Groke to Deliver Situational Awareness Tech for Ships with BARTech WindWings
Finland-headquartered maritime tech company Groke Technologies (Groke) is working with BAR Technolgoes (BARTech) design and develop of situational awareness systems for the U.K. marine engineering consultancy’s WindWings wind propulsion technology.The companies have signed a partnership agreement following the debut installation of two 37.5 m (123 ft) tall WindWings sails on board MC Shipping-owned and Cargill-operated Kamsarmax bulker Pyxis Ocean. Groke’s camera and imaging solutions were also installed.Groke Technologies’ CEO Juha Rokka said…
Siemens and NVIDIA to Build Industrial Metaverse
Siemens is bringing immersive visualization powered by new NVIDIA Omniverse Cloud APIs to the Siemens Xcelerator platform, driving increased use of AI-driven digital twin technology and creating an industrial metaverse.“We will revolutionize how products and experiences are designed, manufactured and serviced. On the path to the industrial metaverse, this next generation of industrial software enables customers to experience products as they would in the real world: in context…
Furuno Unveils TZtouchXL With Risk Visualizer And AI Avoidance Route
Marine electronics manufacturer Furuno introduced the NavNet TZtouchXL series, a suite of Multi Function Displays (MFDs) designed to meet the requirements of workboat operators, including ferries and tugboats.The NavNet TZtouchXL series encompasses three large-sized MFDs: the 16” TZT16X, 22” TZT22X, and 24” TZT24X. These MFDs feature super-wide, all-glass displays with exceptional clarity and brightness. The rugged all-glass design is not only functional but also enhances the durability and functionality of the helm.
Orca AI Platform Helped Fleet Cut CO2 Emissions
Maritime technology company Orca AI has calculated that its automated situational awareness platform achieved significant operational gains for clients in 2023, including a 172,716-tonnes reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel savings.The drop was attributed to fewer sharp manoeuvres and speed drops, as well as an overall reduction in the number of potential incidents and collisions avoided.The analysis was carried out on 15 million nautical miles-worth of data collected in open waters by 267 customer vessels – comprising tankers…
Let’s Set Some Standards for Micro Cargo
As zero carbon cargo efforts are progressing, it is becoming more apparent that the lowest hanging fruit is in the last few miles. This is where a large amount of carbon is expended in delivering small parcels to stores and consumers’ doors.This is particularly apparent in dense pack cities like New York City, where delivery vans clog streets and water crossings. The NYC Economic Development Commission recently issued a Request For Expression of Interest in waterborne micro cargo delivery.
Not All Underwater Reefs are Made of Coral
When people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations.For more than a century, people have placed a wide assortment of objects on the seafloor off the U.S. coast to provide habitat for marine life and recreational opportunities for fishing and diving. Artificial reefs have been created from decommissioned ships, chicken transport cages, concrete pipes, rail cars and more.We study how ocean-dwelling fish use artificial reefs in the U.S. and beyond.
OPINON: Tackling the Houthi Drone Threat with AI
Houthi rebel drone attacks on vessels traversing the Red Sea and Suez Canal route, accounting for 10% of global trade, have exposed the shortcomings of current ship alert systems.The unpredictability and increased frequency of these attacks have created a challenging security environment for ships passing the area via the Bab el Mandeb strait, posing a substantial risk to seafarers and maritime trade by endangering the safety of the crew and cargo.Initially focused on Israel-related ships in solidarity with Hamas…
Australian Court Lets Santos Build Barossa Pipeline
Australia's Santos can proceed with construction of an undersea pipeline vital to its $4.3 billion Barossa gas project after a court on Monday ruled in favor of the oil and gas firm in a dispute with an Indigenous man looking to pause the work.Work on the pipeline, which will connect the Barossa gas field to a processing plant in the northern Australian city of Darwin, was paused by court order in November after a suit by a member of an Indigenous group regarded as traditional…
Anschütz Advances the Autonomous Bridge System
As part of the Clean Autonomous Public Transportation Network (CAPTN) initiative, Anschütz' research into autonomous systems and assistance systems onboard ships that support navigators has made progress in 2023. In the Remote Operating Centre (ROC) which is set up on land at Anschütz, the MV Wavelab -- a research catamaran that is operating on a maritime test field on the Kiel Fjord in Germany -- is monitored. Part of the ROC is a complete digital twin with all the data provided by the various existing and experimental sensors and systems on board the Wavelab.
