ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2025

ICE Marine Design Group will again participate in Marintec China, one of the world’s largest maritime exhibitions, taking place in Shanghai from 2–5 December 2025. ICE will exhibit as part of the UK Pavilion, located in Hall N3. ICE will…

ICE Engineering Services UK Limited (“ICE”) has signed a contract with STTM, an Indonesian joint venture formed by Saipem, Tripatra and McDermott, to deliver hull engineering services for the Abadi Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The agreement, signed…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2025

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ICE has begun work with Seaspan Shipyards to provide specialist Cadmatic 3D modelling support for Canada’s Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPI) and Heavy Polar Icebreaker programmes. Both projects are part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Initial training sessions were…

ICE has begun work with Seaspan Shipyards to provide specialist Cadmatic 3D modelling support for Canada’s Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPI) and Heavy Polar Icebreaker programmes. Both projects are part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Initial training sessions were…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2025

This summer, 19 students from “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați joined ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL, the main design office of the ICE Group, for a three-week internship. The programme aimed to connect academic study with real-world marine engineering. We invited…

We are pleased to share that our company successfully completed the ISO 9001:2015 recertification audit in June, covering our office in Romania and its branch office in Croatia. Feedback and insights from DNV are being integrated into improvement actions that…

ICE is pleased to report the successful completion of a fast-track Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract for Bluewater, supporting the redeployment of the Aoka Mizu FPSO. This marks the largest project ICE has undertaken to date for Bluewater, a…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JULY-AUGUST_2025

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Department for Export Controls (ANCEX), has recently registered ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL, ICE’s Romanian ship design subsidiary, to conduct import, export and transfer operations related to naval vessel design services. ANCEX is the…

We are pleased to welcome Renée Caley to ICE as our Marketing Manager, based at the Head Office in Douglas, Isle of Man. Renée brings extensive experience in both strategic and operational marketing, gained across public and private sector organisations….

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ICE exhibited at Sea Asia 2025, held at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 25–27 March. The exhibition is a major meeting point for the Asian maritime community and attracts thousands of professionals from across the region. ICE participated as part…

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) organised an invitation-only seminar in Hamburg in partnership with Lloyd’s Register (LR) to demystify ammonia as a marine fuel. The Seminar’s keynote speaker was Chris Clucas, a highly respected Isle of Man-based gas shipping expert who,…

ICE will once again take part in Nor-Shipping, one of the world’s most established maritime exhibitions, taking place in Oslo from 2–6 June 2025. This year marks Nor-Shipping’s 60th anniversary, reinforcing its role as a key arena for innovation, collaboration…

ICE_Newsletter_May_2025

In March, ICE started a new internship program. Following an interview process, nine students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture and the Faculty of Automation, Computers, and Electrical Engineering at Galati University were selected to participate in this 3-month program….

In February, ICE hosted the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV), which represents the Romanian shipbuilding industry, including producers of ships’ equipment and service providers. During the meeting, Sorin Brazdis, Managing Director of ICEPRONAV Engineering, and Dragos Totolici,…

After His Royal Highness Prince Edward (now the Duke of Edinburgh), accompanied by the British Ambassador to Croatia, formally opened the ICEPRONAV Branch Office in Split in 2019, the COVID pandemic forced ICE to significantly reduce its activities. Having recently…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2025

ICE congratulates Cadeler and Hanwha Ocean Shipyard on the successful delivery of “Wind Maker”, a state-of-the-art wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV). Wind Maker, the first of two M-class wind installation vessels in Cadeler’s newbuild portfolio, is an NG-16000X design by…

Exmar has announced that the “Tango” floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit that it sold to the Italian energy giant Eni in 2022, after a year of operation has successfully exceeded its guaranteed output volume. ICE assisted Exmar with integration…

With effect from February 1, 2025, Robert Swan has retired from his Isle of Man-based position of President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the ICE Group. To provide continuity vis-à-vis ongoing projects, he has agreed to continue to serve…

ICE will be exhibiting at Sea Asia 2025, taking place 25–27 March at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Steinar Draegebo, Chairman of the ICE Group, and Jason Nunn, Business Development Director will be representing ICE at stand B2-B40, part of the…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MARCH_2025

Although starting the year with high utilization of its technical resources and some projects stretching into 2027, in 2025 ICE will again actively participate in various industry events as part of its ongoing business development strategy. ICE has signed up…

In December last year, ICE attended the “Sustainable Shipbuilding Models for the Future” conference in Rijeka, Croatia. Organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Zagreb, Green Yard Kleven, and KONGSBERG, the invitation-only event attracted over 80 participants from Croatian and…

The friendly football rivalry between ICE and NAPA continued last fall, with both teams back on the field for another fun and competitive match. Employees from both companies, including those from technical and administrative departments, came together to enjoy a…

ICE was last year commissioned by the Netherlands-based project developer SwitcH2 B.V. to design the hull of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel incorporating a 300 MW offshore green hydrogen and ammonia synthesis plant using wind and wave…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_FEBRUARY_2025

December brought the joy of ICE’s traditional Christmas craft workshops, where employees and their children gathered to celebrate the festive season creatively. This year’s themes included making Christmas tree decorations and modeling clay sailboats, which added a maritime twist to…

ICE congratulates Mate Lukas, ICE’s Country Manager for Croatia, for having successfully completed the demanding Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme at the internationally accredited COTRUGLI Business School in Zagreb, Croatia. The MBA programme, based on intensive week-end residential…

Bluewater Energy Services B.V., a leading owner and operator of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, has awarded ICE a fast-track front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for hull engineering of the Aoka Mizu FPSO. The vessel is planned…

Investments in the offshore energy industry – in which ICE has experience from 45 FPSOs and design of many ships for the gas and offshore wind industries – now coincide with several European countries ordering new warships for protection in…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JANUARY_2025

Most ICE employees will take well-deserved time off for Christmas starting December 25. Regular operations will resume on Wednesday, January 8. However, a team of designers have volunteered to use parts of the holiday period to advance time-critical FPSO-related project…

Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) in Romania is one of ICE’s long-standing shipyard customers. In October, while representing ICE at the naming ceremony of M/T Histria Narvi, Sorin Brazdis, Managing Director of ICEPRONAV Engineering was also invited to visit the Histria…

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recently announced its decision to end its twice-extended lease for office space at ICE’s premises in Galați, the Romanian city closest to the borders separating Romania, Ukraine and Moldova. ICE welcomed…

ICE congratulates Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited on the official handover of the MV Glen Sannox car and passenger ferry to owner Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). This is the first LNG dual-fuel ferry to be designed and built in…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2024

In October, ICE enjoyed the visit to its Galati office from representatives from Bluewater Energy Services B.V., a prominent owner and operator of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels. ICE has earlier on several occasions provided technical assistance to…

In October, ICE had the pleasure of welcoming a total of 70 students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture at “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galati. As part of a faculty-led initiative, these visits offered students a valuable opportunity to…

Having a long history of cooperation with Constanța Shipyard (SNC), ICE was last month invited to the naming ceremony of M/T “Histria Narvi”. This vessel is the fourth in SNC’s EcoMaxMR1 40,000 DWT series of product and chemical tankers. Sorin…

The Gastech Exhibition & Conference 2024 concluded recently in Houston, Texas with over 45,000 attendees from 156 countries, reinforcing its position as the world’s premier platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and energy professionals within the international gas industry. At Gastech,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2024

ICE is pleased to be providing expert marine designers to assist several Engineering, Procurement and Construction (“EPC”) and other companies with naval architect and marine engineering resources. Such assignments include a team of 50 professional engineers, who are now gradually…

ICE has previously participated with MARIN (Maritime Research Institute) and other research institutes on the Space@Sea project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. Maarten Flikkema, the erstwhile Project Coordinator for Space@Sea, is now organizing a consortium to cooperate…

ICE is committed to ensure that its employees have the skills needed to meet the demands of its key clients. In response to upcoming projects, ICE is therefore investing in CADMATIC training for several of its designers. Coming as a…

Customers and other friends of ICE have been concerned to learn from the media about the exceptionally severe flooding in central Europe last month, including in the Galati area of Romania. However, we are happy to reassure everyone that the…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2024

ICE has a well-established track record in design of bulk carriers, often referred to as the “workhorses of the sea”. Having many years ago shifted its focus towards more complex ship types such as gas carriers, cruise ships, vessels for…

In July and August, ICE conducted its traditional summer student internship program. Twelve students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture, the Faculty of Automation, Computers, and Electrical Engineering, and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the “Dunarea de Jos” University…

