New Technology

Rolls Royce announces its plans to open a remote control shore based centre for autonomous ships in Finland

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Photo courtesy of Rolls Royce
Photo courtesy of Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce has announced the latest stage in its research and development plans to make remote and autonomous shipping a reality and reap the benefits of increasing digitalisation in the marine industry. The company says it is looking to develop partnerships and opportunities with other organisations around the world to create the capability, competencies and jobs to supply the technology and components required.

Today, the latest part of that programme has been confirmed with the announcement, in Finland, of a significant research grant by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. The funding will enable Rolls-Royce to invest further in a research and development centre in Turku, Finland. The company plans to carry out further development projects there focused on the future development of land-based control centres, and the use of artificial intelligence in future remote and autonomous shipping operations.

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Power vessel navigates to wave energy cost-effectiveness

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Flying deliberately under the media radar over the past decade, and in the meantime developing a giant 9MW wave energy device, American wave energy company GWave has recently lifted the lid on its well-kept secret by announcing the plans to deploy a full-scale device at the Wave Hub test center in Cornwall, UK.

Tidal Energy Today has talked to GWave’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Stoddard, to learn more about this ‘dark horse’ of wave energy generation whose nameplate capacity of 9MW is larger than that of the biggest offshore wind turbine currently available on the market.

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New development to combat the issue of GPS jamming and spoofing

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GPS is now recognised as being vulnerable to jamming either by accident or by design and despite a lot of talk from politicians there is no back up if the system goes down through jamming or spoofing.

A solution to this vulnerability now exists in the form of Satellite Time and Location (STL) signals. “STL signals provide the safest, strongest, most dependable backup to our GPS infrastructure and they originate from the Iridium satellites, whose beams are high-powered, location-specific, and incredibly difficult to jam.” commented American company Satelles who have developed the system. Their time and positioning system that uses the powerful Iridium signals as a means of propagating enhanced GPS information which is claimed to be much more reliable and powerful than the original GPS signals alone.

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First purpose built LNG bunkering ship has been delivered

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Delivery is complete of the world's first purpose built LNG bunkering ship
Delivery is complete of the world’s first purpose built LNG bunkering ship

ENGIE, Fluxys, Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK have taken delivery of the world’s first purpose built LNG bunkering ship from Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction in Busan, Korea.

She will run on LNG for her maiden voyage, after a few days of loading LNG delivered by trucks at the shipyard.

Zeebrugge in Belgium will be the home port of the vessel, which has been named ENGIE Zeebrugge accordingly. From there, the 5,000m3 LNG capacity vessel will supply LNG as a marine fuel to ships operating in Northern Europe.

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AkzoNobel is developing drones for enclosed space surveys

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Traditionally, enclosed space surveys have been carried out by crew, surveyors or independent inspectors. This acticity carries a significant risk and results in many casualties and fatal accidents annually. AkzoNobel, in conjunction with oil and gas tanker operator Barrier Group and DroneOps are developing a drone capable of remotely inspecting enclosed spaces, including ballast water tanks.

Michael Hindmarsh, Business Development Manager at AkzoNobel’s Marine Coatings business, explained: “Surveys of enclosed spaces and ballast water tanks are an essential part of routine maintenance and are increasingly critical for ship owners. Inspecting these areas thoroughly can require working at height, entering confined spaces and negotiating slippery surfaces that could be poorly lit, all of which are high-risk activities that the maritime industry is keen to address.”

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Hempel launches two new epoxy primers for harsher offshore conditions

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Denmark-headquartered coatings specialist Hempel is introducing two new coatings; Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 and 17870.

They are being introduced to increase the service life and reduce on-station maintenance requirements of offshore assets. The new high-performance pure epoxy uni-primers presented are claimed to combine excellent corrosion protection with construction flexibility.

Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 / 17870 are part of a series of two-component epoxy primer coatings which provide advanced crack resistance using Hempel’s patented fibre technology. They can be applied in immersed and non-immersed areas of any offshore asset, from offshore platforms and drilling rigs through to support vessels.

