marine
Organisation (IMO)’s amendments to the Safety
of Life at Sea (SOLAS) which came into force
on 1 July 2016 making it a legal requirement for
every export container to have a verified container
05
weight as a condition for loading aboard a vessel.
‘The industry is still experiencing some issues with
implementation and enforcement so this certification
will give customers complete confidence in
compliance and their ability to provide verified weights
as legislated by the IMO,’ says Strainstall managing
director, Simon Everett.
Strainstall’s CWS (pictured left) was specifically
developed to meet the SOLAS regulations and has
been successfully installed at a number of international
container terminals where it has demonstrated its high
accuracy in excess of industry expectations.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
Offshore expansion for Subtech
Subtech increases its offshore
presence with significant new
contract wins
Subtech diver with a cable installation
After six years of focussing solely on marine
and sub-sea services in Sub-Saharan Africa,
Subtech has re-entered the offshore market
with significant new contract wins in the
Middle East and West Africa.
Work has just commenced on a cable
installation project for Saipem in the Gulf of
Arabia. This contract will be managed out
of Subtech’s Dubai office.
In addition to this, the division has been
busy co-ordinating five new offshore
projects: two diving contracts in Equatorial
Guinea for ExxonMobil and Geptrol
Marine Services; an installation support
contract in Ghana for Sri EMAS; a fiveyear maintenance arrangement for buoy
mooring company Seaways International
and a five-year contract for the provision of
specialised pipeline maintenance services
for Shell Nigeria.
Paul Whiley, who joined as the Subtech
Group’s new CEO last October says:
‘Although the oil and gas industry is at its
lowest since the 1920s, we are delighted
that Subtech has managed to secure
contracts in both West Africa and the
JFSE designs ground-breaking
underwater trenching tool
James Fisher Subsea Excavation, which
leads the way in subsea mass/controlled
flow excavation around the world, has
developed a powerful new tool capable
of trenching large diameter pipelines in a
single pass.
JFSE’s fleet of tools uses high pressure
water jets to provide a non-contact form
of excavation that eliminates the risks
associated with other excavation methods
especially around complex subsea assets.
The new Twin T8000 brings together two
T8000 units (which have been successfully
used on hundreds of subsea excavation
projects) to offer unsurpassed power and
precision.
The new system can direct up to 16,000
litres of water per second with an accuracy
of 0mm + 300mm. It was designed
for offshore construction company,
SapuraKencana Mexicana for a project
which required 14km of 36” gas pipeline
to be laid in the Gulf of Mexico in a single
pass.
Graham Murdoch, operations director at
JFSE, explains: ‘Although we designed the
Twin T8000 with this particular project in
mind, the technology will greatly benefit any
client with large diameter trenching needs.
06
The Twin T8000 ready for action
The proven combination of power and
controllability of this tool is second to none.’
‘We are committed to continuous
innovation so our clients can be assured
that whatever solution we devise for their
subsea excavation requirement, it will be
the most time and cost-effective option
available,’ Graham adds.
Success for JFMS in
cutting-edge tidal project
JFMS and Mojo Maritime celebrate the completion of early
construction at MeyGen’s tidal energy project in Scotland
Posh Elegance: working on Subtech’s
Nigeria contract
Middle East. This is a testament to the
fantastic team we have in our offshore
division as well as the excellence in the
departments which support them. We
anticipate being able to continue this
growth in the coming months and years.’
When Subtech sold its Qatar operation in
2010 the decision was taken to concentrate
on work in Sub-Saharan Africa, but now
the teams have started winning offshore
contracts along the coast of West Africa,
the offshore side of the business is growing
at an exponential rate.
Wind farm
construction is
galloping ahead
The teams at JFMS have been hard at
work on the next construction phase
of the new Galloper wind farm off the
Suffolk coast.
With the installation of the first
offshore wind turbine foundations at
the Galloper site, offshore operations
can now commence.
A JFMS vessel, the Severn Provider
is working with a three-man emergency
response team to offer rescue services
and medical treatment there.
