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Why Compliance is important?

Compliance is a term that has been growing in the corporate world. And compliance is an essential part of our daily work for a company like Belga Marine, which is committed to the highest standards of safety, integrity, and respect for the environment.

Compliance refers to the set of norms, policies, and procedures that aim to ensure that a company acts in accordance with the laws, regulations, and ethical standards applicable to its sector of operation.

The offshore industry presents unique challenges and specific regulatory demands due to the complex operating environment in which we operate.

By adopting compliance practices, we ensure that our operations are conducted ethically and transparently, avoiding legal problems, and preserving our reputation in the market. In addition, compliance contributes to the prevention of fraud, the promotion of equality and diversity, the protection of personal data, and the safety of work environments.

How is Compliance implemented in Belga Marine?

Our approach is based on the following pillars:

Commitment to Ethics: Our employees are guided to act with integrity, honesty, and respect in all their interactions, following a clear and transparent code of conduct.

Policies and Procedures: We have established clear and documented processes and procedures, aligned with internationally recognized regulations and best practices. This allows us to operate efficiently and safely while ensuring compliance at every step of our work.

Training and Awareness: We invest in regular training for our employees to ensure that they are aware of the legal and ethical obligations relevant to their work and can identify possible situations of non-compliance.

Monitoring and Auditing: We conduct periodic internal audits to assess compliance with established policies and procedures and identify areas for improvement. We carry out a rigorous analysis of the risks involved in our offshore operations and implement appropriate measures to mitigate them. This includes identifying potential threats, implementing appropriate controls, and conducting regular audits to monitor the effectiveness of these measures.

Due Diligence: In the offshore environment, hiring suppliers, partners, and intermediary agents is common. In this regard, it is important to carry out rigorous due diligence to assess the integrity and compliance of these third parties. This includes reviewing your reputation, compliance history, and ethical practices.

Reporting Channel: We provide a secure and confidential channel for employees and other interested parties to report suspected irregularities or violations of conduct.

By adopting compliance as a fundamental principle, we can map and understand the legal and regulatory obligations applicable to your business, in addition to establishing policies and procedures to ensure compliance with these requirements. This involves implementing internal controls, regular audits, and taking corrective action where necessary.

To sum up, we have obtained ISO 9001 certification which provides a solid structure for the implementation of an effective quality management system. In this way, we establish clear processes, define responsibilities, monitor, and evaluate performance, in addition to continuously seeking improvements. Through ISO 9001 certification, we demonstrate our commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.

If you have any questions about our compliance program or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br.

Nor-Shipping takes place every two years in Oslo, Norway, and has been attracting the main players of the maritime industry from around the world for 58 years. It is one of the most recognized meeting places in the world for strategic negotiation and networking.

For the first time, Belga Marine participates in the 29^th edition of the event, represented by our Sales and Business Development Director, Alexandre de Carvalho.

“Nor-shipping 2023 was an excellent opportunity for Belga Marine to strengthen relationships with long-standing partners such as Miros, Ocean Visuals, Cobham, Ulstein and Jotron, and with new ones such as Hoglund. By being an international hub for players in the maritime market, it was possible to connect with many customers and other important decision-makers in the industry. And through participation in networking events and seminars, promoted by the Brazilian delegation, we discovered new opportunities for more business between Norwegian companies and Belga Marine.” Alexandre Carvalho, sales, and business development director.

During the event, we met with several international shipowners and connected with partners that Belga Marine represents in Brazil, including Miros, Zenitel, Jotron, Wilhelmsen Group, Ocean Visuals, and Hoglund.

Pre-event highlight

Before attending Nor-shipping, Belga Marine visited Miros Group, with whom was renewed two agreements to strengthen and expand the partnership for the sales and distribution of products and as-a-service solutions in Brazil. The agreements also extend the target markets to the whole region of South America.

For many years, Miros and Belga Marine have successfully worked together providing reliable ocean surface measurements to the Brazilian market. And it is the result of this partnership that we can offer Software-as-a-Service solutions to maritime and energy companies and expand to new markets.

Belga Marine in 2023

Looking back on the first semester of 2023, we are pleased with the many activities and international exhibitions in which Belga Marine has participated.

We are now preparing for the second semester with two more exhibitions coming up in Brazil. The next stop is Navalshore in Rio de Janeiro, where we will be exhibiting together with our Partners Miros and Ocean Visuals to showcase the importance of innovative technology solutions in the naval, maritime, and offshore sectors.

