Environmental Monitoring Systems News

Digitalization is expediting and maximizing the safety and economics of structural stress and fatigue measurement technologies. Terje Sannerud, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian fiber optic condition monitoring system developer Light Structures explains.Yet to be mandated by the IMO or included in any SOLAS regulations, structural stress and fatigue monitoring systems have in fact been used for providing real-time safety warnings on large and specialist vessels for more than two decades.

Iridium satcom specialist Rock Seven has launched a new fixed monthly GSM tariff for users of its dual-mode vessel tracking system, RockFLEET. The new £10/month subscription covers all vessel tracking and M2M (Machine-to-Machine) data transmitted over GSM networks by the RockFLEET system when operating within GSM coverage. As standard the RockFLEET system provides vessel GPS location reports at user-defined intervals using the global Iridium satellite Short Burst Data (SBD) service, but Rock Seven has seen demand for dual-mode operation using its optional GSM module rise. In dual mode-operation RockFLEET automatically switches from satellite to transmit GPS and M2M data over 2G/3G/4G and GPRS networks when available.

The deal has been finalized for marine and engineering services company Cammell Laird to begin work on the U.K.’s new £200 million polar research ship. The Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird said it saw off competition from Europe and beyond including Korea and Singapore to be selected as the preferred bidder to build the new vessel for the government-funded Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Bosses met Friday, November 19 to sign the contract, and detailed design work gets underway immediately.

The U.K. Government announced Monday that Cammell Laird in Birkenhead has been selected as the preferred bidder to build the nation’s new £200 million polar research ship. The decision follows a 12-month competitive tender process that involved bids from companies in the U.K., Spain, Norway, Singapore and South Korea. The winning project will secure jobs and apprenticeships and provide an economic boost to Merseyside, the shipbuilder noted. The shipyard is expected to cut steel in autumn 2016 and deliver the next generation polar research vessel ready for operation by 2019.

Since the first deployment of in-situ monitoring instrumentation, biofouling has been a problem. Without an effective solution, people have historically had to accept the limits biofouling imposes on ocean sensing work, with significant repercussions. When instrumentation is deployed in-situ, the value of the data taken during the deployment corresponds with the longevity: information gleaned from a longer deployment is often more useful than information from one of a shorter term.

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry, has announced a $2-million repayable contribution for research and development activities on new maritime surveillance technology being performed by AXYS Technologies Inc. Minister Raitt made the announcement at the 55th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities in Nanaimo, British Columbia. AXYS specializes in environmental monitoring systems for ports worldwide. This project will help the company develop applications that collect, analyze and display sensitive maritime data to enhance port and harbour security. Users will be able to monitor potential criminal threats in real time.

‘Full Picture’ delivery for two advanced new semi-submersibles. Kongsberg Maritime has been awarded a significant offshore automation contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). The contract covers the delivery of Kongsberg Maritime’s proven Dynamic Positioning, thruster control, bridge navigation, vessel automation, safety, riser management and environmental monitoring systems to two semi-submersible drilling rigs (Cat-D). The two new build high specification…

Kongsberg to head up major Norwegian Consortium with DNV and IBM to develop integrated Environmental Monitoring System. In order to reduce the environmental risks from oil and gas operations, a consortium consisting of KONGSBERG, IBM, and DNV will now develop a real-time environmental monitoring solution together with their client Statoil. The 150 MNOK project is led by KONGSBERG and will use integrated technology to create a step change for the operators’ access and operational usage of environmental data.

Martek Marine has secured a contract to supply its Navgard Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) to Seacom Electronics, the UK subsidiary of global ship management services giant V.Ships. Southampton-headquartered Seacom has placed an initial order for a Navgard BNWAS compliance package comprising a Navgard panel with two weatherproof external resets, an internal reset, three cabin alarms and four high intensity audio visual alarms. Martek will also deliver items including an illuminated push-button reset for the bridge, a bridge wing reset button, officer cabin alarm and a high intensity corridor audio-visual alarm. The initial contract is expected to be followed by orders for further packages to be installed on V.Ships’ vessels during the next three years.

L-3 Maritime Systems has been awarded a contract from General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems to supply its Seaframe Control System for the next Independence variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The contract is for the first ship and includes options for an additional 14 ships. L-3 Maritime Systems’ Seaframe Control System will provide advanced automation and control of the ship’s propulsion, electrical, ventilation and other machinery systems. The system’s automation capabilities successfully achieve the reduced manning requirements mandated for the U.S. Navy’s newest class of surface ship combatants. “We are pleased to deliver affordable, open architecture solutions to the U.S.

UK-based Martek Marine has signed a breakthrough contract with the Canadian Navy. The deal will see Martek supply 12 MM2000 marine gas detection systems, with Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) capability, to the Canadian Navy’s fleet of Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates based in Victoria, British Columbia, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is the first contract that Martek, one of the leading manufacturers of marine safety and environmental monitoring systems, has secured with the Canadian Navy and the H2S monitoring technology will be fitted on the Halifax-class ships while they are in port over the next 12 months. Steve Coulson, Business Development Director…