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Technological Solutions News

20 Feb 2024

Maritime Emissions Reduction Center Launched in Athens

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

The Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonization Hub is collaborating with five leading shipowners as founding members in the establishment of a not-for-profit Athens-based global Maritime Emissions Reduction Center (M-ERC) that will focus on optimizing the efficiency of the existing fleet.The M-ERC is being created with the goal of removing technical, investment and community barriers for the uptake of solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the existing global fleet…

14 Nov 2023

MSC Cruises Orders Two Cruise Ships from Chantiers de l’Atlantique

(Photo: MSC Cruises)

MSC Cruises confirmed it exercised options for two new World Class cruise ships from French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered newbuilds, currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4, will be delivered in 2026 and 2027. MSC Cruises also holds an option for a fifth ship in the series.The newly ordered ships will be an evolution of the World Class vessels, MSC World Europa and MSC World America, which already perform better than the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirement.

17 Oct 2023

Neu Seeschiffahrt to Implement Yara Marine’s FuelOpt

(Photo: Yara Marine Technologies)

German shipping company Neu Seeschiffahrt has inked a deal to install Yara Marine Technologies' (YMT) propulsion optimization technology across its fleet of six very large ore carriers (VLOC) and two recently acquired Newcastlemax vessels in 2024.YMT's FuelOpt system reduces fuel consumption and associated emissions by automatically adapting the vessel’s propulsive power to real-time environmental conditions. YMT says the system is available for newbuilds or retrofit, and is compatible with any type of propeller or engine as well as all existing and future fuels.

06 Sep 2023

UK Insurers Join Cargo Safety Initiative

Source: Lloyd's Register

Safetytech Accelerator, a non-profit established by Lloyd’s Register, has confirmed that UK maritime insurers, the UK P&I Club and TT Club, have signed up for its Cargo Fire & Loss Innovation Initiative (CFLII).The Initiative, launched in February 2023, is a multi-year collaborative technology acceleration program focused on reducing cargo fires and loss in maritime and its impact. It is already supported by anchor partners COSCO Shipping Lines, Evergreen Line, HMM, Lloyd’s Register…

24 Aug 2023

Four New Partners Join Silk Alliance Singapore

Source: Yara Clean Ammonia

The Silk Alliance continues to grow with the addition of Yara Clean Ammonia, the Methanol Institute, MPC Container Ships and the NUS Centre for Maritime Studies.The new partners join following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub for the Silk Alliance as they plan to support the proposed project aimed at the decarbonisation of a regional shipping corridor centred on the container trades.The Silk Alliance is focused on a regional fleet…

03 Apr 2023

FMD's New High-speed Engine to be Tested for US Navy’s LUSV Platform

(Image: Fairbanks Morse Defense)

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) announced it has been contracted to provide and test one nForcer high-speed engine to qualify for the Navy’s large unmanned surface vessel (LUSV) platform. To qualify, the engine must perform for a minimum of 720 hours in a land-based test environment without human intervention. Testing will begin in Q3 2023.“The LUSV platform has unprecedented power and propulsion requirements, which means that the Navy needs a power-dense engine with a reliable track record,” said FMD CEO George Whittier.

17 Feb 2023

Norway: Project Launched to Develop Offshore Charging Solutions for Offshore Wind Vessels

©Vard

A project aimed developing a solution to charge offshore vessels' batteries in the offshore wind farms was officially launched at a kick-off ceremony in Ålesund, Norway on Thursday.The project, called the Ocean Charger will be lead by Vard, with its sister companies Seaonics and Vard Electro, and partners Rem Offshore, Solstad Offshore, SINTEF Energi, SINTEF Ocean, DigiCat, Sustainable Energy, Equinor, Source Galileo Norge, Corvus Energy, Plug, Shoreline, Sustainable Energy, University of Bergen…

21 Dec 2022

Norwegian Government Backs Project to Develop Offshore Charging Solutions

SOV design by Vard, who leads the Ocean Charger project. (Image: Vard)

The Norwegian government awarded Maritime CleanTech partner Vard Group and the Ocean Charger project partners 38 million NOK (approx. US$3.9 million) for the development of offshore charging solutions that would support zero-emissions operations at offshore wind farms.The Norwegian support scheme (The Green Platform Initiative) aims to accelerate the growth of green businesses in Norway. Today, Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Jan Christian Vestre, launched the new project at a press conference in Oslo.

