Norwegian Solutions 2018

2018 • Officially supported by

Adapting to new realities Green power and propulsion pioneers

Investment in digitalisation and autonomous technology “Today, we have an advanced and high-tech offshore fleet. That is the case thanks to innovation in recent decades and the strength of the maritime cluster.”

Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, see page 10

Contents Comment

Published September 2018

Economy and maritime exports

Editor: Ed Martin t: +44 20 8370 1723 e: ed.martin@rivieramm.com

3 Meeting tomorrow’s challenges today 4 Maritime cluster propels Norway’s ‘wave of innovation’ 6 Exporters fly the flag for Norway overseas 7 IMO ballast water convention brings BWT boom 7 US research vessel and Russian trawlers to mount Norwegian deck gear 7 Demand for compressors across regions and sectors 8 Export financing helps bring Norwegian know-how to a global stage

Shipowners and operators

10 Shipowners' Association: innovation drives the Norwegian fleet 11 Guarded optimism for 2018 across all shipowning segments 11 Support for IMO's common strategy to reduce emissions 12 Owners see cause for optimism 13 Østensjø Rederi wins award for LNG-fuelled tugs 13 Klaveness experiments with communications connectivity

Shipbuilding and design

14 A fully electric future for Norway's Fjords 15 Ulstein thrives through diversification 16 Hybrid power systems offer lower emissions and fuel costs for OSVs 17 Rolls-Royce developing cradle and rail-based boat transfer method 18 Winds of change are blowing

Sales Manager: Ian Pow t: +44 20 8370 7011 e: ian.pow@rivieramm.com Production Manager: James Millership t: +44 20 8370 1718 e: james.millership@rivieramm.com Chairman: John Labdon Managing Director: Steve Labdon Finance Director: Cathy Labdon Operations Director: Graham Harman Head of Content: Edwin Lampert Head of Production: Hamish Dickie Published by: Riviera Maritime Media Ltd Mitre House 66 Abbey Road Enfield EN1 2QN UK

Propulsion

20 Brunvoll scores by offering the complete package 21 Stadt brings its lean propulsion to world markets

Technology

22 Ferry operators focus on green solutions 24 Digitalisation drives an autonomous shipping future 26 Digital twins optimise vessel design, maintenance and performance

www.rivieramm.com ISSN 2050-6929 (Print) ISSN 2050-6937(Online) ©2018 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd

High North and Arctic

28 Safeguarding life and the environment in Norway's polar regions 29 Cruise companies look to Norway for polar expertise 29 Hurtigruten backs Arctic HFO ban

Norway in Asia

30 Perfect time to apply Norwegian expertise to Asia’s bright prospects

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Norwegian Solutions 2018

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COMMENT | 3

Meeting tomorrow’s challenges today

I Ed Martin, Editor

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t would be tempting to think of the increased activity in the offshore oil and gas sector since the price started increasing again as a return to business as usual. But what struck me as I edited this 2018 edition of Norwegian Solutions, my first, is that in the case of Norway’s historically oil and gasfocused maritime industry, there is no such thing as business as usual. Shipping is often described as a conservative industry, but this does not seem to be the case in Norway.

The common thread for many of the solutions featured in this issue is a recognition that adaptation is key to survival. When orders dried up from one source during the downturn, they were sought elsewhere, and Norway’s shipbuilders have lived up to their reputation for producing high-quality specialised vessels in these new areas. Builders such as Ulstein and Vard have applied the lessons learned from decades of building offshore support vessels, which weather the worst the North Sea can throw at them, to the burgeoning expedition cruise sector. The result is seaworthy vessels capable of enduring tough conditions while keeping passengers in a high level of comfort.

The offshore wind market has also benefited from such expertise, with windfarm construction, service and crew-supply vessels sharing many of the same needs as OSVs, such as stability and good station keeping. However, oil and gas has been and continues to be important for Norway, and it is not being abandoned.

But it is not just in vessel applications that ingenuity is evident. Whether it is Østensjø Rederi’s trio of LNG-fuelled escort tugs, the increasing numbers of hybrid-electric powered offshore support vessels or the numerous electric-hybrid and pure-electric passenger craft in use on the fjords, Norway is leading the world in developing ways to reduce emissions. In the case of Future of the Fjords, which operates in the zero-emissions UNESCO World Heritage fjords in the west of the country, emissions have been removed from the equation altogether.

In digitalisation, too, there are a host of advances.

Kongsberg is pioneering autonomous shipping, partnering with Yara and Kalmar on the Yara Birkeland project and establishing an autonomous vessel-focused joint venture, Massterly, with Wilhelmsen. Its latest acquisition, Rolls-Royce Marine, is itself making great strides in areas such as digitalisation and remote vessel management.

And what strikes one in all of these areas is how much co-operation is evident. Whether official maritime clusters such as NCE Maritime CleanTech and Møre’s GCE Blu, or in projects such as the SARex tests of the Polar Code’s equipment requirements, industry, academia and the public sector come together to not just deal with the challenges of the present, but to anticipate and take advantage of the opportunities held by the future. As Jeffrey Lai notes, by applying the “early bird catches the worm” mentality Norwegian companies can prepare well and capture opportunities for growth.

NORWAY IS LEADING THE WORLD IN DEVELOPING WAYS TO REDUCE EMISSONS Aesop’s fable of the old man and his sons seems apposite. In the story, an old man has several sons that constantly fight. Nearing death, he summons them all and presents them with a tied bundle of sticks, challenging them to break it. They all, in turn, attempt to break the thick bundle and fail. The old man then unties the bundle and breaks each stick individually, explaining to the sons that in unity lies strength.

Time and again when speaking to Norwegian companies, one is struck by the willingness to work together and share knowledge, with the mantra “we co-operate when we can and compete when we must” a common refrain, and for me this is what makes Norway a maritime world leader. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

4 | ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS

Maritime cluster propels Norway’s ‘wave of innovation’ Norway΄s maritime clusters are diversifying out of the traditional fields of fisheries, offshore wind and oil and gas into the broader ocean industries

ABOVE: OSRV Group provides integrated system booms, vessels, pumps, radar and scanning systems to tackle oil spills

Norwegian Solutions 2018

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or Professor Torger Reve, who was instrumental in establishing Norway as a global maritime knowledge hub in the late 2000s, the low oil price in recent years was a clear call to the Norwegian cluster to diversify.

Writing in 2016, he called for a “wave of innovation with knowledge from the oil and gas industries to be applied in other ocean industries”, and said “when activity level falls in our most important industry, we need to look for new strategic opportunities in related industries.”

“What we see now is a reconceptualisation of the Norwegian industrial space from traditional maritime and offshore oil and gas industries to the much broader ocean industry concept,” he added.

Two years on, the larger Norwegian cluster and the regional sub-clusters are chock full of examples of Professor Reve’s wave of innovation, with private industry, public bodies and educational institutions working together to meet the ocean industry challenge.

Norwegian co-operation

As well as its maritime heritage and established expertise in the shipping, offshore energy and fishing sectors, one

of Norway’s biggest strengths is summed up in a phrase heard many times when talking to Norwegian businesspeople – “We co-operate when we can and compete when we must”. Such an attitude encourages sharing of knowledge and expertise that benefits all parties involved and wider society and is illustrated in the maritime clusters.

Møre’s GCE Blue Maritime Cluster is one such example. Awarded the status of a global centre of expertise due to its unique market position and contribution to Norwegian value creation, the cluster aims to become a global hub for safe and sustainable commercialisation of advanced technology and operations at sea. The ‘blue’ aspect of the cluster relates to its view that the growing world population’s rapidly increasing demands for energy, food and minerals can be met by the ocean and that Norwegian companies are well-positioned to meet this challenge.

The cluster is overseen by a steering committee whose members include captains of industry such as Ulstein’s Gunvor Ulstein, Havila’s Njål Sævik and Brunvoll’s Odd Tore Finnøy, and its activities are evident in many areas – diversification into new sectors by builders

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ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS | 5

and designers such as Ulstein, RollsRoyce’s investments in digitalisation and Brunvoll’s push toward energy efficiency, to name but three examples.

NCE Maritime CleanTech aims to unite Norwegian expertise as a springboard to develop energy-efficient, environmentally friendly maritime solutions. Participants come from across the supply chain, including energy companies such as Equinor, shipyards such as Kværner, suppliers such as Westcon and design companies such as Leirvik. Academic institutions such as the University of Bergen and the Norwegian School of Economics also contribute their expertise alongside public bodies such as local government and the Norwegian Navy.

Zero emissions

Speaking on the occasion of the Norwegian parliament’s resolution to make the World Heritage fjords emission-free, the cluster’s chief executive Hege Økland said “The decision on zero-emission fjords can secure our industry's position in this area, so that Norwegian business will be strengthened and we can provide green solutions to the rest of the world”.

It certainly seems the cluster is well-positioned to assist in this. It has successfully produced projects such as MS Ampere, the world’s first battery-driven ferry, which crosses the Sognefjord and entered service in 2015. The ferry was built at the Fjellstrand yard, is operated

by Norled and was classed by DNV GL. It has capacity for 260 passengers and 120 vehicles, is 80 m long by 20 m wide and is driven by two electric motors with an output of 450 kW apiece.

Another such example is Viking Energy, the first hybrid offshore support vessel with a dynamic positioning system. Modified into a plug-in battery hybrid vessel by Westcon and Eidesvik to meet charterer Equinor’s requirements, the vessel has

attained average reductions in fuel consumption of between 16%-17% and as much as 28% when operating in dynamicpositioning mode.

said. With the return to activity of the market, OSRV will initially focus again on Brazil, anticipating a rise in demand for oil recovery services.

Oil spill recovery

Cargo transport by UAV

And even outside the formal clusters, Norwegian co-operation is evident in projects such as the Oil Spill Recovery Vessel Group (OSRV), established by Framo, Maritime Partner, Norbit Aptomar and Norlense to provide a turnkey solution for oil recovery.

Framo is a Bergen-based pump manufacturer; Maritime Partner is an Ålesund-based producer of high-speed rescue and patrol vessels; Norlense is based in Fiskebøl and produces oil spill containment booms; and Trondheimbased Norbit Aptomar makes safety and navigation equipment including infrared and radar systems.

By pooling their efforts, the four companies together act as a total systems supplier of safe, highly functional and welltested technology that covers all aspects of spill response, from detection and containment to recovery, a spokesperson told Norwegian Solutions.

Aptomar’s radar performs the initial task of detecting a spill on the surface of the sea, with live data from its infrared sensors providing information on location, size, and heading. Maritime Partner’s high-speed vessels can deploy Norlense’s booms to contain the spill, with capability for 400 m of boom to be deployed by one person in just 20 minutes. When the booms are in place, Framo’s pumps can be brought into play with capacity to process 400,000 litres of oil per hour. The recovered oil can then be transferred to a tanker via Framo’s TransRec system.

So far, OSRV has had a heavy focus on Brazil, with the system delivered more than 30 times in that country alone by the time the oil crisis hit, the spokesperson

Safer Logistics from the Unmanned Logistics Helicopter project, which is investigating using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transport cargo between offshore support vessels (OSVs) and installations.

Currently, transfers from vessels to rigs and other installations mostly rely on cranes, with issues such as wind, visibility, waves and other weather conditions presenting challenges.

The partners in the project are Fosnavåg-based Olympic Subsea, Sykkylven-based Griff Aviation, the Northern Research Institute (Norut) in Tromsø and Arendal-based Stable.

Olympic Subsea owns a fleet of 11 offshore construction vessels and is participating in the project as an “active development partner”; Griff Aviation develops and manufactures drones to carry heavy cargo and will be addressing the issue of ensuring the logistics helicopter can operate safely in rough weather; Norut, the project leader, has developed autonomous control systems for UAVs, has experience operating them in northern seas and will be ensuring the logistics helicopter has a high degree of automation for departure, landing and delivery of cargo; and Stable specialises in motion-compensation technology and will be developing a stable platform from which the logistics helicopter will take off and land on moving maritime platforms.