ICE will co-present a paper on Very Large Ammonia Carrier (“VLAC”) Design at the upcoming Gastech 2024 Technical and Commercial Conference in Houston, Texas. Gastech, the world’s leading energy exhibition and conference focusing on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen, climate technologies,…

Next week, ICE will attend the Schiff und Meerestechnik Messe (“SMM”) in Hamburg, the leading international trade fair for the maritime industry. For three days, from September 3 to 5, ICE will be represented at the SMM by Steinar Draegebo…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2024

On July 4, ICE’s Chairman held his traditional semi-annual briefing for all Romanian employees and hosted a summer drinks party to thank them for their hard work and to wish them a nice summer. The pictures show some of the…

ICE’s Romanian office recently had the pleasure of a visit from a delegation from Saipem’s offices in Milan. Saipem is a large publicly owned Italy-headquartered technology and engineering group with 34,000 employees in 60 countries. The Group also owns and…

In June this year, ICE’s Quality Management System successfully passed its annual periodic audit. The audit covered verification of both ICE’s main design office in Galati, Romania and ICE’s Branch Office in Split, Croatia.  Based on the audit conclusion, the…

Last month’s Posidonia 2024 tradeshow in Athens was the most attended event in its 55-year history. With 2,038 exhibitors from 81 countries and over 32,000 visitors, this year’s exhibition broke records in terms of exhibitors, space, and visitors. ICE’s delegation…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JULY-AUGUST_2024

ICE recently had the pleasure of hosting a combined delegation from International Maritime Industries (IMI) and Bahri, two Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -based marine industry leaders, for a 2-day visit to its design office in Galati, Romania. IMI, one of…

As a long-standing partner of the Galati University, ICE was invited in mid-May, along with other regional employers in the fields of shipbuilding, ship design, and related activities, to meet with a Commission from the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance…

With its head office on the Isle of Man, ICE is used to the annual TT motorbike races, which takes place during the first week of June. With a world-wide following, the TT races have been an annual event for…

ICE will again be exhibiting at the upcoming Posidonia 2024 trade show, one of the maritime shipping industry’s most well-established and well-attended events. It takes place between June 3 and 7, in Athens, Greece. We are looking forward to discussing…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUNE_2024

We are pleased that MV “Glen Rosa”, the second of two dual-fuel vessels built at Ferguson Marine, was successfully launched on April 9th, 2024. Its sister “Glen Sannox” and the “Glen Rosa” are the first UK-built ships designed to operate…

As part of its development of the SKYTUG concept, Bluewater Engineering Limited (BWE), the SKYTUG’s inventor, has recently successfully tested its patented technology for  synchronous launch and control of multiple kites, hoisting a kite into the air using remotely controlled…

ICE recently had the pleasure of a visit from a delegation from Raytheon, a major US defence contractor, together with representatives from Leafield Limited, a UK warship maintenance specialist. Raytheon, an RTX business, is a technology leader specializing in defence,…

ICE, with its extensive background in marine design of FPSOs and other offshore energy floaters (more than 40 projects), will be represented at the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, by Steinar Draegebo (Chairman & CEO) and Jason…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MAY_2024

In March, ICE started a new internship program. Following an interview process, ten students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture and the Faculty of Automation, Computers, and Electrical Engineering at Galati University were selected to participate in this 3-month program….

ICE’s Romanian office recently had the pleasure of a visit from a delegation from Saipem’s offices in Milan and Paris, together with a representative from Moss Maritime, Saipem’s Norwegian subsidiary. ICE’s cooperation with Saipem started almost ten years ago with…

Jason Nunn, a British executive with substantial international offshore industry background, has joined ICE as its new BDD. With degrees in engineering supplemented with an MBA, Jason has worked for several well-known companies including Baker Hughes, Wellstream, KBR and ABB…

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The first two months of 2024 have been busy for ICE. In addition to ongoing projects for clients in Scotland, the Netherlands and Singapore, ICE’s marketing and estimating teams have responded to inquiries from established and potentially new customers in…

In February, ICE hosted the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV), which represents the Romanian shipbuilding industry, including producers of ships’ equipment and service providers. As part of the proceedings, Dragos Totolici, Head of ICE’s Initial Design Department,…

In January, Mate Lukas, ICE’s Country Manager in Croatia, represented the ICE Marine Design Group in a yard visit by VEER to the 3. Maj shipyard. VEER is promoting an innovative concept combining sail as the main propulsion with hydrogen-powered…

Recently, two senior representatives from VARD Group AS in Norway visited ICE in Galati to explore additional areas of collaboration. The visit included meetings with ICE management and a tour of the ICE main office building. Acquired by the Italian…

We are pleased to see Ferguson Marine’s MV “Glen Sannox” successfully completing its builder’s sea trials, a significant step towards integration of this complex dual-fuel vessel into the CalMac fleet. ICE congratulates Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited on reaching this…

Oslo-listed oil and gas firm BW Energy has announced its acquisition of the FPSO “ Cidade de Vitória” from Saipem. In 2007, ICE played a major role in the marine design effort to convert this vessel from a Very Large…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MARCH_2024

After seven years with the ICE Group, Coen Landa has decided to pursue other interests and has resigned from his position as ICE’s corporate Business Development Director. He has agreed to continue assisting ICE as a consultant, on an ad…

A big thank you to all the fantastic kids who took part in our “Build a Wind-Powered Boat” competition last December. It’s very encouraging to see the younger members of our wider ICE family showing such an appreciation for the…

In 2024 I will have served 20 years as Chairman and Chief Executive of the ICE Group. In that period, ICE has changed from essentially being two separate entities – one in the UK/Isle of Man and one in Romania,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JANUARY_2024

ICE employees will take well-deserved time off for Christmas starting December 22. Regular operations will resume on Wednesday, January 3. Our offices will be closed but senior management will be available on mobile phones for any urgent requirements. We wish…

After a Covid-mandated pause, ICE in November this year again had a stand at the Europort trade show in Rotterdam. This year, 24,470 visitors and 1,051 exhibitors from 107 countries took part in the 4-day event. ICE participated as part…

Recently, two representatives from Babcock International Group visited ICE in Galati to explore areas of renewed collaboration. The visit included meetings with ICE senior management, a tour of the ICE main office building and an overview of ongoing projects. Babcock…

Exmar – an international provider of floating solutions for conversion and transportation of gas – in December 2022 awarded ICE a fast-track contract to help integrate two existing vessels into an offshore export facility for liquified natural gas (LNG). Having…

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ICE welcomes Stephen Corran (pictured) as the Group’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), based in ICE’s Isle of Man head office. Stephen is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a native of the Isle of Man. He brings to the company two…

ICE recently visited the St. Johns Ship Building (SJSB) yard in Florida as part of a consulting engagement. The yard’s diverse product line includes construction of aluminium crew transfer vessels (CTVs) designed to ferry service technicians quickly and safely to…

In late October, a senior management team from the ICE Group visited Damen Shipyards Mangalia in Romania. There they met with Mr Sofien Lamiri, Managing Director and Liana Constantin, Corporate Affairs Director, to discuss cooperation on upcoming projects. They also…

From 7-10 November 2023, ICE will again be exhibiting at the Ahoy exhibition center in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. With 26,000 professional visitors and 1,040 exhibiting companies, Europort stands as one of the world’s largest platforms for maritime meetings and…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2023

During her visit to ICE’s Romanian office last month, the Norwegian Ambassador took the opportunity to also visit the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is located in ICE’s office building. Being the Romanian…

ICE has entered a cooperation agreement with Leafield Limited, a highly reputable UK company that supports navies world-wide to maintain and develop operational capability, with particular focus on speed of response and cost-effectiveness. Leafield’s services includes overhauling systems and equipment…

ICE has recently started a collaboration with the Romanian branch of Royal Van der Leun, a 100-year-old Dutch Group that operates in three divisions, namely marine electrical installations and systems, industrial electrical systems, and metalworking. ICE will provide 3D modeling…

Recently, ICE had the pleasure of hosting Her Excellency Siri Barry, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway during her visit to Galati. Ambassador Barry is also accredited as Norway’s Ambassador to Bulgaria and Moldova. Following a brief introduction to ICE’s…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2023

Recently, DNV Business Assurance conducted a periodic audit of ICE’s Quality Management System (QMS). The audit scope included both ICE’s main design office in Galati, Romania and its Branch Office in Split, Croatia.  The audit objective was to assess the…

The end of August brought an end to the 2023 summer internship program at ICE. The traditional summer program this year hosted students majoring in Naval Architecture and Electrical Engineering at the “Dunarea de Jos” University in Galati. “We wish…

