1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.

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“The data is not just for the office managers. It is a tool that staff
on board can use, so they need to be familiar with the software”
Vijay Rangroo, managing director, MTM Ship Management, see page 6
99.9%
NETWORK AVAILABILITY
WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING LIVES AT SEA,
THE GMDSS STANDARD HAS BEEN SET
Find out more at inmarsat.com/safety
Every single day, hundreds of thousands of seafarers place their trust in Inmarsat’s
safety services, knowing we’ll be there when it matters most.
1st Quarter 2017
volume 11 issue 1

Regulars 1st Quarter 2017

3 COMMENT volume 11 issue 1
4 ON THE AGENDA
6 OPERATOR FEEDBACK
Editor: Martyn Wingrove
38 BEST OF THE WEB t: +44 20 8370 1736
40 FORESIGHT e: martyn.wingrove@rivieramm.com

Sales Manager: Paul Dowling

Special report: forward thinking t: +44 20 8370 7014
9 Marlink’s Tore Morten Olsen and ABS’s Howard Fireman e: paul.dowling@rivieramm.com
10 Cobham Satcom’s Jan Michelsen and Hatteland’s Lars Skjelbred-Eriksen Sales: Jo Lewis
t: +44 20 8370 7793
e: jo.lewis@rivieramm.com
Satcoms
12 New VSAT services deliver faster bandwidth Head of Sales – Asia: Kym Tan
t: +65 9456 3165
13 iDirect unveils new IT platform technology
e: kym.tan@rivieramm.com
15 MEC executive interview: Satcom Global chief executive Ian Robinson
16 Analysis of the future trends in maritime communications Production Manager: Ram Mahbubani
t: +44 20 8370 7010
e: ram.mahbubani@rivieramm.com
Safety communications
Subscriptions: Sally Church
19 New fire-fighter radio regulations are fast approaching t: +44 20 8370 7018
20 Inmarsat seeks GMDSS recognition for FleetBroadband e: sally.church@rivieramm.com

Chairman: John Labdon

Passenger ships Managing Director: Steve Labdon
Finance Director: Cathy Labdon
22 Rising VSAT demand drives investment and consolidation
Operations Director: Graham Harman
24 Integrated technology is ordered for new cruise ships Editorial Director: Steve Matthews
27 Ferries are embracing electric propulsion and batteries Executive Editor: Paul Gunton
Head of Production: Hamish Dickie
Business Development Manager: Steve Edwards
Fleet management software
Published by:
28 Tero Marine and DNV GL expand their solutions Riviera Maritime Media Ltd
Mitre House
66 Abbey Road
Cloud computing Enfield EN1 2QN
30 Development of a host of online ship management solutions UK

Bridge systems
32 Radio Zeeland unveils new bridge systems

Training systems www.rivieramm.com

34 Ship operators turn to competence assurance training
36 GE invests in a US facility and Transas’s Ralf Lehnert voices his views ISSN 1756-0373 (Print)
ISSN 2051-0586 (Online)

Next issue ©2017 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd

Main features include: automation & control; broadband communications; radar
systems; remote monitoring & diagnostics; cyber security; training simulators
Ship type: tankers & gas carriers A member of:

Total average net circulation: 4,200

Period: January-December 2015

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A YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION
IN MARITIME SATCOMS
L
ast year was a transformative
one for the maritime satellite
communications sector with
the launch of the first high
throughput networks and new VSAT
solutions. A lot changed over the past
year, and several more developments
are expected over the next 12 months.
This year the shipping industry
will adopt the fast broadband, data-
centric and video-based content
media that high throughput satellites
enable. This is all based on the
constellations launched in 2016. Last
year, Inmarsat began its Fleet Xpress
(FX) communications service using the
Global Xpress platform for Ka-band
based broadband.
Intelsat commissioned two of its
EpicNG high throughput Ku-band
satellites to provide high intensity spot
beams over major shipping routes.
Earlier in 2016, Telenor Satellite begun
providing fast broadband coverage over
the Northern European seas using its
Thor 7 satellite, and SES unveiled its
maritime broadband services.
On the back of all this new coverage
came new VSAT solutions, hardware
agreements and contracts for the service
providers. There were also several
company mergers and acquisitions. All
this was covered in issues of Marine
Electronics & Communications and on
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017
the marinemec.com website.
The biggest deals included Apax
Partners merging Marlink with Telemar,
SpeedCast announcing its intended
purchase of Harris CapRock and
Global Eagle Entertainment acquiring
Emerging Markets Communications.
Outside satcoms there were also the
acquisitions of Navico and C-Map to
form an e-navigation hub in Norway.
Capturing market share of the
booming cruise sector communications
was a key strategy in some of these
mergers as well as gaining the latest
technology development. Cruise and
ferry are by far the largest market for
VSAT in terms of bandwidth capacity.
Passenger shipping is the early adopter
of technology that enables more
expansive onboard communications.
In 2017, we will see commercial fleets
adopt faster VSAT services. Fleets of
tankers, gas carriers and container ships
will be installing Fleet Xpress, or using
Ku-band for crew welfare, real-time
data streaming and large information
downloads. New modems and antennas
will enable faster data rates because the
hardware has been holding back crew
and passenger expectations.
We will see adoption of more VSAT-
enabled applications such as real-time
data transmissions for condition-based
maintenance and big data analytics.
COMMENT | 3
But we will also see many more cyber
threats emerging. Riviera Maritime
Media is on top of these trends with
events covering Marine Intelligence
and Maritime Cyber Risk Management
are due to be held in 2017, and
supplements covering ecdis and VSAT.
Shipowners will see the benefits
of data analytics through data-
driven preventative maintenance,
voyage performance analysis and
route planning. We can expect more
developments in e-navigation and more
advanced ecdis functions in 2017. Bridge
equipment suppliers need to update
operating systems and shipowners must
update ecdis to the latest standards by
August 2017. Owners need to be ready
for the EU’s monitoring, reporting and
verification regulations, which require
emissions monitoring strategies to be in
place by August.
So there is a lot or work to be done
in 2017. It will be a busy year for ship
operators, bridge equipment suppliers
and VSAT technology instigators.
Although there is not expected to be
many newbuilding orders in the next
12 months, there will be considerable
amounts of retrofitting and fleet
system upgrades. There will be
developments in a VHF-based data
exchange system and e-navigation, in
safety communications, remote ship
monitoring and data analytics. If 2016
was described as a transformational
year in marine electronics and
communications, then 2017 will be
the year of technology disruption and
adoption. MEC
Click here
for more
editor's
comment videos

VDES GAINS SUPPORT
FOR E-NAVIGATION
COMMUNICATIONS
Analysis shows that VDES, incorporating AIS, a terrestrial
link and a satellite component, should provide significant
advantages for a number of e-navigation services
T
here is growing
confidence in the
VHF-based data
exchange system (VDES)
providing a robust and globally
standardised communication
system for e-navigation
applications, writes Aline De
Bièvre. The General Lighthouse
Authorities (GLA) of the UK
and Ireland have been involved
in the development and
standardisation of VDES since
its inception in 2012.
Ongoing development
work and analysis shows that
VDES, which incorporates the
Automatic Identification System
(AIS), should provide significant
advantages for a number of
e-navigation services supporting
the safety and efficiency of
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
both ship and shore operations.
A particular attraction is the
capability to cope with higher
data rates required by some of
the most demanding applications,
said Jan Šafář, a research
engineer with the Research and
Radionavigation Directorate of
the GLA. In a presentation* to
the Royal Institute of Navigation
he also cited the possibility of
merging channels to cope with
high data rates.
VDES will help to protect
AIS from future overload of
its VHF data link. This has
become an issue as a result
of the expansion of AIS uses,
such as AIS search and rescue
transmitter (AIS-Sart), AIS
emergency position-indicating
radio beacons (epirbs), AIS
GLA operates lighthouses around the UK and
Ireland as aids to navigation (credit: GLA)
Aid-to-Navigation (AIS-
AtoN) and AIS man overboard
devices. New AIS applications
can now also be created
through the use of application-
specific messages (ASMs), as
defined by the International
Association of Marine Aids
to Navigation and Lighthouse
Authorities (IALA) and IMO.
Dr Šafář stressed that AIS
is considered an integral part
of VDES. It has the highest
priority within the system
and all other sub-systems are
organised such that AIS is not
adversely affected. Furthermore,
by building upon existing AIS
ship and shore infrastructure,
VDES deployment costs
could be reduced. Two 25 kHz
simplex channels are dedicated
for existing and new IALA and
IMO-defined ASMs. These
provide a high reliability of
message delivery and message
acknowledgement support,
including a satellite up-link.
Other advantages of
VDES include the capability
to provide coverage to regions
otherwise unreachable by other
technologies, and to support a
modernised Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS). A study carried
out by Helios focused on the
UK’s maritime network and the
implementation and use of the
e-navigation communication
infrastructure in the foreseeable
future, to 2030. Dr Šafář said
that four high-level user and
performance requirements
had been critical criteria for
assessing candidate e-navigation
communication technologies.
These were capacity, coverage,
availability, and confidentiality.
With regard to data loads,
the study found that the most
data-intense applications
were no-go areas for vessel
traffic and telemedicine. In
contrast, the least data-intense
applications were those where
only position co-ordinates
needed to be transferred, such
as route exchanges. VDES
was also the recommended
communication system for
weather data and for maritime
single window data exchange
away from port.
A recent GLA study
looking into the security
 ON THE AGENDA | 5

