Remote Equipment News

China's Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard has ordered an integrated power, automation, and propulsion system from ABB for a newbuild offshore wind installation jack-up vessel (JUV) being built for the Dutch marine contractor Van Oord.The vessel, Boreas, is due for delivery to the owner in the second part of 2024, and it is said that it will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced hybridized units of the type in operation, measuring 175 meters in length. It will be able to lift over 3…

Norwegian owner and operator of offshore service vessels Golden Energy Offshore is deploying Inmarsat’s Fleet LTE service to meet the growing data requirements of modern offshore operations and support sustainability.Headquartered in Ålesund, Norway, Golden Energy Offshore owns and operates a fleet of offshore support vessels providing offshore services to the oil, gas, and renewables industries. The company is a long-term Inmarsat customer and also a longstanding user of the satellite communications specialist’s VSAT services.

For decades, the only way to bring global satellite communications onboard a commercial vessel was with a CAPEX-intensive equipment purchase or a long-term lease, inhibiting fleet managers’ ability to adapt to varied operational needs. That changed five years ago when KVH introduced AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service, an innovative, all-inclusive communications subscription service.“We set out to remove the CAPEX barrier and enable accelerated deployment of communications systems aboard vessels around the world,” says Mark Woodhead, KVH executive vice president of mobile connectivity.

ABB announced it has secured an order from Polish shipbuilder Remontowa Shiprepair Yard S.A. to supply integrated power, automation and propulsion solutions to three large passenger and car ferries to operate in the Baltic Sea. The 195-meter-long ferries will each have capacity for up to 400 passengers and 200 trucks and will be delivered to the Polish ferry company Polskie Promy one apiece in 2025, 2026 and 2027.The "large" order was booked in the first quarter of 2022, ABB said.

Mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat said it as secured an an agreement with Clearwater Seafood that commits Canada’s largest vessel-operating seafood company to Fleet Xpress high-speed maritime broadband services.Clearwater Seafood chose to install the Fleet Xpress combination of high speed Ka-band and continuous FleetBroadband backup on board seven vessels replacing Ku-band services on each vessel. Deployed off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, each vessel is being fitted with GX100NX antennas from Intellian.“Robust connectivity for the crew is imperative for Clearwater…

A large passenger vessel has become the industry’s first to achieve system compliance under classification society DNV GL’s framework for integrated cybersecurity.Today's vessels are increasingly fitted with integrated automation systems and digital solutions. And as vessels’ systems gorw more connected than ever before, new security threats areise, driving the need for closer and earlier collaboration on cybersecurity between all key stakeholders in the newbuilding process.ABB…

KVH Industries, Inc. and Kongsberg Digital completed the installation of their first joint maritime IoT system on an active working vessel.The team installed a KVH Watch VSAT antenna for IoT connectivity and the Kognifai Vessel Insight platform on Simrad Echo, a Norwegian research vessel owned and operated by Kongsberg, which will continue normal operations during the pilot maritime IoT project. Together, KVH Watch and Kognifai Vessel Insight provide an integrated infrastructure…

ABB has won a contract to supply ABB Ability Remote Diagnostic Systems for Marine to eleven Sovcomflot vessels operating in the Arctic and Russia’s Far East, helping optimize safety and performance through 24/7 remote support.Sovcomflot’s vessels will be among over 1,000 ships connected to ABB Ability Collaborative Operation Centers worldwide. From here, ABB experts monitor operational shipboard systems, coordinate remote equipment diagnostics and offer predictive maintenance services – 24/7. This can be especially crucial for vessels operating in remote areas.

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

KVH Industries has announced that Kongsberg is its first major partner for KVH WatchTM IoT Connectivity as a Service. KVH Watch will provide connectivity for Vessel Insight, a new maritime data infrastructure solution from Kongsberg’s Kognifai digital ecosystem.Vessel Insight enables customers to cost efficiently capture and aggregate quality data from their assets, and securely transfer them to the cloud. Once data is available in the cloud, customers get access to a large range…

KVH Industries has introduced the maritime industry’s only all-inclusive, no-commitment, Internet of Things (IoT) Connectivity as a Service program utilizing global VSAT communications. KVH Watch is designed as the connectivity solution for remote equipment monitoring and intervention by maritime equipment manufacturers and IoT application providers. With remote monitoring, manufacturers can act in real time, minimizing expensive service calls and ensuring that their equipment…

Niagara Falls tour operator Maid of the Mist orders two new passenger vessels sailing on pure electric power, enabled by ABB’s technologyVisitors to the iconic Niagara Falls will soon be able to experience one of the USA’s top landmarks emission-free. Two new Maid of the Mist passenger vessels will be powered entirely by high-capacity battery packs, becoming the first all-electric vessels ever built in the US.The new vessels will benefit from ABB’s zero-emission technology when they start operating later this year…