NAPA, a Finnish maritime software service provider with an office in Galati, has had a long professional association with ICE and earlier rented office space from ICE. To make the most of the summer days, employees from ICE and NAPA…

ICE has had a busy first half of 2023 with full employment and projects that continue into next year. However, there is always a need to secure new work for the future. In addition to following up ongoing leads, ICE’s…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2023

Bluewater Engineering Limited (BWE), the inventor of SKYTUG®, has recently been awarded a grant from the Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme, financed by the UK Department for Transport (DfT). The TRIG programme aims to encourage engineers and other…

This year, to ensure continuity of ongoing work, ICE will not have a common summer holiday period. While many of our employees will take time off during July and August, our offices will continue to operate, and ongoing contracts will…

We are happy to note that our colleague Ana-Maria Chiroşcă has successfully defended her PhD Thesis at the Dunărea de Jos University in Galati. The main objective of her doctoral work on shipping behaviour in European waters was to assess…

The 29th edition of the Nor-Shipping marine industry exhibition took place at the Lillestrøm exhibition centre outside Oslo in early June. With almost 1,000 international exhibitors and about 50,000 visitors, the organizers have declared this tradeshow to be the biggest…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JULY-AUGUST_2023

Drawing upon extensive experience from both commercial and naval shipyards across the globe, ICE has recently developed a Coast Guard variant of its proprietary Thames Class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) design. This specialized variant is designed to perform a wide…

In mid-May, Silversea’s newest expedition ship, “Silver Endeavour”, made a visit to Port St Mary, Isle of Man. Previously known as “Crystal Endeavor” and operated by Crystal Cruises, the vessel was delivered from MV Werften’s shipyard in Stralsund, Germany in…

In May, ICE participated in two “Job and Internship Fairs for Students and Graduates” organized by “Dunarea de Jos” University in Galati, Romania. These events provided a platform for ICE to promote its internship programs, present the career opportunities at…

ICE will again be exhibiting at Nor-Shipping, a leading maritime event taking place in Lillestrom (Oslo), Norway from 6th to 9th June 2023. As one of Europe’s largest privately-owned ship designers, we will present our designs for the commercial shipping,…

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Bluewater Engineering Limited (BWE), the inventor of SKYTUG®, has just been awarded a UK patent for SKYTUG’s core technology to engage, control and retrieve a multiple kite array. Several international patents are pending. Remote operation of the self-inflating kites is…

Fred. Olsen Windcarrier has just announced that it has commissioned a lifecycle assessment of its wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) Brave Tern and Bold Tern. In its announcement, the company says that “the assessment will allow us to be data-driven…

The Coronation on May 6th of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be celebrated across the UK and in many other parts of the world. The Isle of Man, where the ICE Group is headquartered, is a self-governing Crown…

ICE’s travel activity is now almost back to pre-pandemic level. Recently, Robert Swan, ICE’s President & COO, together with colleagues from ICE’s Romanian office visited clients and expected customers in Greece, Dubai and Scotland. Steinar Draegebo, ICE’s Chairman and CEO…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MAY_2023

Recently, ICE has been awarded contracts to provide design assistance for three different vessels being urgently converted to meet the demand for seaborne Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to substitute pipeline transportation of natural gas. All projects are subject to confidentiality…

ICE has just started a new internship program, aiming at providing valuable on-the-job learning opportunities to students and recent graduates while also creating a talent pipeline for potential future employees. Five students and one fresh graduate from the Faculty of…

ICE participated in the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) Annual Conference and the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) Symposium in Edinburgh last month. This combined event focused on reviewing the progress of the refreshed UK National Shipbuilding Strategy after one year…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2023

In January, ICE had another joint visit to its main design office of delegations from the Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) shipyard and its customer Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), the Owner of the two dual-fuel ferries that Ferguson is currently…

As part of the long-standing collaboration between ICE and NAPA, design engineers and department managers from ICE’s Initial Design and Hull & Structure departments will be sharing with NAPA their experience in the practical use of the NAPA STEEL /…

As a signatory to the “Getting to Zero” coalition’s “Call to Action for Shipping Industry Decarbonisation”, ICE is one of 200 industry leaders and organisations committed to reducing the industry’s future dependence on fossil fuel. As such, ICE has developed…

Since early 2020, the Covid-19 Pandemic has made face-to-face meetings difficult and international travel has been severely curtailed. For companies like ICE that depend on international business, these restrictions have had a major impact on the ability to meet new…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MARCH_2023

We welcome Sabina Alexandrescu, a native Romanian studying International Marketing and Management in the Netherlands at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Whilst ICE normally supports engineering students, Sabina’s internship at ICE is in marketing, but with focus on offshore…

On January 25th, ICE’s Isle of Man office enjoyed the visit of the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai classification society (“ClassNK”), represented by Dr Abdul Rahim, Corporate Officer and Managing Director (Europe & Africa) and Mr Tatsuya Hayashi, Deputy General Manager and…

Coen Landa, ICE’s Business Development Director was recently invited by AIDA Cruises to visit the cruise ship AIDAprima in Rotterdam. Aida Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation and operates a fleet of 12 ships. Coen met with captain Falk Bleckert…

The visit in January of Eddie Purves, newly appointed Technical Director of ICE’s client Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited, was an opportunity to reminisce of the time in the early 1990s when he, Robert Swan (now ICE President & COO)…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_FEBRUARY_2023

ICE has for many years provided navy and coast guard ship design for clients in Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Romania, Thailand, the UK, and the US. Based on extensive experience from both commercial and naval shipyards around the world, ICE…

December was the time for ICE’s traditional Christmas craft workshops for employees’ children. Christmas tree decorations and assembling creative block models were the theme this year. A huge thank you to ICE kids and to their parents for the participation!…

Following my recent semi-annual briefing to employees, I had the pleasure of hosting nearly all ICE employees and several pensioners at a pre-Christmas drinks reception. It was our first such in-person social gathering after the start of the Covid pandemic,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JANUARY_2023

ICE employees will take well-deserved time off for Christmas starting December 21. Regular operations resume on Tuesday, January 3. Our offices will be closed but senior management will be available on mobile phones for any urgent requirements. We wish our…

ICE’s property management subsidiary in Galati is pleased to welcome NAPA, a Finnish maritime software service provider as a new tenant. NAPA has a team of 37 software engineers, naval architects and technical consultants in Romania, developing software and serving its many licensees in the region. They…

On November 19, Silversea Cruises gave its newest expeditionary cruise ship the name “Silver Endeavour”. The naming ceremony took place in the Lemaire Channel, one of Antarctica’s most scenic straits, ahead of the ship’s inaugural voyage under her new name. The 200-passenger vessel, described…

Primarily known as a ship designer, ICE also takes pride in intimately understanding the shipbuilding process. This knowhow is gained from “best practise” at more than 100 shipyards around the world, as well as from ICE’s management and many employees…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2022

We are happy to note that our colleague Vasile Rata has successfully defended his PhD Thesis “Research on Reducing Pollution on Maritime Routes and Coastal Areas in the Black Sea” at the Dunărea de Jos University in Galati. Vasile –…

In addition to extensive experience from working on design of a variety of ships for different customers – and in many cases also having had hands-on shipyard experience – almost all ICE employees have a solid academic background with degrees…

Among its recent visitors, ICE was pleased to welcome Bart van Rijssen, Managing Director of Nevesbu, who visited ICE’s main design office in Romania to discuss experience from a recent project, tour the design office, and get updated on ICE’s…

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Professor Dr Liviu Crudu. He died unexpectedly in hospital on October 9th, 2022, at the age of 68. Following his graduation in Naval Architecture from the Dunărea de…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2022

The high cost of fossil fuel has accelerated an already rapid growth of offshore wind farms around the world. That has resulted in a corresponding need for vessels both to install and later to maintain offshore wind farms, as well…

One of the most cost-effective ways to meet customers in person is to participate at selected trade shows. As a sign that the pandemic is now less threatening, marine industry trade shows are now again being held “in person”, and…

A team from Damen Yachting recently visited ICE’s main design office in Romania to discuss experience from a recent project, tour the design office and get updated on ICE’s resources and capabilities available for upcoming work. The family-owned Damen shipbuilding…

This summer, ICE again arranged its traditional summer programme for students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture of the “Dunarea de Jos” University. Many of ICE’s employees holds graduate or post graduate degrees from this internationally recognised university, with which…

Ongoing and upcoming design contracts are requiring ICE to hire additional naval architects and graduate engineers in several disciplines for its subsidiary ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL in Galati, Romania. Both permanent positions and short-term engagements are available for qualified candidates. ICE…