AUKUS Defense Ministers Agree to Bolster Security
AUKUS defense ministers have reaffirmed their resolve to bolster security and stability and ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains a region free from coercion and aggression.A statement was released after Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia, and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom, at the Defense Innovation Unit Headquarters in California on December 1.AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia…
Ukraine Says Russia Dropped Explosives in Black Sea Shipping Lanes
Ukraine said on Wednesday Russian warplanes had dropped "explosive objects" into the likely paths of civilian vessels in the Black Sea three times in the last 24 hours, but that its fledgling shipping corridor was still operating.Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit a U.N.-brokered deal in July that allowed some food exports…
Baltic Dry Index Falls for 10th Straight Session
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell for a tenth straight session to a near seven-week low on Wednesday, as rates fell across vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 4% or by 58 points to 1,401.The capesize index declined 6% or 121 points to 1,899, its lowest in over one month.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes carrying commodities such as iron ore and coal, lost $999 to $15,751."We anticipate
Clean Technology Lasers: A New Tool to Remove Corrosion and Scale
Laser systems quickly remove corrosion and scale from metal surfaces with less preparation and mess than traditional techniques.In the maritime industry, corrosion and scale (where rust penetrates a metal surface) can quickly become an issue in an outdoor, salt sea spray laden environment. When sea spray evaporates, it leaves salt behind, leading to saltwater staining and accelerated corrosion.So, most shipbuilders as well as those responsible for maintenance and repair understand the value of treating metal surfaces to remove corrosion…
Shanghai Plans 5G Roll-Out for Marine Economy
Shanghai’s local government plans to provide oceanic coverage of 5G networks by 2024.China Daily reports that Shanghai will build an integrated network connecting all land, sea, air and space internet infrastructure platforms. The development of navigation, wind power and offshore engineering will be coordinated so that they are connected.5G technology will be used for marine supervision, science and technology, marine economy and intelligent shipping.Qualcomm describes 5G as…
Damen to Build Four Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates for Dutch, Belgian Navies
The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Damen, and Thales have signed the contract for the design, construction, and delivery of four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates; two for the Netherlands and two for Belgium, focused on anti-submarine warfare.The agreement was signed on HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Royal Netherlands Navy's largest ship, by the Dutch Defence State Secretary Christophe van der Maat, Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen, Damen Naval Managing Director Roland Briene…
Shell Shipping, Orca AI Aim to Drive Navigation Innovation
Shell Shipping & Maritime and Orca AI kicked off with a pilot project trialing Tel Aviv-based start-up Orca AI’s maritime navigation platform on a Shell-managed gas tanker. But it has now morphed into a long-term development collaboration resulting in new features that can significantly enhance safety at sea. Here Saurabh Kumar, Project Engineer at Shell Shipping & Maritime, and Dor Raviv, CTO at Orca AI, reflect on outcomes and benefits of the partnership so far.Navigational error resulting in collision or grounding is one of the highest safety risks associated with maritime transport.
Titanic Sub Search: Debris Field Found, Oxygen Feared to Have Run Out
The desperate search for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic entered a critical juncture on Thursday when air was expected to run out for the five people aboard, but officials vowed to continue scouring the remote North Atlantic.A remotely operated vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel to the ocean floor discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday morning on Twitter, adding that experts were "evaluating the information."Another…
FarSounder Receives 8th Patent
FarSounder expanded its IP portfolio with the issuance of its 8th Patent, number 11,609,316. This US patent expands the company’s patent portfolio for its unique sonar system and its 3D processing.The invention provides a sonar system that includes a forward-looking sonar device that operates in an integrated fashion with one or more other sonar devices so that a boater can have a reliable navigation tool. The forward looking sonar can include a transducer array that takes a three-dimensional acoustic reading of the objects and seafloor ahead. The electronics that process the acoustic data can also process data from down-looking sonar…
Europe's Biggest Gas Supplier Says All Clear from Offshore Pipeline Security Checks
Inspections of Norway's offshore gas pipelines after the Nord Stream blasts found nothing suspicious, an executive at energy major Equinor told Reuters, in the first official word on the security sweep.However, risks remain after last year's still-unexplained explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines built to carry Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, warned Jannicke Nilsson, who manages security for Equinor.Europe's largest gas supplier after a drop in Russian flows last year, Equinor also acts as technical service provider for offshore pipelines operator Gassco.
Floating Offshore Wind: New Seascape, New Challenges
Offshore wind energy planners are giving close review to fixed-tower systems in order to extend lessons learned to floating wind towers, under development now. In the U.S., floating towers have been most closely associated with plans for new wind energy areas (WEA) in the Pacific, off of California and maybe Oregon and Washington. But important research is also taking place in Maine, at the University of Maine, because of deep ocean Atlantic areas there, and floating towers may also be used in the Gulf of Mexico.As most readers likely know…
LR Grants AIP for Samsung Heavy Industries’ Advanced Systems
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) Autonomous Navigation System and SVESSEL Communication System, a key result of a joint development project formed in early 2023. The autonomous software for Autonomous Navigation System features an Integrated Bridge System, situational awareness tools and SHI’s Anti-Collision Decision-Making System. By integrating these features with current navigation equipment SHI’s technology can be used to eliminate human error…
China to Ban Vessels from Area Near Taiwan Over Rocket Debris
China will ban vessels from an area near Taiwan on Sunday because of the possibility of falling rocket debris, its maritime safety agency said on Thursday, as Japan sought details from Beijing on a reported no-fly zone in the same location. China has not commented on the no-fly zone, but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to a falling object related to a launch vehicle. The disruption comes during tension in the region over Chinese military exercises around Taiwan…
Italian Forces Board Turkish Cargo Ship to 'Liberate' Crew
Italian special forces boarded a Turkish cargo vessel on Friday after the crew detected a group of unidentified people onboard, some of them armed, Rome's defence ministry said on Friday, adding the operation was still under way.Italian minister Guido Crosetto told an event that there were 15 "illegal migrants" on board, but did not provide details on how they managed to get there or their country of origin."Now all the crew must be liberated and the ship secured," Crosetto said, adding operations were ongoing.A Turkish transport ministry statement said the Galata Seaways roll-on-roll-off cargo vessel was sailing from the Turkish port of Yalova to Sete, France.It said the crew noticed the presence of other people aboard in the late morning on Friday through security cameras, which showed t