The engineering and technology department at The Arctic University of Norway, Norut’s majority shareholder, in Narvik is also lending its expertise to the project. Financial support is being provided by the Research Council of Norway. NS

Norled's MS Ampere was the world's first battery-driven ferry

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Norwegian Solutions 2018

6 | ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS

Exporters fly the flag for Norway overseas Norway´s Government wants to make Norwegian solutions international standards by exporting the country's maritime expertise

The largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, is fitted with a compressor system from Norway's TMC

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iven the country’s extensive maritime heritage and continuing involvement in areas such as offshore energy, fishing and other ocean-based areas, it is not surprising that ocean-based exports are key to the Norwegian export industry.

The petroleum, maritime and marine industries together account for 70% of Norwegian export income, according to the country’s internationalisation and export strategy released in December 2017.

The US, Brazil, China, Australia and ‘European countries’ were identified as key existing markets for Norwegian maritime exporters in the document, with China, Korea, Singapore, Brazil and Japan, with their strong shipbuilding sectors, identified as being of vital importance.

Citing data from recent years, the report noted that in 2015 gross freight from international shipping constituted 7.2% and 25%, respectively, of total Norwegian exports of goods and services, with international maritime traffic constituting the largest export industry overall. In 2016 direct exports from equipment manufacturers accounted for more than 60% of maritime export revenue, which in 2013 was valued at Nkr233Bn (US$28Bn).

“The maritime industries have been, are and will be important

Norwegian Solutions 2018

to the development and value creation in the ocean industries as providers of goods, services and competence,” the report said.

Norway can benefit by sharing its competence in ocean industries with other countries, the report noted, adding “knowledge of maritime administration, sustainable management and resource utilisation from the ocean and the continental shelf is an export product in itself.”

The government set out several measures intended to ensure “long-term and stable framework conditions for the maritime industry” in the document, with one measure being to “work to turn good Norwegian solutions into international standards”.

The Explorer, launched this year, will hopefully further this goal.

Developed in collaboration between the Norwegian Government, Innovation Norway, Sustainia, DNV GL and the UN Global Compact, the digital showroom provides a space for Norwegian companies to present green and sustainable solutions to the world.

Visitors to the Solutions section can search by topics such as Energy, Ocean industries and High technology, to name just three, to find details of Norwegian companies providing services and products in these areas.

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ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS | 7

IMO ballast water convention brings BWT boom A Norwegian solution that is arguably already an international standard is Optimarin, a Sandnes-based provider of ballast water treatment (BWT) systems. The company installed the first BWT in the world aboard cruise ship Regal Princess in 2000.

Optimarin reported booming business in May and said it expected 2018 to overtake 2017 as its “best-ever year in business.” It added it had sold almost 60 of its

Optimarin Ballast Systems (OBS) in the previous year and had contracts in its orderbook to provide a further 50, with recent customers including Besiktas Shipping in Turkey, Eureka Shipping in Cyprus, Japanese chemical tanker firm Koyo Kaiun and Germanybased Ahrenkiel Steamship.

Optimarin’s US Coast Guardcertified BWT is environmentally friendly, utilising UV chambers to kill or inactivate any organisms, bacteria and pathogens present

in ballast water.

IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention coming into force in September of 2017 is a major driver for much of this business, noted Optimarin chief executive Tore Andersen, saying “Shipowners and operators are now being galvanised into action by the ratification of IMO’s Ballast Water Management convention and the need to conform.”

“This is excellent news for the environment and a positive

development for those of us in the BWT sector that have invested many millions of dollars in testing, certifying and bringing our systems to market,” he added.

Mr Andersen believes the company’s status as an established name in the BWT space has been a driver of sales, noting “This may be a relatively new regulation, but our customers want established solutions they know they can rely on.”

Demand for compressors across regions and sectors When Royal Carribean International’s Symphony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, set sail this year it did so with a TMC marine compressor system aboard.

The 18-deck ship can accommodate more than 6,600 passengers and a crew of 2,200. With a gross tonnage of 228,081 tonnes, it measures 361 m long by 65.7 m wide and STX France took took 36 months to built it. From November this year it will operate in both eastern and western areas of the Caribbean from its home port of Miami.

“Every contract we sign and delivery we make is equally important in its own right, but we gladly admit that it is particularly cool that our equipment is providing service and working air on board the world’s biggest cruise ship,” said TMC director of sales and business development Hans Petter Tanum.

TMC has seen demand for its systems across a range of

geographical areas and sectors. It has signed multiple contracts with Hyundai Heavy Industries this year to provide compressed air systems for vessels including Teekay Offshore’s four LNG-fuelled shuttle tankers, three LNG carriers being built for TMS Cardiff Gas, and two separate contracts for a Swan Energy floating storage and regasification unit.

Other customers have included Dutch yard UHC, building an integrated reel-lay vessel for UK-based Subsea 7, and Keppel Amfels, who picked TMC to provide systems for two new LNG-fuelled container vessels under construction for Pasha Hawaii. Mr Tanum said “It is always nice to be involved with vessels that are designed to keep both operational costs and harmful emissions to air to a minimum.

“Not only is it good for our planet, but it is great to see that TMC’s compressor systems – with their low energy usage and high level of reliability – seem to be the favoured solution for such vessels,” he added.

US research vessel and Russian trawlers to mount Norwegian deck gear Bodø-based deck machinery specialist Rapp Marine has been picked as single-source vendor for Oregon State University’s new research vessel’s overboard-handling system with options for a further two vessels, as well as providing deck machinery for seven new factory trawlers.

The multi-mission regional class research vessel (RCRV) is being built by Gulf Island Shipyard in Louisiana. The

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project is being funded by the National Science Foundation and the contract design for the RCRV was carried out by Glosten.

The equipment to be provided by Rapp will be used for science mission and cargohandling operations. It will comprise the oceanographic, hydrographic and portable winch systems for the vessel, which will supply tension members for the vessel’s handling apparatus. The

equipment will incorporate Rapp systems such as electric variable frequency drives, active heave compensation and wireless control chest packs with CCTV display feeds.

Explaining the decision to pick Rapp, RCRV project manager Demian Bailey said “Rapp has a reputation for delivering highly capable, dependable, and well supported products and is a great fit for our programme.

These handling systems and controls will be at the core of these highly capable nextgeneration research vessels.”

Murmanseld 2 is looking to Rapp to provide a full range of deck machinery to outfit seven new factory trawlers. Tromsø’s Cramaco is designing the trawlers with three being built at the Pella shipyard in St Petersburg and four at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

8 | ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS

Export financing helps bring Norwegian know how to a global stage

The export finance programme provides a great deal of benefits for customers thinking of buying Norwegian

ABOVE: Skandi Vinland entered a 10-year service with Husky Energy offshore Canada in 2017 (credit: Vard)

Norwegian Solutions 2018

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ompanies considering sourcing capital goods and services in Norway have a powerful incentive in the form of the country’s government-backed export financing system. This comprises two branches: Export Credit Norway (ECN) which provides the loans; and the Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (GIEK) which provides guarantees.

Unsurprisingly, for a country with such a strong maritime heritage, what ECN terms ‘ocean industries’ forms a large proportion of goods and services the scheme has assisted with financing. ECN director of lending for ocean industries Olav Einar Rygg spoke with Norwegian Solutions about ECN’s activities and the opportunities it can provide.

Put simply, ocean industries covers any and all ocean-based activities according

to Mr Rygg, an economist by training who has worked in export credit for much of his career and headed up the ocean industries department since ECN was set up in 2012, when he was also acting chief executive.

Ocean industries covers everything from traditional shipping such as industrial shipping and merchant shipping to fishing, fish farming, offshore wind, offshore oil and gas and passenger vessels such as cruise ships and ferries Mr Rygg said, noting this segment makes up approximately 95% of ECN’s entire loan portfolio. “Export capital goods from Norway is very much about the sea – it’s maritime focused,” he added.

Mr Rygg highlighted the main benefit for foreign companies considering doing business in Norway under the scheme.

“They will get long-term financing at competitive terms,” he explained. All loans issued under the system are guaranteed

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ECONOMY AND MARITIME EXPORTS | 9

by GIEK or a commercial bank, Mr Rygg explained, and the risk appetite of the guarantors and contract values are the only limitations when it comes to the amount that can be covered by such a loan. “We have no minimum amounts but there are some costs involved in establishing cross-border financing which means that in practice it’s very rare that we see contracts below US$1M being financed,” said Mr Rygg.

To be eligible for ECN’s assistance, foreign buyers should file an application with the scheme before signing a contract with a Norwegian exporter. There is a minimum Norwegian content requirement of 30%, meaning a Norwegian exporter can still source 70% of goods or services to be delivered from outside Norway.

This ratio also carries over to a new fully commercial scheme introduced by ECN to fund the purchase of vessels produced by Norwegian yards intended for use in Norway waters by Norwegian buyers. Under the scheme, GIEK will not guarantee more than 75% of the loan, so a commercial bank must be used to guarantee at least 25%.

To finance small to medium-sized enterprises, ECN has simplified loan documentation and streamlined the process of financing, Mr Rygg said, noting that cross-border financing is now being provided for contracts down to about US$500,000. “It’s more or less the same application process but in co-operation with GIEK we try to simplify the security requirements and documentation needed.

We have quite a good pipeline of projects in that sector and a lot of requests, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that will develop,” said Mr Rygg.

Discussing the areas, ECN anticipates growth in the future, Mr Rygg said “There has been a large turnaround at Norwegian yards. They used to finance offshore vessels and they have now successfully changed over market areas, for instance to expedition cruise vessels. They have a large orderbook of smaller very advanced cruise vessels and passenger ferries, so I expect that will increase further going forward.” Mr Rygg also anticipates growth in the areas of fishing and fish-farming, noting “That is very interesting because the technology used in offshore oil and gas is transferred to construction of offshore fish-farming equipment. So that is a crossover of knowledge and competition from the ocean-based segments.” He added that his department used to be

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referred to as ‘shipping and offshore’ but was renamed ocean industries precisely because of the increase in such crossover activity between maritime segments, which he sees as a strength.

ECN also expects to see more retrofitting of existing vessels with systems such as scrubbers, ballast water treatment systems and hybrid power solutions such as battery storage, Mr Rygg said.

There are a host of interesting examples of ECN-funded projects in a wide range of maritime areas, including a Norwegian-designed and built factory trawler delivered to a New Zealand-based firm, a catamaran designed to prevent seasickness while transporting personnel to and from windfarms offshore Germany and purely LNG-fuelled cargo vessels plying the sea routes between Hammerfest in northern Norway and continental Europe, but Norwegian Solutions only has room to highlight a few here.

With ECN’s backing, Norwegian suppliers including Rolls-Royce’s Norwegian arm provided equipment for Edda Passat and Edda Mistral, two offshore wind service operation vessels owned by Norway's Østensjø Rederi/West Energy. ECN provided £25.8M (US$34.1M) funding over 12 years, guaranteed

by GIEK. The vessels are contracted with Denmark's Ørsted, formerly Dong Energy, for five years with an option to extend. Edda Passat was built at Spain’s Astilleros Gondan shipyard and delivered in February 2018. It is currently operating in the Race Bank windfarm offshore Norfolk and Lincolnshire in the UK. Sister vessel Edda Mistral is currently under construction at the same yard and scheduled for delivery in August 2018. It

will operate at the Hornsea One windfarm, further out in the North Sea west of the East Riding of Yorkshire and north of Norfolk. Norwegian content on the vessels includes the propulsion systems and design package, provided by Rolls-Royce as well as several other items such as paint and an advanced gangway system.

