Technology Demonstrator News

Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its “green” designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as “a masterpiece of cooperation” and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.

MAN Energy Solutions has announced that it is developing an oxidation catalyst for four-stroke engines that will significantly reduce methane slip. Called ‘IMOKAT II’ and developed at MAN Energy Solutions’ headquarters in Augsburg, Germany, the research project is currently undergoing testing at the company’s Frederikshavn, Denmark facility.Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action, the new project will investigate the operational experience of a pre-turbo methane-oxidation catalyst…

“If we are to state our strategy in one word, it’s decarbonization,” said Juha Kytölä, director of R&D and engineering at Finnish tech company Wärtsilä. “What we are going toward is to supply the market with a portfolio of products that are ready for zero-carbon fuels.”In order to achieve its sustainability goals—including a 2030 target for carbon neutrality in its own operations—Wärtsilä has been taking big strides in research and development, having ramped up its investment on this front in recent years, Kytölä said.

In August, 2021, after years of delays, cost overruns, and rising tensions, the Australian government canceled a A$90 billion order with France’s Naval Group for 12 conventionally powered submarines intended to replace the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s aging fleet of six Collins-class attack subs. Overnight, the future of the RAN’s undersea warfare capability was cast into uncertainty. The very next month, however, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a plan to help Australia fill the void…

The U.K.’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has granted £10 million for the design and construction of a new floating wind turbine demonstrator off the coast of Scotland.The SENSE PelaStar project will feature SENSEWind’s turbine self-installation system, the PelaStar tension leg platform (TLP) floating foundation from Glosten and Subsea Micropile anchors. The SENSE concept will be put through its paces on a fully operational 2 MW floating wind turbine…

Swedish developer of twin offshore wind turbine technology Hexicon has partnered with Australia-based engineering giant Worley for FEED, Engineering Procurement Fabrication (EPF), and installation management of Hexicon's technology demonstrator project TwinWay, in Norway.As reported back in May this year, Hexicon said it would develop a demonstrator project - TwinWay- for floating wind power at Metcentre’s deepwater area off Norway’s coast. With TwinWay, a pilot to commercialize new offshore floating wind technology…

An innovative, zero-emissions workboat featuring hydrofoils and a fully electric propulsion system is scheduled to hit the water before the end of the year.The 11-meter vessel, announced by Artemis Technologies COO, Prof. Mark Gillan, during a presentation to the Workboat Association’s Technical Workgroup on Tuesday, will be built by Tuco Marine Group and is fitted with the Artemis eFoiler electric propulsion system. It is designed as a commercial multipurpose workboat platform to help operators reduce fuel usage and carbon emissions.

MSC Cruises, a global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, has held a steel-cutting ceremony for its first new-generation World-Class ship at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.The first of five liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered cruise ships on order, MSC Europa is the first LNG ship to be built in France.On the occasion of the cutting of the first steel ceremony held in Saint-Nazaire, MSC and Chantiers de l’Atlantique unveiled a groundbreaking R&D project named PACBOAT.The project focuses on the integration of a new fuel cell technology demonstrator onboard the first of four MSC Cruises’ World Class of vessels, due for delivery in 2022.

At CMRE, it’s not just about the science. It’s about building trust and confidence in resilient systems. An interview with Dr. Catherine Warner, Director, NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation, La Spezia, ItalyTell us a little about yourself and CMRE. What does CMRE do, and how do you see your mission evolving?I came here from the Pentagon, where I was the science advisor for the director of operational test and evaluation. My experience has been working with operators on systems that they’re getting ready to field.

John Canada founded Ocean 5 Naval Architects in 2007, arguably the worst time in history to start a maritime company as the industry was just entering the worst downturn in a generation. But more than 10 years later, and with the industry still in recover mode, Canada and his company are still standing. Ocean5 has become synonymous with sportfish, luxury, performance and composite high speed small craft naval architecture, and the company’s international presence is founded on patrol craft…

A new technology research programme aimed at developing propulsion products specifically for operating in arctic conditions has been implemented with Wärtsilä and VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland, as the main contributors. The ArTEco (Arctic Thruster Ecosystem) project will altogether be supported by ten industrial and academic partners from Finland and other countries. ArTEco is a three year programme, commencing in 2015 and ending in 2017. Its primary aim is to foster new technology for propulsion solutions in an arctic operating environment. The platform will consist of developing state-of-the-art simulation and load determining methods for dynamic loading conditions…

Wärtsilä and Diesel United Ltd in Japan have signed a ten-year renewal of their co-operation agreement for the sale, manufacturing and servicing of Wärtsilä low-speed marine engines. Diesel United is a long-standing member of the Wärtsilä family of low-speed engine licensees. The renewal was signed on the 66th anniversary of the signing of the licence by Diesel United for Sulzer low-speed marine engines on 4 October 1948. This has been Diesel United's sole licence for low-speed two-stroke diesel engines throughout the years since then.

Foreign Demand For U.S. Military And Commercial Vessels Is Brisk; For Now. In the heavy shadow of possible sequestration-induced federal budget cuts, some U.S. companies are busy supplying vessels to overseas customers under the Navy’s Foreign Military Sales program and through private contracts to foreign government and firms. Demand for offshore oil vessels is strong. A big chunk of overseas business now is under the U.S. FMS, transferring defense equipment, services and training to other nations. Countries approved for the FMS pay for vessels themselves and/or with U.S. government help.

