Schneider Electric News

ABB flagged a slowdown in revenue growth in the fourth quarter and reported a continued decline in orders in China, sending its shares lower even as the Swiss engineering group posted third-quarter earnings broadly in line with forecasts.The maker of industrial drives and motors noted some signs of stabilisation in China, its second-largest market and said higher quarterly revenues and earnings were boosted by price increases outstripping cost inflation, and higher volumes.But…

The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has launched a Request for Proposals (RfP) for 600,000 TEUs over a three-year period on ocean vessels powered by zero-emission fuels.This will help its member companies reduce nearly one million metric tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 215,000 cars off the road. The RfP is the first major buyer-led initiative to accelerate the transition to zero-emission maritime fuels. ZEMBA was launched as a nonprofit membership organization in March 2023 by the Aspen Institute…

The Hiller Companies, a provider of fire and life safety services and portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., has named Santiago Perez Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Perez was most recently CEO of Keter Environmental Services. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at Schneider Electric, where he oversaw the U.S. services and solutions business, and Johnson Controls, where he led a number of the company’s global business units.

Stadt Naval, headquartered in Gjerdsvika, Norway, signed a contract to design and supply complete electric propulsion solutions for series of new naval ships for an unnammed NATO country, the biggest  contract in the company's history.Stadt's technology operates in STEALTH mode with guaranteed no  electrical interference and no acoustic switching noise. This contributes to low underwater radiated noise (URN), and low signature for any vessel. In addition, the STADT technology has proven to have absolute minimum power loss…

Israeli maritime tech venture capital firm theDOCK said it plans to launch a second fund—Navigator II—that will focus on investments in digital solutions attending to the needs of maritime, supply chain and offshore operations.The maritime-focused startups backer, which closed its first fund, Navigator I, in 2018, said it has seen an accelerating deal flow of startups and compelling investment opportunities in the domain alongside impressive performance of past investments and more strategic investors expressing interest to become limited partners (LP) in the fund.

The world's largest containership to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) has officially joined the fleet of French container shipping group CMA CGM, during a digital naming ceremony at CSSC’s shipyard in Shanghai.CMA CGM Group’s new flagship, CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, named after the group's founder, is the lead vessel in a series of nine LNG-powered, 23,000 TEU containerships ordered in 2017.Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Group’s chairman and CEO, announced in November 2017 that the vessels would be equipped with LNG-powered engines…

The global shore power market is estimated to be valued at USD 1.4 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 2.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 13.3% during the forecast period.Reduction of low-frequency noise and emissions at ports, a growing number of cruise liners in the shipping industry, and installation of retrofit shore power systems have increased the demand for a shore power system, said a report by ResearchAndMarkets.However, huge installation & maintenance costs and high initial investment for shore power component manufacturers are hindering the growth of the shore power market.The frequency converter segment is expected to hold the largest market share and is the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period.

Shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has expanded its agreement with engineering and industrial software firm AVEVA to use a greater range of solutions from the AVEVA portfolio to design and construct cruise ships.The renewed agreement gives every MV WERFTEN subsidiary full access to AVEVA’s integrated engineering and design and information management solutions to drive further improvements in collaboration and efficiency across shipbuilding design and construction, due significantly to the…

By plugging into the power grid with 100 per cent renewable electricity and turning off their diesel engines, ships at berth in the UK would reduce emissions equivalent to 84,000 to 166,000 diesel buses – or 1.2 million diesel cars representative of the current UK fleet. The pressure is mounting for the UK to align with EU air pollution emission targets, and ships at berth need to cut their fuel consumption and port authorities and terminal operators need to integrate shore power capabilities in a simpler and more efficient way. Schneider Electric supports decarbonisation through its business efforts, this has led to a sponsored study into the emissions from idling ships at berth in UK ports that affects the quality of the air we breathe.

The Antwerp Port Authority aims to create the necessary conditions to supply onshore power for seagoing ships in the port. In order to realize this ambition, it will sign two agreements on Friday, 23 March, during the World Ports Sustainabaility Program-event in Antwerp. The first agreement will receive the signatures from the Port Authority and Alfaport-VOKA, the representative of the private port community whose support is essential for the project to succeed. Under the second agreement, the names of the Port Authority and 5 technical partners will end up making their expertise available to enable onshore power for seagoing vessels in the port area to be realized in the short term. These are Techelec, Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens and Actemium.

AVEVA announced it has combined with Schneider Electric’s industrial software business to drive digital transformation across the asset and operational life cycle for capital-intensive industries. “88% of leaders in capital-intensive industries say that digitalization would increase their revenues,” said Craig Hayman, Chief Executive Officer at AVEVA. “Yet less than half of these companies are actually in the process of adopting a digital strategy. “Digitalization demands a fundamental rethink of the way organizations operate. They need to be confident that their technology investment will deliver a high return on capital and can lower the total cost of asset ownership.