aspects of e-navigation critical to realise the potential

made recommendations
regarding candidate public key
authentication methods for
VDES. Current work within
IALA and the International
Telecommunication Union
(ITU) will lead to an
international standard for
VDES. Securing access to radio
spectrum is being addressed,
and it is expected that VDES
with both a terrestrial link
(VDES-Ter) and a satellite
component (VDES-Sat)
to enable bidirectional
communication will become a
core element of e-navigation
communication.
The satellite component,
for which the ITU has yet
to allocate spectrum, will be
Galileo launched for ship
benefits of the system to Kongsberg added an MRV application to its K-Fleet suite
navigation on the high seas and of marine fleet management software (credit: Kongsberg)
in the polar regions.
VDE-Ter comprises a 100
kHz duplex channel which
is available for data exchange
requiring higher capacity
than the ASM. Dr Šafář said
that this may open the door
to IP-based applications and
serve as a gateway to the
Maritime Cloud.
Jan Šafář presented a strong
case for the implementation
of VDES at the 2016
International Navigation
Conference, organised by the
Royal Institute of Navigation at EU EMISSIONS REGULATION
the University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, in November. STARTS TO BITE IN 2017
The European Union’s new regulation on monitoring and reporting
ship gas emissions comes into force in 2017. The regulation, which
requires the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of CO2

positioning and navigation
The Galileo satellite constellation has begun providing positioning,
navigation and timing information for shipping, offshore and
search and rescue operations. The European Space Agency has
officially begun open services over the first 18 satellites in the
Galileo constellation.
The opening ceremony was held at the European
Commission’s premises in Brussels, Belgium. The European
Commission’s vice president responsible for the Energy Union,
Maroš Šefčovič, commented: “With Galileo, Europe gains its
own satellite navigation system that will improve a range of
everyday services for our citizens and strengthens Europe’s
strategic autonomy.”
Galileo is Europe’s global satellite navigation system
(GNSS). It joins the US-funded Global Positioning System (GPS)
and Russia’s Glonass as official constellations for providing
positioning, navigation and timing information. Ships use this
information for modern electronic navigation and offshore
vessels use it for dynamic positioning operations. Search and
rescue services use the information to locate stranded vessels
and manage recovery operations.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is responsible for
operating the constellation and service. It has a remit to ensure
a return on investment from Galileo in the form of clear, across-
the-board services and applications for end users. “The centre
of gravity for the Galileo programme is now the user, meaning
European citizens, businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from
the many innovative opportunities created by European GNSS,”
said GSA executive director Carlo des Dorides.
More satellites are being built and launched for the Galileo
GNSS. This means its full operational capability will not be
achieved until 2020.
emissions from ships, covers any vessel exceeding 5,000gt which
calls at any EU port regardless of flag or country of ownership.
Shipowners that expect their ships to be affected by the MRV
regulation need to have monitoring plans prepared by 31 August
2017. Verification organisations should also be prepared for their
role in the regulation in 2017.
In the fourth quarter of 2016, the European Commission
published the delegated and implementing acts to support the
entry into force of the EU MRV. This followed completion of a
consultation process with input from the European Sustainable
Shipping Forum’s MRV sub-group and classification societies, such
as Lloyd’s Register.
The commission provided information needed by shipowners
or operators and verifiers. This included:
• Regulation to determine the cargo carried for categories of ships
other than passenger, roro and container ships. This provides the
cargo parameter definitions for different ship types to support
clear MRV implementation
• Guidance on templates for monitoring plans, emissions reports
and documents of compliance
• Regulation on the verification activities and accreditation of
verifiers, with various definitions and procedural details.
The European Commission also amended annexes to MRV
regulation to incorporate necessary changes to the required
monitoring practices and to reflect industry best practice.
More MRV solutions were launched in the fourth quarter of
2016. Kongsberg Maritime added an application to its K-Fleet
marine fleet management software for MRV compliance. This
provides monitoring and reporting of emissions on a per-voyage
basis to, from and between EU ports. Dynamarine has certified
its emissions monitoring platform with a rigorous audit from
Verifavia Shipping for compliance with MRV regulations. The
platform has been tested for data gathering, inconsistency
verification and automated MRV reporting. It can also be used as
a benchmarking and analytical tool. MEC

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

6 | OPERATOR FEEDBACK
CREW SHOULD HAVE
ACCESS TO SHIP DATA
Ardmore Shipping and MTM Ship Management want onboard
access to data, while Lomar Shipping and Tsakos Columbia
Shipmanagement use data for regulation compliance
T
anker owners and
managers are using
increasing amounts of
data that is sent from
their ships to improve operations,
reduce fuel consumption and
optimise maintenance. They
benefit from transmitting
performance and condition data
from ships to shore offices, but
some feel the data should be
equally available to the crew.
The data helps owners identify
the key performance indicators
(KPIs) and early indications of
machinery fatigue.
Ardmore Shipping uses
data to analyse the performance
of its fleet of tankers. Its chief
operating officer Mark Cameron
said this analysis has led to
reductions in fuel consumption
and more optimised routeing.
Data can also be used to
compare tankers in the fleet to
detect differences in the way they
are operated.
“We use fuel consumption
Tanker owners and managers discussed the importance
of ship performance data at a Riviera’s conference
metering and hull performance
data for analysis,” Mr Cameron
explained at Riviera Maritime
Media’s Tanker Shipping &
Trade Conference, which was
held in London in November
2016. He added: “We analyse
the performance in all weathers,
draughts and other conditions.
Then we compare this with
similar ships and voyages. In
this way, we can detect different
autopilot settings.” This means
Ardmore can identify ships
that have autopilot settings
that result in higher fuel
consumption than other tankers.
However, Mr Cameron
thinks data is more useful
for the ship’s master and
officers. “Data has its place
and is valued, but it should be
available on the bridge where
officers can review it and make
decisions.” For example, officers
can use the information to
improve navigational safety, or
for route optimisation.
At the conference, MTM
Ship Management managing
director Vijay Rangroo agreed
that crew should have access to
the operational data. He said:
“We cannot ignore the data,
so we use it and include the
seafarers running the ships in
this process. The data is not just
for the office managers. It is a
tool that staff on board can use,
so they need to be familiar with
the software.
At another London
conference in November,
Lomar Shipping technical
director Stylianos Papageorgiou
highlighted how KPIs help
shipmanagers and owners
monitor the performance of ship
engines, hulls and crews. “They
are important for reporting
performance to fleet managers
so they can make decisions
about where to invest to
improve efficiency,” he explained.
“Data goes back to the office
for managers to make better
decisions, so they can collaborate
with those on board.”
Some shipowners have
baulked at the cost of investing
in transmitting shipboard data
in real-time. But there are
more incentives coming from
the need for owners to comply
with the EU’s upcoming CO2
emissions monitoring, reporting
and verification (MRV)
requirements, and any similar
system coming from IMO.
“The EU’s MRV compliance
is an opportunity to install
systems on ships to report
performance for regulators
and managers, and so owners
know how well the engines
and hulls are performing,” Mr
Papageorgiou said.
Tsakos Columbia
Shipmanagement is an early
adopter of technology that
enables it to comply with
MRV requirements. Its energy
manager Michael Servos agreed
that MRV brings opportunities
for ship performance
monitoring. “MRV will enhance
transparency and support
performance monitoring.” He
added: “It will improve the
accuracy of fuel measurement
and the application of different
techniques and investment in
the technology to achieve this.”
Mr Servos recommended
owners invest in digital systems
for automated reporting and
expressed his reservations
about the requirement for
manual input of data into EU
databases. Another cost comes
from the verification of data
by a third party. “This needs to
be automated, too, as it would
be very time consuming,” Mr
Servos said. MEC
www.marinemec.com
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Top executives from the maritime IT and communications sector predicted the future
technology trends for Marine Electronics & Communications’ forward thinking series.
Partnerships are
vital for satellite
communications
The focus in 2016 was on higher
throughputs and increased operational
efficiency, and we believe that will
continue in the coming years, says
Marlink president of maritime business
Tore Morten Olsen. There will be more
demand for high bandwidth applications,
growth in real-time monitoring, video
conferencing, and crew usage. All this
points towards the introduction of new
technologies and services that enable
faster connections. Because development
direction is steered by user requirements,
we believe that innovation in close
partnerships with end-users will continue
to be vital to future developments.
With the launch of Inmarsat’s Fleet
Xpress, Telenor’s Thor 7 and Intelsat’s
EpicNG high throughput services in 2016,
we now have access to a lot more satellite
Fleet management and data
analytic challenges ahead
Howard Fireman: Increasing volumes of
data will put a greater demand on crew
and office personnel
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017
capacity from different satellite operators.
It is however not important what satellite
a ship is using at any time, as long as the
link is performing as required. So going
forward, our focus remains on how the
overall network performs and the quality
of service we deliver.
There is and will be more choice
in the market and more flexibility to
provide technology-agnostic services and
solutions using our established global
infrastructure, satellite capacity and
technical expertise. This approach enables
shipping’s increasing reliance on the
use of data for smart, safe and efficient
operations. Smart shipping will continue
to develop, moving from a patchwork
concept to a tangible and integrated
reality, where all aspects of a vessel that
can be linked, will be connected.
To reach the reality of smart
shipping though, organisations need to
work together to get the most out of
connectivity at sea. For instance, our
customer proximity has been integral to
the development of new solutions such as
XChange Telemed and XChange Media.
By working with our customers, software
Shipowners and operators will face more
regulatory pressures in 2017, a challenge
that is compounded by an economic
outlook that remains uncertain, said ABS
Nautical Systems chief technology officer
and president Howard Fireman.
Monitoring plans for the European
Union’s monitoring, reporting and
verification (MRV) regulation must be
submitted by August 2017. These plans will
have a substantial impact on shipowners
and operators using European ports. The
regulation alone will force many to collect
and manage more data than before, and the
increased volume of data will put a greater
demand on crew and office personnel.
Data storage and integrity can quickly
become concerns when owners have to
FORWARD THINKING | 9
Tore Morten Olsen: Technology enables
shipping’s increasing reliance on data for
smart, safe and efficient operations
developers, shipping industry partners
and satellite network operators, we will
continue to introduce new means and
methods of enabling communications
solutions in support of the maritime
market, to achieve safer, more efficient and
more attractive vessel operations.
multiply monitoring information, data
calculations and reporting by multiple
voyages, port stays and ships. A shipowner
with 20 vessels, for example, will have more
than 20,000 data points to manage each
year just for MRV. Compliance will not be
the only challenge.
Mr Fireman continues: In a tight
shipping environment, preserving margins
will be critical to remaining competitive,
and that will require prudent fleet
management enabled by software solutions
that facilitate compliance and offer tools
for improved vessel management and more
efficient operations.
At ABS Nautical Systems, we believe
the regulatory landscape will continue
to evolve in complexity, driving an even
greater need for efficiency and compliance.
Financial pressure will require a relentless
focus on efficiency, making software
solutions a cornerstone of efficiency gains,
just as they will be required to accurately
10 | FORWARD THINKING

demonstrate compliance.
Technology targeting vessel performance Flat panels will be challenged
is expected to be important to both small
and large owners and operators who
in a marine environment
are trying to achieve more with smaller
workforces and tighter budgets. Ultimately,
software vendors that provide the best value
and best tools to support operational and
financial decision-making will excel in this
challenging business environment.