In the passenger shipping area, GIEK guaranteed Le Laperouse, an expedition vessel built for French cruise operator Ponant at Fincantieri subsidiary Vard’s Søviknes yard. The vessel is one of the Ponant Explorers, a series of seven vessels to be built at the Søviknes yard representing exports of several billion kroner, all of which are guaranteed

by GIEK in co-operation with French banks. GIEK head Wenche Nistad noted that Norway’s shipbuilding industry is changing rapidly, with cruise ships making up more than 50% of the order backlog at Norwegian yards. “The cruise market partly compensates for the decline in the offshore industry, and is now the largest market for Norwegian shipyards,” she said.

Inspection, maintenance and repair vessel Skandi Vinland was built by Vard’s Langsten yard for DOF Subsea’s subsidiary Canadian Subsea Shipping Company with assistance from ECN to the tune of C$68M (US$52M), guaranteed 70% by GIEK and 30% by Dutch bank ABN Amro.

The construction contract was signed in November 2015, with delivery of the 3,000-dwt vessel, which measures 93.1 m long by 30 m wide, taking place 19 months later. The vessel entered service on a 10year contract offshore Canada’s east coast with Canadian integrated energy company Husky Energy in August 2017. NS

GIEK guaranteed Le Lapérouse, one of seven Ponant vessels to be built by Vard (credit: Ponant)

Norwegian Solutions 2018

10 | SHIPOWNERS AND OPERATORS

Innovation drives the Norwegian fleet Norwegian Shipowners' Association's new CEO Harald Solberg discusses how the Norwegian fleet leads the way in technologies such as emissions reduction and digitalisation

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Harald Solberg (NSA): “In years to come, resources in the ocean will be particularly important solutions to some of the major challenges the world faces”

Norwegian Solutions 2018

arald Solberg became the new chief executive of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA) on 1 January 2018. He praised Norwegian shipowners’ innovation and intends to work with members and other actors in the maritime cluster to ensure the maritime industry in Norway overcomes what he described as “difficult times”.

In a wide-ranging interview with Norwegian Solutions, Mr Solberg noted that one of the strengths of Norwegian owners is their willingness to innovate. Doing so has seen them through bad times and downturns before. Asked if that remains the case, Mr Solberg said innovation has been a driving force for Norwegian shipping for decades. “Today, we have an advanced and hightech offshore fleet. That is the case thanks to innovation in recent decades and the strength of the maritime cluster. We have also seen development in the shortsea fleet in Norway, adapting and improving technology from other sectors and bringing zero emissions and the concept of autonomous transport to sea.”

Turning to technical trends, Mr Solberg noted that a number of Norwegian vessels have or are to be fitted with batteries, which have operational advantages and are more environmentally friendly, and that the NOx fund is helping to assist with this process.

He said the Norwegian

Shipowners’ Association’s position is to support this particular low-emission solution as a transitional propulsion method for shortsea shipping “as one step on the path to the future zero-emission society”. He explained that the association is supporting the development of batteries/electric propulsion in ships through the Green Coastal Shipping Programme, which aims to develop a world-leading fleet of low- and zero-emission shortsea vessels operating along the Norwegian coast as part of the country’s national logistic infrastructure. He noted that, as part of its remit, the NOx fund can allocate financial contributions to any initiatives intended to reduce emissions, not just batteries.

“The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association is a proud member of the UN GlobalCompact,” he explained, the principles of which outline businesses’ responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption measures.

“We see them, in essence, as a codification of decency, responsibility and common sense,” he told NS. “We also consider the 10 principles to serve as a platform and a basis for setting higher goals and ambitions. We are convinced the maritime industry constitutes an important and indispensable part of the solution for sustainable global development,” he said, providing some examples.

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SHIPOWNERS AND OPERATORS | 11

“The association urges members to adhere to the Hong Kong Convention, although it has not yet entered into force, and to choose recycling facilities that adhere to the convention. We also encourage shipbreaking yards to improve their working environments, in particular yards in southeast Asia. The focus has been on health, the environment and safety issues such as safe working conditions, child labour, management, environmentally responsible handling of

hazardous and toxic substances and safe dismantling and cutting operations.”

As he explained, the association was also an early advocate for establishing the maritime anticorruption network (MACN), providing shipowners with a collective network to counter the practice of holding vessels and crews to facilitate payment.

MACN and its members promote good corporate practice for combating bribes, facilitation payments and other forms of corruption.

Mr Solberg sees that shipping represents a very important part of Norwegian business life and creates jobs along the coast of the country.

“Shipping companies make up a strong driving force in the maritime cluster,” he said, “and in years to come, resources in the ocean will be particularly important solutions to some of the major challenges the world faces, not least in terms of energy, food production and transporting goods in an environmentally friendly way.

The framework conditions for

the industry will be crucial to ensure a healthy competitive position,” he said.

Mr Solberg told NS that, as of early 2018, there were 1,733 vessels under the Norwegian flag. This figure has changed little in recent years. However, the Norwegian International Ship Register has seen net growth of more than 50 ships in the same period, with a growth in deadweight tonnage of 10%.

“This development is proof that an active maritime policy works,” said Mr Solberg.

Guarded optimism for 2018 across all shipowning segments The membership of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association is cautiously anticipating increased revenues and profitability for 2018, its annual survey revealed.

Peak lay-up was reached in 2017, when 183 ships and rigs were laid up, acording to the survey. The corresponding figure for February 2018 is 162, a decrease of nearly 12%, though the NSA tempered this by noting the number of rigs in lay-up remained stable at 25. The total number of ships and rigs in lay-up is expected to fall to 110 in 2018, a reduction of 44 ships and eight rigs, according to NSA. While members of all sectors surveyed were optimistic about improved profitability, this was strongest in the deepsea segment, where nearly eight out of 10 shipping companies expect improved operating results.

This year is the first since oil prices fell where employment is expected to increase, with members anticipating growth of 1,700 staff in all sectors. Again, the deepsea sector is the most hopeful for employment to grow. “Shipping and the maritime industries are in transition, and we need new competencies and bright minds from a broad range of professions that can contribute to development and restructuring,” Mr Solberg said in a press release.

MEPC’s adoption of a common strategy to reduce emissions will ‘send a clear signal to the market’, says Mr Solberg (credit: IMO)

Support for IMO's common strategy to reduce emissions The Norwegian Shipowners' Association has long supported measures to boost environmental efficiency and this stance was continued in 2018, when it backed IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in adopting a common strategy for reducing CO2 emissions.

Speaking in advance of MEPC's April 2018 meeting in

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London, which went on to adopt the emisisons-reduction strategy, Mr Solberg said “This will send an important signal to the market that low-emission technology is the future of shipping.”

“As an industry, we must prepare ourselves for the transition to a low-emission society on the same terms as all other industries,” he added, noting that agreement on a CO2

strategy would send a signal to the market that the industry would increasingly be looking for fuel and technology with “the smallest possible carbon footprint” and that a common emissions-reduction framework would enable this to be achieved while maintaining the balance of competition.

Mr Solberg observed that the Norwegian maritime sector

is extremely active in reducing emissions, regardless of regulations, and that it could be a trailblazer in developing more environmentally friendly technology. “We may not produce electric cars in Norway, but we are leaders in technology for lowemission ships. We see more opportunities than obstacles,” he added. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

12 | SHIPOWNERS AND OPERATORS

OWNERS SEE CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM The pioneering spirit of Norwegian owners and a rising fleet value bode well for the future

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ith the Norwegian fleet now the fifth most valuable in the world – rising to second when only offshore vessels are considered – and the foreign-going fleet having experienced steady growth in both tonnage and number of vessels in recent years, Norwegian shipowners can afford to be optimistic.

The Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA) anticipates positive market trends going forward in all sectors, and Norwegian owners have not been backward about pushing forward in areas such as sustainability and digitialisation.

As Norwegian School of Economics professor Roar Os Ådland said in the NSA’s annual report, “Norwegian shipowners have the ability to see the emergence of new niches and markets early on.

That is an important skill in today’s market.”

A prime case study in this area is Wilhelmsen, whose chief executive Thomas Wilhelmsen disputed the oft-repeated claim that the maritime industry is conservative at a conference hosted by Norwegian bank DNB this year.

Pointing out that his own company has historically made big changes to stay competitive, such as changing from sail to steam, from steam to diesel and now embracing digitalisation, he said “It is more fun to be in the forefront of developing the maritime industry, than to be just someone who comes in later and adopts what everyone else is doing.”

And one doesn’t need to look hard for examples of the company’s pioneering spirit. In April this year Wilhelmsen, along with Kongsberg, announced the formation of Massterly, a joint venture that will design and operate autonomous vessels.

“Currently, we are at the very beginning of this development, but we see and believe there will be a significant market for these types of services in the near future,” said Mr Wilhelmsen.

“At first, shortsea shipping will use autonomous ships. This also implies increased competitiveness to move transport from

Norwegian Solutions 2018

road to sea. The gains are increased efficiency and reduction of emissions. For Norway as a maritime nation, this will be an important contribution to reach the UN sustainable development goals,” he added.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmsen’s Ships Service arm is set to trial shoreto-ship drone delivery in Singapore with Airbus. In Q3 this year, the two companies will run a two-week trial using drones to deliver spares, documents, water test kits and 3D printed consumables to vessels from Singapore’s Marina South pier.

Wilhelmsen will set up the required maritime and port operations, gain relevant approval from port authorities and secure maritime customers, while Airbus will provide its Skyways unmanned air system and handle control and maintenance of this along with corresponding aviation approvals.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service commercial vice president for Ships Agency, Marius Johansen said “When we announced last year that we were pursuing drone delivery we were greeted with a fair amount of scepticism, but our collaboration with Airbus shows we really do mean business.”

Noting that Wilhelmsen already organises delivery of spares, supplies and cash via launch boat as part of its standard husbandry services, Mr Johansen said “delivery by drone is much more cost effective, quicker, and frankly safer for all involved.”

“Costing on average 90% less than launch boats, they importantly remove the risks inherently involved with making launch deliveries and also have negligible environmental impact,” he added.

The partnership follows a year of planning and collaboration between Wilhelmsen, Airbus, the Singapore Maritime Port Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. A command centre and delivery centre will be established, with an initial range of up to 3 km. To extend coverage further, a second delivery station will be positioned at an open space in Marina South.

Thomas Wilhelmsen (Wilhelmsen): ”It is more fun to be at the forefront of developing the maritime industry”

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SHIPOWNERS AND OPERATORS | 13

Østensjø Rederi wins award for LNG-fuelled tugs In November 2017, Østensjø Rederi’s LNGfuelled escort tugs were jointly declared Tug of the Year by Tug Technology & Business.

Dux, Pax and Audax were singled out for the accolade due to several innovations, such as being the first tugs fitted with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines and their ability to operate in extreme weather and sea conditions within the Arctic Circle in temperatures down to -20˚C. The 40.2-m escort tugs were designed

by Robert Allan as RAstar 4000-DF class tugs and built by Spanish shipyard Astilleros Gondán. They comply with IMO Tier III emissions standards, can achieve a maximum free-running speed of 15 knots and

produce up to 107 tonnes of bollard pull.

The IMO Type C insulated LNG tank and regasification system is located below deck, with the dual-fuel main engines in a gas-safe (non-hazardous) engineroom. Østensjø’s tugs each have two Wärtsilä 6L34DF main engines with a power rating of 3,000 kW each, which drive transverse thrusters.

Schottel developed a specific type of thruster for these three dual-fuel tugs and six units with the new VarioDuct SDV45 nozzle were supplied to the Spanish builder. On each tug, Gondán installed two Schottel SRP 630 CP azimuthing propellers and an STT 170 fixed pitch thruster rated at 250 kW in the bow.

All three tugs are heavily fendered to protect them and the gas carriers even in extreme weather and sea conditions.