12 Dec 2022

Radix Creates Virtual FPSO Training Environment to Reduce Commissioning Phase Risks

©Igor Kardasov/AdobeStock

Brazil-based Radix Software and Engineering said Monday it had created a virtual FPSO training environment for a major operator with the goal of reducing risk in the asset commissioning phase by training operators in process optimization and validation of operational manuals."The performance of professionals involved in the commissioning and operation of industrial units - specifically an FPSO - has been significantly impacted by the increased complexity of its units, equipment, and control systems.

04 Oct 2022

Proactive Ship Hull Cleaning: Bellona and Armach Partner Up

Armach Robotics' Hull Cleanier - Credit: Armach Robotics

"Biofouling is a global problem, and to solve a global problem we need to collaborate globally. This collaboration aims to accelerate the uptake of proactive hull cleaning, as well as to understand the limits and risks with such solutions, say CEO of Bellona, Hallstein Havåg and VP Growth and Strategy at Armach Robotics, Rob Howard.The build-up of marine life on ships’ hulls – biofouling – is an age-old problem for the environment, for ship operators, and for the international shipping industry.

04 Aug 2022

Hybrid RoRo Eco Adriatica Delivered to the Grimaldi Group

(Photo: Knud E. Hansen)

With the delivery of the Eco Adriatica, the fleet of Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class hybrid vessels is almost complete. This is the 11th of 12 state-of-the-art units ordered from the Chinese Jinling shipyard located in Nanjing. Designed by Knud E. Hansen, the GG5G-class ships are not only the largest ro-ro units in the world for short sea shipping, but also the most eco-friendly.The Eco Adriatica flies the Italian flag, has a length of 238 meters, a beam of 34 meters, a gross tonnage of 67,311 tonnes and a service speed of 20.8 knots.

14 Jun 2022

‘Recycled-based’ Dyneema: Lankhorst Supplies Heerema Heavy Lift Slings

Subsea Excavator rigging frame onboard SSCV Thialf showing LankoForce HL slings made with recycled-based Dyneema. Image courtesy Lankhorst

For the first time in the heavy lift industry, Lankhorst Ropes is supplying Heerema Marine Contractors with LankoForce HL slings manufactured with Dyneema SK78 fiber produced using post-consumer plastic waste as a feedstock. The LankoForce HL slings will be used on a 4-point lifting frame for an offshore lifting project.DSM is producing recycled-based Dyneema using ethylene from mixed plastic waste as a pilot project. This recycled-based fiber used for the LankoForce HL slings…

09 Jun 2022

Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Launched in New York

Credit: Fokke/AdobeStock

Equinor and BP on Thursday announced the launch of a New York-based Offshore Wind Innovation Hub that they say will facilitate partnerships with start-ups that bring new technological solutions to the growing US offshore wind industry"The initiative springs from a new three-year partnership between Equinor, the Urban Future Lab (UFL) at the NY Tandon School of Engineering, and the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium (NOWRDC), supported by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)…

11 May 2022

Autonomous Containership Trialed in Japan

(Photo: Orca AI)

An autonomous containership was recently trialed in the congested waters off Japan's east coast, marking another stepping stone on the path toward full-scale commercial adoption of autonomous vessel technologies.The 749-gross-ton vessel Suzaku, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies from Israel-based Orca AI, completed 40 hours of navigation with full autonomy being activated 99% of time.The test run was performed by The Nippon Foundation in partnership with the Designing the Future of Full Autonomous Ships (DFFAS) consortium…

05 Apr 2022

Vard Awarded Stern Trawler Order from DFFU

(Image: Vard)

Shipbuilder VARD announced it has secured a new contract for the design and construction of one stern trawler for Deutsche Fischfang-Union GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. The contract value  is in excess of  NOK 500 million.The stern trawler has been developed by VARD in close cooperation with Deutche Fischfang-Union (DFFU). The new vessel will be the first trawler of VARD’s own design sold to Germany.The VARD 8 03 trawler design is developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations.

01 Apr 2022

RINA and Fincantieri Partner on Maritime Decarbonization

(Photo: Fincantieri)

Inspection, certification and consulting engineering multinational RINA said it is teaming up with shipbuilding group Fincantieri to develop synergies in the field of decarbonization, with a focus on alternative fuels, carbon capture and renewable energies in the shipping sector.Under their signed signed a memorandum of understanding, the two Italian firms will partner in initiatives related to technology scouting, the analysis, study and simulation of new fuels and energy vectors - in particular hydrogen and ammonia - and carbon capture.

