Developing Technology News

The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC), under the command of Capt. Michael Chien, has won the Commodore Viggo C. Bertelsen Jr. and Vice Admiral John P. Currier Auxiliary Integration Award in the category of Applied Innovation. The award was presented by Commander Steven Koch, who leads the Auxiliary (AUX) in New England, at a command all hands. The Auxiliary is the 25,000-member volunteer organization supporting the Coast Guard across 11 missions.Regional Auxiliary Commodore Michael West noted…

Dutch tank storage company Vopak has signed an initial agreement with Japan's IHI Corporation to explore the development and operation of ammonia terminals, as they expect demand for the low-carbon fuel to grow amid energy transition.The companies will lean on their experience in building ammonia storage tanks and terminals to focus on developing large-scale ammonia storage terminals that will allow for economical distribution of the fuel, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.They…

BP has invested in a start-up company developing technology seeking to use vapour from heavy industry to sharply reduce the production costs of zero-carbon hydrogen.BP Ventures, the British energy giant's venture capital arm, was among several investors in a $12.5 million Series A financing in U.S.-based Advanced Ionics, the companies said on Tuesday.Other investors include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Clean Energy Ventures and Gatemore Capital Management.Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable energy…

As the devotion to more sustainable shipping expands and regulations become more stringent, the demand for lower emissions operations continues to increase. As a result, the marine industry is confronted with the challenge of large-scale electrification as an alternative energy solution.For electric ferries, one developing technology is Rapid Charging Systems (RCS), which transfer electrical power from the shore to a vessel at a high rate. These charging systems establish a ship-to-shore connection quickly…

Electric vehicles are crisscrossing the globe to reach their eager buyers, but the battery technology involved in the zero- emission automobiles is exposing under-prepared maritime shippers to the risk of hard-to-control fires, industry, insurance, and emergency response officials said.That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier [Freemantle Highway] drifting off the Dutch coast. The Dutch coastguard said the fire's cause was unknown, but Dutch broadcaster…

Sanmar Shipyards said it has signed a contract to deliver two cleaner and greener versions of its Bogacay series of tugs to Sicily-based operator Rimorchiatori Augusta Srl. BOGACAY LII and BOGACY LIV have been refurbished and their propulsion systems upgraded using the latest technology to make them IMO Tier III emissions compliant. They will be delivered to Augusta Port in Sicily towards the end of 2022.The 24.4m x 12m x 5.45m sister tugs will be powered by two Caterpillar CAT 3512E C rating main engines…

Supply chain issues tied to liner shipping have been front page news throughout 2021; just about everyone agrees that there’s a problem. The underlying cause is right out of Economics 101: a surge in demand for moving containerized cargo, in the face of “inelastic” throughput capacity (which includes vessels and their landside interfaces to surface transportation, trucks and rail) that could not handle the swell, attributable to re-stocking of containerized cargo as economic activity recovered from the pandemic induced jolts.

Chris Wiernicki, CEO, ABS, discusses the evolution of multi-physics simulation and its importance in reaching decarbonization goals through 2050.As the pace of technological evolution rapidly quickens, shipowners are increasingly forced to embrace change to ensure their fleets stay in compliance with new regulations and stave off obsolescence.Going forward, efficient, cost-effective delivery of goods from ‘point A to point B’ must be done in a more environmentally benign manner…

Keeping track of personnel on board (POB) “will be a requirement on all contracts” with offshore energy companies, predicted Tonny Sørdal, vice-president for quality, safety, health and environment of support vessel operator Olympic Subsea ASA.He was speaking just a year after one of its customers first asked for that capability and now, seven of the company’s 10 vessels have been fitted with a system that not only tracks crew and contractors while they are on board, but also as they transfer from the vessel to wind turbines and even within the turbine itself.

Dubai-based global ports operator DP World has taken a 44% stake in Frenkendorf-headquartered Swissterminal Holding, the container terminal operator in Switzerland.The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.Swissterminal, which is headquartered in Frenkendorf close to Basel, operates additional locations in Zurich-Niederglatt, Basel-Birsfelden, Basel-Kleinhueningen and Liestal. The terminals are well connected to Europe’s leading container ports in Rotterdam and Antwerp as well as the ports of La Spezia, Genoa, Ravenna and Trieste south of the Alps.DP World has grown from its roots in Jebel Ali Port…

The American supplier of rotor blades to the wind industry LM Wind Power, part of GE Renewable Energy, has displayed its first 107-meter blade, for GE’s Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbine, which has made its first trip outside its factory in Cherbourg, France.The LM 107.0 P is the first ever wind turbine blade to surpass 100 meters in length, said a press release from the wind turbine blades manufacturer.Final preparations for shipment of the blade are now underway.GE Renewable Energy has confirmed that the Haliade-X 12 MW nacelle and 107-meter long blade will be shipped to the UK as part of an advanced technology testing program that will…

No, using augmented reality to train workers is not a science fiction! The HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) team at APM Terminals Brazil developed an augmented reality (AR) app for employees, contractors and visitors to download on their phones which provided video and 3D information about risks and safety operations in the terminal and office buildings.For Global Safety Day this year, employees and contractors took part in an experiment to see if the new and developing technology could be used to teach safety measures across the operation in a campaign titled "Stronger & Safer Together".After opening the app, users pointed their phone at stickers placed on a piece of equipment or on the floor or wall of an office building.