Earlier this summer, two senior representatives of ABL Group visited ICE to explore areas of common interest. ABL Group is a leading independent global energy and marine consultancy, working in energy and ocean-related fields to de-risk and drive the transition across…

A combined team from Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited and its ship-owning client Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) recently visited ICE’s main design office in Romania for a design review workshop related to ICE’s ongoing contract with Ferguson. The picture…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2022

This year, ICE will not have a common summer holiday period. Many of our employees will take time off in July and August but our offices will remain open and ongoing contracts will progress as normal. We wish everyone a…

In June, ICE successfully passed the recertification audit for ISO 9001:2015. The audit was carried out over four days for ICE’s main design office in Galati, Romania and one day for the Branch Office in Split, Croatia. The ICE Group’s…

Last week, ICE’s Chairman, Steinar Draegebo, accompanied Chief Dr Ainabe, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Kohi Engineering Nigeria Limited for discussions with the Viktor Lenać shipyard in Croatia. Kohi is a prominent Nigerian marine services company involved with offshore…

After four years of absence due to the Covid pandemic, the traditional Posidonia marine industry exhibition took place in Athens in early June with 2000 exhibitors from 88 countries and thousands of visitors. ICE participated with a large stand and…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2022

ICE has developed a Service Operation Vessel design suitable for emission free operations and cost-effective maintenance of offshore wind farms. The concept uses a battery-powered propulsion system designed to be recharged using offshore charging stations. ICE WS-90-SOV is designed to…

ICE will again be exhibiting at the upcoming Posidonia 2022 in Athens. Mr Coen Landa, Business Development Director of ICE Marine Design said: “ICE will have three representatives at the trade show. We are looking forward to discussing ICE’s designs…

ICE had the pleasure of a recent 2-day visit of a combined delegation from the Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited (FMPG) shipyard and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). Since 2020, ICE has been providing technical assistance to help FMPG correct…

ICEPRONAV Engineering hosted in May the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV) – the first in-person association meeting since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. ICEPRONAV is one of the founding members of ANCONAV, which represents the Romanian…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUNE_2022

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUL-AUG_2022

ICE has recently performed modification design work for its long-standing Norwegian client Fred. Olsen Windcarrier for the “Brave Tern” – one of its Gusto 9000 type jack-up wind turbine installation vessels. The work performed included: Detail design and fabrication for…

ICE Marine Design’s Business Development Director, Coen Landa, recently attended the Danish Maritime Fair – a maritime exhibition that ran concurrently in Copenhagen with the World Maritime Technology Conference. There he assisted Bluewater Engineering Ltd – the inventors and promoters…

Mr Eddie Chambers visited ICE in Galati to explore potential cooperation between ICE and Belcan, a large US-based multi-industry engineering company with extensive involvement in the UK, focused on detail design of naval vessels. Some 15 years ago, Mr Chambers…

With the lifting of Covid-related restrictions in many countries, opportunities to meet face-to-face with customers have improved. ICE recently participated in the NorShipping trade show in Oslo, which was held after several postponements and cancellations and was very well attended….

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MAY_2022

State-of-the-art simulation technology using powerful computer software has for many years been part of the service offered by ICE to solve challenging problems related to ship design. So far this year, ICE has performed a simulation analysis contract for a…

Steinar Draegebo, ICE Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive, took advantage of his recent visit to Romania to meet HE Siri Barry, the Norwegian Ambassador and brief her about ICE and the Group’s long-standing relationship with Norwegian customers. In addition to…

ICE has engaged Mike Hennessy as Financial Advisor, based at the Group’s head office in Douglas, Isle of Man. Mike has a wealth of senior financial experience gained from a career in international banking, spanning more than 25 years. He…

Last month, ICE hoisted the Finnish flag to welcome Mr Jyrki Heinimaa, President & CEO and Mr Mika Laurilehto, Chief Sales Officer from Rauma Marine Constructions Oy (RMC), Finland. They discussed upcoming projects, were briefed on ICE’s resources and capabilities,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2022

We observe with huge regret Russia’s attack on Ukraine. ICE has no business relationships in or with Russia and none of our ongoing contracts will be directly affected by sanctions now being imposed. Design of naval ships is an important…

As a key partner in the SKYTUG Design team, ICE recently arranged successful towing tank tests of the proposed catamaran hull. The purpose of the tests was to compare and validate the CFD results, and to observe the overall behaviour…

In January, the energy major Equinor formally opened its Martin Linge oil and gas field offshore Norway. It comprises a jacket-based integrated wellhead, production and accommodation platform and a permanently moored Floating, Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel. The pioneering field is controlled and…

Thank you to all the children who participated in our recent virtual “Build a Wind-Powered Boat” competition.  It is very encouraging to see that so many younger members of our wider ICE family have such an appreciation of the importance of sustainability. And…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MARCH_2022

ICE employees will take time off for Christmas starting December 22. Regular operations resume on Monday, January 3. Our offices will be closed but senior management will be available on mobile phones for any urgent requirements. We wish our customers,…

ICE has won a contract with a subsidiary of the new offshore wind player Eneti Inc., formerly known as Scorpio Bulkers, for detailed design approval of a wind turbine installation jack-up vessel (WTIV) being built in South Korea. Scheduled for…

ICE’s longstanding effort of designing ships that use fuel more efficiently – and thus emit less Green House Gases (GHG) – has traditionally involved optimising the shape of ships’ underwater hulls to minimise resistance, and selection of effective propellers to…

With the disruptive C-19 pandemic slowly getting under control, ICE is finally able again to second designers to clients’ offices in different countries. Currently, ICE has experienced engineers providing technical assistance to clients in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands….

ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2021

Face-to-face conferences and trade shows are starting to take place once again, following nearly two years when such events have either been cancelled, postponed or changed into cyber format. Although the threats of the Covid-19 pandemic are far from over,…

The ICE Marine Design Group has become a signatory of the “Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization” initiative launched in conjunction with the U.N. General Assembly on 22 September. It will be delivered to world governments ahead of COP26, the…

Bluewater Engineering has contracted ICE for concept development of the SKYTUG (www.skytug.co.uk), an innovative class of vessels designed for ocean towing of slow-moving cargo ships. Incorporating Bluewater’s patent-pending technology to deploy and control large kite arrays, SKYTUGs will effectively convert…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2021

In August, a relaxation of UK’s COVID-19 travelling restrictions added Romania on the so-called “green list” of countries from which travellers with valid vaccinations no longer would need to quarantine upon arrival in the UK. As a result, ICE had…

ICE is pleased that the construction and trials of both 72-metre Amherst Islander II and the 99-metre Wolfe Islander IV ferries were successfully completed. The vessels recently sailed from the shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Galati to Constanta, for onwards transportation to…

One of ICE’s experienced engineers recently performed a 3D laser scanning and survey on-board a vehicle carrier, with focus on the engine room.  He produced an accurate Point Cloud database, which was delivered to the client to allow design work…

In June, DNV Business Assurance performed the periodic audit on the ICE’s Quality Management System (QMS). The audit scope included verification of both ICE’s main design office in Galati, Romania and ICE’s Branch Office in Split, Croatia.  Due to the…

We inform our clients and other business associates that this summer ICE will not have a common holiday period. Many of our employees will take time off in July and August but our offices will remain open and ongoing contracts…

To provide its customers with leading ESS technology, ICE has entered into a cooperation with Sterling PlanB Energy Solutions, a world leader in design, supply and servicing of safe lithium-ion battery systems on ships. Steinar Draegebo, ICE’s Chairman and CEO…

ICE was very pleased to be advised this week by its valued customer MV WERFTEN that – after a prolonged period of Covid-19 related difficulties – the shipbuilder will now progressively be returning to normal operation after having secured financing…

Recently, “Seajacks Zaratan”, a self-elevating wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) started offshore foundation installation work on the Akita Noshiro wind farm in Japan. The installation work is part of the construction of Japan’s first large commercial offshore wind farm. The GustoMSC…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JULY_2021

PRESS RELEASE   Sterling PlanB and ICE Marine Design sign co-operation agreement to support energy transition in ships through increased ESS adoption Battery technology pioneers and Europe’s largest independent ship design office join forces to promote ESS adoption   Vancouver,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2021

ICE’s first 2021 new contract came in early January, with the award of a contract from Serco Canada Marine to supervise construction and testing of two ferries for the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Canada. The contract follows a multi-year…

Crystal Endeavor, the 200-passenger ultra-luxury cruise ship, has successfully performed sea trials over three-days in the Baltic Sea. Assisted by tugboats from her construction port in Stralsund, Germany, the ship travelled around the island of Rügen and into deep-waters for her…

After merging with the German classification society Germanischer Lloyd, Det Norske Veritas, the Oslo headquartered classification society some years ago changed its name to DNV GL. It has now simplified its name to DNV. DNV has since 2011 leased office…

Recently, Mr Bart Vandedrinck of Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) visited ICE in Romania to discuss hydrogen and methanol powered engines. Sustainability is one of the big challenges facing the marine industry and ICE is keen to stay abreast with technology…

Ordering of new drill ships and semi-submersible drilling platforms has not yet recovered after the 2014 oil price collapse; the world-wide oversupply of such “floaters” will probably remain for some time.  However, existing drill ships still need upgrades and modifications….

