Technology Program News

The Norwegian government is providing financial support for the construction of three cargo ships that will run emissions-free along the Norwegian coast.Enova, a Norwegian government enterprise promoting the use of clean energy, said it is providing NOK 130 million to Skarv Shipping Solutions AS for the acquisition of three cargo ships that will run on batteries, ammonia engines, rotor sails and energy-saving hull design. The vessels will potentially have a 90% reduction in emissions compared to similar traditional ships."Enova supports those who go ahead.

New federal money promises dramatic impacts throughout the United States’ inland waterways system in 2022 and beyond. This report focuses on America’s central rivers; the Western rivers will be covered in a future report. These central rivers reach 11,000 miles, from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Texas to South Dakota.Consider the money within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Civil Works Program Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 2022 Construction Spend Plan.”In Arkansas…

Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. has appointed Alisa Preston, P. Eng., as Director of Marine Technology to lead the growth of the marine services company’s underwater technology resources.Preston will be responsible for advancing the development of sustainable and innovative marine technology and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) services as part of the overall business strategies for both Seattle-based Global and sister company MER Diving.Preston brings to the role a background in mechanical engineering, nuclear physics, project management and entrepreneurship.

Inspecting fuel and ballast tanks. Sand-blasting old paint coatings and applying new ones. Removing corrosion on ships, submarines, aircraft and other vehicles.These are some of the unpleasant jobs in naval shipyards and maintenance facilities that could be made safer by pairing human workers with robots. Experts say this could improve the speed and efficiency with which the U.S. Navy sustains its assets—and expand the career paths of current workers (and create new jobs) by teaching them to operate…

The data analytics duo Yxney Maritime and Grieg Connect are partnering with the Norwegian NOx Fund to develop a data-driven digital solution for automated NOx emissions reporting. Solstad Offshore and ferry operator Fjord1 will participate in the pilot phase of the project.The Norwegian NOx Fund records NOx emissions from all vessels operating in Norwegian waters and collects a fee for emissions per vessel. Calculating and reporting emissions has historically been a manual chore for shipowners…

Recently I was attending the United Nations Science Technology and Innovation conference (STI Forum). While I attended to present on Wave Energy Conversion, the main subject at the conference was STEM education and STEM gender inequality. Almost every country in the world reports a lack of available STEM educated workers, and also reports that they have had problems engaging the non-male population in STEM professions.The discussions were extremely far and wide ranging, but when all was said and done…

Data sharing and better understanding of how marine life interacts with manmade structures is the target for the next phase of the Insite program.What to do with offshore structures is a sticky problem for oil companies, regulators and policy makers alike, as many structures are starting to cease production in the North Sea, where some fields have been producing oil and gas since the early 1970s.Regulations, which include the OSPAR (Oslo Paris convention) state that a clear seabed should be left behind, once production has ceased, with some exceptions (platforms over a certain age and weight).

CFD simulations of offshore oil and gas platforms are used to predict the maximum wind loads acting on the structure of the platform topsides (the upper half of the platform, above sea level and outside the splash zone, including the oil production plant, the accommodation block and any drilling equipment). The wind loads are used as waves and current loads to design the mooring of the structure, and can be significant in specific ocean areas. Because platform topside geometries were traditionally considered too complex to mesh in high detail…

Forum promotes improved safety, security, productivity, efficiency and environmental performance through collaboration and innovation. ABS hosted the fall meeting of the Ship Operators Cooperative Program (SOCP) in Houston October 5 and 6, welcoming representatives from industry, government and academia to discuss current issues and new technologies. “It is a privilege to host the SOCP and to share information with the other member organizations,” says ABS Chief Technology Officer Howard Fireman. A number of significant issues were on the meeting agenda, which kicked off with a look at the impact of Subchapter M and how companies can prepare for implementation.

Over the next decade the maritime sector is likely to see one of the largest changes since sail gave way to steam. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) are now being considered for various marine roles and the drivers for rapid development are significant. Unmanned or autonomous vessels have passed through the trial and evaluation stage and are now being adopted for civilian and military applications. The maritime sector now has the opportunity to shape technology developments from legislative and end-user standpoints.

ABS held its Annual Meeting on April 26, 2016 in New York, where Chairman, President & CEO Christopher J. In 2015, the ABS-classed fleet surpassed 230 million gross tons (mgt), a nearly five percent growth from the previous year. The largest areas of expansion for the class society came from the tanker, gas carrier, containership, bulk carrier, offshore support vessel and offshore production unit sectors. In total, more than 841 new assets entered the ABS-classed fleet, bringing its total to 12,614 assets.

UK-based Royston Diesel Power has secured funding support from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, for its flagship $2.2 million Managing Energy on Marine Vessels technology program. The program aims to develop a new system for whole-vessel energy monitoring and usage, ensuring on board systems are operating at optimum performance and within environmental best practice. The project is being conducted in collaboration with Newcastle University’s School of Marine Science &…

The Head of Class: Christopher J. The global maritime industry faces myriad challenges in the ongoing quest to run safe, profitable operations in an oftentimes tumultuous environment. More than ever vessel owners are faced with daunting regulatory and technical challenges, and the world’s leading classification societies remain the foundation upon which successful marine operations are built. Last month we visited with Christopher J. Wiernicki, the head of ABS and the newly elected head of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), for insight and analysis.

