Digital Solution News

The Gothenburg Port Authority launched a digital solution designed to make bunkering at the Energy Port easier and more efficient.The new ‘Bunkering App’ is one of the first in the world to offer this range of functionality, said a press release from the  largest port in the Nordic countries.The Port of Gothenburg Energy Port is the largest open access energy port in the Nordic region, handling over 2,500 calls and more than 23 million tonnes of energy products each year. The Energy Port is also one of the world's larger bunkering hubs.

The repositioning of empty containers costs the liner industry an estimated $15-20billion every year according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as containers sit idle at a depot or are repositioned to a different loading point while empty. This is time spent not earning revenue, whil incurring additional costs, and is estimated by BCG to account for 5-8% of total operating costs for an average container liner. These expenses can include inland repositioning by rail or road onto a different port or terminal…

StormGeo launched the Navigator Solutions Portfolio, which is designed to be an integrated, navigational and route optimization platform connecting onboard solutions to shore-based decision support. The move melds with StormGeo's recent acquisition of Nautisk, a supplier of digital maritime charts and publications to the merchant marine. The new Navigator Solutions Portfolio consists of the combination of onboard, onshore and weather routing services. Onboard solutions integrate all voyage-planning elements into one optimal workflow, with a focus on usability and connectivity.

At this year's SMM exhibition, MacGregor, part of Cargotec, plans to unveil a new digital solution it says is set to change the face of breakbulk stowage. Alongside this, the company has developed other elements of its digital portfolio, MacGregor Smart, and will showcase these capabilities during daily presentations at the exhibition held September 4-7 in Hamburg, Germany.OnWatch Scout: building on years of remote-equipment access with offshore cranes, MacGregor will now offer a new intelligent prediction service for equipment on merchant vessels. MacGregor OnWatch Scout can predict and monitor upcoming critical issues and communicate them to customers, reducing unplanned downtime and giving back more cost control to the operator or owner of the equipment.

Ship owners can derive imperative business and operational insights from integrated, real-time data which is readily accessible via a single platform, especially if it can be taken away with you, writes V.Group CIO Stephen MacfarlaneFor the maritime industry, these are exciting and momentous times, with digitalization as an emphatic and decisive pivot point in operational, business and environmental sustainability. The potential is now incontestable for businesses along the entire length of the supply chain to effect the requisite changes and witness substantial digital advantages – or…

Transmetrics’ digital solution optimizes marine logistics using AI technologies and Marlink’s global multi-band networkMarlink has signed an agreement with Transmetrics to establish a strategic business partnership aimed at predictive logistics optimization for maritime customers. The agreement will enable Transmetrics, a Forbes-awarded start-up, to leverage Marlink’s broadband satellite communications network, digital solutions and contacts to further develop maritime logistics innovations.

ABB has won a contract to supply its ABB Ability Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS marine software for one of the world’s most advanced floating hotel vessels for offshore operation.The 600-person accommodation vessel Edda Fides, operated by Edda Accommodation, will now be able to integrate real-time weather forecasts with ABB Ability Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS, a digital solution that helps vessel owners gather and analyze data to optimize operations.OCTOPUS will provide…

d’Amico Group will build a new fleet digital operating center in Rome, Italy that will help the dry cargo and tanker shipping company to boost efficiency and safety across its fleet through increased collection of performance details and data from its ships.The new center, which is being created through a partnership with RINA and Telemar, is part of the trend toward increasing digitalization within the maritime industry. In addition to providing d’Amico Group with intelligence about operations on which to base strategic business decisions and operational improvements…

The Danish Maritime Association (DMA) has been examining new ways to use digital solutions for collecting and sharing data on ships’ sulfur emissions. Digitalization, DMA says, could be the key to better emissions enforcement.Danish company Litehauz, working under the the DMA led EfficienSea2 project, has recently developed a solution similar to the black box found on airplanes, but for transmitting sulfur emissions data to vessel owners and relevant authorities on land.The aim of this new technology is to make emissions monitoring more efficient.

With more than 500 trucks per day passing through the gates at APM Terminals Pipavav, even the smallest efficiency improvement quickly adds up to 100s of hours saved per day. The terminal’s latest digital solution also offers significant environmental benefits, cost savings and improved safety. APM Terminals Pipavav have developed an online version of Form 13 (gate-in permits issued by terminals) required for each import/export container. Known as e-form 13, it will save close to 3 million kilometres of road trips and their associated carbon emissions each year.

Independent wind asset operations management specialist OutSmart BV has selected Kongsberg Digital AS to provide an integrated management system on the innovative Kognifai digital platform and ecosystem. The sophisticated digital solution will be used to manage OutSmart’s extensive onshore and offshore wind turbine portfolio. OutSmart provides services to wind farm owners, fund managers, and wind project companies in Northwestern Europe to maximize the revenues of their wind assets.

