ASK THE EXPERTS

The ‘art of performance’ A company that deserves to be publically applauded for its part in the recent rescue operation where more than 300 Syrian refugees were found floating in fishing boats off the Italian- Sicilian coast, BBC Chartering is one of this magazine’s most regular contributors. We caught up, once again, with Senior Vice President Raymond Fisch…

PES: We’re hearing that the offshore market is powering ahead in Europe right now. Does this fit in with your on-the-ground (or ‘in-the-water’!) assessment of the market since the beginning of the year?

Raymond Fisch: The market for offshore- wind developments in Europe is again showing some atmosphere for departure. From a ship-owner /operator perspective, we observe that this (mostly regional) market is currently developing into two directions. First, there is a clear focus on specialised assets (e.g. for installation) and second on small and local coaster tonnage. In any case, the employment for MPP/HL tonnage such as ours would ask for very specific maritime transport and storage concepts also involving the heavy lifting gear we offer with our ships.

For this reason our activity in this market is currently comparably low. But we are convinced that once ‘schedule issues’ on Raymond Fisch projects increase in importance over the

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current focus on ‘cost issues,’ there will effective. Communication is on the agenda capability in general, this also helps in the also arise a need for enhanced, intelligent at every meeting and we have learned that planning stage of wind power logistics. If a logistic solutions involving MMP/HL fleet communication lacks wherever there is a cargo client knows what type of vessel he capabilities, such as ours to add value. personal problem. Addressing such needs for the shipment of his wind energy problem is sometimes awkward but equipment, he can secure his capacity PES: Effective communication seems to unavoidable if a process should be set in upfront so he can match the project be a watchword for your company. Can motion. I think this requires strong schedule with longer lead times. you explain a little about your culture in leadership, and it concerns both internal Our MPP / HL vessels range from 3,500 this regard? interaction and client/partner interaction to dwt to about 20,000dwt and offer lifting further improvements. RF: Anyone communicates permanently, be capabilities up to 800mt. They are it verbal or non-verbal. When things do not However, in my opinion our ability to trust equipped to handle wind power go the way we want them to go, we may and respect each other is equally important components such as blades, tower often say that there is a ‘lack of for this. This thinking it is an immanent part segments, nacelles, monopiles, and communication’; but what we actually mean of our core values “purpose, conviction, transition pieces of different sizes. is that there is a lack of (constructive) and quality attitude” which also aim at Depending on the cargo specifics and exchange of ideas and goals concerning putting the interest of the company first. nautical requirements of a project, we what we want to achieve, and how we can ensure to find the most suitable vessel for PES: Perhaps you could remind our contribute. the transport. Also we should not forget readers of how your ships are that our clients may win time and money You can imagine that sometimes this is particularly suited to transporting through our vessel’s own lifting gear. As wanted and sometimes not. If wanted, we turbines and related wind energy most of our vessels have adjustable facilitate communication, i.e. by trying to equipment? tween-decks their cargo intake can be understand our counterparts, by learning optimised and the ship’s utilisation about our interaction, and by adopting our RF: Currently we operate about 150 MPP/ maximised as well. behavior respectively so we can work HL vessels that fall into 19 vessel classes. This delivers a uniquely versatile fleet to our towards a common goal. To sum up, whatever the cargo challenge, our clients and provides availability of suitable expert team delivers the required expertise Communicating effectively at BBC ships at almost any corner of the world. throughout the tender, transport engineering Chartering primarily means that the applied There is currently no other vessel owner/ and execution phase of a project. communication (on all levels) helps ends to operator in the market that would even meet, in the sense of the company. If not, it come close to matching this value PES: The company operates across a was (for whatever reason) simply not proposition. Despite such short term series of verticals and wind energy is

