Energy Usage News

A project, GASS, led by Navtor, with six other Norwegian research, innovation and industry partners, has been awarded 44 million Norwegian kroner to develop new commercial AI-enhanced technology and services to optimize the energy usage of vessels and ships.Navtor, Grieg Star, Maritime CleanTech, Scandinavian Reach Technologies, Simula Research Laboratory, SinOceanic Shipping and Sustainable Energy are partnering on the project which will enable vessel owners and operators to…

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels…" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow…

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has claimed an industry first with the verification of its autonomous navigation technology on a container ship sailing between South Korea and Taiwan.The company installed its remote autonomous navigation system (SAS) and smart ship system (SVESSEL) on a 15,000 TEU class large container ship built at its Geoje shipyard. Fom June 26 to July 1, the vessel departed from Geoje and passed Jeju Island to Taiwan, demonstrating its autonomous navigation technology by operating about 1…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its Samsung Autonomous Ship (SAS) Autonomous Navigation System and SVESSEL Communication System, a key result of a joint development project formed in early 2023. The autonomous software for Autonomous Navigation System features an Integrated Bridge System, situational awareness tools and SHI’s Anti-Collision Decision-Making System. By integrating these features with current navigation equipment SHI’s technology can be used to eliminate human error…

Vard Electro’s SeaQ Integrated Bridge solution is being implemented in the offshore wind sector for the first time, following installation on Rem Offshore’s newbuild construction service operation vessel (CSOV) Rem Power to assist in optimizing environmental performance.“We are making strong investments in new low-emission technologies to cut the environmental impact of offshore wind operations in line with increasingly stringent regulations and requirements from clients, banks and other stakeholders…

Grant Pecoraro, is the U.S. managing director for naval architecture and marine engineering company Incat Crowther. The Australia-based firm’s Incat Crowther USA arm has been in business for over 10 years, and the broader Incat Crowther group is approaching 50 years in business. To date, Incat Crowther has delivered more than 650 vessels, with 130 vessels currently on the order books.Please give an overview of Incat Crowther’s U.S. presence as well as its offering to the American market.

Shipbuilder VARD has received 4,95 million Norwegian crowns (currently around $2,66 million) from the Norwegian Research Council to research the possibility of digitalized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These systems will contribute to obtain zero-emissons for Service Operation Vessels at offshore wind farms."The urgent demand for renewable energy production has resulted in many offshore wind projects. To build and operate offshore wind parks in a sustainable way…

New Fortress Energy has executed a binding agreement to charter a floating storage and regasification unit (“FSRU”) to Dutch energy network operator Gasunie, in an effort by the Netherlands to reduce Russian gas imports. The chartered FSRU will provide storage capacity of approximately 170,000 m3 of liquefied natural gas with peak regasification capacity of 900 mmscfd. New Fortress Energy's FSRU will work in tandem with a third party’s FSRU to provide up to 8 bcm per year of total regas capacity.

Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express partners with SINTEF to create zero emission ships for the Norwegian coast by 2030.Since 1893, Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express has carried local passengers, goods, and tourists between 34 ports. The company is currently upgrading its existing fleet through what is one of the biggest environmental upgrade programs of it's kind in Europe, that will see CO2-emissions cut by 25% and NOx by 80%. The company aims to be a leader in sustainable travel…

Danish offshore vessel owner Esvagt is looking to recruit around 50 seafarers on the back of recently awarded contracts with energy giant TotalEnergies."New long-term contracts with TotalEnergies on seven vessels for operations in the North Sea have resulted in great activity in the HR-department in ESVAGT," the company said.The company said in August it had secured several contracts with TotalEnergies as part of the marine spread for the Danish part of the North Sea.According to ESVAGT…

ESVAGT announced on Thursday it has closed several contracts with TotalEnergies as part of the marine spread for the Danish part of the North Sea.The agreements involve the overall safety emergency response plus transport and transfer of goods and personnel and is based on a rethinking of the operational structure, ESVAGT said. The fleet will be made up of several multi-functional vessels, and the agreements will focus on reducing the overall energy usage and lowering emissions.The underlying contracts include ESVAGT Dana…

Offshore vessel owner Olympic Subsea has decided to install Kongsberg Digital's Vessel Insight solution across its entire fleet as a means of accessing, collecting, and consolidating a full range of mission-critical data.Olympic Subsea’s fleet-wide upgrade to Kongsberg Digital’s Vessel Insight data infrastructure service will enable the company to continue the digitalization journey which began with its implementation of KDI’s Vessel Performance solution for energy usage and operational monitoring, Kongsberg Digital said.

