Page 60: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Mar/Apr 2018)

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IT & BIG DATA

UNLOCKING

THE DATA

GOLDMINE

THROUGH

AUTOMATION

Future-proofng the next generation of vessels paves the way for a thriving, sustainable and proftable shipping industry.

By Børge Nogva s ships become increasingly smart, green, and sophis- that make operations safer and more effcient.

ticated, the amount of electronic information handled Unfortunately, these systems are often overlooked at design

Aon board is increasing exponentially. Hundreds of stage, but as automation partners continue to raise awareness millions of data points are being generated across the industry of the benefts of automated systems in terms of improving every single day, but we need real-time analytics and the right vessels’ reliability and performance, we are seeing a shift in expertise and understanding to fully harness their potential. mindset among ship owners and operators. Better utilization

With the right tools, these rich sources of information can pro- of on board data, reliable systems and cost-effcient opera- vide ship owners and operators with an unprecedented insight tions resonates well with demands in the growing feet of ves- into their ship’s systems, which, in turn, can lead to important sels carrying and being fuelled by LNG.

effciency savings and reliability improvements.

However, if industry is to exploit the tangible opportunities Industry focus: LNG vessels that the growth of Big Data and digitalization presents, it’s One of the biggest breakaway stories from last year was the important to gain a better understanding of the automated sys- rise of LNG as a marine fuel and power source. The booming tems on board a ship, which allow users to tap into the wealth industry is refected in the growing number of LNG vessels: as of information that is sent throughout a vessel as a series of of January 2018, there were 119 LNG-powered vessels in op- inputs and outputs during a voyage. This includes the engine’s eration, with orderbook fgures coming in at 125 – a number safety system, which is normally supplied with the engine to that is certain to grow. Indeed, a survey conducted by German keep its operation safe. Another example is the vessel’s pro- trade fair organizer, Hamburg Messe and Congress, revealed peller control system, which is usually supplied by the propel- that 44% of respondents cited LNG as their frst choice when ler maker and controls the pitch, rpm and clutches. Further- contemplating fuel for newbuild projects. more, integrated automation systems such as the Høglund IAS This coincides with a global increase in demand for LNG, (Integrated Automation System) can be used to deliver a range particularly in Asia. A recent report from BNEF revealed that of alarm and control tasks. And this is not an exhaustive list; the global demand for LNG is estimated to grow by 7.2% this ship owners have many sophisticated tools at their disposal year, surpassing the 300 million tons per annum mark for the 60 Maritime Logistics Professional March/April 2018 | |