Page 48: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2016)

AUTOMATION

Hrönn Hrönn (Photo: Automated Ships Ltd.)

Unmanned Autonomous Boat for Offshore Ops hile talk of autono- with the participation of DNV GL and the near future. satellite and position reference, marine mous operations in the the NMA, and Norwegian and UK Hrönn will initially operate and automation and communication. All maritime sector have companies and institutions, it will be function primarily as a remotely pi- vessel control systems including K-Pos

Wswirled for years, the possible to rapidly and at low-cost be loted ship, in Man-in-the-Loop Con- dynamic positioning, K-Chief automa- talk becomes reality as Automated the ? rst to market with a full-size un- trol mode, but will transition to fully tion and K-Bridge ECDIS will be rep-

Ships Ltd. (an M Subs Ltd subsidiary) manned ship. automated, and ultimately autonomous licated at an Onshore Control Centre, and Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime operations as the control algorithms are allowing full remote operations of the signed a Memorandum of Understand- Meet Hrönn developed concurrently during remote- Hrönn.

ing to build the world’s ? rst unmanned Hrönn is a light-duty, offshore utility ly piloted operations. Hrönn is expected to be built by Fjell- and fully-automated vessel for offshore ship servicing the offshore energy, sci- Automated Ships Ltd will be the strand AS, a Norwegian shipyard with operations. enti? c/hydrographic and offshore ? sh- primary integrator, project manager a long history of building state-of-the-

In January 2017, Automated Ships farming industries. Its intended uses and ship-owner of this world’s ? rst art aluminium fast ferries in addition to

Ltd will contract the ‘Hrönn’, which include but are not limited to: fully automated and unmanned ship for a number of steel offshore vessels and will be designed and built in Norway in • Survey commercial use. The project will le- aluminium work boats. As the builder cooperation with KONGSBERG. Sea • ROV and AUV Launch & Recovery verage existing technology to develop of the world’s ? rst battery driven car trials will take place in Norway’s new- • Light intermodal cargo delivery and a robust, ? exible and low-cost ship to ferry, ‘Ampere’, Fjellstrand AS is well ly designated automated vessel test bed delivery to offshore installations, become the market leader and offer not known for taking the lead in maritime in the Trondheim fjord and will be con- and only a capable work-boat but provide innovation and green technology.

ducted under the auspices of DNV GL • Open-water ? sh farm support. an unparalleled R&D asset for the fur- “Fjellstrand AS has for years worked and the Norwegian Maritime Authority The vessel can also be used as a stand- therance of this emerging industry sec- within the high-end development of (NMA). The Hrönn will ultimately be by vessel, able to provide ? re? ghting tor. new vessels. To design and build future classed and ? agged, respectively. support to an offshore platform work- Kongsberg’s role in the project is to ships with autonomic technology will

Currently, only small unmanned ing in cooperation with manned ves- deliver all major marine equipment be an exciting challenge, and follows boats are being used for near shore sels. Automated Ships Ltd is currently necessary for the design, construction the path laid from the recent building operations but there are no technical in discussion with several end-users and operation of Hrönn. The leading of Ampere where technology is pushed limitations to constructing large, un- that will act as early-adopters and to global maritime technology manu- forward in good cooperation with part- manned and automated systems. The establish a base-rate for operations and facturer will deliver all systems for ners,” said Morten Berhovde, Techni- only impediments are regulatory, but secure contracts for Hrönn offshore, in dynamic positioning and navigation, cal Director, Fjellstrand AS.

48 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • DECEMBER 2016

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