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just part of your make-up. Has this producer Enercon from Aurich. The RF: Yes – interesting you mention that. This helped or hindered you over the past company has positioned itself as a leading was a very unique transport as well. Not few years, when times have been tough supplier of on-land wind energy converters because it’s a tall ship, but because it’s for some? globally. With a significant (and actually a tall ship theatre on a boat called continuously growing) export share, the ‘Amara Zee’. She was built following the RF: Any business exists due to an Enercon is reliant on efficient export logistic design of a London Thames river barge. arbitrage effect, and of course we are services in northern Germany. The tall ship is owned and operated by the interested in maximising this arbitrage for Caravan Stage Company. This company is our business as well. The wind power For that matter, and with its favorable rail a group of performing artists actually market has been an important driver of and road connection, the EPAS terminal travelling with, living in and performing on our growth in the past, and it has specialised to cater to the producer’s their theatre. The concept emerged out of remains an important volume market; logistic needs in Emden. Amongst others, the early caravanning idea where travelling although growth has weakened and the BBC Chartering vessels are frequent artists brought their performances to overall shipping market is signified by a visitors to the EPAS terminal in Emden audiences also in rural areas with their tonnage surplus. helping Enercon to ship its turbines to horse-drawn wagons. overseas markets. It was just this April In any situation, we are reliant on making when we had two vessels, the BBC Seine Now the Caravan group interprets this idea use of all available cargo opportunities in and the BBC Maine, loading turbines in the market so we can optimise our with the tall ship. Which becomes the Emden which were destined for the arbitrage. Being exposed to only one center stage where the crew delivers Canadian market. industry segment in our trade would bring performances to shore based audiences. us into an unreasonably high risk position. PES: The company is nothing if not BBC Chartering decided to sponsor the PES: In our sister publication, we adaptable. Can you tell us about any Caravan Stage Company by transporting touched upon the turbine blade that other recent (non-wind) projects that the tall ship from Italy to Houston this year. about a year ago you transported on demonstrate your flexibility when it We think this was a good opportunity as we BBC Adriatic. Our European readers comes to logistics? could sympathise with their proposition of bringing performance(s) to people around would appreciate hearing a little RF: As I said earlier, we need to make use the world; this thought unites us as we also about this... of any suitable cargo opportunity in a fluent express this through our “art of market. We can skip over the globe and find RF: This was a shipment of a prototype performance” image campaign for BBC many interesting projects which we have blade which went for testing last October. Chartering. This shows us where the wind business been involved in. Some may see our may be heading next. The one we engagements as ordinary transports, but PES: Finally, looking ahead to the next transported here is designed to propel a being passionate about what we do I also 12 months, what are your predictions next generation 7MW turbine of Samsung. see the exceptional endeavors behind for the wind industry and BBC The blade had a total length of 83.5 m – in these projects. Chartering’s prospects? comparison, this already exceeds the Our services not only help important RF: We need to be careful with wingspan of an Airbus 380 which industrial projects in the power and predictions… but our expectations are measures 79.8 m. energy sector, the oil and gas industry, cautious, as we currently see little evidence The (so far) largest ‘serial’ blade is the the mining and metal sector or the of actions that would drive significant Siemens B75 blade that had a total length transportation business; in the past we growth in the wind energy sector and hence of 75 m (for a 6MW turbine). Until today, also helped to procure components for strongly demand for shipping. We shipping a blade of these dimensions is stadiums (e.g. for Olympic games or the think the European Union’s goal of quite exceptional for us; this one was a World Cup), memorials and monuments, providing 20% of their energy through one-off project for BBC Chartering so far. and other architectural icons. For many of renewable sources seems distant in a As the transport was from Aalborg, us it is an exciting feeling to be involved in market where financing is tough to secure. Denmark to Bremerhaven, Germany it was such projects. Also, wind power generation in the US is only over a short distance, too. Mostly we see disassembled components, reliant on wind turbines shipped from PES: We’ve been reading about how and they often look quite unspectacular, Europe and the uncertainty over the PTC much of a strategic hub Emden is for the also in a cargo list. It was actually a (Production Tax Credit) in the US even led European wind industry. How does BBC coincidence when I learned about two to a declining number of turbines being feed into this hub? steel shipments we had on the BBC shipped and installed. Today, we can say Alabama and the BBC Danube; we moved that we sure hope to benefit from a RF: BBC Chartering is based in Leer, in the about 11,000 tons of the uniquely shaped recuperation of the global real economy northwest corner of Germany, which is a steel structures for New York’s new World rather sooner than later. region with a strong competence in the Trade Center transportation hub (PATH maritime and wind power industry. It’s one station) at the former Ground Zero in of the pioneering regions of the world both downtown Manhattan. for land based wind park developments and offshore wind parks. Thus far, The hub is currently under construction components for both on and offshore and was designed by the celebrated facilities are being manufactured, architect Santiago Calatrava. Although it’s assembled and shipped in and out of ‘only steel’ I think this is a quite remarkable Emden. The port’s terminals also serve as cargo, and we can be proud that our a base for preassembly, transport and services helped to bring this new, maintenance for offshore wind parks in the meaningful icon to life as well. German Bight. PES: And while we’re slightly off-topic, An example for a prominent wind energy this might be an opportunity to talk brand in the region is the wind turbine about the Tall Ship Theatre project... www.-chartering.com

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