Global Marine Systems Limited, with joint venture partner Huawei Marine Networks (HMN), has mentored a team of four, sixth form students to the 2016 Engineering Education Scheme (EES) National finals where they were crowned champions.
The team, comprising of students from the Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School including Charlotte Buttery, Jahnina Queddeng, Alicia Trew and Abbie Cook, undertook a six-month engineering project with the EES, a programme run by education charity, the Engineering Development Trust. At the 2016 finals held at the Institute for Engineering and Technology in London on Wednesday 7th September, the team was announced as the overall winners, surpassing over 260 schools from across the country.
The EES provides students the opportunity to work on commercial projects within a range of engineering companies; a rare and powerful educational experience for the young adults from Brentwood Ursuline. Over a six month period, the team designed, constructed and developed a tar cleaning device known as the ‘Tarminator’ which has been adopted by HMN and is expected to bring both time and cost savings during the maintenance of transatlantic communication cables.
HMN engineer and scheme mentor Adrian Jarvis said, “The students exceeded our expectations in developing a product that solved a real problem for us, with the added bonus of winning the national award. It has been a pleasure working with the students who have developed many new skills and grown into confident young professionals. I wish them all well for their future in their chosen profession and would like to personally thank Mr Dif, Head of Physics at the school, and the students for their enthusiastic support.”
Head of Physics at Brentwood Ursuline, Mr Dif said, “This represents a great achievement for the girls who have become role models to their younger peers at school where interest in engineering is growing.”
Student Abbie Cook said, “The scheme has been invaluable in both my choice of A level studies, as well as my future career. Winning the EES national competition was truly amazing and the feedback we had from the judges and public was very inspiring.”
Fellow student, Alicia Trew also commented, “The EES project has been an amazing experience. Before entering the project, I had an ambition to enter into a career in engineering. After finishing the project as national winner, I am one hundred percent certain that engineering is the career I would like to follow.”
Following the project success, the team has gone on to set up their own science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) club at school, helping to inspire younger students and grow their passion for engineering further as they look to pursue their learning at university next year.
The ‘Tarminator’ itself has a bright future and is currently going through a more rigorous product testing and commercialisation process with the view to it becoming a standard piece of equipment on both HMN and Global Marine vessels based across the globe.
Global Marine Systems Limited is pleased to announce that it has succeeded in upgrading its ISO 9001 certification to the new International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2015. Demonstrating its continued commitment to being at the forefront of developments in this discipline, Global Marine is one of the first companies in the industry to achieve accreditation to the revised quality standard.
The company’s early transition to the standard, ahead of the September 2018 deadline, provides a number of key benefits for both the business and, in turn, customers. Certification to ISO 9001:2015 provides assurance that Global Marine has evolved its management system to meet the growing needs of customers and other key stakeholders, identifies future customer needs, improves customer retention with better customer service and addresses supply chain management more effectively.
William Christie, Certification Director, AJA Registrars Ltd, said “Congratulations to all at Global Marine for achieving certification to ISO9001:2015. The changes within this revision of the standard required Global Marine not only to demonstrate a quality management system was in place, but that the system was designed and continually applied to provide the leadership team with valuable information in order to react positively to the increasingly changing business situations. This new approach to business risk management will provide confidence to their existing and potential customers of their commitment to future success.”
Lorraine Harrison, Quality & Compliance Manager at Global Marine added, “The involvement of people across the organisation, together with support from the senior leadership team, has enabled a smooth transition from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015. By staying ahead of the curve, Global Marine sends a clear message to all customers, both current and future, that it is taking a leading and proactive approach to quality management.”
This accreditation shows a continuing trend of excellence and commitment throughout the business to both Quality and Health & Safety standards. This success follows the recent ROSPA ‘Order of Distinction’ awarded for outstanding performance in health and safety over a period of 17 consecutive years.
Global Marine Systems Limited has recently extended its capabilities at its depot on the south coast of England. Following the installation of a power cable carousel, the company now has the ability to store and manage power cable for owners and operators requiring a strategically placed location to home their most valuable of assets.