The “Offshore Technology Conference” (OTC) is internationally known as the World’s biggest offshore energy event and is attended by international companies from all over the World.

For more than 50 years, the exhibition is held in Houston, Texas, in the month of May, and brings together the main players and suppliers of the market. And surely Belga Marine had to participate in this event that is so important for our sector.

For the second time in a row, Belga Marine is being represented at OTC by our General Manager, Denis Morais.

“OTC is definitely a great opportunity to meet with partners and customers, strengthen relationships and get market feedback.  With no exception, all reported new projects, investments, and a positive market outlook. We revisited existing partners such as EPIC, Cobham, OceanVisuals, and we had the opportunity to meet our newest partner, Arnlea (Paul Goonan). And returned home with new potential partnerships in our luggage, which is very exciting”, says Denis Morais, Managing Director of Belga Marine.

Belga Marine co-sponsors of M&O Networking Nights

Another highlight of the OTC trip was M&O Networking Nights, an event that takes place during OTC every year and is organized by M&O Partners – a multidisciplinary professional services company that provides sales development, strategic and operational services to the maritime and energy industries in Brazil, Norway, USA and Singapore.

As a sponsor of the event, Belga Marine gained exposure and we got a unique opportunity to network with industry peers, promoting the solutions of our suppliers and build new professional connections. With about 300 international attendees from different segments of the industry, the event exceeded our expectations and will certainly bring new business opportunities.

OTC is coming to Brazil in 2023

In 2023, OTC Brasil will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, from October 24^th to 26^th at EXPOMAG. And Belga Marine will be attending as a co-exhibitor at the M&O booth together with a selected number of other innovative suppliers to the offshore industry. We are looking forward to another great event by OTC in Brazil together with our employees, customers, and partners.

We hope to see you there!

Innovation and sustainability were in focus when we received our partner Miros in Brazil at the end of March.

 “We were very pleased with Miros’ visit at this time in Brazil. Besides meeting the new CEO, we had an intense week of customer visits. And the positive feedback from the meetings is reinforcing what we have already been seeing in recent years: a real interest in innovative technologies is increasing and companies now know they need to invest in this”, said Denis Morais, Managing Director of Belga Marine.

Miros, who has been with us for over 8 years, is an innovative company specializing in ocean surface measurements and has a positive track record of providing reliable data to companies in the maritime and offshore sectors for over 3 decades.

Miros sensors and systems provide data used by many different sectors, from government institutions to the general public as well as the private sector. Whether it is supporting the development of the growing offshore wind industry or assisting in the decarbonization of the global marine fleet, Miros works to drive safety, efficiency, and performance in a variety of marine markets through data collection.

During Miros’ stay in Brazil, we participated in several meetings with customers and other major companies in the industry. The many presentations and positive feedback led us to believe that the market is on the right path, understanding the importance of having reliable data to obtain efficient, safe, and sustainable operations.

Miros shared with us the latest discoveries and technological advances, and we had the opportunity to meet new CEO Marius Five Aarset, who was accompanied by Chief Commercial Officer, Jonas Rostad and Vice President, Andrew Wallace.

Solutions developed by Miros

The Miros OSD, a tool to support oil spill response and surveillance operations. With over 250 Miros OSD™ systems delivered to oil companies, shipowners, and coastal agencies worldwide, Miros has established itself as a global leader. In Brazil, Petrobras signed Miros in the world’s largest X-band radar-based OSD surveillance and response contract to date.

The Miros WaveSystem was specifically designed to provide highly accurate wave, current and draft data for weather-critical marine operations. Combining directional sea state measurements from Miros Wavex and motion compensated draft data from Miros RangeFinder, the WaveSystem facilitates maximum operational insight.

Miros WaveWeather provides accurate, real-time measurements of local sea state and weather conditions to any user, on any device. High-quality data on local environmental conditions are critical to successful planning, decision-making, and execution of activities. WaveWeather provides this critical view to all relevant stakeholders, on or offshore.

Wavex® is a virtual sensor designed for wave and current measurements using data from standard marine X-band radars. The sensor is operative at all ship speeds as well as from fixed locations. Additionally, Speed Through Water by Wavex accurately provides a vessel’s STW without the use of any submerged equipment.

The Miros Wave & Current Radar is a high-performance, remote, dry sensor for the measurement of directional wave spectra and surface currents. Our Wave & Current Radar is based on proven technology which has been successfully providing ocean insights to the maritime market for over 35 years.