Ultra high
definition is the
future of displays
Hatteland Display’s vice president for sales
and marketing Lars Skjelbred-Eriksen says
that the development of ultra high definition
displays is the future for integrated bridge
systems. “The demand for ultra high definition
– 4K – resolution displays on the bridge will
continue to grow. The beauty of 4K is that
everything on screen is much more vivid. The
viewer can see clearer and in more detail, so it
makes sense that this technology is becoming
of more interest to integrated bridge system
manufacturers and systems integrators.
“The concept of our new 55in ultra high
definition chart and planning table was born
out of a realisation that maritime display
technology evolution is vital to improving the
effectiveness of modern bridge systems. The
system provides the size and clarity needed
to integrate various items of data in a single
display, enabling integrated bridge system
and navigation technology manufacturers to
combine multiple data from ship systems into
a single, user-friendly system. Crucially the 4K
resolution ensures that multiple data types can
be easily viewed under all conditions.”
According to Mr Skjelbred-Eriksen,
another area that will expand in the coming
years is the use of panel computers, which are
essentially maritime displays with integrated
computers. They allow all processing to be
done from a single unit and can deliver just as
much computing power as a more traditional
display and separate PC configuration. Panel
computers have lower installation and lifecycle
costs, which makes them an ideal solution
for starting to introduce cost reduction
programmes within the value chain. Hatteland
Display’s Series X panel computers can be
ordered with Intel Skylake processors. The
company has also developed a 32in 4K display
for use on standard bridge designs.
Jan Michelsen: Flat panels would be challenged by the three axes of motion
The maritime industry has witnessed a lot
of discussion about flat panel antennas,
but they would be challenged by the
movement of ships, according to Cobham
Satcom vice president for maritime business
development Jan Michelsen. He thinks
this is the main reason why lightweight
stabilised antennas will be the main
technology for maritime VSAT in 2017 and
in the long term.
“Discussions about flat panel
antennas are welcome because this drives
innovation in the satcoms industry,” said
Mr Michelsen. “Likewise, it is always
very important to analyse the potential
end-user benefits of new developments in
technology. But the truth of the matter
is that at sea, a single flat antenna lying
on the deck operating on a geostationary
satellite will not suffice.”
He continued: “Such an antenna would
be challenged by the three axes of motion
every vessel goes through – roll, pitch and
yaw. The moment a vessel starts moving in
a seaway the limited elevation angles of a
flat antenna would reduce performance and
quickly affect the quality of the link.
“Any manufacturer would have to build a
flat panel into a mechanism that would still
be able to tilt the panel towards the satellite.
Mechanics and electronics to steer the panel
would be needed so a flat panel antenna
would not be smaller, lighter or less expensive
compared to a modern stabilised antenna.”
Flat panel antennas would suit
communications over low earth orbit (leo)
satellite networks such as the proposed
OneWeb and LeoSat Enterprises
constellations. However, these networks
are neither financed nor deployed yet.
“While flat panel antennas are starting from
scratch and facing numerous challenges, the
current form factor of stabilised antennas
will continue to be the most effective for
maritime applications,” said Mr Michelsen.
“Our focus remains on the evolution of an
already market-leading platform, enabling
even greater performance and reducing the
installation burden through software and
mechanical developments.”
Cobham Satcom has developed a Sailor
60cm antenna that weighs 35kg and can
be carried on board any vessel. It also
manufactures the Sailor 900 antenna for
Ku-band and Sailor 100GX for Inmarsat’s
Ka-band network. MEC

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

Your world is 
unreliable.  
Your VSAT
connectivity 
doesn’t have 
to be.
Intellian is the industry’s first choice in satellite
communications systems. Our products are
backed by a three-year warranty and global
support whenever and wherever you need it.
Why? Because staying connected from dock
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Intellian.  Making the world a smaller place.

intelliantech.com
12 | SATCOMS
NEW VSAT SERVICES DELIVER
FASTER BANDWIDTH
SpeedCast reveals its Sigma
Net management service
and Cobham hardware deal,
while Intellian introduces new
terminals and Panasonic begins
offering Newtec modems
Cobham Satcom has developed a 60cm antenna for
Fleet Xpress Ka-band services (credit: Cobham)
S
peedCast
International
introduced
Sigma Net for
vessel communications and
network management over
satellite constellations in
November 2016. Sigma
Net is a cloud-based system
that provides automated
management of multiple
wide area network links and
satellite communications over
VSAT and L-band. It has an
integrated voice over IP server
that enables digital crew calling
services. This allows a caller to
choose the outbound call route
via a prefix, which reduces the
cost. Crew can use their own
devices on vessels using a pre-
paid personal identification
number that enables vouchers
to be generated and managed.
SpeedCast explained that
Sigma Net provides managed
network segmentation
between business-critical,
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
crew or machine-to-machine
networks on ships. It
incorporates firewalls and
virtual private networking on
the vessel and cyber security
for the internet. There is a
cloud-based secure portal for
linking vessels to IT engineers
for network management.
Greece-headquartered
Danaos Shipping Co is one of
the first to use Sigma Net for
vessel network management.
According to Danaos, the
service provides a web-based
interface that enables the
remote configuration of Sigma
Net terminals across its fleet. It
added: “The reporting provided
by the Sigma Net portal gives
us full visibility of traffic sent
and received via the wide
area networks. Our vessel IT
support team is able to easily
and quickly resolve problems
on board via Sigma Net. In
addition, the Danaos crew are
extremely happy with the Sigma
Net pre-paid vouchers for
internet access or crew calling.”
SpeedCast also signed a
global framework agreement
with Cobham Satcom for
offering broadband connectivity
to ships. Under this
arrangement, Cobham Satcom
will supply maritime stabilised
antennas for SpeedCast’s Ku-
and Ka-band VSAT services.
This will help SpeedCast offer
Ka-band connectivity using
Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service
with Cobham’s Sailor 60
GX antennas. SpeedCast has
hundreds of ships operating on
Inmarsat’s XpressLink service
that could be migrated to Fleet
Xpress over the next few years.
It may also have a number of
ships, vessels and drilling rigs
to migrate following its recent
acquisition of Harris CapRock.
SpeedCast chief executive
Pierre-Jean Beylier expects the
technology to enable growth
for both companies. He added:
“This strategic co-operation
benefits both SpeedCast and
Cobham, and supports our
ability to innovate and deliver
reliable communications
services that help our customers
to operate smarter.”
Also in November 2016,
Intellian Technologies launched
a new generation of L-band
terminals for ships. It began
manufacturing the FB250R
and FB500R FleetBroadband
terminals after gaining final
approval from Inmarsat for
their use over the Fleet Xpress
service. These terminals can also
be used with other associated
network service devices.
Intellian can now provide
a complete package to
shipowners. This can include
pre-integration testing of
Fleet Xpress hardware such as
data server racks and sourcing
of all hardware components.
Customers can also create
customised configurations of
 SATCOMS | 13

their own, said Intellian. The maritime communications. (TDMA) technology. Paul Margis. “As we continue to
FleetBroadband terminals It uses dynamic bandwidth “Newtec’s broadband optimise our second-generation
deliver simultaneous voice, allocation that combines the modem allows us to access global communications network,
data, messaging, fax, and data efficiency of single channel much larger blocks of frequency we are constantly looking for
streaming over the Inmarsat per carrier (SCPC) services and better support high new pieces of critical technology
I-4 constellation and the with the dynamic bandwidth bandwidth platforms across all that will enable our customers
Alphasat satellite. allocation capabilities of of our markets,” said Panasonic to take full advantage of high
In another deal, Panasonic time division multiple access Avionics Corp chief executive throughput technology.”
Global Communications,
a division of Panasonic
Avionics Corp, selected
Belgium-headquartered
Newtec to supply high
bandwidth satellite modems
for its maritime satellite
communications solutions.
Versions of Newtec’s new
modem will be available with
Panasonic’s upgraded VSAT
services for commercial
shipping, cruise ships,
megayachts, river cruises and
offshore oil and gas vessels.
Newtec’s technology
will increase the bandwidth
available over maritime VSAT
by 20 times, said Panasonic.
The new modem is capable of
exceeding data speeds of 400
Mbps if linked to the next
generation of high throughput
satellites. The modem includes
three demodulators for
seamless beam switching and
simultaneous data and video
reception. It is part of the Paul Margis (Panasonic) (left) and Serge Van Herck
Newtec Dialog multiservice (Newtec) sign the modem deal (credit: Panasonic)
platform, which supports

iDIRECT UNVEILS NEW VSAT TECHNOLOGY

VT iDirect has announced new DVB-S2X standards
technology based on a powerful, customised application-
specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chipset that will deliver
“revolutionary” gains in data throughput and will power a
new line of DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X remotes called the iQ
Series. “This introduces exponentially higher hub processing
capabilities and virtualisation of core gateway components to
offer further gains in performance and efficiency and lower
business costs,” said iDirect.
This technology will benefit those developing VSAT solutions
that use high throughput satellites and the DVB-S2X standard.
The modems can be continually reprogrammed remotely to
increase network capabilities and throughput levels. This could
lead to an expansion of applications and the setting of new
service level standards.
IDirect successfully tested the iQ Series remote, a ground
infrastructure platform and the DVB-S2X standard over
Intelsat’s EpicNG constellation of high throughput satellites in
October 2016. These were tested over the Intelsat 29e satellite,
yielding a throughput rate of 5.71 bps/Hz, which was a 330
per cent efficiency performance gain on the Intelsat EpicNG
platform. IDirect said this would enable service providers to
exploit the full capabilities of the DVB-S2X standard for high
speed bandwidth applications.
Intelsat senior vice president for operations Mike DeMarco
called this test a milestone in higher performance VSAT. He
added: “With the iQ remote technology and EpicNG capacity,
service providers can transition onto our high performance
network while leveraging their existing investment in hub
infrastructure. This is an important achievement in enabling our
customers to expand their businesses into new applications and
geographies and realise their future growth objectives.” MEC

