ECSA concerned by continued Gulf of Guinea piracy

JUNE 30, 2017 — European shipowners are concerned about the continued piracy, armed robbery attacks and kidnapping for ransom events in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), and particularly off Nigeria. According to

Denmark eyes blockchain path to digitizing ship registration

MAY 22, 2017 — The Danish Maritime Authority is launching a pilot project looking at blockchain technology as a possible path to digitalization of the entire ship registration process. When they want

European shipowners draw up Brexit wish list

MAY 17, 2017 — European shipowners today published their priorities when it comes to the outcome of Brexit negotiations on Britain’s departure from the European Union. The European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA)

Denmark shows shipowners how to avoid PSC problems

APRIL 20, 2017 — The Danish Maritime Authority will hold three meetings on Port State Control (PSC) inspections this year, one of them conducted in English. Held for shipowners’ shore-based and ship-based

LNG bunkering is an idea whose time hasn’t come (yet)

MARCH 28, 2017—With the the IMO Global Sulfur Cap of 0.5% looming on the horizon in 2020, Jack Jordan, Editorial Lead, S&P Global Platts, writes about whether shipowners will embrace burning Liquefied

DOJ: Record year for shipowner pollution penalties

JANUARY 17, 2017 — The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has been tallying up its achievements in 2016. It notes that it “continued its robust program

LR defines “autonomy levels” for ship design and operation

JULY 11, 2016 — Classification society LR says that, with autonomous ships likely to enter service soon, it has set out the “how” of marine autonomous operations in a new ShipRight procedure

First two ship operators join autonomous ship group

APRIL 12, 2016 — Two Finnish companies have become the first commercial operators to join the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) project, led by Rolls-Royce. They are ferry operator Finferries and

Alfa Laval to offer open training courses

 

“To ensure safety and optimal use – but also economy in maintenance and operation – it’s important that customers understand the equipment they work with and the many factors that impact its operation,” says Caroline Carlstedt, Training Manager, Alfa Laval Service.

Alfa Laval’s emphasis on training is evidenced, for example, byt the recently built Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre in Aalborg, Denmark, which comprises cutting-edge training facilities in addition to its 250 sq.m testing space.

Customer-focused courses are regularly conducted on Alfa Laval’s premises in Tumba, Sweden and worldwide in locations like the

Philippine capital of Manilla, where around 500 customers are trained each year.

Now Alfa Laval will also offer a range of open coursesl, allowing individual operators and small groups to participate together with industry peers.

Why open training courses?

“Training is in everyone’s interest, but not all shipowners and operators are in a position to fill a dedicated Alfa Laval course,” says Ms. Carlstedt. “Alfa Laval’s open training courses, which will primarily be held at our facilities in Tumba, Sweden, will make our specialist expertise more broadly available to the marine industry.”

“A customer-specific course has the benefit of being 100% focused on that customer’s unique challenges,” she says. “On the other hand, an open course means opportunities to exchange experience with industry peers in similar positions, facilitated by Alfa Laval experts who can provide deeper insights and lead the way to best practices for all present.”

Open training courses will focus on key areas of concern for all shipowners and operators. The first, which will deal with separators, will be a three-day course aimed at equipment operators, technical crew and superintendents. This course will take place February 23-25, 2016.

By relating in-depth knowledge through the courses, and by teaching proper operational, maintenance and service procedures, Alfa Laval experts will help participants to optimize safety and ensure the correct handling that prevents unnecessary wear and stops.

“When customers have attended, they will understand their equipment and be familiar with the issues that affect its operation, which means they will be able use that equipment in the best possible way,” says Ms. Carlstedt. “That will contribute not only to lower maintenance costs, but also to lower operating costs. And when it comes time to refurbish, upgrade or replace the equipment, knowledgeable and competent personnel will be able to provide qualified feedback and support that will lead to a competitive long-term solution.”

ABB unveils Integrated Operations Center

Onboard sensors and software send equipment and performance data via satellite link to the center, allowing shipowners, in collaboration with ABB experts, to perform remote troubleshooting and make informed judgements about the ship’s performance and maintenance plan.

The new center fits into the ABB’s marine Integrated Operations concept which utilizes the “Internet of Things, Services and People” (IoTSP) to connect ships, their owner’s technical headquarters and ABB’s support departments. Through the IoTSP, ABB is able to monitor many of the ship’s critical equipment systems and key parameters, for example on power production and Azipod propulsion.

More than 500 vessels are currently connected to ABB’s Integrated Operations set up.
 
ABB says that with Integrated Operations, shipowners can implement a way of working that saves up to 50% on drydocking costs on ABB equipment, if monitoring, pre-survey, and project execution are managed in close cooperation between ABB and the owner. Data is collected from systems and used as input for maintenance work during dry dockings.

“We are monitoring the key parameters which will have direct impact on the critical equipment and could lead either to downtime or to a significant loss in efficiency,” says Richard Windischhofer, VP Integrated Operations. “We are proactive in our relationship with our customers and with the new Integrated Operations Center we proactively monitor the critical alarms and inform the crew about issues – sometimes even before they notice them themselves.”

ABB says the center is also the next step in the journey to more autonomous shipping operations. The support capabilities available via the IoTSP mean that a larger proportion of an  owner’s highly qualified staff can work on shore with whole fleets rather than on board individual ships.

“Shipowners are always looking for more efficient ways to run their business and the Integrated Operations Center can play an active role in reducing their maintenance costs,” says Heikki Soljama, Managing Director of ABB’s Marine and Ports. “The Internet of Things, Services and People is providing exciting opportunities and we are at the forefront of this new wave of innovation.”

 

LOAD MORE