They have bow fendering consisting of a 1,000-mm diameter cylindrical fender extending well aft along with a lower course of 400-mm thick W-shaped fender, which was specially designed to limit fender contact pressures to 20 t/m2.

The tugs have been providing escort services to LNG carriers at Equinor’s Melkøya production terminal since August 2017. They are also maintained in readiness for emergency services such as long-line towing, fire-fighting and oil spill response.

Østensjø Rederi's Dux and its sister vessels are the first tugs to be fitted with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines

Klaveness experiments with communications connectivity Torvald Klaveness has volunteered to trial an innovative communications system on board its combination carriers, which can easily switch between carrying wet and dry cargoes.

Balboa, Baffin and Ballard will be fitted with a hybrid version of KNL Networks’ high-frequency digital radio, which could be used as an alternative to satellite communications (satcom) in many cases.

Torvald said that in areas where vessels would normally be dependent on satcom, bandwidth becomes crowded resulting in poorer service quality for shipboard applications that use data.

KNL’s system uses a technology called cognitive radio, which automatically detects available channels in a wireless spectrum and changes transmission parameters based on this, allowing concurrent operation of communications. Each radio in the fleet forms part of a global network, allowing ships normally reliant on

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satcom to establish a connection via other vessels that are closer to shore, with the fleet thereby providing itself with connectivity.

The high-frequency radios used in the network have a range of up to 10,000 km.

The ‘hybrid’ aspect of the system kicks in when a vessel approaches land, at which point the radio switches over to the KNL Broadband service. As well as receiving a faster connection, the vessel itself will then become a node in the network, providing data access for other vessels.

Klaveness automation project manager Christian Hovden said “With this setup our combination carriers can report data 24/7, and not only when they are close to shore. These regular transmissions have the potential to greatly improve the value of the data collected, but the system also allows us to have data transmitted in real-time from the automation system.” NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

14 | SHIPBUILDING AND DESIGN

A fully electric future for Norway's Fjords Future of the Fjords is Norwegian-built and fully electric, incorporating innovative solutions from Norway's supply chain

Future of the Fjords' Power Dock can recharge the vessel in just 20 minutes

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uture of the Fjords, owned by The Fjords and built by Brødrene Aa, is the first carbon-fibre vessel in the world to be fully electric.

It is also the first vessel of its kind to offer completely emission-free transport through the western Norwegian UNESCO World Heritage-listed region.

The Fjords is co-owned by transport operator Fjord1 and Flåm, which promotes tourism opportunities in the Flåm area, northeast of Bergen.

Delivered in April, Future of the Fjords’ all-electric power means the vessel is quiet, has no vibration and most importantly, is emission-free.

The Fjords has developed a unique charging solution called the Power Dock in partnership with Brødrene Aa. This 40-m long, 5-m wide floating glass fibre dock will sit in the water at Gudvangen, housing a 2.4 MWh battery pack, and charge throughout

Norwegian Solutions 2018

the day from the local grid network. The innovative solution allows the vessel to stably, efficiently and cost-effectively ‘refill’ in just 20 minutes.

The dock is capable of being towed to other locations and stores consumables, fuel for sister vessels and allows black and grey water to be offloaded for treatment on land. This makes Future of The Fjords the only passenger vessel not to discharge sewage directly into the fjords.

“This means that we become a real zeroemission ship,” said Mr Sandvik.

Brødrene Aa chief executive Tor Øyvin Aa explained that while the vessel was not a ‘fast ferry,’ using related technology provided advantages. A carbon-fibre vessel weighs less and has reduced fuel costs. Its high strength but low weight structure means maintenance costs are reduced and a high secondhand value can be commanded.

The hull has a low wake that creates almost no waves, translating to fuel efficiency as the

vessel requires less energy to move. Carbon fibre also means fewer batteries are required, translating into a lower vessel weight, lower price and shorter charging time.

Westcon Power & Automation provided the energy storage and complete system integration. This included its e-SEAMatic Blue energy management system, e-SEAMatic integrated automation system, e-SEA drive power conversion and two e-SEA drive electrical motors at 450 kWh each. There was also an e-SEA manoeuvring control system and the company provided the main switchboards.

Explaining why Westcon won the contract, its manager of sales and business development Frode Skaar said the solution weighed a tonnes less than the solution used in hybrid electric cruise ship Vision of the Seas. “It was tailor made to the vessel to make it low in weight.” He emphasised that it was important to consider all components of the solution when putting together the energy storage.

The batteries came from LG Chem and were adapted for maritime use by ZEM. Fjord1 head of projects and newbuildings Arild Austrheim told the audience it was “challenging” because batteries had not been included in carbon-fibre vessels before. But learning and education gained from Vision of the Fjords helped, as did developments in battery technology. The batteries are three times more powerful on this vessel than on Vision of the Fjords, with two 900 kWh batteries compared to two batteries of less than 300 kWh each.

Servogear provided the vessel with its electric Ecoflow Propulsor, which boosts fuel efficiency by using a variable pitch propeller. Servogear managing director Torleif Stokke said “It is about understanding how the forces underneath the hull are working and therefore ensuring that the propeller and hull are designed to work together.”

While he was not able to put an exact figure on the fuel efficiency of Future of the Fjords, he said it was likely comparable to the figure the company achieved in a similar

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SHIPBUILDING AND DESIGN | 15

model: a fast ferry for 450 passengers where a 30% reduction in fuel was achieved.

As well as boosting fuel efficiency, a large benefit of the solution is that it cuts noise and vibration both in the sea and inside the ferry.

Mr Stokke explained the challenges of cutting noise and vibration. “Propellers have to take all the energy and put it out through the sea. This pressure creates vibrations. If poorly designed, the propeller low-frequency noise goes through the structure of the vessel.”

Summing up the project, Mr Sandvik said “Vision of the Fjords was the inspiration to build this ferry. We have used extremely forward suppliers. This has been a joint venture in the new use of technology.”

Future of the Fjords offers completely emission-free transport through Norway's UNESCO World Heritage fjords area

Ulstein thrives through diversification When the oil and gas downturn hit, Ulstein quickly recognised it could not wait it out – the company’s choices were to adapt or close down. “For us, the obvious choice was to go on. Closing down was a boring alternative,” said Tore Ulstein in a presentation where he explained the company’s successful diversification.

Tore Ulstein (Ulstein): ”No other option but to diversify 'closing down was the boring alternative” (credit: Per Eide Studio)

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The company had to find new markets and clients and had to develop new products. Mr Ulstein noted that traditional management literature would advise against such an approach, but the company had no choice, saying “What were our options? We didn’t have any options.”

Ulstein looked at their competencies and the markets to see where there was crossover. One such area was offshore wind, where the shipbuilder saw many opportunities to apply their offshore support expertise. Mr Ulstein explained that the wind sector shares the oil and gas sector’s requirements for seaworthy vessels with low motion levels, capable of dynamic positioning operations in harsh weather.

Another area of opportunity was the expedition cruise sector, with its requirement for smaller, robust yet comfortable vessels capable of operating in areas such as the Arctic Ocean. Ulstein worked with Lindblad on its expedition cruise vessels and was able to apply its expertise with dynamic positioning systems here while also working on innovative solutions for areas such as launch and recovery of Zodiac boats from the stern of the vessel.

The expedition cruise sector also provides an example of its successful internationalisation, Mr Ulstein said, pointing to a vessel to be built in a Chinese yard to an Ulstein design, with options for a further nine, for Sunstone. He added “We believe this will be a new standard within the exploration market,” as the design combines a competitive price with an “interesting” specification.

Ulstein also sees opportunities in the area of ropax vessels, Mr Ulstein said, noting that while the company has developed these three sector strategies, focused on offshore wind, expedition cruising and ropax, it will remain involved in the oil and gas sector, adding “we are not leaving that, but it will be hard for some time to come.”

While Mr Ulstein recognises his company needs to think larger than the Norwegian market, he said it benefits from its background in the country, which has a lot of strengths in the ocean space due to its maritime heritage in transport, fishing and energy. “There are a lot of opportunities in Norway: we see them and we’re trying to follow them,” he said. NS

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16 | SHIPBUILDING AND DESIGN

HYBRID POWER SYSTEMS OFFER LOWER EMISSIONS AND FUEL COSTS FOR OSVS Whether as operators, builders or equipment suppliers, Norwegian companies are leading the way in fitting OSVs with hybrid battery power systems, writes David Foxwell

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ffshore support vessels are increasingly being fitted with hybrid energy systems including batteries, and Eidesvik Offshore’s Viking Princess was the first time batteries were used to reduce the number of generators on an offshore ship. The new energy storage solution will improve engine efficiency, generate fuel savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Viking Princess completed sea trials with the hybrid energy storage system (ESS) and reentered service with Eidesvik Offshore on 9 October 2017.

Wärtsilä said that with the hybrid system on board the platform supply vessel (PSV) there are “significant potential savings,” primarily due to the vessel’s operating profile being variable.

“When using the energy storage system on board Viking Princess, the fuel saving potential can be up to 30%, depending on the nature of the operation,” said the propulsion specialist. CO2 emissions can be reduced by 13-18% per year, depending on operational conditions and requirements, and the hybrid solution enables the engines to operate at a more optimal load. This means that the intervals between engine maintenance can be extended.”

Viking Princess now runs on a combination of power from a battery pack and three Wärtsilä

Norwegian Solutions 2018

engines that burn liquefied natural gas (LNG). The energy storage solution also provides balancing energy to cover the demand peaks, resulting in a more stable load on the engines.

Wärtsilä said the technology is like that used in hybrid vehicles: it prevents engine load from dipping and uses surplus energy to re-energise the battery, which can be charged as needed. A remote monitoring and operational advisory service from Wärtsilä supports the daily operation of the vessel, ensuring efficient and optimised operations.

SolstadFarstad followed suit with the announcement in May that two of its PSVs, Normand Server and Normand Supporter, would be refurbished to operate on hybrid power systems, with 560 kWh batteries replacing a diesel generator on each vessel.

Class societies such as DNV GL have highlighted several other advantages of hybrid battery power, including significantly reduced fuel costs and emissions. Such systems can also significantly enhance responsiveness and safety when vessels are operating in highrisk situations.

In the past, Eidesvik has spoken of vessels fitted with batteries – although not in a configuration that eliminated a generator – as “even more responsive” with batteries on board, proving particularly

advantageous in heavy weather.

DNV GL points out that batteries give a vessel “instantaneous access to power” that diesel systems cannot match. The class society believes other advantages will also become evident, such as the ability to store energy harvested from waste heat recovery, regenerative braking of cranes and/or forms of renewable energy such as solar energy. Another class society, Lloyd’s Register, said battery

and hybrid technology can help with emissions compliance.

Interest in hybrid propulsion is evidently spreading beyond Norway and the North Sea, however, and Corvus Energy in February was confirmed as the supplier of a lithium ion-based Orca ESS for four PSVs owned

by Seacor Marine’s Mexican joint venture Mantenimiento Express Marítimo SAPI de CV, known as Mexmar.

The refit was scheduled for completion by July 2018 and

Viking Princess's new energy storage system can offer fuel savings of up to 30% per year (credit: Wärtsilä)

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Seacor’s marine manager of engineering, Tim Clerc, said the company was keen to have such hybrid energy systems installed on more of its vessels, praising the technology’s dual benefits of being environmentally friendly and highly efficient.

Mexmar had previously announced, in September 2017, its OSV Seacor Maya was to be upgraded with a hybrid power solution designed by Kongsberg to meet strict environmental regulations by reducing CO2, NOx and SOx emissions, reducing operating costs through reduced fuel consumption.

Kongsberg was selected as sole supplier for the delivery, supply and integration of an ESS with a custom-designed energy control system. The ship’s existing K-Pos DP-22 dynamic positioning system and K-Chief 700 IAS automation system will also be upgraded. The upgraded K-Pos DP-22 system’s functions include power load monitoring and blackout prevention. The system will also display battery data including capacity and status.