JFMS has also ramped up
personnel levels at Galloper’s onshore
construction base in Lowestoft to
support this additional vessel handling,
refuelling and logistics.
Project manager, David Smail
says: ‘2017 looks set to be a very
busy year for JFMS as construction
of Galloper gets underway. We will
be supporting the installation of 56
turbine foundations over the next four
months, and this will be followed by
the installation of array cables and an
offshore substation before the wind
turbines can arrive.’
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
Over the last 18 months, James Fisher
group companies have been closely
involved in the preparatory construction
of MeyGen’s tidal energy project site in
Scotland’s Pentland Firth. But now the
fourth and final tidal stream turbine has
been successfully deployed in record
time - less than 60 minutes.
This marks the completion of a brave
and exciting mission to create the
world’s first tidal energy field in extremely
challenging conditions. Richard Argall,
managing director of projects at James
Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) says:
‘Tidal stream projects always provide
a challenge and MeyGen has been no
exception. They are situated in areas
where tidal forces are at their strongest the kind of place mariners tend to avoid.
It can be a bit like erecting a wind turbine
in a hurricane so there is never any room
for error.
‘With MeyGen we were operating in
tight tidal windows and it’s a testament to
the great team that despite the conditions
we were able to complete the work on
schedule. MeyGen is an important project
with implications for the development of
the wider tidal energy sector and we are
pleased to have played our part in getting
this project off the ground.’
James Fisher companies came
together to successfully complete the
work on the turbine and cable installation
with Mojo Maritime and JF Subsea
working closely on the project.
Since being acquired by James Fisher
in 2015, Mojo has sealed its reputation as a
world leader in the tidal energy construction
market. This has included the pioneering
use of DP 2 vessels. Although traditionally
used in the offshore oil and gas sector,
these have been specially configured by
Mojo for use on tidal energy projects. Mojo
also provided three bespoke tidal turbine
launch and recovery systems for use in
high energy tidal sites to cope with the
demanding environment.
To date, the teams have successfully
executed tidal energy operations in some
of the most challenging seas in the world,
with these skills deployed not only in the UK
but also in France, through Mojo’s French
subsidiary.
The company has also recently been
selected by American wave energy
company, GWave to provide engineering
services for the installation of its inaugural
power generation device. Work is
scheduled to begin in 2018 on the
hardware, which claims to generate up to
9MW of energy and will be the first wave
energy device of its kind to be used in
Europe. It will be based at the Wave Hub
test site in Cornwall.
During 2017 Mojo Maritime and JF
Subsea, along with recently acquired HSSE
are being rebranded together as James
Fisher Marine Services to provides a single
point of contact for the tidal energy sector
as it moves through pilot arrays to full-scale
commercial deployments. This rebranding
will enable the companies to work more
closely together, and share expertise.
Joining the fight
against illegal
animal trade
Joining the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge’s
conservation taskforce
Tanker charter company, JF Everard
has joined a global taskforce
backed by the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge to stem the illegal trade in
endangered animals.
The ‘transport taskforce’ will bring
together leaders in international
transport in a bid to unite conservation
efforts worldwide against poaching
and illegal wildlife trading and
investigate ways to break the chain
between suppliers and consumers.
The taskforce comes under the
umbrella concerns of the charity,
United for Wildlife created by
The Royal Foundation of The Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge and
Prince Harry.
‘The trade targets some of the most
endangered species on the planet and
puts animals through untold suffering,’
says Fiona Everard from JF Everard.
‘We want to see if there is anything
we can do to assist conservation
groups, share best practice with
other operators and help to stem the
trade in illegally caught and poached
animals worldwide.’
Inspection, operation and insight
James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) has
made two important acquisitions which
strengthen the company’s offering to
existing and potential clients.
The first addition is in the form of a
complete acquisition of Rotos 360; a
Norfolk-based wind turbine inspection
and repair company, and the second
development is the purchase of the
operations and assets from Insight Marine
Projects, based in Cornwall.
The innovative turbine curing technique
which Rotos 360 has developed, and which
07
is proven to reduce turbine downtime during
essential maintenance (right), will enhance the
JFMS renewables offering - helping deliver
improved responsiveness and reduced costs.