The Company’s vast experience in cable storage is already providing customers with peace of mind for their asset integrity management. The Company said one OFTO (Offshore Transmission Owner) client is already utilising the facility’s new capability. The purpose-built secured storage facility offers the ideal environment for the long-term protection of these valuable assets, in particular from Ultra Violet (UV) degradation and large temperature fluctuations, both key criteria for helping to ensure future trouble-free deployment. The facility in Portland, Dorset has been providing fibre optic cable storage for 18 years, and in addition to the new power cable carousels, contains 33 telecoms cable tanks, with a total capacity of 8,750 m3. The site currently stores 2,000km of telecoms cable for a multitude of customers, along with over 3,500 universal joint kits and associated equipment including repeaters, equalisers and branching units.
The site was built to specification and is geared to mobilise with ease between power and fibre optic cabling. The 2,000 tonne cable carousel is equipped with a 10 tonne tensioner and works alongside a 15 tonne quayside tensioner to ensure effective cable handling from vessel to shore, and back.
Portland Port is able to welcome a wide variety of vessels in its deep waters and large dock estate. Berthing right alongside the covered cable storage facility ensures cable handling can be kept to a minimum, reducing any risk of damage through movement and extending the lifespan of the assets. This, alongside favourable road access, provides the perfect platform for efficient cable storage and operations.
The facility is manned by qualified personnel and experienced cable engineers who handle the precious cable with care and are on hand to monitor on-going cable conditions and the wider environment, ensuring assets are well maintained for future use. The facility also completes cable testing as customers require, offering assurance to owners ahead of retrieving the cable from storage for use on installation and maintenance operations.
Global Marine Systems Limited has been successful in the 60th year of the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016. The company, based in Chelmsford, achieved the Order of Distinction (17 consecutive Golds) award in the prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of awards and events, said, “To win an award at such a highly-regarded event as the RoSPA Awards is a great achievement for our winners. It recognises their commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record and raises the bar for other organisations to aspire to. We offer them our congratulations.”
Captain Simon Hibberd, Director Fleet & Operational Support adds: “The RoSPA award demonstrates Global Marine’s passion and commitment on providing consistently high levels of health and safety. It has been and will always remain a top priority for us as a business. Achieving 17 consecutive years is a real testament to the whole team onshore and in the fleet.”
For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards
Global Marine Systems Limited, the world leader in subsea system design, installation and maintenance, is proud to announce that it has achieved SPS (Special Purpose Ships) notation for its C.S. Sovereign multi-role DPS-2 vessel. The achievement means that C.S. Sovereign can now carry up to 50 people on board over and above the working crew, such as client representatives or project specific personnel. As a result, greater flexibility can now be offered to customers on projects where the C.S. Sovereign is deployed.
The SPS Code, introduced 1983, and updated and revised into the SPS Code 2008, provides an appropriate level of safety for both the vessel and the persons carried. The code has provided a solution, which bridges the gap between the regulations required for either cargo or passenger ships, and already is proving valuable to Global Marine’s customers providing operational flexibility to multiple industry sectors including offshore renewables.
“Gaining SPS notation has taken two years and a lot of hard work in consultation with ABS [our classification society] and the UK Flag State for the vessel in the form of the MCA,” said Captain Simon Hibberd, Director Fleet & Operational Support at Global Marine. “It opens up opportunities for C.S. Sovereign that we previously have not had. It’s been a big undertaking for the ship and crew to achieve, however, this is an important development as the SPS notation offers genuine market differentiation positioning us to meet the demands of the ever changing offshore market.”
Global Marine Systems Limited recently teamed up with the Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation to share its maritime experience and to encourage youngsters to consider future careers at sea. The Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation has been successfully delivering the Buoyed Up scheme to young people throughout Australia and Scotland since 2010 with this year’s programme marking the first of its kind in England.
Alongside classroom sessions and experiences on the water, the Buoyed Up scheme aims to bring Sir Thomas Lipton’s drive, enthusiasm, passion and flair for business to life through practical experiences in enterprise and encounters with inspiring individuals who have made the sea their life. Global Marine was approached by the charity as leaders in their field, many of whom have substantial years of experience in the maritime industry, to take part in the World of Work element of the scheme and to share new ideas and motivation with children for their futures.
In June, 24 year six students, ages 10 to 11, visited from Frobisher Primary School along with their teachers and spent the day at the Global Marine Head Office in Chelmsford. The day began with an introduction from Captain Shaun Beal, an active master aboard Global Marine’s fleet of seven vessels. Captain Beal spoke to the students about the business, the breadth of services and the careers accessible through the industry and his path from starting as a cadet through to gaining his captains epaulettes.