22 Feb 2022

Meyer Turku-led Finnish Project Studies Climate-Neutral Cruise Ship

Image courtesy Meyer Turku

The NEcOLEAP project, led by Meyer Turku, is determined to design and build a climate-neutral cruise ship.Meyer Turku was selected to take part in Business Finland’s financing project for leading companies and their partner ecosystems, which aims to help companies to increase their RDI investments in Finland. Meyer’s NEcOLEAP project develops carbon-neutral and sustainable technological solutions for cruise ships through an extensive partnership network. The goal is to secure a billion-order cruise ship order for Turku Shipyard.According to the shipyard…

15 Dec 2021

IMO Biofouling Project Aims to Reduce Invasive Species and Emissions

(Photo: IMO)

A newly signed initiative is set to provide pilot projects to demonstrate technical solutions for biofouling management in developing countries, address the transfer of invasive aquatic species and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.The TEST (Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies) Biofouling Project will run for four years (2022-2025), following an agreement signed on December 8 by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

22 Jun 2021

From Protecting National Sovereignty to Protecting the Reef

AIMS Technology Development Engineering Team Leader Melanie Olsen driving QUT's WAM-V at ReefWorks Marine Operations Test Range. (Photo: Australian Institute of Marine Science)

Melanie Olsen is harnessing 10 years of missile defense and electronic warfare systems expertise to drive rapid technological innovation in marine research and monitoring. Today, on International Women in Engineering Day, the AIMS Team Leader for Technology Development Engineering shares her unique journey.Growing up in a third-generation farming family near the small settlement of El Arish in north Queensland, Melanie Olsen thought engineers were train drivers.When a James Cook University engineering lecturer visited her small rural high school with a quad helicopter…

11 Jan 2021

Lloyd’s Register Names Members of Its Decarbonization Panel

© Lina / Adobe Stock

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) announced the industry experts who have joined the advisory panel of its Maritime Decarbonization Hub, a dedicated center of excellence launched in October that aims to accelerate the safe, sustainable and cost-effective decarbonization of world shipping in support of delivering greenhouse gas reduction targets.The panel is made up of representatives from across the industry and includes Ole Graa Jakobsen, VP Head of Fleet Technology at AP Moller-Maersk…

18 Dec 2020

HHI and DNV GL Developing Green Tanker Designs

Gagarin Prospect, the world’s first Aframax tanker designed to run on LNG, is one of 40 dual-fueled ships already delivered or under construction at HHI Group. The DNV GL classed vessel is owned by Russian ship operator Sovcomflot. (Photo: HHI Group)

Classification society DNV GL said it has teamed up with shipbuilder HHI Group to develop the next generation of environmentally friendly, "future-proof" tanker designs.In a recent "Green Tankers towards 2050" industry webinar, DNV GL and HHI Group presented the results of new joint research and explained how eco-friendly maritime solutions can help shipowners and managers to cope with stricter environmental regulations now and in the future.The joint research was initiated by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2019…

19 May 2020

Norwegian Shipowners Commit to Carbon Neutral Fleet by 2050

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg with Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association (Photo: Norwegian Shipowners' Association)

Norwegian shipowners have laid out plans to make the country's fleet entirely climate neutral by 2050, surpassing the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) target to halve shipping emissions within the same timeframe.The Norwegian Shipowners' Association on Tuesday revealed its member shipping companies have adopted four goals to reduce their environmental footprint. Members will first cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per transported unit by 2030, compared to 2008. From 2030, members will only order vessels with zero emission technology.

12 Feb 2020

CMA CGM Joins Energy Observer in Hydrogen Project

French shipping giant CMA CGM is joining forces with Energy Observer within a project focusing on testing the potential of hydrogen as a marine fuel.Energy Observer, formerly a racing catamaran, is now an experimental platform for tomorrow’s energy sources. It is sailing round the world in order to speed up development of the innovative solutions for the environment.This partnership with CMA CGM deals with the development of cleaner and more sustainable energies to eliminate CO2 emissions, greenhouse gases and air pollutants. It aims to experiment, test and develop energy solutions based on hydrogen, solar, tidal and wind power.Hydrogen is a limitless energy source that generates up to 4 times more energy than coal, 3 times more than diesel.