Cornwall’s Solis Marine Engineering expands into Singapore

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Cornwall’s Solis Marine Engineering has expanded into Singapore as part of what it calls “global expansion plans”.

The company, which has also moved to a new UK headquarters in Falmouth, has set up a new division managed by director Ros Blazejczyk, who has relocated from the UK to Singapore to oversee operational growth in South East Asia.

In Singapore, SME will share office space with sister company Solis Marine Consultants which has operated in the region for almost 10 years.

In the UK, SME has moved to new premises at the Tremough Innovation Centre in Penryn, just outside Falmouth. Established in 2018, the company provides a range of engineering services to the offshore renewables, oil and gas and shipping industries.

Projects which advance the zero-carbon agenda and marine renewables sector are central to SME’s work including the development of fully electric propulsion systems for domestic passenger ferries and commercial workboats.

In the UK, SME is working with Pelagic Design to deliver an optimised low resistance design for Voyager Boatyard and Plymouth Boat Trips’ new Cremyll e-Ferry.

The company is also assisting Plymouth’s WITT Engineering with the development of itys innovative energy harvesting device through its expertise in fluid dynamics, vortex induced vibration (VIV) and wave mechanics.

And SME is working with Romsey-based RS Electric Boats, providing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and design input for its new range of electric boats with RAD Propulsion hubless rim driven thrusters.

Simon Hindley, SME founder and managing director, said: “Solis Marine Engineering has become an established part of the marine cluster in the UK and Europe, working with a diverse portfolio of clients who are at the forefront of clean shipping and offshore renewables. Our move to a new HQ in Cornwall accommodates a growing team of naval architects.

“The new Singapore office will support SME UK on existing marine engineering projects whilst looking to provide similar services to local clients across South East Asia.”

Mr Hindley has more than 13 years’ industry experience working previously as a technical manager and principal naval architect for a marine contractor, involved in construction, design engineering, consultancy and research and development in the offshore energy and defence industries.

In Plymouth, Voyager Marine and Plymouth Boat Trips have been working with SME’s team of expert naval architects to create a clean, hydrodynamically-efficient hull that maximises use of the stored energy available.

Cornwall’s Voyager Boatyard successfully bid for funding from the Government’s Innovate UK agency to design and build the e-Ferry, which will operate for up to 14 hours a day on a single charge.

Both Plymouth City Council and Cornwall County Council have established targets to become carbon neutral by 2030 and plans are underway for charging points to be installed on Plymouth’s Barbican Landing Stage and other sites.