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

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MEC executive interview:
Satcom Global CEO Ian Robinson
S
atcom Global has introduced a global VSAT service to
deliver high bandwidth connectivity to maritime users.
According to Satcom Global chief executive Ian Robinson,
Aura VSAT offers flexible global communications at sea initially
using Ku-band with an L-band back-up.
Mr Robinson said C-band and Ka-band could be added in
the near future as service agreements and coverage are initiated.
He explained to Marine Electronics & Communications the reason
for investing in Aura VSAT. “We were Inmarsat XpressLink and
FleetBroadband resellers, but we looked at the market and saw the
need for a more tailored approach to VSAT,” he explained. “We
did not want to be a partner because we wanted the flexibility of
operating our own network. So, we decided to commit to some
Ku-band airtime by working with five satellite operators, including
SES, Eutelsat, Intelsat and JSat for the main coverage.”
Satcom Global, which is part of Broadband Satellite Services
Ltd, also considered the trading patterns of shipping to decide
which coverage to invest in and the technology trend in VSAT
for future expenditure. It is already looking ahead to adding more
coverage in the southern Indian Ocean between South Africa and
Australia as Sky Perfect JSat plans to commission a satellite beam
that covers that area.
In addition, more bands will be deployed on Aura next year:
“We will also have C-band capacity soon and could change VSAT
out to Ka-band,” said Mr Robinson. “We will be able to include
high throughput VSAT through SES coverage as three satellites
are added to the network.” To adopt high throughput spot beam
technology, Satcom Global will need to change platform technology
from VT iDirect Evolution to its Velocity programme. The service
provider has also invested in automatic beam switching technology.
Ship operators wanting to use Aura will need to install
Intellian antennas and below-deck units. Mr Robinson said there
were technical reason for choosing Intellian as the main hardware
supplier. “These are pre-tested and part of our wider network,” he
said. “We can look at the antenna remotely and get performance
reports. We also have modules on ships that reference the coverage
map and manage which beams to use."
He continued: “We offer 1m, 80cm and 60cm [diameter]
antennas with Ku-band coverage that will improve when the
high throughput satellites are launched. We are looking to
maximise throughput.”
Aura VSAT has been tested on 30 vessels that operate over
seven different fleets,” Mr Robinson explained. “The trials were
good with one vessel getting a committed information rate (CIR)
up to 2.4 Mbps. It consumed more than 150GB of data over one
weekend with guests and crew all using mobile devices to stream
video. So our network has been rigorously tested.”
The next stage for Satcom Global is rolling out the service to
shipowners that have signed up their fleets. Mr Robinson said this is
a challenge that is worth overcoming.
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017
SATCOMS | 15
Ian Robinson: “We have signed contracts to
deploy VSAT on more than 300 vessels”
“We have signed contracts to deploy VSAT on more than 300
vessels already and we expect to sign contracts for another 300-400
vessels in the next few months,” he commented. “The challenge
will be installing these systems. We are going to be busy, but we
have appointed installation service partners.” Aura will be deployed
on tankers, offshore vessels, gas carriers, container ships and fish-
processing vessels. Satcom Global has its own engineering and
implementation teams that can operate globally, and a dedicated
network operations centre in the UK. It also has offices in Asia,
Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania.
Mr Robinson said the technology it can offer will enable
shipowners and managers to operate vessels as extensions of their
corporate networks. “We have an open-pipe technology and can
offer applications to optimise this pipe, to monitor sensor data, to
deliver crew training and welfare platforms,” he explained. “We do
not have any specific fair-usage or CIR restrictions. The bandwidth
is up to the customer, as we can offer exceptional speed.”
He expects the addition of high throughput satellite coverage
from SES satellites will open new opportunities for shipowners.
“Customers will be able to operate ships as offices at sea, with no
need for file compression as capacity increases,” he added.
The launch of high throughput satellites will change the VSAT
market in the short term, but Mr Robinson expects new technology
could have a longer-term impact. “We are researching flat panel
antennas and could have our own range of mini-VSAT products in
the future,” he explained. “Flat panels could be for the future if testing
is successful. But we expect the VSAT market will consolidate around
1m antennas.” Satcom Global expects to become a Global Xpress
partner in 2017 to offer different VSAT packages based on Ka-band
to the maritime sector. But for now it has the challenge of deploying
Ku-band Aura VSAT on more than 300 ships. MEC
16 | SATCOMS

DATA AND CREW WELFARE

DRIVING VSAT INVESTMENT
EUROCONSULT FORECASTS A 5 PER CENT ANNUAL GROWTH RATE IN THE
NUMBER OF MARITIME TERMINALS AND REVENUES OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS

E
ver-increasing data
VSAT IN C-, KU- AND KA-BAND, L-BAND BACK-UP communications
demand in the
maritime sector is driving
investment in high
throughput satellites,
while the launch of more
satellites with extra capacity
is enabling shipowners,
operators and managers to
invest in VSAT. These are
L-BAND BACK-UP the encouraging trends that
lead space markets specialist
Euroconsult to forecast a 5
per cent compound annual
growth rate in the number
of maritime terminals and
revenues over the 10 years to
2026. This is from a base of
US$1.7 billion in revenues for
C-BAND VSAT service providers in 2015.
Euroconsult also said
that revenues at the satellite
operator level were US$953
million, and that there were
338,000 active maritime
satellite terminals in 2015.
Growth in demand for
KU/KA BAND VSAT broadband communications
will come from increasing
use of data transmissions
from ships to shore, rising
requirements for passenger
internet connectivity, and
crew welfare services.
Euroconsult consultant
HTS SPOT BEAMS Capucine Fargier said
bandwidth demand is driving
investment in high throughput
satellites, which will lead to
lower costs for shipowners.
Satellites will have

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com


“A number of
additional high
throughput satellites
will be launched in
the coming years”
larger payloads and lower
launch costs and increasing
bandwidth capacity over the
world’s oceans. The number
of fixed satellite service
operators that can provide
high throughput capacity
is expected to reach 25 by
the end of 2019, resulting in
more competition and
lower prices.
Ms Fargier explained:
“A number of additional
high throughput satellites
will be launched in the
coming years, with maritime
satellite supply expected
to reach around 680 Gbps
by 2020. This will result in
a significant decrease in
capacity prices.” She also
expects the costs of VSAT
hardware to fall over the
next 10 years as flat-panel
antennas are introduced.
“All this will drive demand
for more bandwidth-hungry
applications such as big
data analytics and video
streaming applications,” said
Ms Fargier.
This will drive demand
for VSAT in C-, Ku- and
Ka-band in commercial
shipping, passenger ships
and offshore vessels. But
smaller vessels are likely
to continue using mobile
satellite services such as
L-band. The development of
smaller and cheaper mobile
satellite service broadband
terminals covering basic
communications needs will
open up a new market,
said Euroconsult.
The consultancy also
expects there to be more
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017
SATCOMS | 17
this
decade
consolidation in the
sector as companies with
higher purchasing power
seek more economies of
scale and new markets.
There has been a recent
spate of mergers and
acquisitions with SpeedCast MARITIME VSAT CAPACITY:
International acquiring
Harris CapRock and Global
Eagle Entertainment
2016: 8.5 Gbps
purchasing EMC.
Ms Fargier explained that
2010: 2 Gbps
maritime broadband demand
had led to new satellite
launches and investment.
She added: “2016 was
an important milestone
for maritime satellite
by
2020
communications. It marked
the entry into service of high
throughput satellites with
a major maritime focus.”
This included the entry into
commercial operation of
Inmarsat’s Global Xpress and
Telenor’s Thor 7 satellite and SATELLITE SERVICE OPERATORS
the launch of the first two
Intelsat EpicNG satellites. THAT WILL OFFER HIGH
A total of 8.5 Gbps
of C-, Ku- and Ka-band
THROUGHPUT CAPACITY:
25
capacity was used for
maritime VSAT business,
compared with less than 2
Gbps in 2010. Investment
in VSAT led to 9 per cent
growth in the number of
these terminals deployed
MARITIME SATELLITE SUPPLY:
680 Gbps
in maritime applications.
Euroconsult said the number
of commercial and active
VSAT terminals at the end of
2015 was more than 16,000.
This demonstrated that
the downturn in merchant
shipping market conditions
2026
and the collapse of the
offshore vessel sector had
not affected maritime
satellite communications
to
growth. Euroconsult said
this was because demand
is driven by increasing
operational data needs,
passenger communications ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF
and crew welfare. MEC
These figures were taken
5%
from Euroconsult’s Prospects
for Maritime Satellite
IN THE NUMBER OF MARITIME
Communications report TERMINALS AND REVENUES
 SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS | 19

