BUILDING NEW BRIDGES

ZeroNorth has announced that it has acquired BTS PTE, a software platform for marine fuel suppliers, headquartered in Singapore.

The deal will see ZeroNorth acquire BTS’s flagship suite of services – including its Intelligent Bunker Management System (iBMS), which is software specially tailored for the marine fuel supply chain.

iBMS helps to increase the efficiency and profitability of marine fuel suppliers, traders and brokers by digitalising their business processes through eliminating unproductive tasks, automating work processes, greater sharing of information and enhancing decision making.

iBMS was one of the first projects supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund in the early 2000s

The acquisition supports ZeroNorth’s growth strategy and focus specifically within the marine fuel industry and follows its recent acquisition of Prosmar Bunkering. It is part of plans to accelerate the digitalisation and decarbonisation of the marine fuel industry by providing more accurate fuel that enables more sustainable strategies for bunker procurement, storage, blending and selling.

According to Kenneth Juhls, managing director of ZeroNorth Bunker: “By acquiring BTS, we are taking the next step towards delivering an end-to-end marine fuel service that aligns all stakeholders across the same data through the ZeroNorth platform.

“Moreover, by building a bridge between stakeholders, we are increasing collaboration across the maritime value chain and accelerating our goal to drive decarbonisation alongside the wider industry.”

Dharma Sreenivas Reddy, founder and managing director of BTS, adds: “BTS is proud of the value we deliver to the marine fuel supply chain through our end-to-end solutions. This partnership with ZeroNorth will enable us to modernise our solutions to deliver greater user experience for our customers, and ultimately accelerate the digital transformation of the marine fuel industry.”

ZeroNorth for masters

The ZeroNorth Platform is now available to masters onboard ships, starting with two new browser-based software services: ZeroNorth Onboard and Live Voyage Optimisation Plan.

This latest launch comes just over a year after the company released its weather routing service.

ZeroNorth Onboard provides masters with real-time access to the information they need to optimise their voyages while underway. Additionally, the Live Voyage Optimisation Plan service brings routing details into a live view, including the latest weather forecasts, and enables onshore teams to update and share plans at a moment’s notice.

The news means the ZeroNorth Platform is now available on the bridge for the first time, providing masters with the data needed to make more informed decisions on routing in real time.

Masters will have access to upto-date forecasts, giving them the information they need to decide if routes should be altered to ensure maximum fuel efficiency, that the vessel stays on schedule, and, ultimately, remains safe.

Commenting on the availability of the ZeroNorth Platform onboard vessels, Pelle Sommansson, chief product and AI officer at ZeroNorth, says: “Life at sea can be unpredictable. Conditions can change rapidly and masters need to be able to quickly make decisions to keep vessels safe and on track.”

“As shipping pursues its sustainability and commercial goals with increasing vigour, making the ZeroNorth Platform available onboard ships will foster closer collaboration between those at sea and those on shore, ensuring total alignment and transparency on the goals and key performance indicators.

“We are excited to see how this new nexus for collaboration accelerates the digitalisation and decarbonisation of our industry.”

Silver Linings

Silverstream Technologies recently announced a deal with China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) to install its market-leading air lubrication technology, the Silverstream System, on four 175,000cbm LNG carriers being built at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC).

The agreement for four firm installations and two options will see Silverstream’s technology fitted on to the very first Chinese-owned, Chinesebuilt liquefied natural gas carriers in the global fleet.

The installations will take place over the next two years, with work expected to be completed by the end of 2024, in line with DSIC’s building schedule.

The Silverstream System aims to cut the vessels’ fuel consumption and emissions by 5-10% net. It will coexist onboard with a number of other technological innovations, including a Mark III membrane cargo containment system and an liquefied natural gas dual-fuel propulsion chain.

Time Saving Solutions

SEDNA, the email solution designed to enhance business operations, has rolled out new updates to its all-in-one digital platform.

This includes the launch of 10 features that use SEDNA’s own artificial intelligence (AI) technology to automate repetitive and manual work tasks and help save businesses time and resources.

The features were launched globally as part of a wider product release named after the star constellation, Alhena. It is the latest release of enhancements to be made to SEDNA, the digital solution launched in 2017 to combat the challenges offered by traditional email platforms, such as siloed working and inbox overload, and instead revamp email to transform business processes.