Marine coatings increasingly are center stage, not simply to maintain the integrity of vessels, but as a means to make ship ops more efficient and environmentally benign. Maritime Reporter had questons, and two executives – Andreas Glud of Hempel A/S and Michael Hindmarsh of AkzoNobel and – offered answers. What are the drivers for coatings development in the coming five years? Glud The drive to optimize operational efficiency will continue to drive customer demand in the coming years.

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the world’s leading Free Zone for trade and enterprise in Dubai, has teamed up with Maersk Trade Finance to offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution that handles both the flow of goods and financing. The requirement was raised by DMCC’s Food Trade Group, set up in October 2016, an industry group aimed at growing the global food trade industry by connecting financiers and traders alike. As a result, DMCC and Maersk came together to provide the trade with a solution that meets both their shipping and financing needs including pre- and post-shipment finance.

With its most recent acquisition, ABB has further expanded its ABB Ability portfolio of digital products and services with the addition of a new propulsion performance monitoring solution. ABB Turbo Systems Ltd. has signed an agreement to acquire Swiss headquartered Tekomar Group Ltd. ABB said it will further develop Tekomar’s digital solution for engine analytics and advisory systems enabling better performance for marine customers. The transaction is expected to be closed during Q4 2017.

Now seafarers can manage and report their seagoing service digitally, the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) announced. Digitalising seagoing service is the first step taken to make it easier for seafarers to apply for certificates, keep track of their seagoing service and get digital access to their data. DMA Director Rasmus Høy Thomsen said: ”The new solution will make it fast and easy for seafarers to type in their seagoing service before applying for certificates. With the new digital solution, there is no longer a need for shipowners to report seafarers' signing on and signing off.

Choosing next generation communication systems for professional marine operations can be a daunting task. Not to worry: John Haynes provides a primer. Over the past decade we have come to expect fast, seamless global communications from a single device that fits in our pocket. The age of the smart phone and tablet enables multiple voices talking in a conference call and real time transfer of data, ranging from documents to photos and videos. In the modern bridge, most crew members have a GPS in their pocket which can identify where that person is on the planet.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) are bringing the maritime digital solutions of the future to life at Nor-Shipping. Unveiling their augmented reality (AR) project at the world’s biggest maritime show, this immersive, interactive tool enables visitors to view the company’s very latest products and systems, inside and out. Developed in conjunction with Austrian technology company Imagination Computer Serv. GesmbH, using their AR software ‘MagicLens’, visitors will download a reader app to their phones and scan a printed image to unlock the AR system.

The 'digital revolution' continues in earnest in the maritime and offshore energy sectors, driven by new pilot programs with positive results such as GE (NYSE: GE) and Maersk Drilling, which announced this morning an extension of the scope of their digital partnership following the positive results of a pilot probem, with the bottom line focus of enhancing drilling productivity. During the extended partnership, Maersk Drilling and GE will expand the scope of the 2016 pilot project—one vessel…

When Elisabeth Tørstad took the helm as CEO of DNV GL - Oil & Gas in late 2013, the price of a barrel of NYMEX (WTI) crude oil was more than $100. Today, that price has been halved, and the 40-month period between her ascension to the top post and our meeting with her in Houston in May 2017 has been arguably the most tumultuous in the oil industry’s history. Tørstad shares with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News her insights on the market going forward. With the energy slump entering its fourth year…

As of June 24, 2016, ships flying the Danish flag are being digitally certified, making Denmark one of the first countries to put an end to the 100-year-old tradition of certifying ships with paper certificates. Until now, ship certification typically involved printing, stamping and signing paper certificates, and subsequently sending them around the world to be kept on board ships. Digital certification – or electronic certification, which is the term used internationally – will put an end to these cumbersome procedures…

Regs4ships announced the launch of its 18th flag to Digital Maritime Regulations (DMR) product. From February 18, 2014 Regs4ships will be able to offer an Australian regulations product that contains all relevant flag state documentation along with digital copies of SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW, ILO Conventions and EU legislation. This new product will enable customers to have access to Australian Maritime Acts, Legislative Instruments, Marine Orders, Marine Notices, Forms, Guidance Notices and Fact Sheets (for more information please refer to the product specification). Customers will also have the option to subscribe to additional IMO and International Regulatory Guidance, Codes and Conventions including the IMDG Code.

From 2 January 2017, Notices to Mariners will be available via a new and improved online system that also presents navigation warnings and shooting warnings. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) also launches a digital solution for verification of the validity of seafarers' certificates. In the future, Notices to Mariners will be issued and made available on an ongoing basis and not only on Fridays. It will become possible to view the information graphically in a chart as well as in a new improved list format.