Control Technology News

SEAFAR, a Belgian technology and service provider for remote-controlled inland waterway shipping operations, has set up the first Remote Operations Center in Germany; a project completed in conjunction with HGK Shipping and Reederei Deymann.The Remote Operations Center, opened on February 28, 2024, enables captains to navigate vessels on inland waterways from dry land, a development seen as central to stemming problems from the shortage of specialist workers. The partners are working with the public authorities to use the permits…

Crowley on Wednesday announced it has taken delivery of its groundbreaking vessel eWolf, the first all-electric, ship assist harbor tugboat in the United States.The 82-foot tug, designed by Crowley’s engineering services team and built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, will enter service at the Port of San Diego this spring following final demonstration trials and completion of Crowley’s microgrid shoreside charging station. The vessel will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tug…

Erik Thun Group selected Berg Propulsion’s Dynamic Drive technology to optimize efficiency on board all 10 of its latest newbuildings. The Swedish owner confirmed its decision after pilot installations exceeded energy efficiency gain expectations, with the integrated drive solution helping to save 10% of fuel, rising to 20% in some operational conditions.As part of Erik Thun’s rolling fleet renewal strategy, the owner recently expanded its newbuild program with Dutch yard Shipsveerf Ferus Smit B.V to include four 5…

Asian Oil & Gas (AOG) is hosting a webinar on the groundbreaking patents that are pushing multiphase detection, measurement, and control technology forward.Throughout the oil and gas and petrochemical industries, liquid-to-liquid separation is a fundamental process. Though instrumentation has come a long way, a new high performance, cost-effective time domain reflectometry (TDR) based multi-phase detector is now available and ideal for widespread adoption. It handles changing…

Bosch Rexroth has appointed Erwin Wieckowski, P.Eng. as the new President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North and Central America based in Charlotte, NC, effective October 1, 2023.The role has been performed on an interim basis by Reinhard Schaefer in addition to his role as a member of the Divisional Board of Management with responsibility for Manufacturing. Schaefer will remain in the region to support the transition.“We are thrilled to have Erwin join our organization,” said Schaefer.

Honda Marine has unveiled its first V8 outboard engine, the BF350.“The advent of the 350-horsepower engine is a highly important development for Honda Marine. This engine demonstrates Honda’s commitment to improving customer experience through our precision engineering and drive for innovation,” said Katsuhisa Okuda, Chief Officer and President, Honda Motor Europe.The BF350 is powered by a 60-degree five-liter V8 engine with VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) technology…

Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had completed a live trial of autonomous shipping technology in Bornem, Belgium, demonstrating the company's progress in fully autonomous systems.The test vessel, Zulu 4, an inland waterway barge owned by Blue Line Logistics NV, is equipped for remote-operated and autonomous transport demonstrations for the AUTOSHIP project, which is part of Horizon 2020, an EU research program.As part of the test, Zulu 4 maneuvered and navigated on unrestricted waterways, and it demonstrated berthing and unberthing capability.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced it has selected Inventech Marine Solutions of Bremerton, Wash., to build the next generation of over the horizon (OTH V) cutter boats. The first delivery order for four OTH Vs was placed August 3 with a value of $1.973 million. These four OTH Vs will be used for operational test and evaluation before the program moves to full production. The 10-year contract supports delivery of up to 200 boats with a total value of approximately $103 million.Beyond the similarities of speed and weight between the OTH V and the OTH IV it is replacing…

Crowley has taken delivery of Athena, its fourth and most powerful Tier IV ship assist and harbor escort tugboat.The 77-foot Athena provides the agility of its compact size without the sacrifice of power – offering the most bollard pull for a tug under 80 feet in the market. The Robert Allan Ltd.-designed RApport 2500 D vessel operates on a pair of 3,386-horsepower Caterpillar Marine 3516 Tier IV-compliant engines, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions while achieving a power output of nearly 6,800 horsepower and 96 tons of bollard pull.

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and advanced perception systems, announced Monday that classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has granted type approval to the company’s commercial wireless remote-control helm system.Type approval from Bureau Veritas means that the wireless control technology embedded in both Sea Machines’ SM200 and SM300 systems has undergone rigorous third-party testing and certification to meet the stringent demands…

The Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company's new Jones Act-compliant Subsea Rock Installation Vessel, the first such ship to enter the U.S. market, is to be built to ABS Class by Philly Shipyard, Inc, ABS said Thursday.The vessel will transport and strategically deposit loads of up to 20,000 MT of rock on the seabed, laying scour protection for offshore wind farm foundations, cables, and other structures. It will be awarded the ABS SUSTAIN-2 Notation, recognizing adherence to certain UN Sustainable Development Goals related to vessel design, outfitting and layout.

Crowley’s ship assist and escort services group has agreed to charter its third Tier IV ship assist tug, Athena.Athena meets U.S. EPA Tier IV requirements for emissions control technology. The vessel will be equipped with remote monitoring for the improved efficiency of vessel operations and data exchange to further the company’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its fleet.“Athena will provide innovation and performance for customers in the Pacific Northwest,” said Paul Manzi, vice president, Crowley Shipping.