NEW FIRE-FIGHTER RADIO

REGULATIONS APPROACHING FAST
Nearly 300,000 radios will need to be ordered for shipowners to
comply with new Solas fire-fighter communications regulations

N
ew regulations are coming that will drive owners circumstances in which it will be used. It is the only maritime radio
to invest in two-way portable radios for fire-fighter system to accommodate spare emergency battery packs as standard.
communications. Cobham Satcom business manager for It has an ATEX 1.800 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, IP67
maritime integration Claus Hornbech expects there to battery pack, and ATEX-approved non-rechargeable emergency
be a rush of orders for these radios as shipowners realise they need batteries. These provide an extra level of security to ensure radio
to comply with changes to IMO’s Solas rules. communication is available for fire parties when a fire breaks out, or
Solas Chapter II-2, Regulation 10.10.4 requires that a minimum if rechargeable batteries run down during an emergency.
of two portable radios are carried on board for each fire-fighting “At the end of the day, we provide communication for users
party for communications. The deadline for implementation of the who may depend on our equipment in critical situations,” said
new regulation is set to be the first radio survey after 1 July 2018 Mr Hornbech. “So, although regulations were a key driver behind
for vessels built before 1 July 2014. However, Mr Hornbech thinks development of the Sailor 3965 UHF radio, the end user was
shipowners should begin their due diligence now, before it becomes in focus throughout. It is a future-proof investment in terms of
too late. avoiding fines for non-compliance, but primarily it is a tool that can
Fire-fighters’ radios as required by regulation 10.10.4 are help onboard fire crews to save lives, or save the vessel itself, should
additional to the fire-fighters’ outfit and are intended for the fire party. a fire break out.”
This means that the total number of these radios to be carried on Cobham Satcom’s white paper New Solas requirements for
board each vessel will depend on the number of fire parties detailed fire-fighters on board vessels can be downloaded free of charge
on the muster list, rather than the number of fire-fighter outfits. from the Maritime Technology Knowledge Bank:
This makes it difficult to establish exactly how many new radios www.marinemec.com/s/knowledgebank MEC
need to be delivered to the global fleet in the next 18 months, said
Mr Hornbech. The number of relevant vessels built before 1 July
2014 is approximately 89,000, of which some 60,000 to 65,000 are
covered by Solas. Some non-Solas vessels are expected to implement
the regulation on a voluntary basis. This makes the requirement for
new fire-fighter specific radios around 260,000 to 300,000 units.
“A huge number of dedicated fire-fighter radios need to be
supplied within a relatively short period of time, and the onus is on
shipowners to ensure their individual vessels are ready before the
deadline,” said Mr Hornbech. “Preparing carefully and securing the
supply chain well ahead of the deadline will minimise the risk of
disproportionate extra costs for urgent shipping or even detention of
a vessel, compared with the relatively small investment needed to get
compliant radios on board.”
With regard to the radios themselves, the regulations are open
to interpretation. Cobham has developed a portable UHF radio
that will enable shipowners to comply with the regulations. Mr
Hornbech explained: “The requirements may not be so clear on
paper when the shipowner reviews the actual regulation in Chapter
II-2, so it may be difficult to distinguish what the requirements
actually are. We set out to help mitigate confusion in the industry by
developing a radio that ensures compliance and by communicating
the challenges and potential problems clearly to our customers and
the industry at large.” The Sailor 3965 UHF Fire
Cobham’s new Sailor 3965 UHF Fire Fighter portable radio Fighter portable radio was
has been designed to enable shipowners to meet new Solas designed for communications
during ship fires
requirements. However, Mr Hornbech told Marine Electronics & (credit: Cobham Satcom)
Communications that Cobham’s engineers had also considered the

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

20 | SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS
Inmarsat seeks GMDSS
recognition for FleetBroadband
An IMO subcommittee will discuss
a request from the UK to grant
formal recognition to Inmarsat’s
FleetBroadband for use in the Global
Maritime Distress and Safety System
I
MO will address a request from the UK to grant formal
recognition to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband mobile satellite
system for use in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety
System (GMDSS), writes Aline De Bievre. The decision of IMO’s
Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to refer a UK information paper
to its Navigation, Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue
(NCSR) subcommittee is a strong indication that the organisation
is increasingly aware of the additional opportunities arising from
developments in satellite services for enhanced GMDSS provision.
At the committee’s session in November 2016 (MSC 97), the UK
suggested it would be advantageous for ships to have access to
the FleetBroadband Maritime Safety Data Service (MSDS) for the
GMDSS carriage requirement under the Solas convention. This
requirement applies to ships of more than 300gt.
In an information paper, it described the MSDS as the
Intellian introduced FB250R and FB500R terminals for
FleetBroadband in December 2016 (credit: Intellian)
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
natural progression of the maritime safety services provided
by FleetBroadband and Fleet One, all of which operate
over the Inmarsat fleet of four I-4 satellites. These provide a
similar coverage to the older Inmarsat I-3 constellation. The
FleetBroadband system supports maritime safety voice services,
which provide distress and urgent voice communications
complying with the relevant IMO resolutions, A.694(17) and
MSC.130(75). It will also support data safety services and the
capability to receive maritime safety information, upon the
introduction of the MSDS in 2017.
The MSC decided to instruct NCSR, when it meets from 6 to 10
March (NCSR 4), to consider how the process of recognition should
be undertaken and to submit a report to MSC 98 in June. The
particular question that needs clarifying is whether a new application
for recognition and use in the GMDSS would be needed, or whether
FleetBroadband could be a bolt-on system. The brief discussion at
MSC 97 revealed a variety of views and the general feeling was that
more information was needed before making a decision.
According to the UK information paper, Inmarsat
FleetBroadband terminals equipped with a maritime safety
terminal are capable of the same GMDSS functions as
Inmarsat-C, as well as having enhanced safety and distress
features. They are effectively compliant with the GMDSS and can
be used for GMDSS communications.
A ship using an Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminal should
therefore be considered as meeting the Solas requirement for
an Inmarsat mobile earth station, as has already been agreed for
Inmarsat C and Fleet 77. Inmarsat notified the NSCR subcommittee
in March 2016 that its Fleet 77 service, which carries voice and
data communication services, will end on 1 December 2020.
The UK’s request comes at an important time in IMO’s ongoing
work with regard to the GMDSS. The organisation has been
engaged in a comprehensive review of the GMDSS with the aim
being to modernise and upgrade it. Furthermore, it has indicated it
could recognise Iridium as a second GMDSS service provider once
a number of technical issues relating to the capability of Iridium’s
satellite constellation have been resolved.
Inmarsat is still the only global safety services provider approved
to deliver the GMDSS under the Solas convention. The Inmarsat C
service, which carries data and messaging communication services
only, has been successful in providing a critical link between vessels
in distress and Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs)
around the world for the past 25 years. It always prioritises seafarer
distress alerts to MRCSS and nearby ships.
At MSC 97, the UK stressed that the FleetBroadband system
had not experienced any major operational outages in either
space or ground segments. Its reliability and availability has been
in excess of the required 99.9 per cent availability each year since
January 2010. MEC
Asian Maritime
Cyber Risk
Management Summit
7 March 2017, Singapore

BOOK
NOW

Understanding and managing cyber security risks in Asian shipping

Maritime organisations are now recognising that they need to know if their data is encrypted, and what that means,
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automate more and more processes, security gaps also increase. Attendees will be able to benchmark their maritime
cyber security fitness and meet and mix with maritime and cyber security professionals spanning the worlds of owner/
operators; insurers; port operators and cyber security providers at the Asian Maritime Cyber Risk Management Summit.

The summit is a one day interactive event comprising a mix of presentations, panel discussions, and demonstrations.
Themes will include: implementation of cyber security systems for the maritime industry; risk management; operational
issues and a look at the technologies available. There will be outstanding networking, marketing and branding
opportunities and a supporting exhibition.

Programme highlights:
• Current and emerging cyber risks facing maritime industries
• What can be done to mitigate cyber risk
• Latest best practices and technologies used to reduce the risks of a cyber security breach
• What to do in the aftermath of a successful cyberattack
• Benchmark how your company would fare if it were a victim Event sponsor
of physical hacking or market manipulation
• Users of Big Data solutions present case studies and share their experience
• Opportunities to network during lunch, refreshment breaks and at the evening drinks reception.

