International – June 2019
FarSounder Receives Japanese Patent
FarSounder, a creator of 3D forward-looking sonar, received its fifth patent, issued by the Japanese Patent Office, one of the largest in the world. The patent relates to the company’s invention of integrated sonar devices that integrate forward-looking sensors with down-looking echosounders, side scan sonar or both. It includes a forward-looking sonar device that operates in an integrated fashion with one or more sonar devices. It is FarSounder’s first patent issued in Japan.
V.Group Pushes for Proactive Approach to 2020
Vessel management and support services provider V.Group is urging shipowners and operators to take a proactive approach to compliance with the 2020 IMO fuel sulphur rules. It is predicted that most ships will burn ultralow sulphur fuel oils (ULSFOs) to comply with the sulphur cap legislation, switching from high-sulphur fuel oil (HFO) to ULSFOs with a sulphur content at, or below, 0.50 percent, unless equipped with scrubbers.
With less than nine months before the 2020 rule goes into effect, growing numbers of shipowners and operators are developing ship implementation plans (SIPs) to mitigate risks and minimize disruption, a trend V.Group says it supports.
Fleet Data IoT Service Launched
Inmarsat and NAPA, a provider of maritime software, services and data analysis, have signed an agreement to enable shipowners and managers to access and analyze real-time onboard data efficiently through a dedicated application hosted on Inmarsat’s Fleet Data IoT service.
Developed by Inmarsat and Danelec Marine, and made commercially available earlier this year, Fleet Data collects data from onboard sensors and pre-processes and uploads the data to a central cloud database equipped with a dashboard and an API. NAPA will then use this data to offer services for vessel performance monitoring, analytics and optimization.
Modular and Hybrid Scrubber Systems Available
Unique Group has become a major shareholder in Kamelia Cleantech to offer end-to-end integrated scrubber solutions for removing sulphur dioxide from vessel exhausts for the global shipping industry. Kamelia Cleantech will combine its technical knowledge with Unique Group’s global presence to provide scrubber systems that are modular and offered as open-loop, hybrid and hybrid ready.
Cooperation Yields Integrated Engine Monitoring
WinGD and ExxonMobil have announced a new collaboration that will see WinGD’s Integrated Digital Expert (WiDE) predictive maintenance technology join forces with the Mobil Serv Cylinder Condition Monitoring service. The agreement will provide vessel operators a range of performance benefits during a period of unprecedented change in the lead up to the IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap rule.
WAM-V Marine Robotics Enter Australia
Blue Zone Group will be the exclusive distributor of the Marine Advanced Robotics WAM-V product line in Australia. BlueZone Group has been a supplier of subsea equipment and systems to industry, science and academia for more than 40 years and has introduced a number of innovative technologies to the Australian market in support of maritime unmanned systems for customers in defense, offshore oil and gas and oceanographic science.
Marine Advanced Robotics is a provider of unmanned and autonomous ocean robots and the designer and manufacturer of the WAM-V, a vessel technology designed to provide stability, portability and scalability.
Hydro Group Partners with Japanese Company
International underwater connectivity manufacturer Hydro Group established a new partnership with Japanese electrical and optical products company Riken Dengu Seizo Co. Ltd. The Tokyo-headquartered firm will be the official distributor and business partner for Hydro Group’s subsea connectivity product range, including subsea electrical/optical cables and connection assemblies, in the Japanese market.
Riken Dengu Seizo caters to the defense and aerospace sectors.
Global Shipping Groups Increase Cooperation
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) signed a joint memorandum of understanding that codifies the level of cooperation that currently exists between the international trade associations and provides a framework for closer cooperation. The three associations represent more than 90 percent of the world merchant fleet.
New Engine Simulator at Indian Training Center
Kongsberg Digital has completed the delivery, installation, site acceptance test and handover of a K-Sim Full Mission Engine Simulator to the Institute of Marine Engineers (IMEI) in India. The simulator was installed in IMEI’s head office and training center in Mumbai, India, in February to prepare post-sea marine engineers for their certificate of competency examination, conducted by India’s Directorate General of Shipping.
DeepOcean Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Established as DeepOcean AS in Haugesund, Norway, in 1999, DeepOcean has since expanded globally, serving all major oil and gas and offshore energy markets, with its main operations based in the North Sea, Africa and the Americas, and new corporate headquarters in Oslo, Norway.
Since 2016, it has been owned by Triton. It acquired Searov in 2017 and Delta Subsea in 2018.