ABB was tapped to supply integrated power and electric storage solutions to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration’s new electric ferry, the nation’s first.When delivered later this year, the 70m ferry will be able to take up to 550 passengers and 75 cars on up to 3,600 annual trips in the rough waters between Landeyjahöfn on the mainland and the Westman Island, covering eight-mile route in about 45 minutes.The ferry is designed by Polarkonsult and is being built at the Crist S.A. shipyard.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, is to deliver two rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) to EUROGATE, Europe's leading shipping line-independent container terminal operator, for use in their Tanger S.A. terminal in Morocco.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2018 Q3 order intake, with delivery scheduled to take place during Q3 of 2019. The EUROGATE Tanger container terminal is conveniently located on the Strait of Gibraltar in Morocco, making it the ideal transhipment hub for the western Mediterranean, Africa and South America.With a quay length of 812 m, a terminal area of 400,000 m² and a water depth of up to 18 m, the facility is well-equipped to handle the new generation of container ships. All RTGs currently operating at the terminal have been supplied by Kalmar.

A new 80-meter superyacht, built at the Nobiskrug shipyard in Germany, will feature a wide scope of ABB’s technologies that will enhance its environmental performance and help the vessel comply with the International Maritime Organization’s new Tier III regulations. The new regulation comes into force for all superyachts from 2021 onwards and requires nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to be 70 percent lower than those permitted under current limits.Due delivery in 2019, the superyacht…

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.

ABB said it has signed a contract with India’s largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, to deliver a first-ever integrated power and automation package to an Indian shipowner.ABB’s contract with Cochin Shipyard covers two new 1,200-passenger ferries, to be delivered to the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in 2020. In what’s said to be a first for a shipowner in India, these vessels will benefit from a full integration of their power generation, distribution and propulsion systems…

ABB will deliver a comprehensive scope of power, automation, propulsion and digital solutions for the new Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. vessel that will take passengers on exploration cruises in remote polar areas. Designed with a focus on safety, environmental sustainability and comfort, this ice-going vessel will be equipped with ABB’s power and automation solutions, as well as two Azipod DO propulsion units. ABB is the only supplier of azimuthing electric podded propulsor systems of sufficiently high ice-going class able to meet the owner’s requirements.

Azipod propulsion, the ABB technology that has become the industry standard in the cruise segment since its launch in 1990, has secured its 100th cruise ship order, winning a contract for powering the world’s first electric hybrid icebreaker. The luxury polar expedition cruise ship, due delivery for the French cruise company PONANT in 2021, will feature two Azipod VI propulsion units fit for the most challenging ice conditions. Upon delivery from Norway’s Vard Søviknes, a Fincantieri Company, the cruise ship will take passengers to unexplored destinations in Arctic and Antarctic waters.

A Marlink commissioned survey of Asian ship owners has confirmed that many shipping companies are ready to embrace the increased capacity and greater data usage enabled by maritime VSAT. Marlink initiated the survey to further deepen its understanding of the Asian markets, align its service development roadmap and ensure the specific needs of Asian customers are met with flexible, cost-effective and innovative new communication services. A key finding of the survey showed that…

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has gained a further order for five of its latest generation zero emission rubber-tyred gantry granes (RTGs) from Gdynia Container Terminal (GCT) in Poland. The order follows the delivery of two similar machines earlier in 2014. The latest order was booked into Cargotec's fourth quarter intake with delivery scheduled for December 2015. GCT opted to specify the Kalmar solution as the 41 tonne capacity E-One2 Zero Emission RTG, which stacks 6+1 wide and 1-over-6 high. This model produces lower emissions compared to conventional diesel-powered RTGs and requires significantly less maintenance thanks to its simplified design.

Kalmar and Navis, both part of Cargotec, revealed at 'Intermodal South America' that Puerto Caacupe-mi in Paraguay has chosen Navis’ N4 terminal operating system (TOS) and Kalmar’s SmartPort process automation solutions for its Asuncion and Pilar facilities. Cargotec explain that Puerto Caacupe-mi selected N4 due to the TOS’ flexibility to adapt to individual customer needs, and at the same time, achieve greater agility, efficiency and control in handling large cargo volumes.

Imtech Marine and Cobham SATCOM announce at Nor-Shipping 2013 the introduction of a sophisticated remote access service. Delivered by the Imtech Marine 24/7 Global Control Rooms (GTAC, Global Technical Assistance Centres) in Rotterdam, Houston and Singapore, the new service allows direct access to a vessel’s Cobham SATCOM communications systems, including current generation SAILOR GMDSS products and satellite antennas. As a result, both companies’ work in this remote access innovation seamlessly connects with the goal of reducing equipment life-cycle costs and maximizing uptime. “Experience shows that remote equipment monitoring and direct access provides significant operational and financial benefits for ship owners…