Onboard AC power technology company Xantrex informs it has expanded its Freedom series with the launch of four new models. The new series called Freedom X marks the ongoing evolution of the Freedom inverter first launched in 1992. “The Freedom name is synonymous with quality and reliability in the marine industry. The Freedom Marine, Freedom HF/HFS and Freedom SW inverter/chargers set benchmarks in the industry and have been installed in thousands of boats,” said Richard Gaudet, Vice President of Xantrex business at Schneider Electric. The four new models include two inverters and two inverters with built-in charger offer a multitude of features including extended surge for motor loads…

Just over the horizon, a new ‘Integration Strategy’ promises offshore safety and efficiencies. Kongsberg’s Walk-to-Work technology is just the beginning. Maritime technology has come on in leaps and bounds since the turn of the century. We have the technology to keep an offshore support vessel on station within a 0.5-meter radius, even in the most severe weather conditions and sea states. We have the technology to manage power output, and control drives and thrusters to the ‘nth’ degree, providing safety and reliability for all ship handling operations. And we have the technology to deliver gigabytes of data to shore without paying for a helicopter or a mid-ocean drop off of hard drives or DVDs. So, what’s next? Arguably, the ‘big’ topic is unmanned vessels.

The MIT Sloan School of Management launched the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, also known as (IC)3, yesterday. Using an interdisciplinary research approach, (IC)3 focuses on the strategic, managerial, and operational issues related to cybersecurity, and invites businesses to join the consortium. “The cybersecurity of our critical infrastructure is a serious national security challenge," said MIT Sloan Dean David Schmittlein. (IC)3…

When the 172-year old tall ship Charles W. Morgan sets out on its historic 38th voyage on June 14, it will benefit from safety enhancements that were unheard of at the time of its construction – including a pair of Xantrex Freedom SW 24V - 3000W/75A inverter/chargers that deliver a full 6,000 watts of continuous electrical power. Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan is the last of an American whaling fleet that once numbered more than 2,700 vessels. Over an 80-year whaling career, it embarked on 37 voyages, most lasting three years or more. Retired in 1921, the ship was used as a set for two Hollywood films (Down to the Sea in Ships, starring a young Clara Bow, and Java Head, with Ralph Richardson and Anna Mae Wong).

Pelco by Schneider Electric and Oncam Grandeye announced that they have partnered to deliver the Evolution 360-degree camera range to global customers that provides unprecedented situational awareness. The addition of the award-winning 360-degree cameras and technology from Oncam Grandeye is yet another example of Pelco’s commitment to be IP-driven and customer-focused, delivering innovation that enhances the customer experience. With this new product offering, Pelco continues to expand its IP camera solutions by incorporating Oncam Grandeye’s 360-degree technology and unique…

Cty TNHH Vuot Song, the subsidiary shipyard of Roy’s Maritime in Vietnam has just finished the construction of a 16-m long tugboat for New Caledonia, that will be delivered to the ship owner early 2014. The tugboat ‘Taabya.on’ is 16 meters long and 6.20 meters in breadth with a 16-tonee bollard pull, and will be used for the transportation of nickel in New Caledonia. Build of the new vessel was supervised by classification society Bureau Veritas, and New Caledonian Maritime in accordance with the divison 222.

Card reader technology is tested, proven and in use, nationwide. While the maritime industry awaits the Fed’s edict on MTSA, the solution already exists. The Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) requires that individuals needing unescorted access to MTSA-regulated Facilities and Vessels must first obtain a TWIC. To obtain a TWIC Card, an individual must meet certain eligibility requirements and pass a security threat assessment conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Individuals are then issued a tamper-resistant credential containing the cardholders biometric fingerprint data, which provides a conclusive link between the card and the individual cardholder. To date, more than 2 million of these credentials have been issued.

Atsec announced the successful test of Schneider Electric’s PC3-TBR reader against the specifications set forth by the TWIC Reader Evaluation Program. Before vendors can sell their products to be used in the TWIC program, they have to undergo independent testing. As an accredited laboratory under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), atsec is qualified to test TWIC readers for conformance with the program requirements. According to Schneider Electric’s executive VP Smart Infrastructure Division Ignacio Gonzalez, "As one of the first vendors to undergo testing for a TWIC reader, Schneider Electric is a pioneer of the new program. atsec has been an excellent partner in the process and their test engineers are highly competent.

Xantrex Technology has become a sponsoring partner of the IYRS, a marine trade and technology school offering full-time accredited programs in boat building and restoration, marine systems and composite technology. With campus locations in Newport and Bristol, R.I., IYRS students training for a marine-industry career will now enjoy a hands-on opportunity to work with the latest onboard AC power technology, thanks to the new Xantrex partnership and donations including two complete Freedom SW inverter/charger systems. Clark Poston, IYRS Vice President of Industry Development, said, “Our IYRS programs are experiential learning based and delivered in state-of-the-art labs with the latest equipment and technology.

Schneider Electric released its Pelco Esprit SE IP Integrated PTZ Camera System including both standard and pressurized models for video surveillance and IP network connectivity. Built upon the Esprit SE positioning system platform, the system now features dynamic window blanking, auto tracking, internal scheduling clock, electronic image stabilization, and multilanguage menus – all formerly reserved only for high-speed domes. Designed and built for continuous use featuring an integrated camera and lens, pan-and-tilt unit, multiprotocol receiver, and Sarix-based H.264 encoder, Esprit SE IP offers dynamic remote positioning capabilities and is capable of remaining completely operational in up to 90 mile-per-hour wind conditions.

CMR Group has welcomed James Thwaites to its professional team. Thwaites stepped into the newly created role of Group Marketing Manager and will coordinate global marketing efforts for CMR Group. He will lead all activities related to customer/product strategy and launching new products to market, including the Group’s Product Development Forum. Additionally, Thwaites will manage all traditional marketing functions including advertising, brand identity, sales promotions, corporate communications, and business process improvement.