Examples of manual tasks that can now be automatically handled by SEDNA to ensure data accuracy and allow SEDNA users to become more efficient and focus on other tasks, include invoice processing, managing quotes, deleting personal data, and keeping track of service-level agreements and estimated time of arrivals.

Bill Dobie, founder and CEO of SEDNA, says: “The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence means that innovative technologies, such as SEDNA’s proprietary AI technology, can now be used to combat unnecessary administrative burdens by completing much of the heavy lifting on repetitive work processes with minimal employee input.

SEDNA partnership

SEDNA and Voyager, an operations management platform for bulk commodity shipping that enables customers to manage the entire lifecycle of their voyage operations in their online environment, have partnered together to streamline and enhance the availability and use of shipping data across their maritime technologies.

Voyager will now be available as a tech integration in the SEDNA email platform and vice versa, enabling the seamless flow of shipping information, like vessel tracking and invoicing data, between the two platforms.

This will allow customers from across the maritime space—like vessel owners, operators, and charter teams—to easily view, organise, and communicate information relating to voyage documents all from within one single digital workspace.

Through simplifying workflows and having data all in one space, the integration saves significant time and reduces the risk of human error that could otherwise occur when switching between apps.

Windship Funds Award

Windship Technology has been awarded £4m as part of a consortium in the latest round of the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC). The project is a demonstration of a symbiotic wind propulsion and carbon capture system, aimed at making a zero-emissions shipping industry a reality.

This project will install a Windship Technology 36m tri-foiled rig on a 15,000DWT bulker alongside carbon capture technology being demonstrated by Leilac.

Graham Harvey, chief executive of Windship Technology, says: “Given the significant financial support announced today, the Department for Transport and Innovate UK believe Windship Technology can be a key driver in the clean shipping revolution, and we are proud to be playing our part in the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.”

Simon Rogers, Windship Technology technical director, comments: “The next stage, thanks to this funding, will enable us to build a full-scale demonstration of our fully patented triple rig wing design working in conjunction with our partners carbon capture technology.”

The Windship Technology project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3), which was announced in September 2022, funded by the UK Department of Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

As part of the CMDC3, the Department allocated £60m to 19 flagship projects supported by 92 UK organisations to deliver real world demonstration R&D projects in clean maritime solutions.

Projects will take place in multiple locations around the UK from as far north as the Shetland Isles and as far south as Cornwall.

Transport secretary Mark Harper says: “Our maritime sector imports 95% of goods into the UK and contributes £116bn to our economy – more than both aviation and rail combined.

“With growing the economy one of the government’s top priorities, we must continue our efforts to ensure the UK remains a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions. The funding we’re awarding will help to do just that, bringing emission-free concepts to life and fuelling innovation.”

Innovate UK executive director for net zero Mike Biddle says: “These 19 real-world demonstration projects showcase the very best of UK clean maritime innovation and engineering, bringing a range of technologies one step closer to commercial reality.

“Accelerating clean maritime innovation is an important part of

Innovate UK’s wider strategy and support to achieve net zero and unlock economic opportunities in the UK and globally.”

CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping Sarah Treseder says: “Congratulations to all the successful bids, which cover a wide range of technologies and aspects of shipping.

“The UK Chamber of Shipping is committed to net zero by 2050. This funding is an important milestone in ensuring we continue to work together to achieve this important target and will help us complete the journey from theory to reality for zero emission shipping.”

The CMDC3 is part of the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions’ (UK SHORE) flagship multi-year CMDC programme. In March 2022, the Department announced the biggest government investment ever in the UK commercial maritime sector, allocating £206m to UK SHORE, a new division within the Department for Transport focused on decarbonising the maritime sector.

UK SHORE is delivering a suite of interventions throughout 2022-2025 aimed at accelerating the design, manufacture and operation of UKmade clean maritime technologies and unlocking an industry-led transition to Net Zero.

LOGISTICS LINK-UP

Seaber.io, a Finnish maritime technology company, has announced a cooperation with Neste – a leading producer of renewable and sustainable fuels. Neste is using Seaber’s software for planning maritime logistics activities such as shipping schedules and port calls.

Seaber’s intelligent technology provides data-led decision support that optimises fleet TCE (Time Charter Equivalent) and reduces costs per ton mile bringing down shipping’s environmental impact.

