Positioning Systems News

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract with IWS Fleet, a subsidiary of Integrated Wind Solutions (IWS), to provide vessel design and integrated technology systems for four new commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) intended for offshore wind operations.Kongsberg Maritime's scope includes electrical power systems, navigation and bridge systems, propulsion, deck machinery, dynamic positioning systems and overall system integration.Each vessel will feature a double-ended design with four rim-drive azimuth thrusters…

When maritime autonomy is discussed, the image is often a large cargo ship crossing an ocean without a crew. That remains a longer-term regulatory and technical challenge. The more immediate commercial market is developing elsewhere – smaller uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are already surveying seabeds, inspecting pipelines and cables, monitoring offshore wind farms, and collecting hydrographic and geophysical data.Intelatus Global Partners identifies 825 USV…

In 2026, Voith celebrates 100 years of the Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP). The VSP concept originated from Austrian engineer Ernst Schneider. In 1926, his new propeller design was successfully tested for the first time in model trials at the Vienna Ship Model Basin. Today, the VSP has become important in tug and ferry operations, offshore applications and a wide range of specialized vessels. In 1928, the vessel Torqueo became the first ship equipped with a VSP. The operating principle of the Voith Schneider Propeller remains the same to this day.

KONGSBERG has supplied a comprehensive package of advanced ocean science and navigation technologies for RV Anna Weber-van Bosse, the new ocean research vessel owned and operated by Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).Christened on the island of Texel in early March, the 80-meter newbuild has been outfitted with a range of innovations including HiPAP acoustic positioning systems, EM304 and EM2040 multibeam echosounders, TOPAS sub-bottom profiling technology, advanced echosounders for water column observation…

Fast Offshore Supply (FOS) has selected Incat Crowther to design a fleet of 10 new DP2 fast crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for offshore operations supporting Brunei Shell Petroleum, a joint venture between Shell and the Government of Brunei.The 55-metre aluminum vessels will transport offshore personnel and cargo to Brunei Shell Petroleum assets and will be built at multiple shipyards in the region, including FOS’s own yard in Singapore.The vessels will each carry up to 80 passengers and 150 tonnes of cargo at speeds of up to 30 knots…

Kongsberg Discovery and Fugro have signed a new framework agreement that strengthens a decades-long technology partnership between the two companies. The contract, confirmed at Oceanology International in London, positions Kongsberg Discovery as a key supplier of advanced hydroacoustic and positioning technologies across Fugro’s global fleet, including the company’s expanding portfolio of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).The new agreement reinforces Kongsberg Discovery’s position as a preferred technology partner for Fugro…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has agreed to jointly own two commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) with Cyprus-based shipping company Schoeller Holdings, marking the Japanese company’s first entry into the European offshore wind support vessel market.The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2027. MOL has also decided to invest in Germany-based offshore vessel developer and operator Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (DOS), which will operate the ships.The move expands MOL’s offshore wind vessel business beyond Asia…

Kongsberg Maritime has been selected to supply a fully integrated equipment package for a next-generation ultra-large cable laying (CLV) vessel being built for LS Marine Solution at Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye.The vessel, designed to support growing global demand for subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and optical cable installation, will be 148.4 meters long and 31 meters wide, with a cable carrying capacity of 13,000 tonnes and total displacement of 18,800 tonnes.It is…

Miros and Marine Technologies (MT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on integrating advanced marine sensing technologies with MT’s vessel control and smart-ship systems, the companies said on Wednesday.The agreement, which involves no financial commitments, outlines the companies’ intent to combine Miros’ real-time ocean sensing, wave and current monitoring, and oil spill detection technologies with MT’s footprint in offshore vessel control and dynamic…

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to supply a comprehensive equipment package for four new offshore construction vessels (OCVs) to be built at Cosco Nantong for Norwegian offshore services provider Sea1 Offshore.Kongsberg Maritime and Sea1 Offshore will also collaborate on a study to accurately assess emissions reductions achieved with Kongsberg’s equipment.The equipment package includes K-Pos dynamic positioning systems, integrated control and navigation systems, battery hybrid DC electrical systems…

OEG Energy Group (OEG) has officially unveiled GEOBASE, an offshore industry’s first dedicated vessel dimensional control assurance solution for survey and positioning systems onboard ships and subsea vehicles to feature calibration software.It has been developed as a database to help document survey vessel geometry and standardize the measurement of vessel dimensions, sensor placements, and reference points.Alongside this, it processes the calibration and verification for all installed heading and attitude sensors…

Italian waterjet systems company Castoldi has announced recent successful sea trials for two patrol vessels equipped with dual installations of the latest Castoldi Turbodrive 400 HCT waterjets.One newbuidings has been built for the Italian Coastguard, the other for fisheries patrol duties in the North Sea, Germany.The new 16-meter patrol vessel for the Italian Coastguard recently exceeded its design brief in an early sea trial, said Giacomo Castoldi, owner at Castoldi. “This new generation…

