Technology News

Technologies are mature and ready to support maritime work towards 2050 net-zero goals but regulations around systems development require further work.The complex decarbonized systems of the future will require autonomous management systems for viable exploitation. These were among some of the key insights shared with delegates at a one-day Automation Summit, part of Singapore Maritime Week, led by The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Lloyd’s Register.Potential efficiency…

Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between Stena Bulk and Proman, christened Stena Prosperous today during a ceremony at the Marina Bay Cruise Center in Singapore. After the ceremony, the 49,900 DWT IMOIIMeMAX vessel will be bunkered with a 20/80 green/conventional methanol blend, which delivers CO2e savings of 31% compared to the same voyage operated on Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), while making additional particulate matter (PM), sulphur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) savings.

Survitec launched a new energy containment safety device designed to reduce the risks associated with catastrophic value actuator failures.The concept of the safety device was developed due to issues identified in the North Sea oil and gas sector, oil rigs, platforms, and floating installations, such as FPSOs and FSRUs. The Survitec Gauntlet can be applied to any facility that operates actuator valves and where risks need to be mitigated.Severe injury or death can be caused by the explosive forces released if a high-pressure spring-loaded actuator device fails…

CIMAC welcomes Charlotte Røjgaard, Bureau Veritas, as a new Board member. She will act as Vice President Working Groups. Røjgaard succeeds Marko Dekena who recently decided to leave the CIMAC Board after many years in various roles.Røjgaard is the Global Marine Fuels Director at Bureau Veritas. She holds a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and an executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics from Copenhagen Business School. She has already been an active member in CIMAC Working Groups for most of her career.

Australia’s NSW Government has put the first of seven new Parramatta Class ferries designed by Incat Crowther into service.The fleet of new ferries, which will service the busy Parramatta River commuter route, are being constructed in Tasmania, Australia by Richardson Devine Marine.Watch the latest video from Incat Crowther and Zero Emission FerriesA second vessel has begun sea trials and three more are already under construction, with the full fleet expected to enter passenger…

Torghatten, a Norwegian ferry operator, and Kongsberg Maritime have entered into a contract for the development of a system for self-driving ferries on the Flakk-Rørvik route.The car ferry service operation is part of the Norwegian highway network – County Road 715 - and connects the city of Trondheim with communities on the Fosen peninsula.The project will see Kongsberg Maritime technologies installed on the ferries, including its auto docking, auto crossing, collision avoidance and situational awareness capabilities.

As companies approach the exploitation phase of Deep Sea Mining, one critical factor is the transportation of mineral ores from the mine site location to onshore refineries While this may appear to be a relatively simple step, involving conventional bulk ore carriers and standard procedures, the nuances and practical limits of operating in the deep ocean mean that this step becomes increasingly complex and challenging. This article will explore the STARS concept, the likely regulatory requirements, and the complexities of this new vessel type.

Tianjin Port has held a naming ceremony for its two latest RAmparts 3500 ASD tugs, Jingang Lun 36 and Jingang Lun 37, designed by Robert Allan Ltd.During a six-day extensive sea trial, Jingang Lun 36 and Jingang Lun 37 completed comprehensive self-control auto navigation tests which included automatic searching, approaching, and accompanying a target vessel at sea.The tugs were designed and constructed to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of CCS. This is reportedly…

ClassNK has partnered with StormGeo for seamless sharing and verification of emission data.The collaboration marks a ilestone for the companies, establishing the sharing and verification of emission data, to meet the requirements of their shared clients. Shipping companies that use StormGeo’s s-Insight platform will be able to share their validated emissions data to ClassNK MRV Portal* via API, for a seamless verification process.This process enables shipping companies to maximize their reporting accuracy and accelerate their decarbonization strategy, according to regulations.

DFDS said it will invest $1.2 billion in six battery electric vessels for operation in the English Channel, to be deployed on the Dunkirk-Dover and Calais-Dover routes to carry passengers and freight between the U.K. and the European Union.The first two electric vessels will be in operation by 2030, while the rest are expected to follow before 2035, the company said.“This is an important step towards decarbonizing cross-Channel transport," said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.In April…

Today, a 'world first' was unveiled in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: the Methatug, a tugboat which runs on methanol, part of a 'greening program' for the port's fleet. The project is financed by the European research program Horizon 2020 and is part of the FASTWATER project, which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of methanol as a sustainable fuel for the shipping industry.The 30-m-long tugboat has a traction force of 50 tons and can store 12,000 liters of methanol, enough for two weeks of tug work.