KOTUG International B.V. (KOTUG) established an inland shipping division to provide electric powered pusher tugs and smart AI-driven dispatch and route planning applications for the inland water transportation industry, aiming to support the worldwide energy transition and the modal shift from road transport to waterways while meeting the growing demand for electric-powered vessels. "The inland shipping market offers a great opportunity for sustainable logistical solutions," says Ard-Jan Kooren, CEO of KOTUG International B.V.

Climate change and reliable, clean, low emission fuels are the important factors for ship operators since January 1, 2020. Twelve months into the IMO2020 transition and the climate change debate is increasing as the primary discussion point on the world agenda – from industry events to the board rooms of the global corporations. Relative to this is the reliable supply of fuel since changing marine fuel represents a large investment that requires major changes to a typical ship that has a lifetime of approximately 30 years.

U.S.-based offshore vessel operator Harvey Gulf International Marine has said it has converted its Harvey Champion platform supply vessel into a dual-fuel vessel. The Harvey Champion is now operating on both battery power and diesel. "The Champion now boasts 754 kWh of battery power, which will reduce harmful emissions both in port and while underway, while simultaneously reducing the vessel’s fuel burn, saving the end-user money," Harvey Gulf said Wednesday.The contract for the conversion of the vessel to a hybrid was awarded in May 2019 to GE’s Power Conversion business…

Turkish shipbuilder Cemre said it has signed a contract with Seistar Holding to build two environmentally friendly live fish carriers.Developed by the Norwegian SALT Ship Design, the newbuilds will be equipped with circular fish tanks. The 69.9- and 110-meter-long vessels will be built according to the DNV GL class rules and will carry the Norwegian flag.The larger of the two vessels, with a total of 8,000 cubic meters load capacity in the fish holds and deadweight of approximately 12…

Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Keppel Offshore & Marine have jointly awarded a research grant to pilot Singapore’s first floating Energy Storage System (ESS). This project was awarded to a consortium led by Envision Digital International Pte Ltd (Envision Digital), aspart of the $10 million partnership between EMA and Keppel O&M  - announced in April 2020 - to develop innovative energy solutions in the marine sector.Keppel O&M said Monday it would work with the consortium to deploy a 7.5 MW/7.5MWh lithium-ion battery ESS on Keppel O&M’s Floating Living Lab (FLL).

The electric ferry Suloey is about to dock at the Hareid ferry terminal in Norway following a trip made in headwinds that required high energy usage.“There is a need for proper charging after such a trip,” states the captain of the ferry, which has been fitted with equipment for propulsion, automation and charging by Norwegian Electric Systems (NES).With a simple touch on the charging display, the charging tower on shore connects to the ferry within a few seconds. Close to five million watts of charging power ensures that the batteries on board get recharged.

The Dutch non-profit The Ocean Cleanup has just announced a new device to catch plastic before if flows into the ocean.The organization that develops advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, unveiled its invention to prevent the unrelenting flow of plastic pollution into the world’s oceans.The Interceptor, under development by The Ocean Cleanup since 2015, complements the organization’s founding mission by attacking the flow of plastic garbage at its source, the world’s vast network of rivers.“To truly rid the oceans of plastic, we need to both clean up the legacy and close the tap, preventing more plastic from reaching the oceans in the first place.

Singapore-based offshore rig builder Keppel Offshore & Marine has partnered up with Energy Market Authority (EMA) to develop energy solutions in the areas of distributed energy resources, digitalization and emerging low carbon alternatives.As part of the $10 million partnership, EMA and Keppel O&M are launching a grant call for solutions relating to energy storage systems and smart power grids for the offshore and marine environment. "These solutions should seek to reduce overall energy usage and carbon footprint while enhancing overall operational efficiency.

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…

Unappreciated, but heavily used by operators and closely regulated by the authorities, lubricants can also be a welcome part of your environmental and sustainability program. That’s right: lubricants.When it comes to the ideal operating scenario on any marine platform, the challenge of balancing sustainability with maximum operational performance and arriving at a healthy bottom line has never been more difficult. That said; the arguably perfect solution involves using on board consumable product(s) that contribute to sustainability, operational, and energy efficiency goals.

Now that the fuel sulphur regulations have come into force from January 1, 2020, charterers and operators will begin to feel the pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Gulf Oil Marine has partnered with marine technology firm Azurtane to help customers monitor and manage energy usage and emissions compliance.The change in fuels resulting from the 2020 0.5% sulphur regulations has meant a step change in marine lubricant performance requirements.Gulf Oil Marine has been evaluating and testing lubricants that can improve engine efficiency and lower emissions.