Survitec - Experts & Thought Leaders

Global safety equipment manufacturer and supplier - Survitec will demonstrate a range of Maritime Defence equipment, including boats and personal protective equipment (PPE), with live waterborne displays at DSEI 2021 from 14th – 17th September 2021 at Excel, London, United Kingdom (UK). The demonstration will feature a number of new additions from Survitec, including the Marin Life Jacket, their newest defence life jacket, which fully integrates to any body armour, which is important not only for the wearers comfort, but also increases the safety aspect when it’s needed. Survitec’s Maritime Defence boats and PPE on display Survitec personnel will be stationed at the docks area of Excel showcasing the full Maritime Defence boats and PPE capability, along with a presence in the Aerospace Zone on stand H6-121, where they will be showcasing Military Inflatable Boats, Fast Jet and Non-Fast Jet & Rotary Wing PFE and a range of Maritime Life Preservers. Survitec will also be showcasing the Inflatable Walls Training System in the Activity Zone at DSEI 2021.

Strengthening the company’s position as the Survival Technology solutions partner, Survitec has announced the appointment of Robert Steen Kledal as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Robert will be responsible for setting Survitec’s strategic direction. He will lead the Survitec Executive team and sit on the Survitec Board. At the start of the year, Survitec launched a new organisational structure designed to make Survitec an even better partner – increased levels of customer centricity and agility were the main focus. Continuing transformational work Robert will continue the transformation work, positioning Survitec customers at the heart of every decision while achieving profitable growth. A key focus for Robert will be Survitec’s workforce of over 3,000 professionals, ensuring they feel connected to the Survitec purpose, which is “We Exist to Protect Lives.” 30 years of experience Robert has over 30 years of experience in executive-level roles on a global scale Robert has over 30 years of experience in executive-level roles on a global scale. He was CEO at Wrist Ship Supply, the ship and offshore supplier of provisions & stores, for over nine years. He led the organisation and its 1,600 colleagues, through digital transformation, enabling substantial improvement to how the business engaged its customers. His experience spans the maritime and defence industries. He has also held several senior positions, during his 21 years at Moeller-Maersk Group and served in the Danish Army as a Sergeant. In addition to his role as CEO of Survitec, Robert is also on the Board of Directors at Wrist Ship Supply and Blue Water Shipping, a provider of tailor-made transport and logistics solutions. He has lived and worked all over the world and is familiar with five languages. Joining the team When asked why he chose to join the team Trusted to Protect Lives, he commented, “Coming from the shipping industry, I was instantly attracted to the inspiring purpose of Survitec.” “I look forward to building on this great legacy and the achievements made to position Survitec as the global leader in Survival Technology for our customers worldwide. Not least to service our customers’ requirements effectively.”

Survitec’s Maritime Protection brand has registered a significant increase in orders for Inert Gas (IG) systems over the past two years, following a surge in orders for newbuild vessels with LNG-burning engines. This increase is partly attributed to the global shipping industry seeking to meet decarbonisation targets by moving away from high polluting heavy fuel oil (HFO) towards alternative, cleaner marine fuels. Increase in orders for Inert Gas (IG) systems These engines need to be fitted with an inert gas system to prevent the build-up of highly flammable gasses About 35% of the current world order book accounts for dual-fuelled and gas ships running on either a combination of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional fuel or LNG alone. These engines need to be fitted with an inert gas system to prevent the build-up of highly flammable gasses. Bernt Øhrn, the General Manager of Maritime Protection, explained “If the ship doesn’t have any oil or gas cargo tanks, which require a fixed CO2-based system to deal with the higher volume, a small N2 inert gas system is needed to make the fuel system safe.” Demand for natural gas as a marine fuel continues to rise Demand for natural gas as a marine fuel is expected to continue over the next twenty years, with the industry viewing the energy source as a vital step towards decarbonisation. “This is demonstrable in the increased orders for IG,” said Bernt Øhrn, adding “We are a seeing a significant push for alternatively fuelled newbuilds capable of handling the new emissions requirements. But we also see an increase in engine conversions and retrofits, with ship owners converting topsides to accommodate LNG fuel tanks.” Dual-fuel or gas engine seen as the way forward globally Bernt Øhrn continues, “Although LNG only accounts for one-in-three newbuilds, ship owners of all types are beginning to see the dual-fuel or gas engine as the way forward.” According to Bernt Øhrn, analysts predict a 25% increase in orders for dual-fuelled ships in 2023, increasing to 50% by 2025. Adoption of alternative fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen “With the need to further reduce the impact of ship operations on the marine environment, the speed of technological development will see the adoption of other alternative fuels, particularly ammonia and hydrogen,” said Bernt Øhrn, adding that Survitec is involved in several industry and university-based research projects investigating ways to make such fuels safe. Bernt Øhrn predicts ammonia will become increasingly important, but will require much larger fuel tanks Bernt Øhrn predicts ammonia will become increasingly important, but will require much larger fuel tanks, while the safety of a hydrogen-fuelled ship is likely to prove a challenge. Bernt Øhrn stated, “High rates of hydrogen mixing with oxygen can be dangerous. We are developing ways of inerting the exhaust side of a hydrogen fuel cell outside the ship. It may not be possible to use nitrogen as this could evaporate on contact with the colder hydrogen, so helium may be the only inert gas we can use. The problem with helium is it’s a scarce resource and expensive.” Survitec’s new Head Start initiative Whatever the fuel of the future fleet, Survitec is supporting the industry on its sustainable maritime journey. Survitec’s new Head Start initiative was created with this in mind to support vessel owners and operators navigate these new challenges safely. “We recognise the opportunities and challenges the industry will face in the coming years, as significantly increasing numbers of vessels will be built or retrofitted to run on alternative fuels,” said Bernt Øhrn, adding “We are designing solutions to ensure operations remain safe no matter the fuel.”