In addition to single cargo voyages, it supports multi-parcel and multi-port voyages, where unnecessary ballast voyages and low utilisation rates are common.

Seaber is uniquely positioned to digitally transform the shipping industry by integrating seamlessly to existing software solutions.

“Neste’s goal is to become a global leader in renewable and circular solutions,” says Paavo Kojonen, shipping asset and sustainability manager at Neste. “In order to achieve this, we need to find new ways to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. New solutions and partnerships like Seaber are needed to help us optimise maritime logistics, which is one step towards reducing emissions.”

Sebastian Sjöberg, CEO and cofounder of Seaber comments: “We are thrilled to see that Neste has taken this important step to optimise its shipping scheduling through further digitalisation. This collaboration enables Neste to optimise its processes, increase vessel utilisation and reduce emissions and cost per ton mile. Our partnership allows Seaber to further develop our solution for the benefit of the industry.”

Wing Sail System

Classification society DNV has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Michelin for its wing sail mobility (WISAMO) wing sail system. This is the first AIP to have been awarded to an inflatable wing sail design and is currently being installed for testing on the DNV-classed MN Pélican

First introduced in 2021, the WISAMO sail is an inflatable, retractable, automated wing sail, which can be installed on commercial vessels and pleasure boats. The sail is automated with a system developed by Michelin R&D and is retractable for access into ports and under bridges. The AIP has been awarded based on DNV’s wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) ST-0511 standard.

The initial tests of a WISAMO sail were carried out on a sailing yacht. Currently installation of a 100m2 system in being undertaken on the DNV classed MN Pelican. The 155m long, 8,600dwt Compagnie Maritime Nantaise ro-ro cargo vessel, operates under charter to Brittany Ferries and sails between Poole, Great Britain, and Bilbao, Spain. This will allow testing of the system under commercial maritime navigation conditions.

“We are very pleased to receive this AIP for the WISAMO solution,” says Gildas Quemeneur, initiative leader at Michelin. “It is a very important step forward the further development of this innovative solution to contribute to maritime transport decarbonisation. We are now ready for the wing sail usage on MN Pelican ro-ro that will allow experimental tests in heavy maritime conditions. All returns of experience will now contribute to build the larger WISAMO wing sail.”

Hasso Hoffmeister, senior principal engineer at DNV Maritime, says: “For the maritime industry to reach the ambitious decarbonisation targets that have been set by regulators and increasing demanded by stakeholders, we need to look to enabling technologies that can boost vessel performance, reduce fuel use, and enhance sustainability.

“This is why we are seeing a growing interest in WAPS for owners where the combination of compliance strategy, vessel type, and route offer potential benefits. However, as with every novel technology, acceptance and uptake can only grow from a foundation of trust, supported by rigorous, trusted and evolving technical standards.”

DNV’s WAPS ST-0511 standard provides a framework for the verification and certification of wind assistance propulsion systems. It can be applied in obtaining an AIP, a Design Approval or a Type approval. These verifications and certifications can also be obtained as part of the integration into a vessel or independently.

The ST-0511 technical standard is a complement to the DNV WAPS class notation, which is focused on the integration of systems onboard vessels, whether retrofitted or as part of a newbuilding.

Anemoi Marine Aip

The Liberian Registry has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Anemoi Marine Technologies for its rotor sail systems. Anemoi’s rotor sails are available with three deployment options – fixed to the deck, a folding type, and on rails that can be moved along or across the deck.

The folding and rail systems were validated on a Newcastlemax bulk carrier design from SDARI and issued an AIP by Lloyd’s Register. The Liberian Registry conducted a technical review of the documentation including Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) calculations and, as a result, issued an AIP with estimated energy efficient improvements of about 20% in terms of EEDI performance.

Anemoi rotor sails were created to accelerate the industry’s transition to zero-emission shipping by providing auxiliary propulsion to a vessel – this maintains vessel speed, but allows the main engine to be powered down, resulting in fewer emissions. Rotor sails address new International Maritime Organization environmental requirements for Carbon Intensity Indicator rating and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index, which went into effect 1 January 2023 and are driving the need for the global fleet to continuously decarbonise. The ultimate goal is to reach zero-emission in line with the UN Paris Agreement.

