Satellite Link News

ADNOC L&S, the shipping and maritime logistics arm of the Abu Dhabi-based oil firm ADNOC, has signed an agreement with SeaOwl for the design of unmanned remotely operated vessels capable of transporting vehicles, equipment, and supplies to and from offshore sites.ADNOC L&S said these vessels would reduce carbon emissions by up to 30% as the vessel will be lighter and smaller, as facilities for a crew are not required. "In addition, the smart automation systems will optimize routing and propulsion…

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) and mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat announced they are partnering to provide a connectivity solution that will address challenges experienced during remote surveys.The new solution uses LR Remote, a specifically engineered application for remote inspection that enables crew members to livestream video, photos and audio from on board a ship to an LR technical specialist located elsewhere and will be empowered by Inmarsat’s Certified Application Provider (CAP) dedicated bandwidth service called Fleet Connect…

Ocean Signal has developed a compact Category 1 (auto-deploy) Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon – the SafeSea EPIRB1 Pro.The new EPIRB1 Pro features a 30 percent reduction in size compared to other EPIRBs, a 10-year battery life and a retail price that makes it one of the most affordable EPIRBs on the market.Providing an essential link to emergency services for both recreational and commercial vessels, the Ocean Signal beacon complies with IMO regulations that require…

Real-time fisheries management and governance to ensure robust quota compliance and safeguard sustainable fishing.Inmarsat, along with its partners Addvalue Innovation Pte Ltd (Addvalue) and Network Innovations, have launched a type-approved IP-based terminal and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for fishing vessels operating in United States (U.S.) waters. The Addvalue iFleetONE communications terminal and proprietary VMS have been type-approved in four of the five U.S. Fisheries Management regions, as required by the U.S.

When Steve Corkum Jr. of Yarmouth Sea Products couldn’t find a yard prepared to build 15 lobster boats in a single order, he started his own shipyard. Bayview Marine recently launched the first in the 15-boat series and is well pleased with the initial performance.The 44.3 by 30-foot hull is designed for maximum working space and stowage for lobster or crab traps. The first of the series of fiberglass vessels performed well on trials. Propulsion power is provided by a six-cylinder Cummins X15 diesel rated for 500 HP at 1800 RPM.

For Marine Technology Reporter's (MTR) 14th Annual "MTR100" - a look at 100 innovators and technologies in the subsea space - MTR editor-at-large Elaine Maslin reports on five companies and technologies that are worth the watch for the remainder of 2019 and beyond. For the full edition, see https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/Blue Logic: Entering a new eraCompletely new modes of operation are entering the underwater domain for oil and gas operations and…

Thomas Chance founded C & C Technologies in his home in 1992. Today C & C is a global oil field surveying and mapping company with more than 550 employees in ten offices worldwide. C & C was the first company in the world to offer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) survey services to the oil industry and remains a world leader in the field. In April of 2015, he sold C & C Technologies to Oceaneering International. Complementing the autonomous underwater vehicle business, Mr. Chance started Autonomous Surface Vehicles, Ltd., or ASV, in 2010. ASV has 140 employees, four offices across the globe and has built more than 100 state-of-the-art unmanned boats for the defense and commercial sectors.

U.S. shipbuilder Metal Shark has joined forces with autonomous vessel technology developer ASV Global to introduce a range of high-tech autonomous vessels.The Louisiana based shipbuilder said it is now offering autonomous technology called Sharktech on its entire portfolio of custom configurable vessels for military, law enforcement, fire rescue and the full spectrum of applicable commercial markets, which range from 16’ to over 300’ in aluminum, steel and composite.“The industry has watched and waited as autonomous technology has matured from its fledgling stages…

In a show of prototypes, a pod of unmanned sailboats from around the world competes to cross “The Atlantic” test tank in Horten, Norway. Cross the real ocean, and the Sail Bots race similarly challenges scholarly robotic-vessel designers to North America for a bit of station-keeping, collision-avoidance and “cargo moves”. For all, the future seems bright — the first commercial runs of unmanned vessels are underway or scheduled worldwide. These earliest movers have the support of governments, Google and grateful clients.

Wärtsilä said it has taken a further important step toward developing its Smart Marine capabilities by successfully testing the remote control of ship operations. The testing, which involved driving the vessel through a sequence of manoeuvres using a combination of Dynamic Positioning (DP) and manual joystick control, was carried out on August 21 off the North Sea coast of Scotland in collaboration with Gulfmark Offshore, the U.S. based operator who provided the vessel for the project.

ABB is opening a new integrated Operations Center in Singapore, the third facility of its type and first in Asia, which will allow the company’s engineers to follow the sun across the globe. Typically, at the end of the working day, the Singapore Center will handover to colleagues in Norway and Finland and this process will continue across the globe when a new Integrated Operations Center is opened in the U.S. later this year. ABB describes the Integrated Operations Center as a realization of its principle of the Internet of Things, Services and People.