Washington State Ferries has begun a project to transition the largest vessels in its fleet to cleaner hybrid-electric power.The three ferries in the operator's Jumbo Mark II class, the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup, were built from 1997 to 1999 at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle. Each vessel can carry up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles, making them the largest in the Washington State fleet.The 460 footers are also the fleet's biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions.

advanced drive train technology specialist Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch said it has signed a contract to provide 16 DC-Hubs and 32 frequency converters for a innovative new shuttle tanker concept developed by Teekay and Wärtsilä.The four tankers will be built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea, with Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch set to begin deliveries to Wärtsilä in September 2018.The agreement is the biggest marine contract for Finnish-headquartered Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch since entering the segment in 2013.

Marine lubricant choices to address International Maritime Organization (IMO) restrictions on the fuels used by ships from 2020 must be based on verifiable cylinder oil performance data and engine testing to cover all operating conditions, according to the new General Manager of Shell Marine, Joris Van Brussel.Based in Singapore, Joris has gained experience across Shell’s fuels, lubricants and renewables businesses worldwide, with roles in licensing, branding and retail activities…

Norway has a huge potential to be a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI), but it needs resources and collaboration in order not to lag behind.To strengthen national efforts on artificial intelligence, Telenor, NTNU and SINTEF are inviting Norwegian businesses to partner on the new Norwegian Open AI Lab. Additional partners will include DNB, DNV GL, Equinor, and the Kongsberg Group.While the Norwegian Open AI Lab will develop solutions specific to the partners’ industries, it will also consider opportunities where Norway can take positions internationally. Norway benefits from a competitive advantage thanks to its advanced ICT infrastructure…

E-navigation specialist NAVTOR said it has appointed Anders Holme for the role of Chief Technology Officer. Holme will manage teams that work across offices in Egersund, Norway, Singapore, Japan, Sweden, Russia, the U.S. and U.K. NAVTOR’s main software development takes place at the company’s head office in Egersund and its dedicated base in St Petersburg. “There is a growing appreciation within shipping that new technology can unlock real operational advantages and business opportunities,” Holme said.

DNV GL has given IHI Corporation Approval in Principle (AiP) for its FLPS (Floating LNG Power Station) concept. The formal handover of the Approval in Principle took place in Tokyo on July 5. The design has been found to comply with DNV GL class standards and other relevant industry standards. The FLPS concept is a combination of a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) and a power plant. It is expected to be installed in locations where alternative onshore infrastructure is not feasible or commercially viable, while energy demand is rapidly increasing. The FLPS solution is also in line with the worldwide trend for decentralized power generation. It provides the opportunity for the receiving location to take advantage of the availability of natural gas as part of their power mix.

March Coast Guard deadline represents milestone for AIS use in U.S. From increasing situational awareness and enhancing the safety and security of maritime transportation, to its use in accident investigation, search and rescue, Aids to Navigation and asset monitoring, the role of AIS (Automatic Identification System) as a flexible and developing technology continues to grow in significance. The month of March 2016 – has come and gone – and represents an important milestone which will increase the prevalence and general awareness of AIS.

Nakashima Propeller and ClassNK held a joint technical seminar in Hamburg on March 19. Nakashima Propeller and ClassNK, from their respective roles in the industry, provide products and services to support ships through their lifecycle. Both parties share the goal of developing technology to improve the safety of ships and protect the environment, and are collaborating on joint R&D projects. To introduce their latest technical skills and knowledge to the European maritime industry, the two organizations held their technical seminar in Hamburg which was attended by shipowners and a number of other industry professionals. The seminar focused on the theme of ‘Eco Friendly and Efficient Vessel Operation by Modern Propulsion Systems and Software’…

Willard Marine, Inc. has appointed Mark Lougheed to its engineering team. Lougheed brings more than 25 years of experience in naval engineering and project management to Willard Marine. Lougheed was most recently at Coast Dynamics Group as an Engineering Project Leader developing technology for SHOXS Seats. He was also the Senior Research and Development Engineer at Zodiac Hurricane Technologies, a division of Zodiac MilPro in Canada, where he managed the development of a line of composite and metal stepped hull planing boats.

A UK-based manufacturer has come up with a new solution for safely testing marine bollards and is now planning to take the innovation global. Working with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), Tyne and Wear Marine (TWM) has spent the last year developing the ‘Bollard Load Test’ (BLT), which uses a powerful hydraulic ram and specialist torque rope to recreate more than 100 tons of ‘pull.’ This breakthrough replaces the traditional method of a tug pulling against the bollard, a method that has previously caused damage to vessels and can be dangerous to the people involved in the test.

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg visited DNV GL Høvik yesterday, September 16. Group President & CEO Henrik Madsen was host. “The Prime Minister was both enthusiastic and interested in DNV GL’s views on climate-friendly technologies in the industries we serve. We hope that our input on technological opportunities will be useful in the Norwegian government's work aimed at promoting a greener economy,” said Henrik Madsen when the hour long visit was over. As well as the Prime Minister herself, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Tine Sundoft, participated in the meeting.