For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities or to book your place today contact
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“ Great attendance with a good number of

shipowners/managers. Well ran and organised.
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www.shipcybersecurityasia.com
” Organised by
22 | PASSENGER SHIPS
Rising VSAT demand
drives investment and consolidation
Cruise ship operators have invested in VSAT to meet passenger connectivity expectations (credit: Martyn Wingrove)
E
xpected high demand for bandwidth for passenger
services is driving acquisitions and technology
investment in satellite communications. It is one
of the key reasons why SpeedCast International is
acquiring Harris CapRock from Harris Corp, and why Global
Eagle Entertainment acquired EMC. Increasing demand for
passenger communications has also driven investment in new high
throughput satellites with spot beams of VSAT coverage. It has led
companies such as Marlink to book capacity on Intelsat’s EpicNG
constellation of satellites.
In the run up to SpeedCast’s announcement in November
2016 of its intention to acquire Harris CapRock, Marine Electronics
& Communications interviewed top management of the two
companies. SpeedCast chief executive Pierre-Jean Beylier
explained that the company was building its market presence in
passenger ship communications (MEC October/November 2016).
Earlier this year it acquired WINS, a cruise ship communications
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
SpeedCast is acquiring
Harris CapRock for its
VSAT technology and its
share of the cruise ship
market, and Color Line
is installing Telenor’s
hardware across its fleet
specialist, to gain a foothold in that sector.
He later called the acquisition of Harris CapRock “a
transformational opportunity for SpeedCast.” In November he
said: “SpeedCast will become one of the largest purchasers of
satellite capacity globally and create a diversified industry leader
with a strong global network. The combination of SpeedCast
and Harris CapRock enables us to accelerate our position in the
cruise sector.”
Harris CapRock brings its technical experience in different
types of satellite communications networks, its own antennas,
and investment in long-range radio and WiFi. Harris CapRock
president Tracey Haslam said the company provided satellite
communications to around half of the world’s ocean-going cruise
ships, including those operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises and
Star Cruises.
It offers time division multiple access (TDMA), delivered by
VT iDirect, and Comtech EF Data Corp’s single channel per
 PASSENGER SHIPS | 23

carrier (SCPC) network technology, as well as the multiband, Color Fantasy, Bohus, Color Magic, SuperSpeed 1, Color Viking
IP-enabled antenna that is offered as part of the Harris CapRock and SuperSpeed 2. This will be delivered through the Thor
One communications service. Ms Haslam explained: “We provide 7 Ka-band high-performance satellite and Ku-band coverage
uncontended TDMA so customers can burst and dynamically when required. Color Line operates ferry routes from Norway to
allocate bandwidth when needed. But SCPC is also available Denmark and Germany.
where appropriate. It all depends on customer requirements.” Telenor Maritime is acquiring SatPoint to increase its market
She has seen communications technology on cruise ships share of maritime satellite communications users in Scandinavia.
advance rapidly over the last five years as passengers demand SatPoint has a strong position in the Baltic Sea market with more
more bandwidth on board to use their own devices. “On cruise than 125 maritime broadband installations on ferries, merchant
ships once we saw bandwidth of 3 Mbps,” she told MEC. “But ships, and floating accommodation units.
penetration of bandwidth in cruise has increased as we supply Skybridge has introduced a digital voice service for passengers
more at lower costs. People want to use this for social media, and crew to use over satellite links. The VoiSea application offers
resulting in stronger demand. Growth is such that there are more free voice over IP (VoIP), messaging and high definition video over
devices on board than there are passengers.” IP to seafarers and ferry passengers. The program performs these
This leads to cruise shipowners investing in more onboard applications while keeping bandwidth consumption to a minimum.
bandwidth to attract customers. “If cruise ships want to compete It is hosted on a mobile phone and operates over the ship’s WiFi.
they will need more available gigabytes,” said Ms Haslam. “That is VoiSea uses high bandwidth networks when they are available or
more than one satellite transponder per ship, so high throughput can switch to a low bandwidth version that reduces consumption
satellites are needed to meet this demand from cruise.” to as low as 8 Kbps for messaging over narrowband capacity. MEC
The satellite service is useful until cruise ships operate in areas
that are outside the coverage or the signal is blocked. For these
scenarios, Harris CapRock offers wireless radio and long-term
evolution (LTE) 4G mobile technology. It has deployed this radio
technology in Alaska for cruise shipping, as satellite signals are
blocked by mountains because of the low angle of sight between
the antenna and satellites. Ms Haslam added: “We will also
have radio technology going into Norway, where fjords provide
obstructions to the satellite coverage.” The Harris CapRock One
antenna can switch automatically between C-band and Ku-band.
When passenger ships have the VSAT, long-range radio and
LTE technologies on board, there is an intelligent communications
director that can choose any one of these options for least-cost
routeing. Harris CapRock was investing in Phasor’s flat panel
antennas for VSAT connectivity and had taken capacity on the
latest high throughput satellites, including Intelsat EpicNG.
With the increasing number of technical solutions for passenger
services, there is a challenge for passenger shipowners in
choosing the right ones in which to invest. Ms Haslam explained:
“With the rapid growth in bandwidth demand and availability,
the challenge is in picking the right technology. We are working
on future-proofing, so we can ensure that we deliver bandwidth
and technology that can keep pace with cruise sector demand.”
She added: “We offer an always-on, multi-method delivery with
redundancy to deliver the guest experience. The internet needs
to work all the time, as passengers can become frustrated if they
cannot be connected.”
On passenger ferries the challenge is compounded by the
short amount of time that passengers spend on the ships and the
constant flow of users. Ferry operator Color Line has overcome
some of these issues by deploying WiFi and fast broadband
across its fleet to enable passengers to use their own devices
on its ships. It has expanded its contract with Telenor Maritime to
include VSAT and wireless networks.
Chief information officer for Color Line Marianne Gade Gørbitz
expects these connectivity platforms to enhance passenger
experience on its fleet of six vessels. “The agreement with Telenor
Maritime means we can offer full WiFi coverage on our vessels
with increased capacity and bandwidth during the first quarter
of 2017,” she said. “This enables further investments in digital
solutions to provide guests with the best experience on board.” Harris CapRock has developed its own IP-enabled antenna for
Telenor Maritime will provide VSAT connectivity to the vessels cruise ship VSAT (credit: Harris CapRock)

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

24 | PASSENGER SHIPS
Integrated technology
ordered for new cruise ships
S
urging orders for
new cruise ships
have led to several
contracts for
integrated ship automation,
power management and
bridge systems. Some of the
latest electronics technology
developments, including
dynamic positioning, will be
installed on these newbuilding
orders. For example, Wärtsilä
won contracts in September
2016 to supply a range
of integrated automation,
bridge system and dynamic
positioning equipment for
four new cruise ships. Two
of the vessels are being built
at the Meyer Turku shipyard
in Finland and the other
two ships are to be built at
the Meyer Werft shipyard in
Papenburg, Germany.
The deliveries will comprise
Nacos Platinum bridge systems,
including 12 multifunction
workstations, and Nacos
Valmatic Platinum integrated
automation systems. The bridge
workstations will be used
for radar applications, ecdis,
voyage planning, conning and
operations. The ships will have
automatic steering and dynamic
positioning. Three compact
workstations will provide full
Kongsberg has designed integrated bridge
systems for Scenic Cruises (credit: Kongsberg)
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Wärtsilä, Kongsberg Maritime, Caterpillar Marine and GE’s Marine
Solutions have deployed the latest technology on cruise ships
access to the customised cruise
software from the main bridge
and from both bridge wings.
Nacos Valmatic
Platinum includes numerous
individual systems such as
power management, energy
measuring, liquefied natural
gas (LNG) fuel plant control,
air conditioning, cabin
control, emergency shutdown,
information management,
safety management control,
video walls and tactical tables,
as well as an extended alarm
system. The complete system is
operated and controlled from
a total of 24 workstations at
different locations.
Kongsberg Maritime
gained an order, to supply
integrated automation, power
management and navigation
systems on a new ice class
cruise ship. It will deliver an
integrated bridge, dynamic
positioning, safety management
and control systems to 168m
Scenic Eclipse. The vessel, with
capacity for 228 passengers, is
being built by Uljanik Group
in Croatia for Australian cruise
line Scenic Cruises.
For this contract, Kongsberg
is supplying a K-Chief
automation control system
with almost 10,000 input and
output points and a K-Master
integrated bridge system.
The bridge equipment will
include two independent and
redundant workstations, with
multifunctional operator stations
for navigation and positioning.
There will also be a
redundant radar network to
combine signals from all four
radar units on board into a
single display to improve the
situational awareness of the
crew. Scenic Eclipse will have
functions for ice detection,
and wave height and direction
calculations. The safety
management and control
system will gather safety-
relevant information into a
common platform for manual
and automatic processing.
It will interface with sub-
systems, such as fire detection,
emergency shutdown, flooding
control, fire extinguishing,
security video and the
integrated alarm monitoring
and control system.
Caterpillar Marine has
developed control systems
for its dual-fuel engines that
were designed for a new
generation of cruise ships. The
MaK 16 M 46 DF engines
burn gas and diesel for cruise
ship propulsion. They use the
latest version of Cat engine
control units and software so
ship operators can optimise
engine performance for specific
operating profiles. They also
have fast load response, better
fuel consumption and long
intervals between overhauls.
Caterpillar is also offering
asset intelligence and servicing
that uses remote monitoring,
automated data analytics and
expert advisory services to
ensure the highest uptime and
lowest operating cost.
General Electric’s (GE’s)
Marine Solutions has upgraded
propulsion control systems on
Carnival Corp’s flagship liner,
Queen Mary 2. GE replaced
oil distribution boxes on
steerable pods and modified
the harmonic filters on the
propulsion plant. It used real-
time simulation to test and
validate the technology that
was installed on the ship before
completing commissioning.
This shortened the timeframe
for the upgrade work in the
drydock to 18 days. MEC
 4K U
H
D

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December 2016: PASSED TYPE APPROVAL TESTING

KEY FEATURES
4K UHD - DisplayPort (DP), HDMI, DVI & VGA inputs
LED Backlight Technology
Full Dimming 100%
Multi-Touch Option
Superior Optical Bonding Option
Resolution at 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Adjustable Floor Stand Option w/integrated Computer
ECDIS & Radar Compliant
EN60945 Tested
Type Approved EU-RO-MR (pending Q1-2017)

Console mount Option

Wall mount Option
Flat Desk Mount Option

32” DISPLAY
Series X - Multi Vision Display (MVD)

KEY FEATURES
4K UHD - DisplayPort (DP), HDMI, DVI & VGA inputs
LED Backlight Technology
Full Dimming 100%
Glass Display Control™
Multi-Touch Option
Superior Optical Bonding Option
Resolution at 3840 x 2160 (4K)
ECDIS & Radar Compliant
EN60945 Tested and Type Approved (pending)
Flat Desk, Console or Wall Mount Option