The emerging technology tool is embraced by award winning West Kentucky Community & Technical College’s Inland Logistics and Marine Institute and its students. Years ago, it was not uncommon for a deckhand on a towboat with no higher education to work his way up the ladder to become a Captain or Chief Engineer. Today as technologies are added and new U.S. Coast Guard regulations are put into place, individuals are finding that working on America’s Inland Waterways requires not only a love of the waterways, but also a commitment to continuous learning.

The 11th annual Norm Manly Puget Sound Maritime (PSM) / Youth Maritime Training Association (YMTA) Maritime Educational Scholarship competition was held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Compass Course Maritime Training. Bethany Shimasaki from Des Moines and attended Seattle Christian School, volunteers at Seattle Aquarium, and is planning to attend the University of California San Diego, majoring in marine science received a $2,000 scholarship  sponsored by Ocean Peace, Inc. Rosie Wilcox from Chimacum Pi Program…

The Navy's top enlisted Sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike D. Stevens, was on hand to distribute the first electronic tablets (e-tablets) to the Navy's newest recruits at Recruit Training Command (RTC), April 7. The launch of the eSailor initiative is a pre-pilot, beta testing to two divisions of 70 recruits to help determine how well the device integrates into the training environment at RTC. The e-tablet will contain RTC curriculum, including training videos, texts and access to professional development websites. RTC is primarily responsible for conducting the initial Navy orientation and training of new recruits.

If and when Brazil gets its maritime act together, oh what a shipbuilding market force it could be. The modern Brazilian shipbuilding industry was established in the 1960s, induced by a broad and effective governmental policy. The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of the merchant marine and shipbuilding industry in Brazil. The creation of the “Merchant Marine Fund” and the “Tax for the Merchant Marine Renewal,” in 1958, together with other specific targets set by the government at that time, made investments available to the shipbuilding industry and for the development of the merchant marine in general. Counting on such incentives, new shipyards such as Ishibras and Verolme were built…

Sea spray icing is one of the major challenges when operating in Arctic conditions. DNV GL is now launching an industry collaboration which will develop a simulation model that bridges functional winterization requirements and real physical conditions for drilling rigs, production platforms and vessels. Experts from both the maritime and oil and gas industries are invited to join the new Joint Industry Project (JIP) ‘RigSpray’. “We aim to ensure that the design of icing-mitigation measures delivers both safety and cost benefits…

Twenty more maritime companies came together to sign the Maritime Singapore Green Pledge to signify their commitment towards promoting clean and green shipping in Singapore. They join the 40 companies that have already signed the Green Pledge so far. The signing took place during the Singapore Registry of Ships Forum on "Responsible Shipping" and was witnessed by Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The 20 new signatories of the Green Pledge are listed in Annex A and include shipping lines, salvage companies and offshore service providers. A total of 60 organizations have signed the Green Pledge and pledged their commitment to promote clean and green shipping in Singapore.

The Goree Challenge is a 5,000 mile solo transatlantic row from the Canary Islands to New York. Kingsborough Community College is providing technical assistance for the ocean rowboat, christened The Spirit of Malabo. The Spirit of Malabo, a 24-foot ocean rowboat, arrived at Kingsborough Community College, of the City University of New York (CUNY) on Thursday from Brazil. The Spirit of Malabo will be used for a 5,000 mile solo transatlantic row from the Canary Islands to New York's Brooklyn Bridge, with a re-supply in the British Virgin Islands later this year.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) joins the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) Marine Partner scheme, to offer new degree program. UTM is the second Malaysian university to partner wiht IMarEST in a matter of months. As one of the country’s leading university in engineering and technology, UTM is a graduate focused university emphasising high-end research, innovative technology and value-driven initiatives. The university’s existence is thus synonymous with Malaysia’s growth and progress in technological and infrastructure development, proven by its track record as the provider of almost two-thirds of the country’s workforce in engineering and technology-related professions.

Noblis to provide technical, engineering, & program management support services to the Naval Sea Systems Command. Noblis, Inc., a leading nonprofit science, technology, and strategy organization that helps clients solve complex scientific, systems, process, and infrastructure problems, announce they have been awarded a prime SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract sponsored by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The period of performance of the contract is from 12 July 2012 to 04 April 2014. As a prime contract holder on SeaPort-e, Noblis has the ability to compete for work in 21 of the 22 functional areas.

Statoil's oil and gas production in North America continues to show strong growth. In the last decade, Statoil's North American portfolio had a Compound Annual Growth Rate of more than 20% and the company projects a strong growth rate also going forward. "Average production from our US and Canadian fields  in the first quarter 2012 was 149,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day  – up as much as 75% compared to the corresponding quarter in 2011. We are on track to reach our ambition of producing above 500…