The Miros RangeFinder is the ultimate stand-alone sensor for airgap, tide, water level, draught and wave measurements. RangeFinder is a dry, radar-based sensor, measuring with millimetre accuracy in all weather conditions. The sensor is available with motion compensation for use on floating assets, where it is the only DNV GL-certified product on the market for alpha-factor related wave monitoring. The RangeFinder is also available with Atex IEC Ex certification for use in Zone 1.

We thank Miros for visiting and for their dedication and commitment to innovation and sustainability. We are very pleased with our work together over these years and look forward to continuing the collaboration on future projects in Brazil.

To learn more about Miros’ technology, systems, and sensors, visit https://miros-group.com/ or contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br.

About the job

We are looking for a talented and motivated Service Technician with great interpersonal skills and who has good communication and organizational skills.

You will become part of a dedicated and competent team that performs repair services, commissioning, installation, and training of equipment for our Brazilian and international customers.

Based on ethics, commitment, quality and agility, your mission is to analyze complex issues, identify failures and always find the best solutions for the customer.

Activities

• Maintenance of equipment
• Receive requests and perform services for maintenance, repair, installation, inspection, etc
• Provide technical training to customers
• Participate in training in Brazil to ensure compliance
• Communicate with international suppliers regarding technical questions, request for guarantees and technical training
• Perform laboratory equipment repair
• Elaborate service reports and send for approval by the Area Manager

Requirements

• Live in Rio de Janeiro/RJ.
• Intermediary English (reading, writing, and listening)
• Complete technical training in electronics, electrical engineering, or automation
• Experience with GMDSS radio inspection
• Knowledge of NR 06, NR 10 and NR 35 standards
• Minimum 3 years of experience in the Offshore sector
• Good interpersonal skills and good communication skills
• Availability for travel

Fringe Benefits

• Transportation pass
• Meal/food tickets
• Health and dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Private pension

Salary to be agreed.

If you are interested, please apply by sending your resume to rh@belgamarine.com.br

Belga Marine reaffirms its commitment to present, represent and deliver state-of-the-art technologies to its customers, while contributing positively to the environment thanks to a product that helps eliminate pollution and keep the seas and oceans clean.

THE PROJECT

2023 is off to a good start for Belga Marine that carried out its first project together with the partner company, Ocean Visuals AS, a Norwegian company that supplies sensor systems for the early detection of oil and organics in water.

In few words, Ocean Visuals’ sensors provide real-time identification of oil category and type (crude oil, hydraulic oil, etc.) on-site, without the need for samples or laboratory analysis.

As oil is intrinsically fluorescent and emits light in the blue-green spectral range when illuminated by UV light it is easily distinguished from other substances in the water. Ocean Visual’s sensors detect and differentiate between various organic matter in the sea, such as hydrocarbons, algae, CDOM, etc.

The Ocean Visuals project in Brazil that started in 2019 was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continued in the end of 2022, and was implemented and completed in January 2023.

“Together with the manufacturer, Belga Marine had the mission to carry out an unprecedented installation locally. Never had this type of equipment been installed in Brazil, but we are pleased that the installation was carried out successfully and that we now have a satisfied customer, and a fully operational equipment installed with the important objective to contribute to the preservation of marine environment,” says Denis Morais, General Manager of Belga Marine.

EXTENSIVE PROJECT INVOLVING MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS

Several departments from Belga Marine and Ocean Visuals were involved in this project. Initially, the project took off with our sales department and the participation of our Business Development Director, Alexandre Carvalho, and General Manager, Denis Morais, who were directly involved in the commercial negotiation with the customer, together with the CEO from Ocean Visuals, Christian Testman.

“Ocean Visuals is pleased that our customer is up and running with a state-of-the-art oil-in-water detection system which makes it possible to detect, verify, and classify types of oil in real-time. First few months of operation have progressed as planned, with clear results from operation. The customer is now building a spectrogram image database over their known oil types, which will reside inside the SEA OWL™️ sensor. This is how they will perform real-time recognition of oil type, as samples from the sea is pattern-matched against their database. Our contact with their Remote sensing team has provided valuable feedback on our service, such as development of a new sensor cooling system for tropical operating environments. We are pleased that Belga Marine represents us locally, it has been important due to geographical distance and language” says Christian Testman.

The strategic and technical meetings with the customer were our technical specialist, Vitor Bernardo and three service engineers from Oceans Visuals, who were in Brazil for installation and completion of the service.

“Being part of the very first Brazilian installation of an innovative equipment that uses advanced laser technology for oil detection is very rewarding. It’s incredible what this system can do and so important for our industry to ensure environmental preservation,” says Vitor Bernardo, Technical Specialist III in Belga Marine.