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move many warships from the naval base of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsular, which Russia annexed in 2014, due to attacks by Ukraine, a Russian-installed official was quoted as saying on Sunday.The remarks by Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian-installed senator for the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region and a former head of Russia's space agency, are the first Russian official confirmation that the fleet has had to move from Sevastopol.Ukraine…

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move many warships from the naval base of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsular, which Russia annexed in 2014, due to attacks by Ukraine, a Russian-installed official was quoted as saying on Sunday.The remarks by Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian-installed senator for the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region and a former head of Russia's space agency, are the first Russian official confirmation that the fleet has had to move from Sevastopol.Ukraine…

Shanghai Electric earlier this month celebrated the combined naming and delivery of two service operation vessels (SOV) at ZPMC, Qidong base, China. The vessels are based on two different ship designs from Ulstein Design & Solutions AS and are the first purpose-designed vessels for the offshore wind industry in China.The Zhi Cheng 60 is an ULSTEIN SX197 design measuring 72.6m in length and 17.5m in beam. It can accommodate 60 people and has a deck area of 400 sqm.The Zhi Zhen 100 is based on the larger ULSTEIN SX195 design.

Brunvoll has been chosen to deliver all propulsion, maneuvering and positioning systems for a 24-meter service vessel for aquaculture. The vessel is designed by NSK Ship Design and will be built at Havyard Leirvik for handover to owner Nordlaks Maritime in 2025.The new compact vessel can support tasks and needs 24/7. A special requirement for the designer and owner was to minimize the noise and vibration from the tunnel thruster in the bow of the vessel. Here the Brunvoll Low-Noise thruster was chosen to meet this requirement.In addition to suitable thrusters and propulsion system…

Praxis Automation, a company specializing in ship automation, electrical propulsion, and dynamic positioning systems, will outfit 59 vessels of Saudi-based Rawabi Vallianz Offshore Services's (RVOS) with Praxis DP-2 systems.Under this RVOS fleet-wide contract, new build and existing offshore support vessels will be equipped with Praxis dynamic positioning systems, as well as customised equipment and software for digitization of the fleet in phases agreed with RVOS, one of the…

The United States Coast Guard issued the following Marine Safety Alert rergarding Dynamic Positioning Systems.Dynamic positioning (DP) systems1 meeting equipment class 2 (DP2) and equipment class 3 (DP3) have control features and redundancies that are often regarded by the crews of vessels using these systems as infallible. A recently investigated DP incident revealed that a DP system may still have weaknesses, even when the design and testing of the system aims to remove or mitigate those weaknesses through engineering controls.

Kongsberg Digital (KDI) has delivered a full mission K-Sim Dynamic Positioning (DP) Simulator to MOL Marine & Engineering (MOLMEC) for the new MOL Dynamic Positioning Training Centre (MOL DPTC) in Tokyo, Japan. MOL DPTC is the first DP training center in Japan to be accredited by the Nautical Institute (NI) to provide NI-approved dynamic positioning training courses.“We Installed Kongsberg DP simulator and were able to open a quality DP training center in Tokyo, Japan” said Nakashima Takashi, President, MOL Marine and Engineering Co., Ltd.

Japanese subsea cable laying firm Kokusai Cable Ship (KCS) and the shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the operation of cable-laying ships to meet the increasing demand for the installation of power cables, especially in the offshore wind sector.KCS, established in 1966, was the first company to launch a subsea cable laying ship - the KDD Maru - in 1967. The company has, over the years, been involved in the construction of some 70,000km of submarine cables, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, and today oversees the maintenance of over 87,000km of cable.In 2019, KCS launched the KDDI Cable Infinity, Japan’s first self-propelled power and telecommunication cable-laying ship. MOL and its group company MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd.

Classification society ABS said it has awarded AET the SMART (INF) Notation for the 152,700 DWT DP2 shuttle tanker Eagle Passos, which was built and delivered by South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (SHI).The first shuttle tanker to be granted an ABS Smart Notation, which recognizes the vessel’s data communication and network infrastructure, Eagle Passos will also be granted the Operational Performance Management (OPM) and Crew Assistance and Augmentation (CAA) class record comments in recognition of the optimization…

Classification society ABS announced Tuesday it has updated its Shuttle Tanker Advisory, offering insights on shuttle tanker design and operation all over the globe, with particular focus on Brazil, the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.The Advisory explains how ABS optional notations complement class and statutory requirements to fulfill varying regional and operational requirements. As well as exploring new technologies having an impact on the sector, the Advisory identifies…

Mackay Marine announced Wednesday it has opened its newest marine electronics sales and service center in Cape Town, South Africa, following the acquisition of Dynamic Marine Systems (DMS) (Pty) Ltd.Specializing in nav/comm electronics, dynamic positioning systems (DP), and automation equipment, DMS serves high-seas, oil and gas, coastal, commercial fishing and naval customers. DMS’ staff have more than 100 years collective maritime and naval experience.“Expanding our global network to include South Africa has been a long-term goal for Mackay Marine” said Jeff Schlacks, President of Mackay.