Phil Goff, starting his career as an apprentice draftsman at a leading UK shipyard, observed how shipyards in periods needed more technical staff that they had, while at other times highly skilled shipyard technicians had too little to do. Seeing…

The Corona-19 pandemic has been devastating for many families who have lost loved ones; it has also hurt many companies economically. ICE, like many ship design companies, has suffered from ongoing projects being halted and start of new contracts being…

2020 has been a year I would like to forget. The marine industry had not recovered from the effects of the 2014 oil price shock when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and created difficulties for many. At ICE, we have had…

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) announced that the month-long sea trials campaign of Australia’s new icebreaking research and supply vessel (RSV) “Nuyina” has started and will be followed by additional weeks of deepwater trials. Testing of the ship’s speed, noise,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2021

ICE_NEWSLETTER_FEBRUARY_2021

Having long experience in the offshore windfarm industry, ICE has developed a Work-Station Service Operation Vessel (SOV) design that combines safety, comfort and operational efficiency for offshore wind support and maintenance activities. The DP-2 design is offered in two options,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2020

After a month-long journey of nearly 7000 kilometres, Australia’s new icebreaker RSV Nuyina has recently arrived at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding’s shipyard for the final stages of testing and commissioning. She is expected to be delivered to her owners, the…

ICE would normally send its engineers anywhere in the world to perform surveys and onboard laser scanning as part of designing ballast water treatment system (BWTS) retrofits. However, due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, for design of a new BWTS for…

ICE’s scope of technical services includes state-of-the-art simulation technology using powerful computer software. Currently, ICE is engaged in two such projects. Last year, ICE was retained by an Asian customer to analyse unexpected convective heat transfer phenomena related to a…

The ongoing pandemic earlier forced ICE’s largest customer to suspend operations and has caused many ship design and offshore energy projects to be postponed. Having earlier cut costs and assigned surplus employees to training, internal projects and short work weeks,…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has upset the best laid plans. During the first half of this year, almost all of ICE’s clients have been forced – either by projects being delayed or cancelled or by Government instructions – to suspend or…

We are pleased to note that our long-standing Norwegian client Fred. Olsen Windcarrier has ordered a 1600t leg-encircling crane from Huisman Equipment for the “Brave Tern” – one of its Gusto 9000 type jack-up wind turbine installation vessels. This major…

ICE is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the World Conference on Floating Solutions 2020 – “Paving the Waves”. The conference will bring together leading international industry experts to share knowledge on floating platform developments. The event will take…

ICE is pleased to congratulate its neighbour, the Isle of Man Ship Registry, for once again having been included in the United States Coast Guard’s “Quality Shipping for the 21st Century” (QUALSHIP 21) Program – one of the world’s top…

Based on its experience from more than 40 FSO and FPSO projects, ICE has released a new FPSO Hull design with emphasis on sustainability and flexibility. Measuring 330 by 62 metres, the G-2400-SM Hull has a storage capacity of 2.4…

In March, concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic caused ICE to start work-from-home. Thanks to our employees diligently observing all precautionary measures, we are happy to note that no ICE employees or their families have been infected by the virus. Work-from-home…

In June, DNV-GL Business Assurance performed the annual periodic audit on the ICE’s Quality Management System (QMS), to verify its compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. In addition, the audit scope included verification that the quality management system has…

ICE is pleased to congratulate the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company with its 190th birthday, making it the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. The company was formed in response to the need for a regular…

As an experienced designer of passenger ships, ICE is familiar with SOLAS requirements for Safe Return to Port (SRtP). Over the next weeks, our employees will become equally familiar with ICE’s own rules for “Safe Return to Office”, spelling out…

Being contracted to correct and complete design done by others for a nearly completed aquaculture service vessel, ICE found it necessary to obtain licenses and quickly learn how to use the ShipConstructor 3-D software used for the vessel. ICE’s scope…

In May, it was ICE’s turn to arrange a General Assembly meeting for Space@Sea, a 3-year EU-supported research project involving several European companies, universities and other institutions. The long-anticipated arrangement was supposed to include a dinner hosted by ICE onboard…

ICE is pleased to announce that Alexandru Antohi and Eduard Daniel Burghelea have joined ICEPRONAV Engineering as Project Managers. Alexandru studied Electrical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. Since 2007, he has worked as an engineer and later project…

We are pleased that the Royal Institution of Naval Architects has included the “Histria Atlas”, built by Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) in Romania, as one of its “Significant Ships” for 2019. This is the first in a series EcoMax-class MR1…

We are happy to announce that ICE has won another contract for design of a ballast water treatment system (BWTS), this time for a very large crude carrier (VLCC). The contract was awarded by Aitken Marine International (AMI), a Dubai-based…

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) announced that sea trials of Australia’s new icebreaking research and supply vessel (RSV) “Nuyina” have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Construction of the ship commenced at Damen’s Galați shipyard in Romania in May…

ICE has recently received an order from a leading Classification Society to assist with structural analysis services for an offshore production vessel project. The job consists of technical assistance with Finite Element Modelling for generation of fine and fatigue grid…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_AUGUST_2020

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MAY_2020

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUNE_2020

Whilst carefully complying with Coronavirus-related restrictions imposed by Governments in countries where we do business, ICE continues to perform work on ongoing contracts and to respond to new inquiries. We took precautions early to protect our employees at work and…

Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited, whose Clyde shipyard came under Scottish Government ownership last year, has awarded ICE a contract to correct and complete the design of its Hull No 801, a dual-fuel RoPax ferry for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited….

Prior to recently attending a contract that involved design work for an offshore platform in the Black Sea, Eugeniu Rotaru, a Principal Engineer in ICE’s Outfitting & Deck Equipment Department was required to undergo the Basic Offshore Safety Induction Emergency…

ICEPRONAV Engineering hosted recently the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV). ICEPRONAV is one of the founding members of this organisation, which represents the large Romanian shipbuilding industry including producers of ship’s equipment and related service providers. Cristian…

In December, ICE was awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its latest generic floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) hull design, named the G-1600-SM/W. The AIP means that experts at ABS’ world…

ICE is pleased to announce that it has entered into a framework agreement with Silverstream Technologies for worldwide installation design services for retrofitting of the Silverstream® System, the market leading patented air lubrication system designed for reduction of friction between…

Thanks to extensive use of video conferencing and state-of-the-art IT technology, ICE is usually able to service its international customers remotely from its own offices. That keeps travel costs down and makes the best use of ICE’s modern facilities and…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2020

The start of a new decennium is an appropriate time to look back at the one that just ended. The ten years from 2010 through 2019 saw major changes for the ICE Group; we steadily invested in our business, we…

December was the time for ICE’s traditional Christmas craft workshops for employees’ children. Nautical Christmas tree decorations and driftwood boats were the theme this year. A huge thank you to ICE kids – aspiring naval architects – and to their…

ICE exhibited this year again at the Marintec trade show in China with a stand in the UK pavilion. With 2exhibiting companies from 30 countries, and nearly 72,000 professional visitors from 100 countries, the 20th edition of Marintec reaffirmed its…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JULY_2020

ICE_NEWSLETTER_FEBRUARY_2020

As usual, ICE employees will take two weeks off for Christmas, namely weeks no 52 of 2019 and week 1 of 2020, i.e. from December 23 until January 6. Some critical work will be performed during those two weeks and…

Following a design review performed by a team of experts in the Global Engineering division of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in Houston, Texas, ABS has formally issued an Approval In Principle (AIP) for the conceptual design of the…

Recently, a Space@Sea General Assembly meeting was held in Trondheim, Norway, hosted by Val FoU AS. Cristinel Chiriac, Department Manager Concepts Development, Alexandru Cobzaru, Senior Engineer and Dragos Totolici, Principal Engineer represented ICE at the event and gave updates on:…

Recently, ICE participated at the GNA 2019, an international Naval Architecture Conference held in Galati, Romania. At the conference, Vasile Rata, Engineer, Machinery & Piping (pictured here, left), presented a paper describing aspects of using 3-D laser scanning technology in…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JANUARY_2020

ICE will again be exhibiting as part of the UK Pavilion at the Marintec trade show. The exhibition will take place from December 3 to 6 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. This year, ICE will draw attention to…

Based on extensive gas ship design experience, ICE has recently developed a flexible LNG bunkering vessel suitable for supplying a wide range of LNG fuelled ships. Cargo capacity is of 8,000 cubic meter distributed over two IMO type C bi-lobe…

ICE has for a long-time been a preeminent user of Tribon, PDMS and AVEVA Marine software; it currently holds about 250 AVEVA Marine licenses. To stay in the forefront of technological development ICE has embarked on a process of gradually…

The recent Monaco Yacht Show proved a busy one for the ICE team, who exhibited as part of the Isle of Man Maritime, a trading association of which ICE is a member. With 600 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors, this year’s…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_DECEMBER_2019

ICE experienced engineers have recently performed a 3D laser scanning and survey on-board of a very large crude oil tanker (VLCC) – pictured. The scanned areas included: the entire engine room, the funnel and external area adjacent to the funnel….