Developments are also taking place among marinised battery suppliers. Akasol and Zem announced a partnership in 2017 to develop lithiumion batteries for marine use.

German company Akasol specialises in lithium-ion

battery systems for a range of transport applications.

The German and Norwegian firms are developing fluidcooled modular lithium-ion batteries that can be combined in modular fashion to meet the requirements of small vessels.

The first fruit of their labour is the Akazem 15, a modular battery unit for workboats and small passenger ferries. June 2017 also saw Zem partner with French battery storage system provider Nidec to develop batteries for passenger vessel Vision of the Fjords, which has a 1.8 MWh battery system.

A number of Norwegian vessels contracted by Norwegian state oil company Equinor, formerly known as Statoil, are being retrofitted with hybrid battery systems.

Among them is SolstadFarstad’s Far Sun, a diesel-electric PSV originally delivered to Farstad in 2014 by Vard.

SolstadFarstad and Vard Electro have co-operated to analyse the vessel’s fuel economy, consumption and emissions over a long period.

Vard’s SeaQ ESS, which will be installed on the vessel, will have an additional benefit of providing greater redundancy, acting as a ‘spinning reserve’. Vard Electro is responsible for the project,

Corvus Energy‘s Orca ESS will be fitted on Seacor's vessels

including engineering, steel prefabrication, installation, integration, testing and commissioning. The ship will be awarded the class notation Battery Power by DNV-GL. Working closely with SolstadFarstad, Vard Aukra and Vard Electro have developed a standardised solution with an additional deckhouse which complies with regulations and is well suited for this type of upgrade, for offshore vessels, ferries and other vessels. Vard Aukra has been awarded a contract for the manufacture, integration and installation of deckhouses and other equipment on board.

The battery supplier will be Corvus in Bergen.

In October 2017, PBES secured type-approval of its ESS for use in commercial marine, offshore oil and gas and renewable energy applications from DNV GL. The PBES ESS makes use of the company’s patented CellCool cell-level liquid cooling, ThermalStop anti-propagation barrier, E-Vent gas venting system and CellSwap battery re-coring, and is designed to integrate seamlessly with all types of power generation in a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

Rolls-Royce developing cradle-and rail-based boat transfer method Rolls-Royce Marine is developing an innovative cradle- and rail-based method for launching and recovering daughter craft, called the boat transfer system (BTS) with interesting potential applications aboard OSVs. The system utilises a cradle that a daughter craft simply manoeuvres into before being raised up to deck level on rails.

Daughter craft can then either be taken on board or simply held alongside to allow for transfer of people and equipment at deck level. The modular cradle will be fitted with two dampeners to keep daughter craft stable during the process. Deployment is either via a knuckle boom or an overhead crane and the system is available in ‘heavy-duty’ and ‘light’ versions.

Rolls-Royce Marine sees a number of advantages of the BTS over traditional davit and wire-based methods of deployment,

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including no pendulum effect from long wire lengths, no painterhandling hazards, no dual-lift complications, no hazards from free-swinging hooks and no hazards from misplaced cargo.

As well as heavy-duty and light versions for use in recovering and launching varying boat sizes, Rolls-Royce announced a frequent-use version for work in areas such as around offshore oil and gas installations, windfarms, commercial exploration vessels and naval vessels is in development alongside an occasional-use version for standby rescue vessels. The cradle can be fitted with a net to assist in recovering people from the water.

The BTS is targeted to compete with high-end davit systems for vessels of 60 m plus, and will take up slightly more space than a single-point davit system. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

18 | SHIPBUILDING AND DESIGN

WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING Lessons learned in the offshore oil and gas sector can also be applied in offshore wind

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ith its long coastline, offshore expertise and willingness to embrace new, greener solutions and technology, it is not surprising that Norway is grasping the opportunities offered by wind power with gusto.

In June 2018, Norwegian energy minister Terje Søviknes met with companies to discuss constructing demonstration floating windfarms to showcase Norwegian expertise in this area, following a resolution being approved by Norway’s Parliament, calling for such projects. And this national enthusiasm is nothing new – in 2013 the government committed to spending Nkr20Bn (US$2.5Bn) to boost the country’s wind capacity to more than 2 GW by 2020.

But industry, as well as the government, backs wind too. The Norwegian Shipowners backed the floating windfarm projects, saying “wind energy has significant potential for decarbonising energy production, improving energy security and providing European companies with competitive advantages,” and noted that wind provided 300,000 jobs and Nkr699Bn in annual turnover in Europe alone.

It was Norwegian oil major Equinor that built – and holds a 75% stake in – the Hywind Scotland floating windfarm offshore Peterhead in the UK. Equinor changed its name from Statoil this year, reflecting the company’s broader focus on energy generally rather than simply oil and gas. The company’s board chairman Jon Erik Reinhardsen said at the time “The world is changing, and so is Statoil. The biggest transition our modern-day energy system has ever seen is underway and we aim to be at the forefront of this development.”

Norwegian shipbuilding expertise has also been put to good use in the wind sector, with many yards turning to it to fill their orderbooks when demand for vessels for the offshore oil and gas sector plummeted during the downturn. The vessels that construct

Norwegian Solutions 2018

and service offshore windfarms have many of the same characteristics required of vessels that service the platforms of the offshore oil and gas sector, requiring good station keeping, seaworthiness and the ability to perform in rough conditions.

Netherlands-based Acta Marine chose Ulstein Verft to construct Acta Auriga, its walk-to-work vessel and announced an order for a second vessel of the same type at the Offshore Wind Journal conference in February, while the first was still under construction.

Acta Auriga and its sister ship are dynamic positioning class 2 SX195 design walk-to-work construction support vessels.

The SX195 design is 93.4 m long with a breadth of 18 m and is optimised for offshore wind. It has a centrally positioned motioncompensated gangway and elevator tower for personnel and cargo transfers, supplied by SMST in the Netherlands.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Ulstein’s SX195 design is its hull shape, which incorporates Ulstein’s X-STERN and the company’s well-known, distinctive X-BOW. The logistics on board are optimised to enhance workflow and are complimented by significant storage capacity and a ‘stepless’ approach to the offshore installations for windfarm personnel.

With most of the main equipment and operations in the aft ship, the vessels operate stern-first while in the field, keeping the X-STERN towards the weather, preventing slamming, minimising noise and vibration and allowing crew and windfarm technicians to rest between shifts. Accomodation is provided for up to 120 people.

Acta Auriga completed sea trials in March and started its twoyear contract with Ocean Breeze Energy (OBE) at the BARD Offshore 1 windfarm offshore Germany in May 2018. OBE’s managing director for technology, Jean Huby said “The vessel is expected to increase the productivity of offshore personnel by around 25%, because it will enable our teams to operate in a much

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Unlike most SOVs, which use motion-compensated gangways to transfer personnel to turbines, Esvgt Mercator uses three safe transfer boats

more flexible manner with even shorter waiting times than before.”

Denmark’s Esvagt opted for Norwegian knowhow when it chose Havyard as a partner to design its technological service operation vessel (SOV) Esvagt Mercator.

The ship was designed for the highest possible level of efficiency and low fuel consumption, providing a base for 36 windfarm technicians for up to two weeks at sea.

Built at Cemre shipyard in Turkey, the Havyard 831 SOV is 58.50 m overall with a beam of 16.60 m and draught of 5.50 m. It has a service speed of approximately 12 knots. Havyard and Cemre have co-operated on more than 30 newbuild vessels since 2005.

Unlike most SOVs, which use motion-compensated gangways to transfer personnel to turbines, Esvagt Mercator uses three safe transfer boats. Esvagt opted to take this route because of experience gained building and operating fast rescue boats.

Esvagt’s chief operating officer, Kristian Ole Jakobsen said “We have co-operated well with Havyard on developing this vessel, and we know that the quality of their deliveries is excellent.”

Havyard’s vice president of sales, Gisle Vinjevoll Thrane, said “It's a wonderful vessel that has all the qualities required to service offshore windfarms in an efficient and secure manner, with the least possible impact on the environment. The vessel confirms once again that our designs create added value and increased competitiveness for our customers.”

The vessel is the first of two Havyard 831 SOVs vessels for the Danish shipowner. The second vessel, for which a contract was signed earlier this year, is scheduled for completion by August 2019.

Norwegian yards are also receiving orders for cable-lay vessels that connect windfarms to the grid.

French subsea specialist Nexans Subsea Operations placed an order

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with Ulstein Verft for a large, DP3 cable-lay vessel in July 2018.

The ST-297 design vessel, designed by fellow Norwegian company Skipsteknisk, will be outfitted for power cable-laying, including bundle laying, cable jointing and repair and cable system protection and trenching. Ulstein Verft will construct the vessel and prepare it for the topside equipment.

The design has been developed for operation in rough weather and has high levels of manoeuvrability and station keeping.

The vessel will have a turntable with a cable capacity of 10,000 tonnes. A fibre optic basket will be capable of holding 450 tonnes.

The vessel will be 149.9 m long with a deadweight of 17,000 tonnes and accommodate 90 people.

And in April, Italy’s Prysmian Group chose Vard to build a cable-laying vessel in a contract valued at €170M (US$200M).

The new vessel will be capable of installing cables in water depths exceeding 2,000 m and will undertake a range of operations using burial systems including heavy-duty ploughs. It will be designed to have a reduced environmental footprint, a length of 172 m and a beam of 34 m with accommodation for 120 people.

The vessel is being designed by Vard Design in Ålesund, Norway. Construction is expected to get under way by end-2018 and the vessel will be delivered by Vard Brattvaag in Q4 2020. The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania.

Several of the Vard group’s specialised subsidiaries are also involved in the project through deliveries of equipment and solutions.

Prysmian Group’s senior vice president for energy projects Massimo Battaini described the vessel as “a strategic asset” that would bolster the company’s ability to undertake turnkey projects and deliver end-to-end engineering, procurement, construction and installation projects. It will also strengthen the group’s interconnection and offshore wind project execution capabilities. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018

20 | RUNNING HEAD sub

Odd Tore Finnøy (Brunvoll): We see the top-level focus on sustainable development goals coming into operation on every project we are working with

BRUNVOLL SCORES BY OFFERING THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

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Customers are demanding integrated propulsion and thruster packages and looking for increasingly greener solutions Norwegian Solutions 2018

n March 2017, thruster-maker Brunvoll acquired Scana Propulsion, a supplier of gear and propeller systems with associated control systems, and its subsidiaries Scana Volda and Scana Mar-El. At the time, Brunvoll chief executive Odd Tore Finnøy described the goal of the takeover as “to create a win-win situation for both companies, which together can offer our customers even better and comprehensive solutions for both propulsion and operation of advanced vessels.”

Norwegian Solutions spoke with Mr Finnøy in May 2018, just over a year on from the acquisition, to hear how the merged entity was faring and what he felt the future might hold for Brunvoll and

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Norway’s maritime industries more generally.

“Strategically we were very interested in increasing our product portfolio to deliver bigger projects, to deliver a bigger package to the customer which they were asking us for,” Mr Finnøy said of the acquisition.

He explained that Scana Propulsion’s product range, especially regarding forward propulsion, complimented that offered by Brunvoll, which focuses on thrusters for manoeuvring and positioning. Customers were keen to have “one common responsibility for the package that covers propulsion, manoeuvring and positioning of the ship,” and while independently Brunvoll and Scana Propulsion were unable to provide this, the acquisition made it possible for the companies to jointly offer this.

Mr Finnøy noted that Brunvoll has delivered contracts on this basis in several vessel segments, including ropax vessels, special cargo tankers, fishery vessels and expedition cruise vessels.

Discussing the uptick in the oil price, Mr Finnøy said in general he had not yet noticed an increased demand for newbuilds.