Belga Marine’s Commercial Analyst, Eduarda Schuengue and the freight forwarder, Ultramar, were of great importance and support due to their involvement in bringing the system successfully to Brazil. The process of being compliant with documentation and Custom requirements can be tiresome, especially when it’s the first time to import a laser technology equipment to Brazil. However, they managed to import the equipment directly from Estonia to Brazil and handled delivery accordingly to the customer.

“It was a challenging experience because of the bureaucracy. To bring a new laser technology to Brazil is not an easy task, but I’m pleased with our work that ensured successful import and logistics,” says Eduarda Schuengue, Commercial Analyst at Belga Marine.

UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND OCEAN VISUALS OWL™ LiDAR

OWL™ LiDAR sensor systems are used for real-time detection and classification of oil and organics such as algae in the sea. Sensor systems provide real-time data collection with best-in-class photonic sensors and contextualize air, surface, and subsea data to extract insights.

The OWL™ sensor suite can detect hydrocarbon molecules down to the part-per-million, PPM level. As far as the air and above the water’s surface are concerned, the AIR OWL™, ELF OWL™ and SEA OWL™ sensors can detect oil (hydrocarbon molecules) 3 meters deep in the water column.

OWL™ sensors use hyperspectral laser-induced fluorescence LiDAR lasers to excite hydrocarbon molecules that create a spectrum unique to that specific measurement sample. The sample can then be compared against a library of spectral samples of known oil type, allowing real-time classification of that particular oil type sample. OWL™ sensors operate in the invisible spectrum of ultraviolet light and are safe for the eyes to operate.

Even with more than 40 years in the Brazilian market and consolidated business know-how, being part of such an important project make us feel unique and proud to work with such efficiency and expertise. This project makes it possible for us to convey and guarantee that the customer can put their trust in us, and rest assure that we get the work done.

For more information about Ocean Visuals, please contact us at: service@belgamarine.com.br

In partnership with our strategic partner, M&O, and pump technology solutions provider, DESMI Inc USA, Belga Marine landed its first service job in Singapore. On this incredible journey was our experienced technician, Vitor Bernardo, with the support of his assistant, Jerri Monsores.

Our two technicians travelled for 45 days in international sea, crossing the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, to install DESMI’s OptiSave™ – Energy Saving System.

“It was my first job abroad, an incredible technical experience, which started in Singapore, an excellent, exotic and very technological place. In this service, I had the opportunity to work with people from many different countries, Indians, Ukrainians, Filipinos and Swedes. I was also able to experience a cultural exchange and get to know the cuisine and customs of the people of these countries. It was an intense exchange of experiences and activities during 49 days, which contributed to my professional knowledge, where I was able to learn about the OptiSave system. I was able to learn and know the importance of this system for fuel economy, and how to reduce the emission of pollutants. Without a doubt, it was an unforgettable and enriching experience”, says Vitor Bernardo, Technical Specialist I.

The economics of the DESMI OptiSave™ system.

The DESMI OptiSave™ solution provides a significant reduction in the vessel’s fuel consumption and reduction in the emissions footprint. It does this by monitoring and delivering the cooling demands of the rotating equipment on the vessel. This includes the ambient and sea water temperatures where-ever the vessel is operating. Through this active ‘intelligent monitoring’ management, the DESMI OptiSave™ system delivers significant energy savings with pay back inside 12 to 18 months. We’re talking about a cost-effective solution for compliance and to reduce environmental footprint.

According to DESMI, approximately, 800 OptiSave™ systems have been installed, which altogether have generated CO2 reductions corresponding to 1-million-tonnes CO2. This equals what a 16,000-hectare Rain Forest consumes a year.

With this energy saving solution, vessel owners can do their part to make the industry more sustainable, while also saving costs.

Belga Marine and the Environment.

As a maritime and offshore company, Belga Marine is concerned about environmental issues, and we seek to represent and promote solutions that are not just innovative, but also sustainable and don’t cause harm to the environment.

“Accessibility can be an obstacle to the installation of new systems, however, when the system provides a reduction in the vessel’s fuel consumption of USD 400,000 per year, our experienced technical team packs its bags, heads to Singapore and sails across the oceans to fulfill the mission”, says General Manager of Belga Marine, Denis Morais.

Energy efficiency is one of many great solutions that we can use to help lower CO2 emissions and it is how we practice sustainability in our business.