The San Diego-based company received $2m in Congressional funding that will allow USSOUTHCOM to rapidly field an operational demonstrator for the evaluation of a shock-mitigating craft. The craft will feature an advanced hull design and will be constructed of advanced composite materials to reduce operational injuries and lower procurement risk. “M Ship’s advanced hull research has demonstrated significant reduction of human exposure to accumulated spine stresses and repetitive impact injuries of personnel aboard high-speed military craft…

Lord Bach of Lutterworth, Minister for Defense Procurement for the U.K., visited ALSTOM Power Conversion last week to review the company’s progress on two major defense related projects. He went to Rugby to see the propulsion equipment and test facility for the first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 Destroyers, HMS Daring, and then visited the Electric Ship Technology Demonstrator (ESTD) at ALSTOM in Whetstone, Leicestershire. In April 2001, ALSTOM was awarded the contract to design and manufacture the electrical and power management systems…

Lord Bach of Lutterworth, Minister for Defense Procurement for the U.K., visited ALSTOM Power Conversion last week to review the company’s progress on two major defense related projects. He went to Rugby to see the propulsion equipment and test facility for the first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 Destroyers, HMS Daring, and then visited the Electric Ship Technology Demonstrator (ESTD) at ALSTOM in Whetstone, Leicestershire. In April 2001, ALSTOM was awarded the contract to design and manufacture the electrical and power management systems, and to perform combined testing of the propulsion converters and advanced induction motors for the T45 Destroyer electric propulsion system.

An artist's rendition of the Deepwater Program's Fast Response Cutter (FRC) design concept. technologies. demonstrator of the Deepwater program's fast response cutter (FRC). service's aging fleet of Island-class boats. ships and/or derivative technology to the U.S. program. and the U.S. corvette-sized monohull ships. U.S. Coast Guard's FRC Program," said Dr. Philip A. Systems sector. the leading U.S. U.S. CEO Martin Hagbyhn. export markets that our U.S. decided to invest in composites and stealth technology.

ALSTOM has won a second order of around $102 million to supply an integrated electric power and propulsion system for the Royal Navy’s Anti-Air Warfare Type 45 Destroyers. Following on from the first contract in April 2001 for batch one, this order is for batch two vessels and was awarded by BAE Systems Type 45 Destroyer Prime Contract Office. The order for the integrated electric power and propulsion system also includes the supply of major items of equipment including: 21 MWe alternators, 2MW diesel generator sets, HV switchboard, service transformers, VDM25000 PWM drives, 20MW 15 phased advanced induction motors (AIM), harmonic filters and the electrical power management system.

The new Catamaran HSV 2 Swift was delivered to the U.S. Navy yesterday during a celebration in Hobart, Australia. High ranking US Military officers joined with invited guests to witness the handover of the 98 metre Wave Piercing Catamaran HSV 2 Swift, Incat Hull 061. Guests were welcomed on board HSV 2 Swift by His Excellency The Honourable Sir Guy Green, AC, KBE, CVO, Governor of Tasmania. With the Royal Australian Air Force band playing, flags flying and the usual pomp and ceremony associated with such events, the 80 or so US officers and crew were joined by representatives of the Australian Defence Force, invited guests and the entire Incat workforce.

Built out of carbon fiber, the DD(X) integrated deckhouse test article, pictured here at China Lake, Calif., is a one-of-a-kind technology demonstrator consisting of the forward and aft sections of the deckhouse, including an aft face that is fully populated with antennas. The DD(X) National Team,led by Northrop Grumman Corporation, has reached another milestone by completing fabrication and radar cross-section testing on the integrated deckhouse test article. forward and aft sections of the deckhouse, including an aft face that is fully populated with antennas that were supplied by potential subcontractors. engineering development model confirm we continue to meet and exceed the planned targets and objectives," said Brian Cuccias, Northrop Grumman vice president and DD(X) program manager.

MAN Diesel and Wärtsilä Corporation have agreed to propose a large scale Cooperative Research Project - Hercules-B. The target is to maximize fuel efficiency in parallel to emissions reduction. The principal aim in Hercules-B is to improve efficiency of marine diesel propulsion systems to level of more than 60%, hence to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions substantially. An additional concurrent aim is towards ultra low exhaust emissions from marine engines by the year 2015. Today diesel propulsion systems power 99% of the world fleet. The Hercules-B is a large innovative research and development project aiming for technological breakthrough in the reduction of fuel consumption and emissions for the next generation marine diesel engines onboard ships…

Grumman Corporation and Aluminum Chambered Boats, Inc. requirements and capabilities for the U.S. Riverine/Coastal Warfare program. ACB-designed riverine-class hullform. emerging Riverine/Coastal Warfare program requirement. the U.S. architecture. situational awareness and vastly improved survivability. maneuverable, fast and stable. and control architecture. coastal and inland waterway operations. seeking similar capabilities. part of the U.S.

A Wärtsilä Lips LJ210E reversible waterjet. What was once a way to makes waves with small craft, contemporary high-powered waterjet propulsion systems are winding up on bigger vessels including warships. Why waterjets? They are simple and reliable, with the pump impellor turning at a constant speed and flow in one direction. Engine loading is constant. In most cases a gearbox is not required. The entire propulsion system receives less stress and requires less maintenance. Waterjets have plenty of pickup, can sustain high speed operations, but can stop on a dime by reversing thrust. They’re responsive, and idea for precise maneuvering or station keeping. Waterjets can be used in very shallow water. There’s no screw to foul.