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VEKA Group set to build the world’s first hybrid trimaran for transporting personnel offshore

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VEKA Group set to build the world's first hybrid trimaran workboat
VEKA Group set to build the world’s first hybrid trimaran workboat

Workers on drilling rigs and offshore wind farms can hopefully look forward to a more pleasant commute to work with considerably lower risk of seasickness thanks to a special, innovative ship built by VEKA Group. VEKA will be building two trimarans intended specifically for transporting personnel and freight to offshore wind farms. These are the first hybrid trimarans in the world. Transporting offshore personnel takes place mainly by catamaran. These will be VEKA’s first trimarans.

Most of the innovations are intended to make the so-called workboat more stable and more comfortable, thereby reducing the risk of seasickness. For example, the ships have lower windows than is customary, so that the passengers have a better view. The third bow is designed to ensure additional stability and comfort. There are also innovative stabilisers built into the hull.

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Fully automated electric ferries for Norway

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From January 2018, Fjord1 will be operating the two new battery ferries on the 2.4 km route between Anda and Lote on the west coast of Norway and this will be the first ferry connection in Norway where the Road Administration requires the use of zero-emission technology.

Although the Road Administration has allowed for partly hybrid operation, using biodiesel or biogas on the ferries, Fjord1 decided on using fully electric operation of the new ferries. Charging of batteries will be done through fully automatic charging stations at the quayside and battery capacity will be adequate to continue operations for several hours without charging.

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Ships are going increasingly digital and clean

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Marine innovation has been driven by big corporations. Now, the sector is evolving and accepting open innovation ecosystem allowing experts of various disciplines to contribute to maritime development. Clean oceans have become a priority. Therefore substituting traditional fuel to biofuel comes in play and is essential. Currently, the European Parliament set a share of biofuel in traffic fuel usage to reach up to 10% by 2020. But in Finland the target is 20% of biofuel usage by 2020 and 40% by 2040. The industry, like the rest of sectors, follows the aim of being clean and zero-carbon. The aim is to find new and innovative ways to power the ship to make shipping and cruising environmentally-friendly.

There are initiatives worldwide to substitute the fuel in shipping. The industry is putting lots of research and development resources to find sustainable substitution to current fuels. Biodiesel is one of the options highly explored by Lloyds Register. Lloyd’s Register has Continue reading “Ships are going increasingly digital and clean”

Fully electric propulsion on a passenger ship becomes possible

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The Norwegian explorer cruise line, Hurtigruten, is to build its two new expedition ships using a new and environmentally sustainable hybrid, electric propulsion technology from Rolls-Royce. The MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen» are about to be constructed at Kleven Yard in Norway.

In addition to the hybrid power solution, the vessels will have the latest of automation and control systems, including the Rolls-Royce Unified bridge, the first delivery of two azipull propellers using permanent magnet technology, two large tunnel thrusters, stabilisers, four engines, winches and power electric systems. And of course the Rolls-Royce ship design.

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Announcing the world’s first electric powered trawler

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What is believed to be the world’s first electric powered trawler is being developed by Trondheim Trawlers
What is believed to be the world’s first electric powered trawler is being developed by Trondheim Trawlers

With an eye on extended voyages and rough weather, the Trondheim 40 Trawler is being billed as the world’s first electric powered trawler and will be able to go into shallow and icy waters such as Alaska or the Norwegian fjords. The trawler is 40-foot long and has a steel hull and is powered by two Torqeedo electric motors.

This innovative design should come as no surprise to those who know of the work and reputation of Russian designer, Max Zhivov.

“The main idea of our project Trondheim Trawler is a revision of classic trawler design and usage of innovative electric technologies,” explained Zhivov, who believes this is the first electric powered trawler.

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Hyperloop One: new concept will ship freight underwater – no joking!

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Hyperloop One is conducting feasibility studies that would cause disruptive changes in the way good are shipped port to port
Hyperloop One is conducting feasibility studies that would cause disruptive changes in the way good are shipped port to port

One of the strangest and potentially most far reaching stories of the year must surely be the desire of Hyperloop One desire to explore the feasibility of shipping freight underwater. Far sighted? Yes very, but it seems the whole idea is not as daft as it may seems on first reading about it.

Developed by Hyperloop One, just one of the companies involved in the Hyperloop vision, this aquatic version sees the opportunity to radically change how goods arrive at ports and terminals, dispensing with the well-trodden idea of port-to-port container shipping.

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