Have you thought about the dimension of the reduction of carbon emissions and the environmental impact this has for future generations?

For more information about Belga Marine’s services, please contact us via email: service@belgamarine.com.br.

Belga Marine is pleased to announce that it has signed a local service contract with Petrobras, via CENPES – Centro de Pesquisas, Desenvolvimento e Inovação Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Melloem -, in partnership with Ocean Visuals.

The contract aims to support the evaluation of the use of Hyperspectral Laser Induced Fluorescence (HLIF) technology for the characterization and quantification of oil, effluents and water quality. In this research project, Belga Marine and Ocean Visuals will support Petrobras in acquiring data for qualitative and quantitative analysis, which enables a systematic monitoring of surface water or in the water column.

The technology consists of an integrated hardware and software system for real-time detection and characterization of oil and effluents on the water surface and in the water column on board vessels.

The use of remote sensors on offshore and maritime installations has revolutionized the way in which information is acquired, allowing the detection, characterization and monitoring of hydrocarbon leaks or effluent disposal at different scales, with a high frequency of observation and quick availability of results.

“This new technology can be one of the most important steps in oil spill detection. The technology not only detects the oil, but it remotely characterizes and identifies it, and eventually leads to its origin. With this pilot project, Petrobras will be able to handle potential oil spill cases in a much more efficient way, using this state-of-the-art technology from our partner Ocean Visual and reducing the oil spill impact on the environment”, says Alexandre de Carvalho, Sales and Business Development Manager of Belga Marine.

About Ocean Visuals: 

Ocean Visuals is a Norwegian company providing sensor systems for early detection of oil and organics in water. Learn more about Ocean Visuals here: https://www.oceanvisuals.no/

As of October 6^th, 2021, Belga Marine, formerly known as Ulstein Belga Marine, becomes a part of the Inventure Group. 

Belga Marine, on this date of its 40^th Anniversary, and with the last 16 years under the name Ulstein Belga Marine, is celebrating a new chapter in its history by becoming 100% owned by Inventure Management AS, a Norwegian holding company. 

Inventure Group has a strong track record in developing companies and solutions in the Brazilian energy, offshore and maritime industries. The group is working as an active partner in several companies working throughout the value chain from sales strategy development, establishment and operational support services, R&D activities, property development and into energy production. 

Inventure has now acquired Belga Marine as a result of a continued partnership in Brazil, and with strong synergies established in the recent years. Belga Marine will strengthen the capabilities of the group particularly as a leader for maritime digitalization solutions and services. 

“Based on our knowledge and experience within automation and communications solutions, Belga Marine has moved towards digitalization and helping clients with their digital transformation. We have been able to successfully develop a world class portfolio within cybersecurity, condition monitoring and advanced oil spill detection, among other areas. Belga Marine has the know-how to be a leader in delivering reliable and efficient solutions for companies that want to be ready for the future. It’s thanks to its continuous look on the future that Belga Marine this year is celebrating 40 years anniversary, and we plan to continue with the same vision for the next 40 years,” says Jan Lomholdt, Managing Director of Belga Marine.

Belga Marine will continue as an independent company with the commitment to transform the maritime and energy industries in Brazil, providing innovative solutions. 

Furthermore, Belga Marine will remain a reliable and experienced service partner in Brazil for technical services in electronics, telecommunications and naval automation, providing certifications, maintenance and installation of equipment and systems.

Even though Belga Marine is no longer owned by Ulstein Group, Belga Marine will continue to work closely with Ulstein also going forward. 

“Ulstein Belga Marine has been a part of Ulstein for 16 years. In these years several newbuilds of Ulstein designs have been built in Brazil, supported with valuable services from the Ulstein Belga Marine team. We are pleased to see that Belga Marine will become a fully integrated part of the Inventure Group and believe that we will see great development for the company. Even if we are withdrawing as owners, the cooperation between Ulstein and Belga Marine will ensure our continued support of our customers in Brazil,” says Cathrine K. Marti, CEO of Ulstein Group. 

Belga Marine is pleased to announce that it has recently signed a service contract with a leading South American energy company for maintenance, assistance, and training for radar-based oil spill detection (OSD).

This service contract, which is valid for 3 years and includes 7 offshore platforms, consolidate Belga Marine as a trusted and high-quality service provider in the market.

With the motto “innovation is the essence of our success”, Belga Marine is constantly training and specializing its team of service technicians, and this way becoming a reference for providing the most innovative solutions for safe and efficient operations in the maritime and offshore market.

For more information about the solutions offered by Belga Marine, please contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br