Thomas Klenum, executive vice president, innovation and regulatory affairs at LISCR, says: “With the continuously increasing pressure on the global shipping fleet to accelerate decarbonisation to align with the temperature goals in the United Nations’ Paris agreement, it is imperative that viable solutions are brought to the market for both newbuidings and for existing ships to retrofit.

“Therefore, the Liberian Registry is extremely pleased with the collaboration with Anemoi, LR and SDARI to review and validate Anemoi’s rotor sail technology that has demonstrated an up to 20% energy reduction.

“Wind propulsion’s comeback to the merchant fleet is much welcome and a true win-win situation.”

Arnaud Dianoux, founder and managing director of Opsealog, says: “If each shipping organisation can take steps towards democratising data within its own communities, networks, and supply chains, we all stand to benefit. By helping to raise the data maturity of your partners, they will be able to perform better and in turn better support you.

“By contrast, if there is a weak link in your supply chain, this could be where you lose the opportunity to optimise your operations and materially improve your environmental performance.”

The white paper puts the spotlight on the untapped potential of data collected for compliance purposes, including mandatory onboard logbooks and record books, stressing that such data can be harnessed to improve operational practices, boost fuel efficiency, and reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that shipowners and operators can go further with the data that they already collect for regulatory compliance by creating a new mindset that seeks the value of that data.

Colomban Monnier, foundry manager at Opsealog and one of the authors of the report, explains: “We have entered the age of environmental accountability on shipping’s sustainability journey. As sentiment around the green economy shifts from risk to opportunity, shipping can capitalise on how it engages with data and digitalisation.

Data Democratisation

French digitalisation expert Opsealog has launched a white paper calling for greater data sharing across supply chains to help achieve shipping’s decarbonisation and sustainability ambitions.

The report calls for a more collaborative approach to digitalisation in the maritime sector, so that all organisations can contribute their data insights and collectively share the benefits.

It argues for the importance of putting the right architecture in place to make data easier to collect, share and analyse by organisations, big or small. This includes the need to standardise data formats to break siloes and make data accessible.

“At the heart of environmental accountability, for every vessel or fleet, is good data. If the industry can take steps towards democratising access to this data, we can deliver a step change in mitigating shipping’s total environmental impact.

“The transition to new fuels will need to be accompanied by robust data to measure consumption and emissions, as well as the impact on other operational costs, including those relating to the logistics of getting these fuels onboard and potentially a full wellto-wake analysis.

Digitising onboard reporting ensures that the right foundations are put in place to meet the longer-term ambitions of the organisation,” Monnier explains.

To obtain a copy of the white paper, visit: tinyurl.com/OpsealogReport

Cii Addition For App

Shipping pool Tankers International has launched a new CII feature for its popular very large crude carrier (VLCC) fixture app, which uses Tankers International’s market data to calculate indicative voyage Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) scores for all market fixtures.

The new CII reporting mechanism uses Tankers International’s knowledge of the global VLCC fleet to benchmark any vessel’s bunker consumption against the closest similar vessel out of the 250 vessels that have traded in the Tankers International pool since 2000.

“This is set against a benchmark speed, which adapts based on Tankers International’s own data on averages across the sector and market conditions.

CCII regulations came into effect at the start of January 2023, and represent an ongoing annual measure of the carbon intensity of a ship’s operations in terms of its greenhouse gas emissions relative to the amount of cargo carried and the distance travelled.

The app’s data will show a precise analysis and a breakdown of how a voyage CII score is calculated, so a shipowner will know how their voyage is ranked and where they may need to improve.

“In addition, if a voyage incurred a long idle period, the app will provide two clearly labelled and accurate CII estimates to account for this. Calculations are listed in full for PLUS and PRO users.

Charlie Grey, chief operating officer, Tankers International, comments: “Many people are still uncertain about how to keep up with shipping’s latest regulation and we recognise the importance and need for quality data, faster to support decision making for shipowners, charterers and brokers.

“We foresee CII ratings impacting commercial decisions across the sector this year, and providing access to this voyage specific CII information will support key market stakeholders – helping them adhere to decarbonisation regulations and recognise market trends more quickly.”

From reducing noise to increasing performance, recent collaborations have produced a range of solutions for more environmentally friendly propulsion systems