Because Insight has a strong reputation
for supplying coastal, inshore and offshore
services, the acquisition will mean extended
hydrographic/geophysical survey and
construction support for JFMS’s existing
clients in the oil, gas and civil engineering
markets around the world, as well as boosting
potential services in renewables.
Richard Argall, managing director of
marine projects at JFMS comments: ‘Our
market-leading marine service capabilities
have been further strengthened through
these purchases, which means we can
now provide an even more comprehensive
service to our customers globally.’
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017
James Fisher
bids farewell to
Captain Smith
Young painters of the world
Congratulations to Mirela Hristova, 13, from Bulgaria who won the age 9+ section of the
James Fisher Shipping Services nautically-themed children’s painting competition with
this fantastic picture. She is joined by Connor Stevenson, 5, from Cumbria and Matilda
Cook, 7 from Sunderland who won the 2-5 and 6-8 year old categories.
HSSE diver in it
for the long run
Congratulations
to apprentice
of the year
The Hughes Sub Surface Engineering
apprentice of the year award has gone
to Tom Riding who has now joined the
company to work as a dive technician.
Tom was highly commended for the
mechanical engineering apprenticeship he
completed in conjunction with St Helen’s
College near Liverpool.
He received the award (above) from
Arthur Todd, group marine projects
director at James Fisher at a ceremony last
December at Liverpool Marine Engineers’
and Naval Architects’ Guild.
08
While most of us were enjoying our Easter
weekend this year, professional diver, Adam
Fryer, was powering his way through the
Marathon des Sables - a 156-mile ultramarathon across the Sahara desert.
Adam, 31, from Conway in North Wales,
who works as a diver with Hughes Sub
Surface Engineering (now part of James
Fisher Marine Services), finished in the top
300 out of 1300 runners.
Adam trained hard for this, the world’s
toughest foot race, which takes place in
Northern Morocco every April and involves
running seven marathons over six days on
shifting sands in searing 50-degree heat.
Adam ran so well that he was lying in the
top 200 until the middle of the last 54-mile
stage when he tripped and dislodged his
kneecap. Despite the grusome injury, and in
considerable pain, he completed the race on
crutches and finished in 286th place.
He says: ‘This was the hardest thing I’ve ever
done, but I was totally focused on smashing it –
it was many miles of pure pain and joy.’
Not only did Adam beat his best hopes for
placings, but he also exceeded his £10,000
targeted fundraising for Ty Gobaith (Hope
House) children’s hospices.
James Fisher helped Adam raise money by
putting £500 towards his equipment and food
and you can still sponsor Adam here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/
Adam-Fryer-MDS
After a lifetime working at sea and 20 years
with James Fisher, Captain Dennis Smith –
master of Solway Fisher - has just retired.
Dennis, who had an exemplary work
and safety record throughout his 45-year
career, started work on steam tugs on
the River Tyne at the age of 15. He joined
Rowbotham tankships as junior 3rd mate in
1975 at the age of 25, gained his Masters
Extended European Certificate and was
promoted to master in 1981. Rowbothams
eventually became P&O Tankships which
was bought by James Fisher in 1997.
‘My job has certainly changed over the
years,’ he says, ‘when I was first made
captain the crew were paid on board in
cash, so the toughest day each month was
payday when I had to lock myself away
and work out all the tax, national insurance
and overtime.’
‘That all gets sorted by admin staff
onshore now (thank goodness!), but my
paperwork has quadrupled over the years
and a captain’s activities have gradually
increased to include vettings, port and flag
state inspections, audits and budgets. It is
immensely satisfying when things go right
and the ship gets a clean bill of health –
which wouldn’t be possible without good
competent crew and shore staff.’
Dennis plans to spend his well-deserved
retirement with his wife of 47 years,
Marilyn, walking, playing golf, touring the
UK, practising his guitar and enjoying time
with their two teenage grandchildren.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE JAMES FISHER GROUP OF COMPANIES
SPRING 2017