Marlink is expanding its global service support network in strategic maritime locations in Houston, Bratislava, Athens, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo, covering strategic business locations and supporting customers in close proximity. Instead of a centralized model, Marlink provides a local approach for customer support.Marlink is also strengthening its 2nd Level Maritime Network Operations (MNOC) by expanding its operations coverage in Bratislava to 24x7, bringing it into line with the 24x7 service provided by the MNOC at Eik teleport…

The Military Sealift Command’s Maritime Prepositioning Ships (MPS) and Auxiliary Crane Ships (ACS) were built 50 years ago to pre-position vehicles and supplies in forward locations and load or unload them in undeveloped or damaged port facilities. I serve with MSC’s Taluga Group, charged with finding innovative solutions to pressing problems. One of those challenges is meeting the MPS and ACS mission as the current ships continue to serve past their expected service lines.To…

Long-term initiatives led by classification societies are building the foundation for future fuels uptake.About this time last year, ABS CEO Chris Wiernicki said: “When you look at where we are and the steepness of the curve ahead, the biggest risk is the unintended safety consequences of change.” Class, he says, is built for the intersection between technology, safety and regulations and must be prepared.Work is underway. China Classification Society (CCS), for example, has released…

U.S.-based classification ABS on Wednesday announced it is expanding its partnership with Singaporean shipbuilding group Seatrium to advance cutting-edge marine and technology projects that target decarbonization and energy transition in the marine and offshore sectors.The newly signed three-year Technology Collaboration Agreement (TCA) entitled “Accelerating Decarbonization and Energy Transition” is a foundation for further collaboration on a succession of state-of-the-art projects under four broad themes: decarbonization, electrification, new energies and digital transformation, ABS said.

The maritime transportation system, the lifeblood of global trade, is undergoing a digital revolution. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming how ships operate and cargo moves. However, this increased reliance on technology creates a double-edged sword: while AI offers powerful tools for cybersecurity, it also presents new vulnerabilities to exploit. This article explores the growing threat of adversarial AI (AAI) in maritime cyber security and how the industry…

The ABS-classed Liza Unity has received the first REMOTE-CON notation for an floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) from ABS. The notation demonstrates the vessel’s alignment with remote-control functions and signifies that the design and construction of the offshore asset are assessed against and adhere to the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote Control Functions.The Liza Unity is the second FPSO to be built for ExxonMobil Guyana’s Stabroek Block development and the first delivered under SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward program.

A Valaris jack-up drilling rig is using an AI-enabled intelligent detection and tracking solution to provide automated person overboard detection and alerts, marking the first time the cutting-edge technology has been deployed in the offshore oil and gas sector.Zelim's ZOE software was installed on board the Valaris Stavanger in February after the Edinburgh-based technology company worked with the drilling contractor to customize the solution for the specific requirements of jack-up vessels.

Hawai‘i’s interisland freight company Young Brothers has become the first marine transportation company in the Unites States to install an innovative mooring system designed to improve safety and efficiency.The new $1.5 million ShoreTension mooring system was blessed in a ceremony at the Port of Kaumalapau in Lāna‘i on Monday. The technology, which keeps the barge steady against the dock during inclement weather, is already being utilized in harbors around the globe in countries like New Zealand…

Kongsberg Digital concluded a new project funded by FHF (the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund) for the development of its K-Sim Fishery simulator to incorporate a new purse seine application. The new simulator capabilities were demonstrated to the stakeholders at an event hosted by Nordland Vocational School (Lofoten Maritime) in Leknes, Norway on April 30th.Launched in 2018, K-Sim Fishery is a fishery simulator that introduces a whole new level of detail, authenticity, and content for crew training in the techniques and processes of trawl fishing.

BIO-UV Group has received an order from SIEM Ship Management to supply its BIO-SEA Ballast Water Treatment Systems for a trio of SIEM-managed car carriers. The order, for retrofit installation to the Siem Copernicus, Siem Curie and Siem Socrates, is the latest in a series of deliveries of BIO-SEA B-Series equipment for installation onboard around a dozen SIEM Ship Management reefer vessels since 2021.In this latest order, BIO-UV Group’s maritime division will provide B02 BIO-SEA BWTS units with a medium to high flow rate of 300-cu.m.

Today’s evolving maritime security risks pose all-too-familiar threats to international shipping, and as just one of the many causes of fatigue, they add to the cognitive burden already faced by watchkeepers. But Groke Technologies can boost safety onboard, says co-founder and CEO Juha Rokka.Life at sea is already physically and mentally demanding. Crewing levels are tight, work hours are long and irregular, watchkeepers are required to perform administrative tasks while on the bridge…

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands will open the Seven Oceans Simulator center (SOSc) of MARIN, the Maritime Research Institute of the Netherlands, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.The opening program takes place in the Shallow Water Basin, one of MARIN's test facilities for ship models. Experts from the maritime research institute, the NL Coast Guard, Search &  Rescue Institution KNRM and maritime service providers talk about shipping safety, about working in increasingly busy seas and about involving the crew in the design of new ships.