The year six children, all about to embark on life at secondary school, were able to watch a fibre optic cable splice in action as well as learn about how the cable ships and other tools on the vessels work, all facilitating the world to be connected via telephone and internet; something so familiar to all of them. As well as the engineering side of the business, the children also participated in interactive quizzes, testing their world-wide geography knowledge, as well as logical thinking in the form of rope games. As a commercial twist on the day, the company’s marketing team shared some of the techniques used by the business to help promote themselves, something critically important to all organisations; including animations, holograph technology and even the company app bringing the vessels and subsea assets to life.
Miss Herbert, year six teacher at Frobisher School said, “We want to thank Global Marine and the Foundation hugely for the inspiring and motivational day the children spent with them. Taking part in the Buoyed Up initiative fits nicely with the school’s vision of Aim High, Work Hard, Achieve Together. We believe that getting involved in the Sir Thomas Lipton charity will potentially open new doors for the children and enthuse them about their futures. The visit to Global Marine has done just that.”
Laurence Brady from the Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation added, “Our Buoyed Up programme is all about raising the aspirations of pre-teenage children in economically deprived areas through practical experiences of sailing, marine enterprise and the life of Sir Thomas Lipton. It was fantastic to see how the children of Frobisher Primary responded to the eye-opening deep sea workshops and activities at Global Marine. This World of Work experience is a critical part of Buoyed Up. I greatly appreciate the consideration, preparation and generosity of Global Marine for their day with the children, and I very much hope we will continue to work together to inspire more Frobisher Primary pupils.”
Ian Douglas, CEO Global Marine concluded, “At Global Marine, we are keen to encourage education in support of creating a long-term sustainable maritime industry. We have enjoyed working with the Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation and meeting the children from the Frobisher Primary school.”
On Friday 5th August a group of 18 employees from Global Marine Systems Limited, a subsea engineering company based in Chelmsford, Essex, will be donning their lycra and leaving sunny Essex behind as they cycle over 210 miles in two days to Portland in Dorset. The journey starts at the company’s head office and will end at their UK cable storage depot, a facility that supports customers in the telecoms, offshore renewable and oil & gas markets.
The team of amateur and enthusiastic riders will be setting off at 6am from the office just off the Boreham Interchange, before travelling through London, stopping in Winchester overnight and then finally finishing in Portland the following evening.
It is not only a personal challenge for the riders but more importantly an excellent opportunity to raise vital funds for one of Global Marine’s corporate charities, Brainwave (brainwave.org.uk), a national children’s charity with a close link to an employee’s heart. With a centre in Witham, Brainwave aims to improve mobility, communication skills and learning potential through a range of therapies for children with physical, sensory, learning, cognitive and behavioural difficulties.
Global Marine would like to thank our suppliers and other local businesses who have kindly sponsored the event already: Ben Line Agencies, Bollington Insurance, CSCC, Healeys, Keller, L&R Midland, Meachers, The New London Restaurant, Prysmian Group, Quadrant Equipment, Sainsbury’s Springfield, SMD, SSI Energy, Sumitomo and Willis Towers Watson. You can sponsor the team here: justgiving.com/GlobalPedal2016
Global Marine Systems Limited, the world leader in subsea system design, installation and maintenance announces two key promotions within the senior management team. Mikkel Gleerup will assume the role of Director, Sales & Commercial at Global Marine and Darren Lam will join SBSS as Managing Director.
Ian Douglas, CEO, Global Marine said: “I am delighted to announce these two appointments, both Mikkel and Darren bring extensive experience both within Global Marine and from the wider offshore industry, the culmination of this knowledge makes them the ideal candidates for these strategic roles.”
Mikkel Gleerup will take up his role of Director, Sales & Commercial in mid-May and will be based in the UK with global responsibility for sales. Mikkel joined Global Marine as Managing Director at SBSS in 2014 and has been instrumental in SBSS’ strong performance delivery during his time at the helm. Mikkel brings a wealth of experience to the Global Marine Board in his new role. He began his career with A.P Moeller (Maersk) as a deck officer before going ashore for a variety of management roles. Prior to joining Global Marine Mikkel was VP of Sales & Proposals for Siemens in China focused on the rapidly expanding offshore wind market.
Reflecting on his appointment Mikkel Gleerup said, “I am looking forward to the challenge, I strongly believe in the capabilities of Global Marine. With the growth, particularly, in the offshore renewables sector, I’ll be looking to secure opportunities for the business in line with the company’s growth plans.”