Ideal for ship navigation, automation, cameras and

security systems.
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 PASSENGER SHIPS | 27

PASSENGER
is for an energy storage control system and
Onboard DC Grid to retrofit two HH Ferries
Group vessels, Tycho Brahe and Aurora,
in 2017. They will operate on battery

SHIPS EMBRACE
power between Helsingør in Denmark and
Helsingborg, Sweden. In another order,
ABB is supplying an Onboard DC Grid
for a new hybrid car ferry being built at

ELECTRIC
Fiskerstrand Verft in Norway.
Norwegian Electric Systems has signed
a contract, valued at up to US$3.5 million,
with Remontowa Shipbuilding of Gdansk,
Poland for the delivery of two hybrid

PROPULSION
electric systems for two new ferries. The
package consists of ultra-light converters
forming a DC grid system with four battery
packages, two on each side of the DC bus,
for redundancy. In addition, for the main

AND BATTERIES
propulsion there are water-cooled, high
efficiency permanent magnet motors and
four direct-driven propellers. The ferries
are being built to operate the Woolwich
service across the River Thames for
Transport for London, in the UK. Norwegian

P
Electric Systems has already installed one
assenger ship operators, Hurtigruten intends to retrofit the first ship of Europe’s largest test facilities for electric
especially in Northern Europe, with the same technology, at a later date. propulsion systems, including energy
are adopting electric propulsion Hybrid propulsion and batteries have storage, and is developing a new energy
and automation technology. One been installed on increasing numbers of management system.
recent order was received by Rolls-Royce ferries operating in Scandinavia and the Ferry operators in the Solent in the
to supply hybrid power systems and new Baltic. Siemens supplied systems for the first UK are harnessing battery power. Cemre
bridge and automation technology for electric-driven ferry Ampere in 2015, and Shipyard in Turkey is building a hybrid
Hurtigruten’s two new hybrid-propulsion has since gained fresh orders. These have battery-operated ferry for Wightlink Ferries.
expedition cruise ships. included a follow-up order from Finland- The ship will have batteries for powering the
As recently reported in Riviera Maritime based FinFerries. It is also supplying two ship’s electrical supply and motion-activated
Media’s Passenger Ship Technology, new battery-driven ferries for Fjord 1 in light emitting diode (LED) lighting, as well
Hurtigruten ordered Roald Amundsen Norway, due for delivery in January 2018 as assisting with propulsion. Red Funnel is
and Fridtjof Nansen from Kleven shipyard from Turkey’s Tersan Shipyard. The order considering using batteries on a new fast
in Norway. Rolls-Royce then received a involves supplying lithium-ion batteries ferry. It took delivery of Red Jet 6, which has
contract to supply the latest automation for energy storage, thrusters, and remote conventional propulsion and power systems,
and control systems, including its Unified control modules for the propellers. in 2016, and plans to order another one from
Bridge, as well as electrical power systems, ABB has gained orders for electric drive Shemara Refit in the UK. It is interested in
Azipull propellers using permanent magnet technology for battery-powered passenger combining batteries with fuel for future new
technology, two large tunnel thrusters, ships. The latest contract, from Stena Line, dual-fuel electric vessels. MEC
stabilisers, engines and winches.
The hybrid technology is planned for
delivery in two phases. In phase one,
auxiliary battery power will provide large
reductions in fuel consumption by enabling
peak shaving. This solution is to be
installed on the first expedition ship ready
for delivery in 2018.
For phase two, larger batteries will be
installed, enabling the possibility of fully
electric sailing across longer distances and
over longer periods of time. This will be
used when sailing into fjords, at port and
in vulnerable areas, providing silent and
emissions free sailing. Rolls-Royce will install HH Ferries has decided to convert two of its ferries
this new technology in the second ship to be to run on battery power, using ABB’s Onboard DC grid concept
built, which is scheduled for delivery in 2019.

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

28 | FLEET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Tero Marine and DNV GL
expand software
New functions have been
added to fleet management
programs to improve data
analytics, reporting and
voyage logging
M
arine information systems
developer Tero Marine has
added new functions to its fleet
management software TM
Master, writes Martyn Wingrove. The suite
of programs has modules for procurement,
maintenance, human resources, and health,
safety, quality and the environment. More
were added in 2016 to make the software
more versatile for different users. The
company said the new features in TM Master
include functions for forecasting, incident
reporting, voyage logging, document handling,
auditing and failure reporting.
According to Tero Marine director of
marketing Jarle Holmelid, one of the most
useful recent additions is data cleaning
tools. “These are actually quite unique,
and underestimated, in fleet management
software,” he told Marine Electronics &
Communications. “When a company has a
fleet with tens of thousands of spare parts,
items and jobs – all connected through a
central database – it is important that the
data quality is high.” He continued: “Our
tools clean the databases effectively, and
make the software more effective. Data
quality is something that the rest of the
world’s software business is talking about,
but not that much in our line of business.”
He said the health, safety, quality and
environment modules had been considerably
extended in 2016. "The docking module is in
the process of being expanded. This module
has seen a considerable increase in its use the
last two years, and fleet managers using this
report big savings over time,” he added.
Class society DNV GL has added
functions to its ECO Insight fleet performance
management software. It has added analytical
and reporting features that it said should
enable shipowners to manage greater volumes
of vessel data. DNV GL has used in-house
developments and third-party data collection
systems to improve the analytics tools.
DNV GL head of fleet performance
management Torsten Büssow said the
in-house research had been directed by
feedback from shipping clients who had
concerns about data. He added: “The last year
has proven that ECO Insight can integrate
Eidesvik Offshore uses TM Master
to manage its fleet of offshore
vessels (credit: Eidesvik)
sensor and auto-logging data. And we can
use this to provide more transparent and
actionable data reporting and analytics.”
There is a new service in ECO Insight
that alerts operators to key fleet performance
metrics on a daily basis and positions this
information on the start-up page. DNV GL
has also added a monthly fleet performance
review and more analytics report functions
on the operator dashboard. The software
can be used to manage fleet performance
including hull and propeller, engine systems
and fuel quality performance.
DNV GL has also added more functions
to its Navigator Insight voyage reporting
program. This includes a unique electronic
owner-charterer co-operation contract
option, where the data released to each
party can be tailored to reflect contractual
responsibilities. Navigator Insight reports
on more operational data such as port
logs and consumer usage from onboard
equipment, such as cargo pumps and inert
gas generators. It is also able to supply fully
automatic emissions reports in readiness for
the introduction of new regulations in 2017.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has acquired
Sweden’s Seasafe Marine Software &
Computation to add onboard loading
and stability software to its portfolio. LR’s
ship emergency response service uses the
software for vessel modelling and stability
calculations. This team provides emergency
preparedness and response to vessel operators.
Seasafe software has a variety of features for
specialised loading operations and advanced
intact and damage stability calculations.
* Tug and offshore vessel operator CMI
Offshore has begun using UK company
Marine Software’s marine planned
maintenance software MPMWin on a fleet
of anchor-handling tugs and high speed
catamarans. CM Jet 1, CM Rahil, CM
Rescue, CM Rose and CM Ruby will start
reporting all maintenance activities within
the MPMWin software for central data
replication ashore. MEC
www.marinemec.com
European Marine
Intelligence
conference
24 April 2017, Amsterdam

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NOW

How Big Data technologies can transform shipping

Riviera Maritime Media is proud to introduce the inaugural European Marine Intelligence conference which takes place on
24 April 2017 in Amsterdam, preceding the European Marine Engineering conference on 25-26 April.

Companies that have taken the lead in developing and using Big Data technologies will share their vision, introduce their
latest technologies and highlight the key benefits to owners and operators. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get all
the information you need to develop your Big Data strategy.

Programme highlights:
• Key trends and developments – will Big Data transform the marine sector?
• Risk versus reward, will early adoption maximise profitability in the medium-term?
• How to choose suppliers with experience in the shipping industry
• How condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance can optimise fleet management
• How to avoid cyber-security risks when implementing data-driven strategies
• Addressing skills shortages for data analysts with maritime expertise
• Solutions from engine builders and OEMs Gold sponsors
• How class societies provide support
• Users of Big Data solutions present case studies and share their experience
• Opportunities to network during lunch, refreshment breaks and at the evening drinks reception.

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on +44 7432 156 339 or at tom.kenny@rivieramm.com

“
Brought to you by
The use of data in making shipping more efficient is being
touted as the biggest and most disruptive technology to hit

