Cranes, Heavy Lift Shipping, Engineering and New Technologies
Compared to new technologies, conventional engineering in shipping is a relatively simple science: computable and generally predictable. However, heavy lift shipping presents challenges that go far beyond what is required with standard unitized cargoes. The transportation of project cargoes - often highly valuable components of multi-billion-dollar projects - requires expert planning to ensure they are loaded and transported safely and efficiently. Last year AAL shipped two giant cyclone vessels (22m x 11m x 10m and weighing over 500mt each) to Petronas’ $27 billion RAPID project in Malaysia.
Yang Ming Implements ECO Insight
The Taiwanese carrier Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. will roll out DNV GL’s performance management solution ECO Insight. Yang Ming operates a fleet of 98 vessels, representing six million DWT and an operating capacity of 590,000 TEU, the majority of which are container vessels. Yang Ming will use ECO Insight performance management onshore, with Navigator Insight voyage reporting onboard for their vessels. “We are always active in finding solutions that can save energy and improve our fleet’s performance. After working closely with the team we’ve seen that ECO Insight is a comprehensive and professional solution for fleet performance management,” says James Jeng, Marine Department, Vice President, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.
DNV GL Opens Fleet Performance Centers
DNV GL informs it has opened two digital fleet performance centers in Hamburg and Singapore to support its ECO Insight customers in monitoring and optimizing their fleets. Expert systems at the fleet performance centers are able to check incoming vessel data from customers using the ECO Insight platform, providing quality control of the data and offering suggestions on potential improvement levers for both individual vessels and fleets, such as identifying speed loitering and over-usage of auxiliary engines or boilers, DNV GL said.
ABB: Remote Monitoring Link to Fuel Efficiency
Anticipating the maintenance of equipment on board ships in order to increase fuel efficiency could be a “real game changer in the future,” said Andreas Zito, chief technical officer of the V.Ships group of companies. Condition-based maintenance, through remote monitoring, is usually considered a way to prolong intervals between maintenance. Now engineers are discovering a correlation between maintenance and fuel efficiency. The idea is to anticipate maintenance in a way that will increase fuel efficiency. “It’s a pretty novel concept,” said Zito, whose company is working with universities and manufacturers in this area. “We are doing some trials and testing, developing some systems. It’s all still at the research and development stage because it’s quite a novelty.
NHS Establishes New RENCs
The Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS) and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) have decided to establish two Regional ENC Coordinating Centres (RENCs) to meet the requirements of all Cooperating Hydrographic Offices (CHOs). The Norwegian Hydrographic Service will operate the RENC using current infrastructure and services in Stavanger, Norway - operative from 1 April 2002. “The NHS RENC is based on close cooperation between European HOs (CHOs), ensuring the HOs full control and continual access to their national RENC ENC product database,” said Kjell Birkevold, department director, Norwegian Mapping Authority. The fit-for-purpose and cost effective service by the NHS in Norway will be operated with established proven technology and infrastructure already used by Primar.