“Where we see the improvements coming already is in the aftersales service market,” he said, noting vessels that have been cold-stacked for a while but are now receiving new charters or being sold require recertification and may have service issues before they can re-enter service. This has led to Brunvoll’s aftersales market experiencing a boom, he said, noting that along with oil and gas vessels winning new charters, the cruise market has also been an area of growth.

Mr Finnøy said the US EPA’s requirement for environmentally acceptable lubricants to be used on vessels to be granted a vessel general permit (VGP) has also resulted in a “high load in the aftersales market.” These three factors – vessels coming out of lay-up, the growth in the cruise market, and the EPA's VGP requirements – have acted as growth engines for the aftersales market, he added.

Looking to the future, Mr Finnoy said “The market in general is improving and several segments have for several years had good conditions and a higher number of newbuilds,” citing fishfarming, fishing vessels, special cargo vessels, ropax vessels and

expedition cruise vessels as examples. He noted offshore oil and gas had been the market driver for many years and when newbuild activity in this area for the Norwegian shipbuilding sector dried up completely, both Brunvoll and the wider sector were keen to know what would come next. Mr Finnoy believes this question has now been answered.

“Almost two years ago we started speaking about green shipping – environmental and sustainable shipping and maritime activities. I think everyone has now discovered and is a little bit surprised by how fast this is going”, he said. He believes there are certain segments that are going “very, very hard” down the green shipping route and acting as technology drivers. Looking at shuttle car ferries in particular, Mr Finnøy noted that new contracts for such vessels – frequently from state-owned bodies – have very tough demands for either no emissions or very low emissions. The result has been the development of fully electric vessels that make use of battery banks, charging when they dock at either end of their route to load up with vehicles. Such innovations are both technology and market drivers, Mr Finnøy said, and are spreading to other sectors.

“Other shipowners are starting to ask for solutions with less fuel consumption, less power and energy consumption” he said, adding some owners are even looking at 100% battery-driven vessels. He noted LNG is increasingly in demand, including as part of a hybrid solution with batteries for utilisation in peak shaving, in lots of areas, including in the cruise, fishery and shuttle tanker sectors. “This is affecting us of course, we have to be very focused on energy consumption to increase the overall efficiency rate,” he said. During the years of difficult market conditions, Brunvoll has continued to make efforts in both business and product development in a range of areas. “We see the market really asks that every project we are working with has some interest in reducing fuel or energy usage,” he said. ”It is an interesting subject, how the market is developing, and we see the top-level focus on new and sustainable development goals coming into operation on every project we are working with – the shipowners, the shipyards, the ship designers, everyone is occupied by this,” he said, adding “It is good to experience for all of us.”

STADT BRINGS ITS LEAN PROPULSION TO WORLD MARKETS Gjerdsvika-based Stadt has seen its no-loss lean drives installed on two of Topaz’ anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels, and has also targeted the US market for growth this year.

Dubai-based Topaz has installed Stadt’s technology on Topaz Master and Topaz Mariner, AHTS vessels with a bollard pull of 90 tonnes, a dynamic positioning class of DP2 and a dwt of 2,000. Each AHTS measures 64.8 m long by 16 m wide.

Stadt announced in January this year it had signed an

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agreement with WA Technical Sales for representation in the Gulf of Mexico, as part of a push to target the global maritime market.

Stadt chief executive Hallvard Slettevoll told Norwegian Solutions the company sees a general trend toward full diesel-electric or LNG-electric solutions for a range of ships, both commercial and naval, and that this is reflected in the US market.

He added “Our lean propulsion technology represents unique stealth and noise-free technology, a game changer for

naval ships in particular. We at Stadt register a tremendous interest for our extremely compact and robust patented solutions worldwide.”

The no-loss drive technology claims big advantages over traditional PWM (pulse width modulation) technology, because it is free from electric disturbances. It sends voltage and current to the electric motor and back to the main switchboard in the form of a sine wave, which results in low harmonic disturbance.

The electric drives can be used

alongside any main shipboard power source, including diesel, LNG, hybrid, and battery.

According to Stadt, this configuration offers a sustainable solution, because it reduces fuel consumption by up to 6%, reduces NOx, SOx and CO2 emissions, reduces maintenance and high redundancy, and noise. It has an estimated lifetime of 25 years and is available up to 100 MW in voltages up to 15 kV. Stadt’s lean technology is fitted aboard more than 30 ships, the company said. NS

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22 | TECHNOLOGY

Ferry operators focus on green solutions Norway's forwardlooking environmental policies make it a world leader in low- and zeroemission shipping

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eirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2005, have long been popular destinations for cruise ships, with more than 300,000 passengers visiting in 2017. But the Norwegian Government has built on a 2015 resolution requiring all new ferry tenders to have low- or zero-emission technology installed by declaring the World Heritage site to be the world’s first zero-emissions zone at sea.

“It is a brave policy we hope other nations and unique UNESCO World Heritage marine sites will adopt so that we, together with all international cruise lines, can protect our crown jewels of the ocean,” said Geirangerfjord World Heritage Foundation director Katrin Blomvik.

While rendering a vessel capable of operating entirely emissions-free might seem daunting, it is one that Norwegian designers, builders and operators are more than ready for. Ambitious politicians and government institutions already require many ferry routes to be low-emission or emission-free, resulting in many battery hybrids or pure battery-operated newbuild orders and deliveries.

One such example is Color Hybrid,with which Color Line, the largest cruise ferry line to operate on routes to and from Norway, is breaking new ground.

The environmentally friendly ship will

Norwegian Solutions 2018

Government institutions require many ferry routes to be low-emission or emission-free

be the world’s largest battery-hybrid ship when it enters service between Sandefjord and Strømstad in June next year, capable of charging via cable from shore facilities or being recharged on board by the ship’s own generators. It is 160 m long with a beam of 27.1 m and a draught of 6 m. It has a maximum speed of 17 knots and can carry 2,000 passengers and about 500 cars.

Ulstein Verft is building the vessel, which is currently under construction at the Crist shipyard in Gdynia, Poland and will be towed to Ulsteinvik in October before its targeted delivery date of May 2019.

The vessel is being built for the Norwegian

Ordinary Ship Register.

Color Line has installed shore power facilities in its Norwegian ports Oslo, Kristiansand, Larvik and Sandefjord. The facilities in Sandefjord will be used to charge the batteries of Color Hybrid.

Color Line chief executive Trond Kleivdal emphasised the environmental and sustainable development in his speech at the keel-laying. “The hybrid technology and other environmentally friendly solutions on board Color Hybrid will reduce noise and emissions of environmentally harmful gases to a minimum.”

“Predictability and an internationally

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competitive framework have been of the utmost importance when deciding to build the world’s largest plug-in ship, and the framework also makes it possible for us to look at further investments from a Norwegian standpoint, with future new and innovative maritime environmental solutions,” added Mr Kleivdal.

UlsteinGroup chief executive Gunvor Ulstein commented “Ulstein puts a lot of emphasis into developing greener, smarter and safer solutions. We are very happy with our co-operation with Color Line and that we have reached this important milestone together. We are looking forward to the hull arriving at Ulstein Verft in October.”

Color Line is also involved in an R&D project with Rolls-Royce, Norled and the Norwegian Coastal Administration to provide a new electrical system with a more efficient power output that is cheaper to run.

Upon completion, Color Hybrid will be the largest battery-hybrid ship in the world (credit: Ulstein)

Fjord1 speeds ahead with new technology Ferry operator Fjord1, based in Florø, has 22 all-electric ferries on its orderbook, with three already delivered. It was the first ferry operator to use LNG in the passenger shipping market, has two vessels that run on biodiesel and is involved in a project using hydrogen as fuel. In operation since 1858, it runs 70 vessels and has 50% of Norway’s ferry marketshare.

Speaking to Norwegian Solutions, Fjord1’s head of projects and newbuilding Arild Austrheim said “We are by far the leading company installing batteries in ships.”

Mr Austrheim added that this was being driven by the strict requirements of local governments in Norway to operate routes with low or zero emissions. The all-electric ferries span six large tender contracts and 18 different routes.

“We operate contracts on behalf of provincial governments, are competing with other companies and have to meet price and environmental criteria – we are competing on the highest degree of electric operation at the lowest costs,” he said.

The 25 all-electric ferries represent “quite a hectic scenario” for Fjord1, as so many of them are being delivered in such a short space of time. The 22 remaining ferries on the company’s orderbook will all be delivered by the end of next year, meaning that from the second half of 2019 Fjord1 will take delivery of a new vessel every third week on average.

“We are introducing a lot of technology at very high speed and there is no time to learn from the first ferry, so we are learning now,” Mr Austrheim said. “One of the things that we really hope the market will develop further are fully automatic charging solutions,” he added.

All the ferries are designed to operate as fully electric, but hybrid generators have been installed on board as a back-up.

Out of the 25 vessels, 13 are being constructed by Havyard Ship Technology in Norway. The remaining ferries are being built by Sefine, Cemre and Tersan shipyards in Turkey.

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Mr Austrheim said “We are building a lot locally as we believe in supporting local communities and due to the quality and cost efficiency of building in Norway.” Havyard is only a few hours’ drive from Fjord1’s headquarters in Floro. He pointed out that even though half of the ferries were being built in Turkey, they were being built with a lot of equipment from Norwegian suppliers and manufacturers, meaning the vessels consist of 30% Norwegian construction.

The company signed a deal this year for Rolls-Royce to supply its autocrossing system to 13 of its new all-electric vessels. All contracts also include two Azipull propellers for each vessel with an accompanying propeller control system from Rolls-Royce.

The automatic crossing system provides safe, predictable and energy-efficient transit back and forth by automatically controlling the vessel’s acceleration, deceleration, speed and track. The two energy-efficient Rolls-Royce Azipull thrusters respond adaptively to environmental conditions to ensure optimal behaviour and maximise efficiency.

The energy consumption of the new ferries will be measured and Fjord1 will be penalised if more energy is used than that included in the bid. The autocrossing solution will help the company ensure it sticks to the criteria specified in the contract.

“The idea is that it automatically repeats the best way of driving a ferry on a route. It will automatically calculate and act accordingly with the most energy efficient way to do the crossing and repeat this,” said Mr Austrheim.

Fjord1 is also involved in a hydrogen project overseen by the Federal Road Administration. It is developing a concept for a ferry using hydrogen and is competing with other operators to do this at the lowest cost.

“For some types of operation, hydrogen could lead to improvements and increase the opportunity to have zero-emission operations,” said Mr Austrheim. NS

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24 | TECHNOLOGY

Digitalisation drives an autonomous shipping future Norway has become a world leader in marine digitalisation, electronics, communications and electronic charts

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orwegian maritime technology has contributed a wealth of innovation and improved navigational safety, and with the availability of high-throughput satellites, advances in remote control and semi-autonomous navigation, this technology is heading to a new level.

It all started with the world’s first commercial sonar and autopilots and then moved through ship-to-shore communications, engine automation, dynamic positioning, radar, ECDIS, integrated bridge systems, VSAT and advanced voyage planning. Now, Norway is a leader in developing maritime digitalisation, vessel remote control, simulation training, autonomous ship operations and artificial intelligence.

Kongsberg group of companies is at the pinnacle of this technology drive as it provides the technical requirements for

operating the world’s first autonomous ship, providing the latest training simulators, delivering a maritime digitalisation platform and driving e-navigation.

Over the last two years, the group split into Kongsberg Digital and Kongsberg Maritime. This led to the launch of a new digital platform, Kognifai, in 2017. There are still close bonds between the two companies as Kongsberg Digital vice president and commercial manager Vigleik Takle explained to Norwegian Solutions. “Through complete integration we can bring operational technology to the digital level, while introducing a new cloudbased approach.”