Last month, ICE’s Business Development Director, Coen Landa, visited Nigeria for meetings in Abuja and discussions with Kohi Engineering on possible areas of cooperation. The visit was a follow-up to several meetings between Kohi and ICE in London and Romania,…

We are sad to note the death of Dr Birger Natvig, who after a long illness passed away peacefully on September 3rd, surrounded by his nearest family. At ICE, we will remember Dr Natvig as the mild-mannered and soft-spoken principal…

Recently, Finland’s largest shipyard Meyer Turku Oy conducted an audit to qualify ICE as a subcontractor of design and engineering services. ICE successfully passed the audit and is now ready to add Meyer Turku to its list of clients building…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2019

ICE will be exhibiting at the upcoming Monaco Yacht Show (MYS), 25-28 September. Celebrating its 29th edition, the event will welcome almost 600 exhibitors representing leading companies in yacht design, boat building, superyacht “toys”, technology, brokerage and charter. Coen Landa,…

ICE has recently released the G-1600-SM/W proprietary hull design for a 1.6Mbbl Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The new design is based on ICE’s track record of more than 40 FPSO/FSO projects (new construction, conversions and various studies)….

Summer is the perfect time to host a BBQ event in the sunshine. ☀️ With that in mind, #ICE’s management used its traditional semi-annual briefing session for all its Romanian 🇷🇴 employees to arrange a BBQ party to say thanks…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2019

We remind our clients and other business associates of ICE Group’s vacation from July 22 until August 11, with our Split, Croatia office being off August 5 – 18. Critical projects with sensitive schedules will as always be staffed during…

DNV-GL Business Assurance has recently performed an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) recertification audit on ICE. We are proud that our company successfully passed the audit, thereby achieving recertification of the Company’s QMS for the next three years, subject…

After contributing to Romania’s energy supply for 40 years, Gloria is getting ready for retirement. Petrom, a subsidiary of Austrian group OMV, selected GSP Offshore to handle the decommissioning work. It includes reinstating the platform jacking system, positioning the platform…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2019

ICE exhibited this year again at the Nor-Shipping trade show in Norway with a stand in the UK pavilion. With exhibitors from 47 countries and visitors from over 85 nations, a record number of delegates attended the exhibition and associated…

ICE will again be exhibiting at Nor-Shipping, the leading maritime event of the year, in Lillestrom (Oslo), Norway 04 – 07 June 2019. As Europe’s largest independent ship designer, we will showcase our designs for the commercial shipping, defence and…

ICE has won a contract with Piraeus-based marine consultancy group Alpha Marine Consulting for scrubber retrofit design services for a series of merchant vessels. The exhaust gas cleaning systems will be supplied by a leading global provider ICE’s scope of…

Recently, Space@Sea general assembly meeting was held in Graz, Austria, being hosted by Technische Universität Graz. Cristinel Chiriac, Department Manager Concepts Development, Alexandru Cobzaru, Senior Engineer and Florin Flor, Principal Engineer represented ICE at the event and gave updates on:…

HRH Prince Edward The Earl of Wessex on May 17th officially opened a new office of ICE during a visit to Split, Croatia. His Royal Highness, who was in Split to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Croatia’s NATO membership, also…

Press Release - Royal Opening of Manx-owned Company in Croatia (21.05.2019)

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUL-AUG_2019

Having actively supported Constanta Shipyard (SNC) in the design of the yard’s latest series of product/chemical tankers, a team from ICE was invited to the naming ceremony of the “Histria Atlas” in Constanta, Romania on 11th of April. The first…

ICE is pleased to congratulate the Isle of Man Ship Registry with being named ‘Best Shipping Registry 2019’ by World Commerce Review. The awards recognise professional conduct and excellence. During the selection process the panel took into account product innovation,…

Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto – one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates – was recently in the Black Sea as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) conducting a variety of maritime situational awareness patrols and…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUNE_2019

ICE is happy to announce the opening of a ship design office in Split, Croatia. Steinar Draegebo, ICE Chairman & CEO, says that the idea for a permanent ICE presence in Croatia originally came from the owner of the local…

ICE offers design and engineering services for clients in the commercial shipbuilding, naval and offshore energy market segments. Our reference portfolio includes a diverse and demanding range of projects across the markets served. The main 3-D ship design software used…

Seajacks’ Zaratan is transferred from Europe to be used in construction of Taiwan’s new commercial offshore windfarm, Formosa I (phase 2). The self-propelled, dynamically positioned jack-up vessel was built by Lamprell in 2012 at their Hamriyah facility in the United…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MAY_2019

As part of a new ferry service planned by an undisclosed client, ICE has recently developed a design for an all-electric ferry that can carry 200 passengers and 45 cars. The shallow-draft double-ended mono-hull ferry will be propelled by four…

ICE has won new contracts for scrubber retrofit design services for a series of container vessels for a leading European shipowner. ICE’s scope of work includes basic design, detail design and development of production information. The hybrid exhaust gas cleaning…

The ‘Methane Coral’ has recently been converted to serve as a bunkering vessel for LNG. ICE played a major role in the original design of this vessel, which was launched in 2009. Designed as a versatile gas carrier, the ‘Methane…

Thanks to its substantial track record on design of passenger vessels – including participating in design of some of the world’s largest cruise ships – ICE has successfully overcome the general downturn that still persists in the world’s shipbuilding and…

We are pleased to recognise that Mr Fred. Olsen – an industry pioneer – has reached his 90th birthday. With roots going back to 1848 and a rich history in shipowning and more recently offshore drilling, the Fred. Olsen group’s…

Late last year, ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL had the pleasure of being visited at its Galati, Romania office by Dr Jongjoo Kim and Mr Choi Youngwoong from SK Shipping. Since its start in 1982 as a company transporting crude oil, SK…

We are sad to note the recent passing of Dr. Ing Gelu Kahu, just a few weeks before his 89th birthday. Dr. Kahu was the first Director of the state-owned research and design institute for shipbuilding ‘Institutul de Cercetare Stiintifica…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2019

ICE_NEWSLETTER_FEBRUARY_2019

From all of us at #ICE we wish you a joyous Holiday Season and a happy New Year! 🎅❄️🎉 Please note that ICE Group will be on vacation from December 24, 2018 to January 4, 2019, inclusive. Critical projects with…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JANUARY_2019

For more than a year, ICE has assisted a Norwegian client with technical and commercial development of the DeltaLifter, an innovative single-lift vessel designed for safe and cost-effective removal of decommissioned offshore jackets. In the process of this work, it…

In response to increasing demand for its services, ICE has throughout 2018 been increasing the number of employees in Galati, Romania. With upcoming contracts with existing and new customers, ICE needs additional experienced naval architects and engineers and has strengthened…

Dragos Totolici, ICE Principal Engineer has recently participated at a NAPA Damage Stability Calculations Training held in Helsinki, Finland. The NAPA software is one of the many software packages in ICE’s inventory and is a key tool in efficiently developing...