Dutch marine and offshore services company Van Oord has ordered a new offshore wind turbine installation vessel that will be able to install next-generation wind turbines of up to 20MW. The vessel will be built by Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard in China."The jack-up vessel can operate on methanol and install up to 20 MW wind turbines at sea with a very low CO2 footprint. The investment is in line with the increasing global demand for offshore wind farms. The ship is expected to enter the market in 2024…

Japan's Yanmar said Thursday it had received an order for dual fuel 6EY22ALDF engines which will be used to power generators on board Mitsui O.S.K. Lines' new LNG-fueled large coal carrier. The coal carrier will be built by Namura Shipbuilding."Emission regulations in the marine sector are becoming ever more stringent, with LNG vessels being adopted globally as a means of reducing environmental impact. As this trend has progressed in recent years, dual-fuel engines have attracted ever more attention…

Corvus Energy announced it has been selected by ABB Marine & Ports to supply the energy storage system for Crowley Maritime Corporation's all-electric tug eWolf—the first of its kind in the U.S.Crowley, which announced its plans to build and operate the innovative harbor tug in July, has tapped Master Boat Builders, Inc., in Alabama to build the vessel and ABB to deliver its integrated electric propulsion system and vessel control technology.The 82-foot-long vessel will be installed with 6.2 MWh of Corvus Orca Energy battery…

Automation, where routine tasks are handled by machines, has been talked about throughout maritime sectors for much of the 21st Century. Initially touted by suppliers of engine room and bridge management systems for its cost savings (with reduced manning levels), its value proposition was then infused with risk management (reduced human error) and remote operations, where vessels could be managed from a shoreside control room. In early 2017, Rolls Royce —an early proponent of unmanned operations—teamed with tug operator Svitzer on a remotely operated vessel…

ABB said Thursday it would deliver an integrated electric propulsion system and vessel control technology for Crowley’s pioneering eWolf tug, built for sustainable and safe operations at the Port of San Diego.Upon delivery by Alabama-based shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, Inc. (MBB) in mid-2023, Crowley Maritime Corporation’s new 82-foot (25-meter) vessel will support ship arrivals and departures at the Port of San Diego in California.It will be the first all-electric, battery…

Evidence mounts that vessel safety will benefit with technology enhancing the bridge lookout.Maritime safety regulations have – and for valid reasons – traditionally been strict and have often developed in ways that could hold up innovation. Almost two decades after the remedy of ‘goal-based’ standards and ‘technical equivalence’ arrived at the IMO, rules based on risk assessment and functionality continue to face an uphill battle to redefine a safety culture based on ‘dos and don’ts’.

Gilmore, a U.S.-based flow control solutions provider for the oil and gas industry, has appointed David Nemetz as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The company is a subsidiary of Aberdeen-headquartered Proserv and provides flow control products and equipment for the drilling, downhole, production, and wider industrial sectors.Gilmore said that under Nemetz, who has 25 years' experience in the energy industry, it would actively pursue appropriate business acquisitions that…

Damen and Sea Machines Robotics today signed an alliance that has the promise to help fast track maritime autonomy, an agreement to further investigate the adoption of collision avoidance functionality on board of Damen vessels. Specifically, Damen will incorporate Sea Machine’s autonomous and wireless-helm technologies as standard features in Damen’s global vessel build catalog.Damen Shipyards Group has been investing in autonomous shipping technologies, and this agreement signals the “next phase” by establishing a strategic alliance with the Boston-based company…

ABB has won a contract to equip KNOT's shuttle tankers with battery technology and other electric solutions, with the aim of making the vessels fuel-efficient and reducing emissions. Once complete, the shuttle tankers will go on a charter with Norwegian oil company Var Energi.Under the contract awarded by the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, ABB Marine & Ports will deliver the power and control technology for the two new KNOT shuttle tankers.ABB’s scope of supply will also include the shaft generator system…

A next generation automated vacuum mooring solution from Cavotec is designed to reduce fuel consumption and increase port productivity by simplifying and accelerating the mooring process. Cavotec, a Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of connection and electrification solutions for the maritime industry, on Tuesday launched its MoorMaster NxG with the goal to “revolutionize the way ships enter and leave ports,” enabling ships to dock in as little as 30 seconds.Mikael Norin, Cavotec CEO…

Grand Wisdom, the second very large ore carrier (VLOC) to join the U-Ming Marine Transport fleet, has been delivered with a protective hull coating from Nippon Marine Paint’s A-LF Sea product range.Delivered in December from Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry’s shipyard in Qingdao, China, Grand Wisdom is the second in a pair of eco-friendly bulkers to join the owner’s 48-strong fleet. Sister ship Grand Pioneer, delivered in August, represented the Taipei-headquartered shipowner’s entry into the VLOC market.Motoi Takeuchi…