Kognifai is a cloud-based platform for services and applications that support maritime and offshore operations. Mr Takle said these applications provide value and data analytics to Kognifai users.

“It enables secure, open access, sharing and analysis of any data from any source,” he said. “It is far from a cloud data store though, as we have developed it to be a powerful tool for development and collaboration.”

Key developments on Kognifai in 2018 include simulation-as-aservice, which has the potential to “transform the maritime training sector”, and a new digital twin solution that also leverages the company’s maritime simulator technology,” Mr Takle explained.

“We are integrating 3D models with our cutting-edge simulation, AI and machine learning technology and technical models,” he said, adding this has applications in offshore for simulating subsea and platform operations over “entire fields including support-vessel fleets”.

“Taking in sensor, automated, manual and predicted data to the twin on Kognifai only makes the twin stronger, while the holistic, flexible nature of the system can tear down silos between different

Norwegian technology will drive development of maritime autonomous surface ships

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said the ultimate aim is to use Marlink’s XChange centralised IT and communications management platform to provide full onboard hosting and monitoring of Seagull’s e-learning software and courses.

E-navigation technology

Simrad tests its radar and other bridge electronics in Egersund, Norway (credit: Riviera Maritime Media)

disciplines and deliver information to a higher level for more insightful decision making.”

Digital twins on Kognifai are helping to shape the future of autonomous maritime operations. Machine-learning algorithms are trained by the simulation model to learn how to react to unexpected situations.

A live digital twin of a maritime autonomous surface ship and other marine assets will augment safety as well as operational and logistical efficiency, said Mr Takle. Kognifai can deliver control of every single facet of an autonomous ship or fleet on a single platform.

This can include power management, route planning and electronic chart updating, onshore control rooms and interoperability with national vessel traffic centres. Data can be used to optimise vessel operations and enable the safe management of entire autonomous fleets.

Kongsberg group has used this technology for the world’s first all-electric, emissions-free, autonomous container vessel, Yara Birkeland, scheduled to enter service next year to transport fertilizer products to two Norwegian ports, Brevik and Larvik, which is likely to be operated unmanned in 2020.

Satcoms innovation

For autonomous shipping and other digitalisation technologies to be realised, satellite communications need to be effective, said Marlink president of maritime Tore Morten Olsen.

He explained that this network has grown to include 59 satellite beams on C- and Ku-band frequencies integrated with Ka-band service Fleet Xpress on Thor 7, with L-band mobile satellite services from Iridium and Inmarsat and global mobile phone networks.

This integrated communications technology enables onboard and online monitoring of vessel performance and fleet operations.

“As demand for the bandwidth that fuels digitalisation grows, we continue to expand our network,” Mr Olsen told Norwegian Solutions. “Our strategy is to apply new beams and deliver more bandwidth for maritime regions and users that need it.”

In June, Marlink boosted its satellite capacity in the Indian Ocean region and around the Falkland Islands with specific focus on delivering reliable, high-bandwidth VSAT services to merchant ships and commercial fishing vessels.

Marlink has also partnered with other Norwegian digitalisation service providers, such as maritime training provider Seagull.

Together they are creating an online environment for distributing and updating e-learning material using Marlink’s network. Mr Olsen

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Norway is at the heart of e-navigation and voyage routeing technology with many specialist suppliers located in the nation.

Of these, Navtor has gone the furthest in stretching these technologies up to new levels.

Navtor has already used its NavStation voyage planning software and workstation for testing remote control of vessels and is working with a Japanese company to develop an artificial intelligence routeing service. Navtor successfully demonstrated its remote control technology in a German port in November 2017 as part of a pan-European project.

One of its teams controlled a pilot vessel from a shore-based bridge to test route planning, voyage monitoring and transferring safety-critical navigation functions from the vessel to shore. The information between the vessel and the shore was communicated through mobile phone 3G or 4G networks and displayed on the onshore bridge.

Once in open water, the master handed control to the shorebased bridge, where its voyage was monitored using a camera feed and the vessel was controlled using the NavStation. During the test, the vessel was heading towards a collision with a buoy. The shorebased operator controlled the vessel around the hazard using a touchscreen workstation.

Electronics merger

Integration of operational technology has travelled to the boardroom in Norway. In July, Navico, which has a portfolio of marine electronics brands, acquired C-Map and its ENC distribution services. C-Map will become another brand within the Navico group, alongside Lowrance, Simrad and B&G, generating a powerhouse in marine electronics.

Navico’s Simrad produces a range of autopilots, radar and ECDIS technology. C-Map distributes ENCs using flatfee, leasing and payas-you-sail agreements. These technologies could be combined in a larger provider of bridge systems and services technology.

During Q1 2018 Simrad introduced bridge products for workboats, fishing vessels and yachts. It unveiled the NSO evo3 navigation system with integrated high-definition displays. These connect to GPS, autopilot, Simrad radar and echosounders. NSO evo3 are touchscreen displays with split-screen functions and iMX6 quad-core processors for rapid chart updates.

NSO evo3 can be connected to Simrad Halo radar and S5100 sounder modules for forward-looking and 3D sonar imaging and used for route planning and execution, collision avoidance and vessel system control.

Navico also introduced an IMO type-approved S3009 echosounder for commercial vessels and workboats, based on the non IMO-approved S2009 sounder used on leisure and fishing vessels. It comes with transducer options for both shallow and deep waters and, like its forebear, is said to be easy to install.

In May, C-Map introduced an updated version of its FleetManager program. This web-based product collates information about ship performance and route optimisation in realtime. C-Map also added an integrated maritime suite of services.

This combines route optimisation with weather, navigational charts and digital publications and can be integrated with C-Map’s shoreside fleet management tools. It relates to voyage planning and nautical information management, while helping owners lower fuel consumption and operational costs. NS

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26 | TECHNOLOGY

Digital twins optimise vessel design, maintenance and performance The Open Simulation Platform seeks to establish an industry standard open-source digital platform for simulation

The ‘digital twin’ concept allows for complex simulations of vessels and their systems (credit: Rolls-Royce)

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he Norwegian Competence Centre (NMK) in Ålesund is a thriving hub of innovation and Rolls-Royce Marine, which is to be acquired by Kongsberg, is just one of the tenants with a presence there, developing exciting technologies to make shipping safer and more efficient.

The Open Simulation Platform (OSP) initiative, which is working toward the creation of an industry-standard opensource digital simulation platform for models and systems, is just one example of such an endeavour. Norwegian Solutions visited NMK, where DNV GL principal engineer and project manager for OSP Kristine Bruun Ludvigsen gave more details on the project.

The OSP was established via the signing of a memorandum of understanding at NMK by Rolls-Royce Marine, DNV GL and SINTEF in July 2017.

It was officially launched in March 2018, when new partners including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kongsberg Digital, Vard and Offshore Simulator Centre, which also has a presence at NMK, came on board.

A platform such as the OSP allows so-called digital twins to be built, which are complex complete simulations of vessels and their systems. Such systems are

Norwegian Solutions 2018

already used in the automobile industry.

The idea is that contributors create virtualised versions of their hardware (for example, a thruster) by gathering performance data from the asset using sensors, Ms Ludvigsen explained. As the digital twin is built from data gathered from the physical asset, it is still compatible with the software used on that, she added.

These virtualised versions are the digital twins, and under OSP would be submitted to a central library.

OSP will develop a standardised co-simulation interface that will allow virtualised versions of assets to be simulated together (for example, it would allow a thruster to be simulated alongside the engine that powers it). This will bring together the digital twins into a cosimulation master algorithm, incorporating multiple systems.

Potential uses for digital twins include optimisation, requirement design and type approval during the design phase of a project, integration, testing and acceptance, interface management and certification in the construction phase and change management, troubleshooting, training and classification in the operational phase.

Ms Ludvigsen said that while models

and simulation are already widely used, re-use of models between parties – for example, with vendors sharing the models with customers or class societies – was limited due to reluctance to share intellectual property and cyber-security fears. While the goal of the project is to share information and that vendors would supply models of equipment as a matter of course, Ms Ludvigsen explained that vendors who did not want to unnecessarily share sensitive data would have the option of simulating their systems on their own servers and providing the customer with the output data. Vendors can also opt to make models available free or charge a fee to users wishing to access them.

A protoype of the system is already running, simulating a vessel and a DP system conducting a dynamic positioning operation. This prototype uses the cloud to allow teams in different locations to work together to optimise the system design and vessel performance, to verify correct handling of control-system failures for the vessel’s automated positioning system and to vary system changes and their operational impact before they are deployed to the actual vessel.

Rolls-Royce Marine is also using the tool to create a digital twin simulation

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model that will verify the power and propulsion system modules and their integration via a virtual test setup.

AN IDEAL TESTBED FOR AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY

Norway is pushing to win the autonomous shipping race as the testing schedule continues apace for Kongsberg and fertiliser company Yara’s Yara Birkeland, heralded as the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship when it was announced last year, due to enter service in 2020.

Yara Birkeland is a 120-TEU open-top container ship with 3,200 dwt. It measures 79.5 m long, 14.8 m wide and has a full draught of 6 m. Its fully electric propulsion system comprises two azimuthing propeller pods, two tunnel thrusters and a 7-9 MWh battery pack. It will have a service speed of 6 knots and a maximum speed of 13 knots. The vessel does not require ballast tanks, instead using the battery pack as permanent ballast.

The sensor package on the vessel includes radar, lidar, AIS and regular and infrared cameras.

It is estimated by Kongsberg that Yara Birkeland will reduce NOx and CO2 emissions by cutting roughly 40,000 diesel-powered truck journeys per year.

The first phase of testing, scheduled for this year, will be manned and the vessel will be fitted with a detachable bridge with

manoeuvring and navigation equipment mounted. The vessel is targeted for delivery in Q1 2019 with autonomous testing to take place the same year.

Kongsberg and Yara are aiming for the vessel to be fully autonomous in 2020.

As well as reducing emissions, the vessel will result in other efficiencies – explaining the benefits of a crewless design to the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Kongsberg Maritime chief executive Geir Håøy said “Space previously designated for crew can be freed up for more cargo and designed to reduce wind resistance. By designing the hull for optimal energy efficiency, fuel consumption can be reduced significantly.”

When it attains fully autonomous operational status, the vessel will sail between three ports, Herøya, Brevik and Larvik, in southern Norway, remaining within 12 nautical miles of the coast.

Three staffed onshore operation and control centres will handle condition and operational monitoring, decision support, surveillance, emergency and exception handling and all safety-related aspects of the vessel’s operation.

The fully autonomous, zero-emissions nature of the project has now been expanded, with Kalmar signing up to provide a digitalised container-handling solution consisting of equipment, software and services for the vessel.

This will comprise an automated railmounted gantry crane (AutoRMG), three

FastCharge AutoStrad straddle carriers, a FastCharge charging station and the related automation and safety systems.

“With this agreement, Yara Birkeland is not just the world's first electric and autonomous container vessel; it is the world's first fully digitalised and electric supply chain, with all operations, including loading, unloading and sailing conducted in a fully autonomous manner with zero emissions,” said Yara’s executive vice president of production, Tove Andersen.

And Kongsberg’s autonomous expertise is set to grow further with its acquisition of Rolls-Royce Marine, covering the commercial activities of its parent company, for £500M (US$658M).

Rolls-Royce technologies will bring benefits to Kongsberg’s projects such as Intelligent Awareness, which uses multiple sensors with intelligent software to mitigate against navigational safety risks.

