International consortium aims to reimagine containership

AUGUST 31, 2018 — In the run up to SMM 2018 in Hamburg, an international consortium of seven companies led by Dubai based Zaitoun Green Shipping L.L.C. (ZGS) recently inked a collaboration agreement to develop a more efficient, greener container vessel.

“The industry has a lot of potential particularly stemming from underperforming systems and processes,” says Tommi Keskilohko, Director, Customer Innovations, Cargo Handling, MacGregor. “For this collaboration project, we can offer a great deal of experience stemming from our own commitment to increase the efficiency of cargo handling. The MacGregor PlusPartner concept is helping customers to maximize the cargo carrying capacity of containers on board their vessels, which makes assets more profitable and eco-efficient.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, a leader in intelligent cargo handling solutions, brings its expertise and know-how in how to maximize the earning potential of container vessels.   

In addition to ZGS and MacGregor, other consortium companies are Wärtsilä, a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets; Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), engineering company expert in containment systems with cryogenic membranes used to transport and store liquefied gas, in particular LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas); Carina Solutions (C4), a specialist company in project management and supply chain processes; Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), a leading developer of low-speed 2-stroke engines; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment (MHI-MME), a provider of energy saving and environmental solutions.

“There is a pressing need to address inefficiencies and to improve business practices in the shipping industry. A major challenge is that the suboptimal choice and utilization of onboard systems are hindering performance and hence, therefore, also profitability. This is an area we shall be focusing on,” says Stein Thorsager, Sales Director for Merchant & Gas Carriers in Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

The goals of the consortium are very much in line with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine Ecosystem vision, which foresees a future where smart ships can sail between smart ports with the optimum use of resources in an environment of high efficiency, enhanced safety and minimal environmental impact. Wärtsilä is employing high levels of connectivity and digitalization to realize this vision.

The parties have agreed to establish a consortium team where each member company has an important role to play in developing and building a state-of-the-art container ship that features the highest possible levels of efficiency in all areas.

Executives of the seven consortium companies at the agreement signing ceremony. From left to right,  Emmanuel Rousseau (GTT), Koichi Matsushita (MHI-MME), Kusakabe Atsuo (MHI-MME) , Ibrahim Behairy (WinGD) Tommi Keskilohko (MacGregor), SteinThorsager (Wärtsilä), Reetta Kaila (Wärtsilä), Mohamed Zaitoun (ZGS), Ari Viitanen, (C4), Rudolf Wettstein ( WinGD Arto Toivonen, (MacGregor)