Aiming to leverage the increased connectivity of the shipping industry, ABB has opened a second Integrated Operations Center in Helsinki, following the launch of similar facility in Billingstad, Norway in late 2015. The facility in Helsinki will serve the passenger, cargo and icegoing vessel sectors, while the facility in Billingstad has oversight of ABB’s customers in the oil and gas sector. ABB said further centers are scheduled to open in Asia and the U.S. in 2016. The new center will be able to connect to any passenger or cargo ship and monitor the performance of ABB technology on board…

We are on the brink of an extraordinary revolution that will change our world forever. In this new world everyone, everything and everywhere will be connected in real time. We call this the Networked Society, and it will fundamentally change the way we innovate, collaborate, produce, govern and sustain. The development of integrated fast on-line computer technologies, new satellite link capabilities, and efficient cloud storage capabilities of information have resulted in huge opportunities for utilizing vast amounts of data for optimizing all kinds of operations.

ABB has unveiled a new Integrated Operations Center which allows ship owners to take greater control of their fleet from shore. From the center, situated in Billingstad in Norway, its expert engineers can connect to any vessel anywhere in the world which is fitted with ABB technology. Sensors and software onboard the ship send equipment and performance data via satellite link which allows ship owners, in collaboration with ABB’s experts, to perform remote troubleshooting and make informed judgements about the ship’s performance and maintenance plan.

Damen Marine Components (DMC), the oldest company in Damen Shipyards Group, celebrates its 150th anniversary today. DMC has grown from a very small shipyard established in Gorinchem in 1865, to become the largest nozzle builder in the world. Via a live satellite link, around a 1,000 customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues, at its three main locations in Hardinxveld (the Netherlands), Jiangyin (China) and Gdańsk (Poland), will toast this historic occasion simultaneously. Although DMC’s own roots were established in 1865 when Jan van de Giessen set up a business from a small wharf in the ‘Kalkhaven’, the history of shipbuilding in the area actually dates back to the 14th century.

ABB informs it has ordered a cable-laying vessel from Kleven shipyard in Norway. The new ship, scheduled to be delivered in 2017, will be custom-built to ABB specifications and measure approximately 140 by 30 meters. “This next-generation vessel incorporating state-of-the-art ABB technologies will be a key differentiator for our high-voltage cable business, enhancing flexibility and execution ability,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Systems division. The vessel is of SALT 306 CLV design from Salt Ship Design in Stord, Norway. The new ship will deploy many of ABB’s marine technologies. The Onboard DC Grid and power distribution solution, for instance, will use a single DC circuit for ship propulsion to reduce power consumption.

MSC Cruises has started a fleet-wide optimization installed by Marlink to improve shipboard VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) connectivity. MSC Cruises said it is the first cruise line in the world to benefit from the iDX 3.2 software and X7 modem from iDirect. Their cruise lines will receive enhanced service delivery and performance, resulting in higher allowance and richer end-user functionality for ship management, passengers and crew. After successful testing of the iDirect X7 modem in August 2014, Marlink began the rollout across the 12 ships of the MSC Cruises fleet in October 2014.

iDirect Government Technologies, Inc. (iGT), a wholly owned subsidiary of VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), today announced the availability of iDX 3.2.3 software, which meets the  military, intelligence and public safety communities growing needs for increased bandwidth and higher throughputs. iDX 3.2.3 features Adaptive Time Division Multiple Access (ATDMA), which improves return channel performance and increases network availability under rain fade and satellite link degradation. The software enables customers to design networks for a typical case scenario instead of worse-case scenario, saving time, costs and complexity without loss of performance.

Celebrity Equinox becomes third Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Last week, as Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox completed its scheduled drydock in Cadiz, Spain, it joined Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas in a program that tracks ocean circulation dynamics and measures atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, on repeated journeys. According to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., its ships are known for providing vacationers with innovative experiences, extraordinary service and award-winning cuisine as they cross the world’s oceans.

Pasha Hawaii, SeaRiver Maritime Inc., and perhaps ConocoPhillips will soon share the practice of paperless navigation in U.S. domestic trades. Each of these three ship owner/operators is managing a transition to paperless navigation at distinctly significant stages. Their progress opens a window into the evolution of electronic navigation, now taking place worldwide. There are other U.S. operators on a similar path, to be sure, but the prominence of these three is exemplary. The…

Maritime traffic in the Arctic is rising dramatically, leading to a greater need for safety and environmental protection. Consequently, as part of the icebreaker Oden’s Artic expedition, the Swedish Maritime Administration is testing a new tracking system for maritime traffic. The World Wildlife Fund, WWF, is also positive to the project. The Arctic is one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive areas, while also being one of the most difficult to protect against accidents. Thus, the need to support the maritime industry is crucial in guaranteeing safety for navigation and the environment. The Swedish Maritime Administration is now testing a new system for monitoring maritime traffic that will improve the potential for sea rescue, icebreaker assistance and environmental protection.