ICE will for the fifth time be present at the upcoming Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) trade show in Dubai – a leading regional event for the maritime industry. ICE will this year share a stand with Aitken Marine International,…

Dutch shipbuilding group Damen recently performed the successful float-out of the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) RSV Nuyina, currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. The RSV Nuyina will be a state-of-the-art ship that will offer scientists unprecedented…

Steinar Draegebo, ICE Chairman and Chief Executive, recently moderated a session dedicated to small-scale gas ships at Gastech 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. The annual Gastech event is the world’s leading meeting place for professionals in the international gas industry; it…

Two of ICE’s hydrodynamics specialists – Gelu Alexandru and Ana Chirosca (pictured) – last month participated in an advanced training session in Sweden arranged by Shipflow International AB. The eponymous Shipflow software, developed in conjunction with Chalmers University of Technology…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_NOVEMBER_2018

The MV Werften Shipyard in Stralsund recently laid the keel on the Crystal Endeavor in the presence of German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig, Genting Hong Kong’s Executive Chairman and CEO Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Crystal…

ICEPRONAV Engineering recently hosted its traditional summer program for students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture at the Dunarea de Jos University in Galati, Romania. The 18 participants (pictured here with their ICE instructors) had the opportunity to learn practical...

For several years, ICE focussed much of its design activities on the growing offshore oil & gas industry, providing designs for drill ships, offshore service vessels and floating production, storing and offloading (FPSO) vessels. When the oil price in 2014…

We remind our clients and other business associates of ICE Group’s vacation from 23rd of July until 10th of August. Critical projects with sensitive schedules will as always be staffed during the holiday period, so a large percentage of ICE…

Last month, ICE exhibited at the biennial Posidonia trade show in Athens. With more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and 23,000 visitors this is one of the main maritime trade shows attended by ship owners and marine industry companies from around…

ICE recently participated at the NAPA User Meeting 2018 held in Helsinki, Finland. The NAPA software is a key tool in efficiently developing early concept designs and helps ICE’s designers to quickly develop conceptual hull designs to meet clients’ requirements….

DNV-GL Business Assurance recently performed an ISO 9001:2015 certification audit on ICE. The certification audit was the last step in ICE’s upgrade of the company’s Quality Management Systems (QMS) from the ISO 9001:2008 certification to the 2015 revised standard. ICE…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_OCTOBER_2018

ICE_NEWSLETTER_SEPTEMBER_2018

At this year’s Posidonia exhibition, in addition to showing its latest ship designs ICE will highlight its design services for retrofit of ballast water treatment (BWT) and scrubber systems. This is the third major international trade show for ICE so…

ICE continues its R&D contract with a Norwegian client to validate and further develop the innovative DeltaLifter, a single-lift vessel designed for safe and economical removal of decommissioned offshore platform substructures (“jackets”). Recently, ICE commissioned a model test at the…

Having been involved in more than 40 FPSO projects (new construction, conversions and various studies) the last ten years, ICE is pleased to note an increased activity in that industry segment. After several quiet years, ICE is again receiving inquiries…

To further expand its design services for retrofit of ballast water treatment (BWT) and exhaust gas cleaning (EGC) systems, ICE has entered into a non-exclusive cooperation agreement with Aitken Marine International (AMI), a Dubai-based project management company. ICE will provide…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUL-AUG_2018

The ICE Group will for the third time be exhibiting at the biennial SeaJapan trade show in Tokyo. The exhibition will take place April 11 – 13 at the Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Centre. Japan’s shipbuilding industry has a well-earned…

New regulations for ballast water and sulphuric content in exhaust gases from ships has created an increasing demand for installation of systems for ballast water treatment (“BWT”) and exhaust gas cleaning (“scrubbers”). Using its extensive ship design experience, ICE offer…

Recently, ICE was visited by senior representatives of Braemar Technical Services, exploring areas of common interest. The Braemar group is a leading international provider of knowledge and skill-based services to the shipping, marine, energy, offshore and insurance industries. It employs…

In March, ICE’s representatives Coen Landa, Business Development Director and Gheorghe Iorga, Senior Engineer, attended a seminar in Wageningen, the Netherlands focused on Food, Energy, Logistics & Living on Floating Mega Islands. The event ended with a visit to the…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_JUNE_2018

Working closely with a major operator of gas ships, ICE has developed a “milk run” LNG distribution tanker with a cargo capacity of 20,000 cum. The gas is contained in two type C semi-pressurised and fully refrigerated bi-lobe cargo tanks….

At the end of 2017, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind started using the Isle of Man as service base for a new offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea. Their local office contacted ICE with an urgent request to design a…

ICEPRONAV Engineering hosted last month the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV). Dragos Totolici, ICE Principal Engineer briefed the meeting on ICE’s participation in 3-year EU Research & Innovation Programme aiming to develop cost-effective floating islands to be…

In 2010, ICE established a separate property management company to develop the Group’s properties and attract additional tenants to its Galati facilities, which formerly accommodated more than one thousand technical, scientific and support staff. Last month ICE welcomed as a…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_APRIL_2018

In recent years, ICE’s main activity has been focussed on the offshore energy industry, with design of drill ships, a well intervention vessel, jack-up wind turbine installation vessels and more than 40 FSO/FPSO projects. However, the oil price collapse in…

In December 2017, ICE again participated in the MARINTEC China trade show in Shanghai, as part of the British pavilion. At the encouragement of the UK Government’s Department of International Trade, ICE had entered into an arrangement with SMC Design…

On January 1, 2018, Mariana Popa (pictured) will take over the position as Director of Administration of ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL, reporting directly to Robert Swan, the Sole Administrator of ICEPRONAV Engineering and President and Chief Operating Officer of the ICE…

At a conference on “Design, Construction & Operation of LNG/LPG Ships” arranged in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2017 by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), Marcel Negraia from Icepronav Engineering SRL presented a paper on “The Practical Impact of…

ICE_NEWSLETTER_MARCH_2018

ICE will again be exhibiting as part of the UK Pavilion at the Marintec trade show. The exhibition will take place from December 5 to 8 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. This year, ICE will draw attention to…

Constanta Shipyard (SNC) – a leading Romanian shipyard – has awarded ICE an important contract for design services for a 41,000 dwt Product/Chemical Tanker of IMO Type 2. Scope of work includes development of an AVEVA Marine 3-D model for…

ICEPRONAV Engineering SRL, as part of ICE Group, has recently completed the Achilles JQS (Joint Qualification System) renewal assessment. The qualification is now renewed until September 2018. Since 2008, ICE has been registered by Achilles, an industry-supported prequalification system serving…

Recently, ICE participated at the ZASTR 2017, an international conference held in Constanta, Romania. At the Conference, Dr Lucian Anghel, Senior Engineer (pictured here, right), presented a paper describing the challenges facing naval architects and structural engineers in meeting the…

MV Werften, a Group consisting of several well-established German shipyards, has awarded ICE an 18-month long contract for detail design of a series of luxury expedition cruise vessels. Named the “Endeavor” class, these vessels will be built at MV Werften’s…

DeltaLifter Technologies AS (“DLT”) of Norway has entrusted ICE with business development, project management and further design of patented vessels for cost-effective removal of the substructures of redundant offshore steel oil & gas production platform substructures (so-called jackets). The DeltaLifter…

As a long-standing member of the important marine industry in the Isle of Man, ICE takes an active part in IOMSA, the trade association that represents Isle of Man-based companies such as shipowners, the Isle of Man Ship Registry, maritime…

ICE has accepted an invitation from MARIN (Maritime Research Institute) in the Netherlands to be a partner in a European funded project Space@Sea funded by EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme. The 3-year project is scheduled to start in November 2017….

Mihai Samoila, Principal Engineer – Machinery & Piping recently participated in the WinGD X-DF Engine Demonstration organised by Winterthur Gas & Diesel at the Wärtsilä testing facility in Trieste, Italy. The event consisted of a presentation of the X-DF Technology…

ICEPRONAV Engineering recently hosted its traditional summer programme for students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture at the Dunarea de Jos University in Galati, Romania. The 17 participants had the opportunity to learn practical aspects of their future profession by…

ICE’s main engineering office in Galati is located a 3-hour drive from the nearest international airport in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Safe and efficient transportation to and from the airport is an important part of our image so we…

With the ramp-up of new contracts over the next two months, ICE has decided not to have its traditional three-week summer close-down this year. Sorin Brazdis, Director of Operations at Icepronav Engineering commented: “The last months most of our employees…

Florin Flor, Principal Engineer – Machinery & Piping at Icepronav Engineering recently attended the Alfa Laval “PureBallast” training course in Sweden. This reflects ICE’s commitment to have full understanding of BWT equipment, tools and operations offered by the leading BWT…

Derek Doig (pictured below), Managing Director of ICE’s UK subsidiary has decided to retire after 11 years with ICE. Prior to joining ICE, Derek worked for BAE Systems, primarily on the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier programme. He became part of…

ICE recently participated at the NAPA User Meeting 2017 held in Helsinki, Finland. The NAPA software is one of the many software packages in ICE’s inventory and is a key tool in efficiently developing early concept designs. The participation was…

ICE will again be exhibiting at Nor-Shipping, the leading maritime event of the year, in Lillestrom (Oslo), Norway 30 May- 2 June 2017. As Europe’s largest independent ship designer, we will showcase our designs for the commercial shipping, defence and…

The main 3-D ship design software used by ICE is AVEVA Marine – with 250 licenses ICE is a leading user of that software and was earlier a long-time Tribon user. However, ICE is occasionally asked by clients to use…

ICE has prepared an updated general brochure, which shows the new logo that was introduced last year and also highlights the Group’s 50-year history. Commenting on the new brochure, Coen Landa, ICE’s Business Development Director said: “We needed a new…

In 2017, a scholarship program has been set up by ICE for students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture, Galati University. The program provides students with the opportunity to follow professional technical training and career development programs offered by ICE,...