Darren Lam will join SBSS as Managing Director, in Shanghai from the beginning of May. Darren has worked at Global Marine for a number of years, most recently in the role of Senior Project Manager and has been responsible for implementing a host of high-profile projects in both telecom and power for the business. Before joining Global Marine, Darren was a Senior Engineering Officer in the Singapore Air Force. In his new role, Darren will lead an organisation with more than 150 employees that achieved sales of over $60M in 2015.
Darren Lam adds: “In my project management capacity at Global Marine, I have developed a strong understanding of the clients’ expectations and rationale, and how internal business and project management process can be leveraged to enhance total customer satisfaction, which in my opinion, is essential for success. I’m looking forward to utilising this skill set to benefit SBSS’ customers across the Asia region.”
Global Marine Systems Limited, the world leader in subsea system design, installation and maintenance has been awarded an extension of the North America Maintenance Zone (NAZ) submarine cable maintenance contract up to 31st December 2024. This long-term extension demonstrates the consortium owners’ confidence in Global Marine’s capabilities to deliver highly responsive and well-executed maintenance provision to all members.
NAZ covers a cable maintenance footprint, which stretches from the Eastern North Pacific to the Equator. Global Marine has been providing cable maintenance services from its base port in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada since January 2012 providing dedicated year-round cover to the region. Global Marine’s track record in the North Pacific extends back further when in 1991 it installed and maintained the first repeated system linking the US mainland with Japan.
This new contract will see Global Marine expand the cable storage capacity at the Victoria depot in British Columbia. Additionally, the purpose built cable ship Cable Innovator will replace CS Wave Venture from the 1st February 2017, bringing improved DPS-2 functionality. The repair vessel stores strategic spares in its cable tanks to support rapid mobilisation in the event of a fault and is equipped with COTDR and deep water ROV capability to support the detection of faults on ultra-long-haul systems.
“Maintaining submarine telecom systems is something we are good at and very passionate about.” said John Walters, Maintenance Director at Global Marine, “We are delighted to extend our services in this part of the world. The North Pacific Ocean presents a harsh operating environment in the winter months and the appointment of Cable Innovator to Victoria will enhance our responsiveness to maintain those critical internet services in the worst of weather conditions.”
Global Marine Systems Limited announced today the acquisition of a majority interest in CWind Limited, a leading offshore renewables specialist. The purchase of CWind demonstrates Global Marine’s continued commitment to the offshore renewable sector and adds a diverse range of construction and O&M services to its current capabilities.
CWind has built an enviable track record and has to date supported the construction and operation of over 26 wind farms in the North Sea, Irish Sea and the Baltic delivering a broad range of construction and O&M services. The company has seen substantial growth that in 2014 led to CWind opening a new office based in Bremen, Germany.
CWind operates an 18-strong fleet that executes a wealth of activities in support of leading wind farm owners and operators, transporting technicians in safety to complete essential work to assure cost-effective construction, as well as reliable on-going performance of the offshore wind farm. The 360° Service Solutions CWind offers represent a comprehensive approach to the industry, allowing clients to combine services from a wide array of on-demand services thereby improving efficiency and lowering risk for wind farm customers.
Ian Douglas, CEO of Global Marine, commented, “The acquisition of CWind brings together two companies with a proven commitment to the highest standards of customer delivery, quality and safety. The range of services provided by the team and the vessels within CWind complements Global Marine’s range of installation and maintenance services and creates an organisation that is well positioned to address the developing needs of customers in the offshore renewables market.”
Ian continued: “I strongly believe the acquisition of CWind demonstrates our commitment to both growth and the offshore renewables market. We recognise the need for greater efficiency and lower costs for our customers and will continue to position ourselves to address the evolving needs of new and existing offshore windfarms and the challenges as we move further offshore.”
Chris Randle, CEO of CWind added, “This is a fantastic start to 2016 and I am delighted that CWind is now a part of the Global Marine family. We share a vision for the long-term sustainable growth of the business in the offshore wind and renewables sector. Global Marine has over 165 years of subsea experience and that, combined with CWind’s integrated service offering, means we can provide unparalleled value for our clients in construction and O&M, positioning the company to fully exploit the opportunities in front of us.”
In its last financial year finishing 30 September 2015, CWind had total annual revenues of £26.0M ($40.3M); Global Marine reported revenues of £88.9M ($137.1M) during the same period.
