Transformational Technology News

Ship classification organization ABS said Tuesday it had joined an elite working group comprised of global maritime leaders to study onboard carbon capture technologies.The collaborative project brings together ABS, Diana Shipping Services S.A., Equinor ASA, GasLog LNG Services Ltd., Maran Gas Maritime Inc., Minerva Gas Inc., Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises S.A., Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), Prime Tanker Management Inc., Solvang ASA, Springfield Shipping Co.

Classification society ABS, working with shipyards, ship owners and operators, has developed a set of requirements to guide the maritime industry in the application of carbon capture technology at sea.“Carbon capture could be a key transformational technology for shipping to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Georgios Plevrakis, ABS Vice President, Global Sustainability. “ABS is working with leading organizations to support safe development of the technology, which is still maturing but shows genuine promise.

“Carbon capture is going to be a key transformational technology for shipping to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It will be critical to addressing the challenge before us, which is the sheer gradient of the curve. At the moment we can only see the outline of a solution to get us to 2050. But it is clear already that net zero cannot realistically be delivered without efficient carbon capture and storage technology,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO…

Introducing a new class of warship can be fraught with pain, and the first ship is always the hardest – almost always behind schedule and over budget. And trying something new and transformational is even harder.The U.S. Navy knows this from experience. That’s one reason why the Navy is opting for a lower risk design for its next class of guided missile frigates (FFGs).Just about every new class has experienced a rough start. Although the USS Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) today represent the largest and most successful class of warships…

As maritime operators deal with challenging operating conditions, many are embracing digitalization as the most reliable way to lower operational costs and improve vessel efficiency.According to research conducted by Lloyds List Intelligence and Ovum, two-thirds of vessels use digitalization systems onboard. According to the executives surveyed, this is being driven by a desire to improve operating efficiency, with 88 percent already working toward that goal. As part of the process…

Satellite-based connectivity has always played a critical role for the maritime sector. As the communications expectations of ship owners, passengers and crews continue to grow, maritime service providers are seeing a transformation in the type and quantity of applications that need to be supported at sea. The advent of VSAT broadband services is driving a shift away from traditional, low-level L-band connections that ship operators have relied upon for decades. VSAT services are preferred to respond to the demand for high-speed broadband that can support bandwidth-intensive applications.

Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, will complete another significant milestone in the delivery of its transformational global mobile satellite communications (GX) service with the scheduled launch of Inmarsat-5 F2 (I-5 F2) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12.31pm (GMT) on Sunday 1st February. Inmarsat is investing US$1.6bn in the delivery of Global Xpress, which will create the world’s first globally available, high-speed mobile broadband service, delivered through a single network operator. Inmarsat’s 5th generation satellites – which form the GX network – have all been built by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. (“Boeing”) in California.

Ship construction programs move ahead, but it’s not smooth sailing. Navies and Coast Guards everywhere face budgetary pressure, even in the U.S. which has the largest Navy in the world. The balance between desire for capacity and capability and pressure for affordability has never been more acute with the precarious budgetary issues presented by declining defense budgets, sequestration, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns. Even so, there are ongoing major construction efforts to include large nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines…

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

Having already completed two years of service supporting the operations of the US Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the Western Pacific theatre, the Austal catamaran “WestPac Express” has become the first large high speed vessel (HSV) to be registered and flagged as a commercial ship in the United States. After a competitive bid process, the HSV was first chartered in July 2001 for a “proof of concept” period. This was so successful that the Military Sealift Command signed a three year charter in January 2002, again after receiving several competing offers. The III MEF charter was the first time the US military had contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support.

The new Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine has been selected to power the Integrated Power System (IPS) Engineering Development Model (EDM) for the US Navy's DD(X) multimission destroyer program. This order marks the company's entry into the U.S. Navy large gas turbine market. Grumman to drive the IPS EDM at the U.S. Philadelphia Division Land Based Test Facility (LBTF). 4MW generator set in conjunction with LBTF IPS testing. year in which the US Navy designated Northrop Grumman as DD(X) design agent. "The U.S. Navy is seeking transformational technology. technology into a unique marine power system. Northrop Grumman to serve the US Navy," said Patrick J. Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc. selected for two prestigious defense programs in a matter of weeks.