ICE has successfully performed many ship conversion designs, including for commercial vessels, warships, offshore oil & gas platforms and FPSOs. Its reference list also includes retrofit design for installation of ballast water treatment (BWT) and scrubber systems on different types…

ICE is pleased that Eero Makinen, formerly Senior Vice President of STX Finland, has entered into a part-time consultancy agreement with ICE. Eero has 45 years of experience in the international shipbuilding industry, with focus on passenger ferries, cruise vessels…

The Government of Romania has recently approved a €10M budget for propulsion system modernization (etc.) of the Perseus – its biggest icebreaker. Her permanent station is on the Danube river, a couple of hundred metres from ICE’s office where she…

Last month a quality assurance team from SBM Offshore in the Netherlands, one of the world’s leading offshore engineering and FPSO operating companies, conducted an ISO 9001:2015 audit to qualify ICE for future engineering contracts. ICE has in the past…

EMSHIP is an advanced Master’s program leading to a combined degree in Offshore Structures and Marine Engineering & Ship Design. It involves universities from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania. Each year, as part of being an EMSHIP Strategic…

ICEPRONAV Engineering hosted last month the quarterly meeting of the Romanian Shipbuilders Association (ANCONAV). Icepronav is one of the founding members of this organisation, which represents the Romanian shipbuilding industry as well as producers of ship’s equipment and accessories. Sorin…

2016 was a bad year for the shipbuilding industry. Many shipyards lost money and few new ships were ordered. World-wide, the compensated gross tonnage (CGT) was only about half of what was ordered at the depth of the 2008 financial…

To meet new challenges and widen ICE’s scope of services, the following organisation changes are in effect in Icepronav Engineering SRL in Galati, Romania: Sorin Brazdis is appointed Director of Operations, with responsibility for all projects and other technical activities….

ICE has a long tradition in cooperating with the Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture Faculties of the “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania, from where many of the Group’s Romanian employees received their academic degrees. In its role as…

On an assignment to perform basic design work for a large US defence contractor, three ICE engineers took the opportunity to have their picture taking in front of the ‘Star of India’. This vessel – now home-ported in San Diego,…

The ICE Group has a long-standing relationship with Japanese shipyards, starting in 1982 when the 280 m long towing tank at ICEPRONAV in Galati, Romania was established in cooperation with Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding (“MES”). In more recent years, ICE…

Award of a substantial amount of additional design and engineering work for a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel for a major Norwegian Continental Shelf project, plus other work for Norwegian clients, make Norway ICE’s largest market in 2016 in…

ICE is pleased to welcome Coen Landa, who has joined the Group as Business Development Director. Coen holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree from the Technical University of Delft in his native Holland. He brings to ICE a vast…

This summer, Fred. Olsen Windcarrier’s “Brave Tern” successfully completed installation of five 6 MW turbines offshore the US East Coast. This is the first offshore wind farm in US waters. The GustoMSC type “Brave Tern” was built by Lamprell Energy,…

ICE has in recent contracts successfully coordinated its ship design effort in Romania with design teams in shipyards and engineering offices elsewhere in the world, with the help of AVEVA Global software. Last month, a number of ICE employees participate…

DNV-GL Business Assurance recently performed an audit for renewal of ICE’s quality management system certification. The audit focus was to: • Determine the system readiness to align with requirements of the 2015 revision of ISO 9001 standard. • Evaluate de…

In July 1966 the “Institutul de Cercetare Stiintifica si Inginerie Technologica pentru Constructii Navale” – later to become SC ICEPRONAV SA – was founded. Two years later the foundation was laid for the Institute’s design office in Galati, overlooking the…

ICE senior managers last month visited Baltic shipyards, including in Gdansk, Poland, where the ICE-designed conversion of a shuttle tanker into a sophisticated FSO is under way. ICE is pleased to recently have been entrusted with providing additional technical services…

This month, ICE again arranged its traditional summer program for students from the Faculty of Naval Architecture" of the “Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati. Dragos Totolici, Principal Engineer of ICE’s Initial Design Department and tutor of this year’s program...

Being able to meet rigorous demands to quality, schedule adherence and cost-effectiveness, ICE has so far successfully provided ship design services to five different Japanese shipyards. In April this year senior ICE executives visited existing and potential clients in Japan…

ICE’s traditional annual Children’s Day was celebrated recently. Highlights included activities and games for kids (making ships out of modelling clay, vessel pastel drawing, sand painting, etc.) and various entertainment.

ICE participated recently at the “Sea Japan” trade show in Tokyo, a major event in the Japanese maritime industry calendar. The ICE stand highlighted its design expertise and also showed ICE’s experience with successfully providing design services “remotely” to clients…

Over the last months, a number of ICE employees have participated in a series of AVEVA demonstrations & workshops focused on using AVEVA Engineering as an integration tool. The events included technical presentations and workshops focussing on how AVEVA’s Integrated…

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new logo & website! The new website offers simplified navigation and functionality for both mobile phone and tablet users. The contents include examples of ships and offshore platforms designed by ICE…

The ICE Group will be exhibiting for the second time at the SeaJapan trade show in Tokyo. The exhibition will take place April 13 – 15 at the Tokyo BIG SIGHT Exhibition Centre. Over the last several years ICE has…

ICE recently participated in the 6th meeting of the Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) of EMSHIP (European Master’s Course in Integrated Ship Design) in Istanbul, Turkey. EMSHIP is an advanced Master’s program leading to a combined degree in Offshore Structures and…

ICE recently participated at the AVEVA World Marine User Meeting held in Malmo, Sweden. Nicu Olaru, ICE’s AVEVA Marine System Administrator, and Catalin Axente, Software Developer gave a technical paper at this event, describing ICE’s in-house development of programs to…

Celebrating 50 years in naval architecture, ICE, Europe’s largest independent marine designer, will be showcasing its proprietary design capability at the 14th Asia Pacific Marine Show in Singapore during March 16-18, on stand E-L5. This will be the fourth time…

ICE has a long tradition in cooperating with the Engineering and Naval Architecture Faculties of the “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania, from where many of the Group’s Romanian employees received their academic degrees.

ICE will present the paper “Managing Design of Complex Ships” at a Maritime Project Management conference arranged in London by the prestigious Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) on 24-25 February 2016.

The marine industry’s increasing search for cost-effective design services is gradually making more people aware of what ICE has to offer. This awareness has also made the media take a look at ICE, as shown in the press cuttings below.

Logistic and organization are two most important things for successfully running a warehouse. Warehouse must be optimized for fast loading on the trucks and unloading from them on the arrival. There is no place for mistakes, because if one truck has to wait a minute too long, ten after them will have to wait as well. Just image what would happen if a cargo would get misplaced, or if it wouldn’t be accessible for forklift to pick it up.

ICE recently participated as an exhibitor at the Marintec China 2015 trade show in Shanghai, as part of the UK national pavilion. The trade show had a record number of over 2,000 exhibiting companies and covered 80,000 square metres of…

After ten years with the ICE Group, Nicu Crapcenco has decided to pursue new challenges and will be leaving ICE towards the end of February. As Managing Director of Projects, and thereafter as Director of Business Development reporting to the…

“2015 was difficult; 2016 will be brutal”; so proclaimed a headline in a recent offshore oil & gas industry newsletter. For many shipyards and oil service companies that ominous prediction may well be correct. As a designer of drill ships, FPSOs and other oil service vessels, we are conscious of the difficulties in that industry. However, ICE has huge experience also in sectors that are less impacted by the low oil price; thus we are now pursuing marine design work for the defence and other industries. Providing high quality engineering at very competitive prices is an advantage at a time when most clients are keen to reduce costs. Our solid finances enable us to invest in increased productivity and to continue to develop in-house designs. I therefore look forward to 2016 with confidence and cautious optimism. I wish our customers, employees, business associates and other friends all the best for the New Year!