“This deal comes at a time when the maritime industry is at the dawn of a new and exciting era where digital and electrical technologies will transform shipping,” said Rolls-Royce’s president of commercial marine Mikael Makinen, adding “RollsRoyce has been responsible for leading many of those technological advancements, and with a combination of great people, market-leading technology and a desire

by Kongsberg to take this business to the next level, I am sure that this business will prosper in the years to come.” NS

Kalmar is providing autonomous cargo-handling systems for Yara Birkeland

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28 | HIGH NORTH AND ARCTIC

SAFEGUARDING LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN NORWAY‘S POLAR REGIONS The world looks to Norwegian expertise in handling the challenges and opportunities offered by polar regions

Diminishing polar ice has resulted in increased tourism

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MO’s Polar Code, which entered into force in January 2017, applies to vessels operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters and aims to both ensure vessel safety and protect the environment in polar regions, factoring in the extreme conditions and additional challenges these regions impose. Currently nine Norwegian-flagged vessels are certified under the Polar Code.

In February 2018, Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries specialty director for international maritime regulations and polar affairs, Siv Christin Gaalaas gave a presentation on the Norwegian experience of the code’s implementation at the International Conference on Harmonized Implementation in Helsinki.

“With the diminishing of ice in polar areas we have seen an increase in polar tourism and furthermore we know the ocean has immense potential for new growth,” said Ms Gaalaas, adding that Norway anticipates more Arctic activity in the future with shipping playing a major role.

Noting that more than 80% of shipping traffic in the high north is in Norwegian waters, Ms Gaalaas said “As a responsible flag and coastal state it is important for us to ensure and balance the opportunities and challenges in a safe and environmentally friendly way.”

In 2016, the SARex 1 exercise was carried out to simulate a mass evacuation from a cruise ship in distress in Arctic Waters. In April 2017, this exercise was repeated to test whether improvements to rescue equipment made as a result of SARex 1 to bring it in line with

Norwegian Solutions 2018

the Polar Code requirement for a minimum survival time of five days, would substantially increase the probability of long-term survival.

Organised by DNV GL, the University of Stavanger and the Norwegian Coast Guard, participants came from Norwegian academia, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and equipment manufacturers Viking-Life (based in Denmark) and NorSafe (based in Arendal, Norway), who supplied a lifeboat and a life raft, respectively, for the exercise.

Participants were tested throughout the exercise in three areas – fine motor skills, gross motor skills and cognitive skills, as well as having heart rate, oxygen saturation and epitympanic temperature monitored. Participants also scored themselves on subjective factors such as thirst and hunger, discomfort, and fatigue.

A main finding, Ms Gaalaas said, was that improved lifesaving appliances on their own are not sufficient. In a survival situation multiple mechanisms interact, meaning survival is not just about having the right equipment, she noted – it is also about physical and mental robustness, and being able to carry out required tasks for however long it takes to be rescued. The reports made following SARex 2 found that maintaining cognitive abilities and preventing the onset of fatigue are key, and a minimum level of comfort is required to ensure survival in a harsh environment.

Other important areas for survival were identified as being air quality, sufficient space to move, ability to stay warm, calorie and water intake.

“We still need to continue our efforts in ensuring and harmonising an effective implementation of the Polar Code” at national and international levels, Ms Gaalaas said, adding “collective efforts to raise awareness and understanding of the Polar Code are needed.”

“We need to look in future more closely at the human element as well as training,” she said.

Norsafe, based in Arendal, has been building and developing lifesaving appliances such as lifeboats since 1903. In anticipation of the code coming into force, it performed several full-scale tests in both simulated and realistic conditions to document product performance, mitigate potential risks and address lifecycle issues of its products that may be exposed to polar conditions. These included ways to prevent loss of warmth from a heated lifeboat in conditions of -30°C and the performance of installed sprinklers in icy conditions.

The company has since received several orders for specialised polar equipment, including supplying Polar Code-compliant equipment for the British Antarctic Survey’s research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough and for an Australian Antarctic Division supply and research vessel under construction by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.

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Cruise companies look to Norway for polar expertise The expedition cruise sector demands vessels that combine the luxury and comfort of a traditional cruise ship with the robust, sturdy, efficient designs required of vessels that navigate harsh polar conditions. Expedition cruise operators such as French cruise operator Ponant frequently look to Norwegian yards and designers to provide this expertise, as orders made in the past year demonstrate.

The keel has been laid for Lindblad Expeditions’s first polar newbuild, National Geographic Endurance,

designed by Ulstein, at the Crist shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. Set for delivery in Q1 2020, the vessel has a Polar Class 5 rating, meaning it can operate without hindrance at any time of the year in polar environments comprising medium first-year ice. It can provide accommodation for 126 guests. The vessel features Ulstein’s signature X-BOW hull design, which boosts fuel efficiency and stability in rough seas.

Hapag-Lloyd has chosen Vard to build its new expedition ship, Hanseatic

Spirit, set for launch in Q2 2021. The vessel will join Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, both structurally identical and likewise built at Vard’s shipyard. The vessels will have a Polar Class 6 rating, meaning they are capable of summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice.

Vard has been chosen

by French cruise operator Ponant to design and build a luxury polar expedition cruise vessel, Ponant Icebreaker, set for delivery in Q2 2021. The vessel will

have an LNG/electric hybrid propulsion system and will produce zero emissions when in electric-hybrid mode. It is compliant with IMO’s 2020 regulations on SOx emissions and existing ECA requirements. Ponant Icebreaker is designed to carry passengers to destinations such as the geographic North Pole, the Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea and Peter I Island and has a polar class of PC2, meaning it is capable of year-round operations in moderate multiyear ice conditions.

Hurtigruten backs Arctic HFO ban Norwegian cruise, ferry and cargo firm Hurtigruten and the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, among others, threw their weight behind the campaign for a ban on using heavy fuel oil (HFO) in Arctic waters, which is currently under development by IMO. Hurtigruten, whose vessels have plied coastal routes in the west and north of Norway between Bergen and Kirkenes since 1893, in March encouraged other delegates at the polar conference session at Seatrade Cruise Global to back the campaign, with chief executive Daniel Skjeldam saying “I do not think that it is OK to bring in 5,000-bed cruise ships loaded with fuel oil” and calling for more regulations.

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Mr Skjeldam also noted that under current regulations, no specific training is required to operate in polar regions, sayting it required a “completely different skill set… the weather can change very quickly… ice conditions change in minutes.”

Norway was joined by Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the US in cosponsoring the Clean Arctic Alliance’s proposal for a ban on HFO shipping in Arctic waters by 2021, put forward during the 72nd session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in April 2018. NS

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30 | NORWAY IN ASIA

Perfect time to apply Norwegian expertise to Asia’s bright prospects Innovation Norway Singapore senior advisor Jeffrey Lai sees Norwegian knowledge and Asian opportunities as an ideal match

T ABOVE: Singapore is seen as a likely LNG hub for Asia (credit: Zairon)

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he Norwegian petroleum industry has more than 50 years of experience operating in challenging offshore conditions.

We take pride that Norwegian shipbuilders and suppliers are well recognised for their quality, innovation and efforts in delivering world-class solutions covering all areas of the energy and petroleum industry.

However, they are faced with a difficult global market even though we have seen oil prices stabilise at around US$60-70 per barrel for several quarters in the past year.

Many suppliers have accepted the new reality that orders are likely to be few and far between for at least the next few years.

Any new projects that do come along will see more competition among suppliers and vendors offering aggressive pricing

to secure contracts. In my view, it will not be easy but the best way to meet future growth and challenges is to adapt, change, innovate and transform to stay ahead of the competition. You cannot go wrong if you continue to work with customers to show adaptability with cost-effective solutions.

Instead of scaling back operations in Singapore and the surrounding region, it is wise for Norwegian companies to strengthen their presence in Singapore, as this will serve them well in the long term.

This is because Singapore serves as an important hub for Asia, where it remains one of the most attractive growth regions with rising consumer demand for gas and the use of LNG as an alternative marine fuel. Many analysts have predicted that Singapore is on track to become the Asian LNG trading hub

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to serve the future needs of the LNG cluster within the next five to 10 years.

In addition, Singapore has invested in many exciting initiatives to secure its long-term competitiveness and value proposition by putting up the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map to catalyse innovation, drive productivity improvements and enhance the skills of the maritime workforce. The aim is to grow the sector’s value-add by S$4.5Bn (US$3.3Bn) and create more than 5,000 good jobs by 2025. Singapore is also recognised internationally as a worldleading international maritime hub, with several global surveys, such as the XinhuaBaltic Exchange and Menon studies, endorsing it. Today, we have more than 30 international shipping groups spanning not only the traditional container, bulk and tanker sectors but also the offshore and LNG markets. Many businesses see Singapore as a springboard to the Asian market.

These are possibilities that call for ‘ready, able and willing’ Norwegian suppliers to leverage their expertise and experience to seek out new ways of improving overall efficiency and tap into relevant opportunities in the maritime, offshore and gas value chains. In addition, one potential area for collaboration is clean energy. In recent years, Singapore has piloted hydrogen cars, photovoltaic systems, autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles, with ambitions to implement some of these projects as early as 2019.

Singapore has always adopted a forwardlooking strategy with possible funding support for relevant companies and start-ups to bolster collaboration with local partners and provide a suitable environment to test-bed new technologies to find possible uses for new technology.

With a growing trend of less profitable projects, many buyers will expend more effort to choose the right supplier by using evaluation criteria to achieve timely deliveries. These steps involve having a more stringent supplier-selection process, a greater focus on using longer FEED (front end engineering and design) and greater efficiency focus by embracing new digital tools, including non-physical flows such as data, and using technology as part of the project execution.

Many hard lessons have been learnt by suppliers who have had to pay compensation for late deliveries. In one case involving an FPSO project secured by Bumi Armada, they had to pay US$20M in liquidated damages to EnQuest for a nine-

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Jeffrey Lai (Innovation Norway Singapore): Instead of scaling back operations in Singapore and the surrounding region, it is wise for Norwegian companies to strengthen their presence

month delay in first oil.

Therefore, effective project execution is critical. Clearly, it is not good enough to rely on standard norms and practices anymore. Even the best strategy is pointless unless it is supported by effective execution. Otherwise, any unexpected delays in delivery can transform a profitable contract into a loss-making deal as a result of heavy financial penalties.

Notwithstanding the importance of good experience, it is crucial to understand the local markets and there is simply no better substitute than having a local presence to provide hands-on insight to deal with any project disruptions, complexities and customers’ changing demands.

Here, Norwegian companies are fortunate in having the presence of Norwegian Government offices in important international markets to support their efforts to go abroad. As senior advisor at Innovation Norway Singapore and representative energy advisor for NORWEP Singapore (Norwegian Energy Partners), my role is to assist Norwegian small and medium-sized businesses to be more nimble, well-informed and effective in their response to dynamic shifts in demand in the offshore industry. We will organise more outreach programmes like ‘Go Global’ business missions and Singapore offshore roadshows to help them to assess the market, review their business models and create arenas where they can meet with decision makers and understand the possibilities offered.

It seems to be in their DNA that

Norwegian companies are an impressive lot. They believe in taking action and taking concrete steps to build new capabilities to be future-ready to meet changing market demands. That explains why we have good participation from Norwegian companies taking part in our programmes, reflecting their strong desire to bring their ideas and businesses to Singapore and beyond.

On the market outlook, we believe there is a strong balanced recovery in the offshore markets and exciting prospects within renewables development so it is not a question if it is going to happen but rather a matter of when it will happen.

We believe there are positive signs that the offshore markets are picking up in certain segments, but unevenly. As well as this, there are exciting prospects in renewables development. So my view is to reiterate that it is a matter of time before both happen. I believe we are overdue for better times. We should see much more of a gradual increase in spending on capex and business activities that will lead to more sustainable higher growth, economic rewards and prosperity in this region.

There is a Chinese saying that “The early bird catches the worm”. Applying that to the world of business, you will have an advantage if you are able to prepare well and act first to capture growth opportunities before anyone else does.

Please contact Jeffrey Lai to learn more about participating in the NorwaySingapore programmes mentioned. NS

Norwegian Solutions 2018