The rapid pace of technological innovation has had a growing impact on the shipping industry. But as owners and fleet managers face increasing pressure to improve environmental performance, new technologies will be necessary to ensure a profitable and sustainable future. The impact of biofouling on ship fuel use and emissions has generated increasing attention. According...
An effective vessel maintenance strategy involves accurate and reliable data and an understanding of the individual ship, but it also involves combining the right human competencies with knowledge obtained from data to succeed in this space. This is the opinion of Steen Lykke Pedersen, head of dry dockings and maintenance strategies at Maersk Supply Service....
Besides fuel costs, personnel costs and costs for maintenance and repair make up the largest share of the operating costs of a merchant ship. They account for up to 30 or 25 per cent of the total operating costs. Increases in efficiency in these areas can therefore lead to decisive competitive advantages for shipping companies....
Dr. Mario Tamburri, director of ACT/MERC, argued that a huge win-win for both commercial shipping and the environment can be achieved with a holistic approach to biofouling and better in water cleaning of vessels. That includes ‘getting proactive’ on one of our industry’s most pressing challenges. Ask Professor Mario Tamburri a single question about vessel...
The risks posed to both the environment and the sustainability of commercial shipping by biofouling should not be underestimated, according to Norwegian environmental pressure group Bellona. The issue, which has yet to be tackled by any meaningful international legislation, apparently poses a serious threat ‘triumvirate’. However, as Bellona points out, by tackling it head on,...
Hull and propeller performance have a much larger impact on vessel efficiency than previously thought, says Jotun Marine analyst manager Manolis Levantis. According to Mr Levantis, “We estimate that the average yearly speed loss for all vessel types and trades, regardless of what anti-fouling is used, is about six percent. For a typical bulk carrier,...
Berge Mafadi, a Berge Bulk vessel has received the world’s first commercial delivery of 3D printed scupper plugs, as part of Wilhelmsen’s Early Adopter Program. The program, where customers have exclusive access to on-demand additive manufacturing was launched by Wilhelmsen’s Marine Products division in December 2019. Customers include Berge Bulk, Carnival Maritime, Thome Ship Management, OSM...
Wärtsilä has received type approval for its SceneScan position reference system by DNV GL. As the world’s first laser-based targetless relative dynamic positioning (DP) reference system, SceneScan represents a paradigm shift from conventional DP reference systems. It can work without the need for pre-placed positioning targets, thus providing significantly greater operational flexibility than with conventional...
Shipowners and operators using Kongsberg’s Vessel Insight platform can now improve performance and reporting, and reduce fuel and energy consumption through the company’s new application Vessel Performance. The Vessel Performance application collects contextualised data from the ship using Kongsberg’s data infrastructure solution, Vessel Insight. The data is used to generate real-time value for users, with...
German propulsion manufacturer SCHOTTEL is making investments in the six-digit euro range into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to further understand the complex physical processes in products’ flow behaviour. Findings from CFD simulations can be used to optimise propulsion solutions. Manfred Heer, vice president technology at SCHOTTEL explains further. “At SCHOTTEL, CFD simulations have been an...
Regular inspection and maintenance of ships’ tanks to detect corrosion, cracks and other issues is essential to minimise permanent damage and avoid hefty costs. Human inspectors have traditionally entered tanks and examined them visually, but this can be dangerous and expensive. New research indicates that autonomous drone-based surveys could offer a safer and more efficient...
The additive manufacturing (AM) technology would enable Keppel to print high-value components for offshore products with significantly faster production times and more economically. Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has received certification from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for 3D printing of offshore grade materials. In partnership with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the A*STAR...