Chinese Marine Approval wins Apollo new ferry contract

Chinese Marine Approval wins Apollo new ferry contract

Apollo Fire Detector's policy of ensuring that its ranges of conventional and intelligent fire detectors meet all major international approvals standards has helped to win a major marine contract in China. The China Tian jin XinGang shipyard awarded the contract to supply an intelligent fire detection system for the Liao Hai, a new roll-on roll-off ferry, to Apollo's local representative Shanghai Jin Zhou.

Commenting on the contract award, Tim Williams, Apollo's Export Sales Manager for China , says: "China is a major growth territory for Apollo and we have maintained a high profile presence in the territory for some years now. This contract is particularly significant because it is for marine products and we have invested a lot of time and effort in the approvals process. It also coincides with Apollo's first attendance as an exhibitor at Marintec China in December 2005."

Kim Williams, who has special responsibility for Apollo's marine products, adds: "We have worked with panel manufacturers to ensure that Apollo-compatible, marine-approved control panels are available for our Orbis conventional and Discovery intelligent ranges, both of which hold approval for marine use by the China Classification Society. This gives specifiers and installers greater confidence when deciding what technology to use."

Project Details

The Liao Hai measures 115m long and 21m wide and has the capacity to transport 650 people and approximately 100 lorries. The fire detection system includes around 200 Apollo intelligent detectors, including multisensors, which have been approved for marine applications by the China Classification Society following additional tests specific to the marine environment.

Most of the detectors used on the vessel have been fitted using Apollo's Deckhead Mounting Base. This is a robust back box, made from either aluminium or polycarbonate, for use with standard 100mm detector bases. Fixing points are external, enabling a seal to be maintained and therefore providing protection against contaminant ingress into the rear of the base. These boxes are particularly useful when securing bases to rough surfaces or in areas where there may be dripping water.

The Liao Hai fire detection system allows a two minute delay in the event of an alert so that an incident can be investigated. If the alert is genuine, the system then proceeds to raise the alarm. Apollo zone monitors with inbuilt isolators have been installed to enable the fire detection system to interface with other critical equipment on board. A fire alarm triggers a preset sequence of events to ensure that passengers can be evacuated safely. Actions include operating fire doors and dampers and closing down the air conditioning to the passenger and car decks to prevent the spread of smoke.

More Marines

In addition to Chinese Classification Society approval, Apollo's Orbis and Discovery marine ranges hold certification from other world approvals bodies such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas and Germanischer Lloyd. To check what international approvals Apollo products hold, visit www.apollo-fire.co.uk

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