”
shipping in decades – possibly in centuries.
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Organised by

www.marineintelligenceconference.com/book-now
30 | CLOUD COMPUTING
SHIPMANAGEMENT
HEADS TO THE CLOUD
The recent expansion in cloud services has led to the development of a
host of ship and fleet management solutions with online portals
C
loud services have become the main host for a series
of fleet management, ship monitoring and crew
management solutions. Shipping companies are able to
access data from vessels in their fleets and information
about their seafarers through secure online portals that can be
accessed anywhere worldwide with a broadband connection. As
a result, superintendents, fleet managers and company executives
can keep track of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of their
ships and crew, at their own convenience. They can also act on the
information to optimise fuel consumption, improve ship efficiency
and ensure crew are trained to the correct standards.
Developments in this technology mean that nearly all fleet
services that have online access are cloud-based. For example,
when Eniram recently developed the SkyLight service for vessel
performance monitoring and optimisation it included a cloud-based
data centre with user access. The service uses a portable hardware
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
Eniram’s SkyLight includes a
portable hardware unit, with
sensors and its own software
(credit: Martyn Wingrove)
unit, with sensors and its own software, which is installed on a ship.
This records ship performance data and sends this to a cloud-based
database via a satellite link.
Eniram vice president for commercial shipping Jan Wilhelmsson
said this service is free of expensive and complex onboard
installations as it comprises just one compact and mobile unit.
“This unit has sensors and a transponder with a connection to our
own satellite coverage that sends real-time data to the fleet cloud,”
he said. The service produces reports such as normalised fuel
consumption, charter-party monitoring information and the vessel’s
speed profile. “The latest development includes setting up speed
alarms and including weather information,” said Mr Wilhelmsson.
Eniram was acquired by Wärtsilä in the third quarter of 2016.
The Netherlands-headquartered VAF Instruments has developed
the Ivy fleet performance monitoring software to work alongside
its existing ship sensors and processing unit. This is accessed
 CLOUD COMPUTING | 31

online through a mobile application and a cloud service. VAF
area sales manager Edwin Schuirink explained how Ivy provides
ship operators and managers with data analytics from a number
of onboard sensors. These include flow meter, engine torque,
propulsion thrust and fuel density sensors. “Ivy logs the data and
performs analytics on shore on the relevant data so shipowners
can compare ship KPIs in the fleet,” he said. “They can compare
engine performance, propeller efficiency and hull fouling by using
the torque and thrust sensors. Operators can analyse data between
drydockings to get direct visibility of the propeller and hull
performance,” Mr Schuirink added.
BAE Systems is running tests on a new cloud-based software
platform for ship KPIs and condition monitoring under the Sea-
Cores (ship energy assessment – condition optimisation and routing
enhancement system) project. Its consortium partners include
James Fisher Mimic, which is providing sensor data, and OSIsoft,
which has developed the software. The cloud-based platform will
incorporate voyage data recorders, navigation equipment and engine
performance information.
BAE Systems platform energy manager Adrian Skidmore said the
consortium was looking at energy assessment, condition optimisation,
route enhancement and ship performance. He said the consortium
was running trials of the Sea-Cores platform for the British Royal
Navy and on commercial ships. He added: “We are looking at
improving vessel efficiency and changing operations, using condition-
based maintenance, fuel consumption and emissions data. Around 60
KPIs have been developed.”
Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has acquired
maintenance optimisation services that use a cloud-based databank. LR
acquired UK company RTAMO (Real Time Adaptive Maintenance
Optimisation) to offer real-time maintenance management solutions to
shipping and offshore. RTAMO has developed data-driven solutions
to reduce maintenance costs for asset owners. It claims to have lowered
maintenance costs on offshore facilities by 30 per cent by using its
optimisation services. This has been achieved on more than 20 offshore
facilities operated by Maersk Oil, BG Group, Shell and Centrica.
It uses condition monitoring and preventative maintenance
plans, said LR strategic project director Murray Douglas: “Using
this software-enabled service to manage our customers’ maintenance
burden will significantly reduce costs while demonstrating safe and
responsible operations.”
The cloud-based technology will enable this solution to be made
available globally to LR’s clients. “Our methodology and software
support all phases of asset life – design, operation, tail-end life and
decommissioning,” said Neil Arthur, head of RTAMO at LR. He
continued: “It is also evidence-based, which has an advantage over
conventional maintenance planning. It is sensitive to commercial
factors such as commodity price, time to failure and cost of planned
versus corrective maintenance.”
According to LR chief technology officer Nial McCollam, the
software so far used in offshore oil and gas installations would be
applicable to other high risk, capital-intensive industries, such as
shipping and offshore renewables. He added: “This is an important
step in building global software solutions that create value for our
customers. We are bringing together all of LR’s existing commercial
software activities to provide a suite of integrated solutions.”
LR is also developing other data services. “Our global technology
and innovation team is also developing a range of innovative
data and digital solutions, such as remote presence inspections,
cyber security and asset lifecycle management services,” said Mr
McCollam. LR is developing an online-based, condition-based
maintenance program, which is being tested on naval ships. LR
strategic manager for technology and innovation Joseph Morelos
said the Cyber Condition Based Maintenance (Cyber CBM)
program can be used for analysing the condition and performance of
critical components in real-time. It also helps lower lifecycle costs as
equipment can remain well maintained.
Cyber CBM includes the onboard sensors and instruments,
cloud-based data access and data analytics. “We can include
lubricant analysis, thermography, vibration analysis, acoustics
measurements and other monitoring techniques,” said Mr Morelos.
“We are developing the data analytics, piloting this on naval ships
and looking for commercial shipping applications,” he added.
Docmap uses cloud technology for the latest version of its fleet
management software Docmap 8. This suite of software includes
a task manager, incident reporting and document management
functions. It also has a module for corporate quality, health, safety
and environmental management. According to sales manager Adiam
Negassie, these are all accessible through online portals to a cloud-
based database. Docmap 8 also has a bidirectional data link that
automatically synchronises data on vessels and in onshore offices
over satellite connectivity. This can be done through automated
e-mails or using a file transfer protocol with high data compression
to minimise bandwidth use.

Boskalis deploys cloud suite to focus on growth

Dredging vessel operator Royal Boskalis
Westminster has started implementing
Infor’s cloud-based Infor CloudSuite to
support fleet management and growth
opportunities. The suite of online software
can be used for integrating procurement,
resource management, social collaboration
and data analytics.
Infor CloudSuite is hosted by Amazon
Web Services. Boskalis will begin
implementing this in The Netherlands with
the first live user before the end of this
year. It expects to roll out the software
to its global offices and assets over the
course of the next few years. Boskalis
will complete this project through Infor’s
UpgradeX programme.
According to Boskalis director
for information and communications
technology Rien Krijger, this will enable the
company to access applications instead of
developing them in-house. “The technology
we have to deal with is becoming more
complex,” he said. “The decision to extract
knowledge from Infor, which offers all
specialisations together as a service, was
simple. We are moving away from the
principle of doing everything by ourselves,
in-house, so that our team can focus more
on maximising the business value for its
own organisation.”
He added: “Infor CloudSuite
meets all our requirements, such as
interoperability with third-party systems,
easy management and connections to
our own applications. This means that
the connection with other systems, such
as our mobile platform, can be realised
quickly and easily.” MEC

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

32 | BRIDGE SYSTEMS
Radio Zeeland unveils
new bridge systems
Navigation displays and controls were revealed at the International
Workboat Show in New Orleans in December 2016
R
adio Zeeland DMP has unveiled a new range of bridge
systems for workboats and commercial vessels. The Titan
line of navigation displays and controls can be connected
either to a network or to a wired system. It combines
digital or analogue displays within the same panel so it can be
flexible and customised for users.
Titan incorporates the technology deployed from earlier
products, the Falcon and Sigma lines. It is ISO-certified for quality
assurance and designed for installation on newbuilding projects or
for retrofitting vessels, including commercial ships.
Radio Zeeland DMP president David Leone said it was
important for the company to develop navigation panels that
incorporated both digital and analogue components. “The Titan line
provides a much more flexible solution and has many more variable
options," he commented. "This will make it much easier to integrate
our system into a multitude of different instruments.”
The instrumentation could include rudder angle sensors, an
echo sounder indicator set, wind speed and direction indicator, rate
of turn indictor, GPS compass, autopilot and path pilot. It could
also include an intercom station, generic control panel, trackball
panel, steering system, joystick panel and controls for a camera or
search light. “The power behind the Titan Line is that within the
Radio Zeeland combines digital and analogue displays and controls
in its Titan bridge systems (credit: Martyn Wingrove)
Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com
one system, all these elements are integrated and displayed in a
streamlined touchscreen environment,” Mr Leone added.
Also at the International Workboat Show, Hatteland Display
introduced a new series of displays for workboats, ships and offshore
vessel bridge and automation systems. This included the 55in ultra
high definition chart and voyage planning table. This includes
touchscreen operations, multi-data input, ecdis, radar and voyage
planning functions. Hatteland Display also featured its Series X
portfolio of displays up to 26in widescreen. These feature glass
display control, light emitting diode backlighting, full dimming and
multi-power functions. They can also come with multi-touch screen,
optical bonding and ecdis calibration.
Meanwhile, Zeaborn Group is deploying dual-ecdis and VSAT
communications on a fleet of multipurpose heavy cargo vessels. It
has contracted Germany-based Pronautas to deliver bridge systems
and Sealink communications and the XChange platform from
Marlink across the fleet. Pronautas will also deploy Marlink’s and its
own onboard virtualised client servers on the cargo ships. Pronautas’
IT solution includes installation of ship IT infrastructure, remote
access and full back-up availability. The dual-ecdis equipment can
be combined with a firewall gateway to enable Zeaborn to use Pay-
As-You-Sail chart services for paperless navigation.
The equipment installation, commissioning and software set-up
will be conducted by Pronautas’ engineers. Bremen, Germany-
based Zeaborn provides commercial and technical management
of ships and has its own fleet of four ships with more on order.
It operates four 8,600 dwt multipurpose cargo ships and has 10
ships, of 12,300 dwt each, due for delivery during 2017. For these
it is providing technical ship management and supervision during
the shipbuilding process.
Thome Ship Management has contracted Radio Holland to
service navigation and communications equipment on a fleet of 200
vessels. The Singapore-headquartered shipmanagement company
will use Radio Holland for annual radio surveys, servicing bridge
equipment, delivery of spare parts and troubleshooting.
Thome Ship Management procurement and supply chain
manager Ryan Dalgado said the single point of contact, global
network and local contact in Singapore were important aspects of
the agreement. “We need a reliable partner we can call on to support
our worldwide activities of our entire fleet,” he commented. “It is
also convenient for us to have a local contact in Singapore, where
we know the people and they help us wherever our vessels are in the
world.” MEC
34 | TRAINING SYSTEMS

MODAL TRAINING
OPENS £7 MILLION SIMULATOR CENTRE
KONGSBERG’S BRIDGE, ENGINEROOM, DYNAMIC POSITIONING AND VESSEL
TRAFFIC SERVICE SIMULATORS ARE BEING USED IN A NEW UK FACILITY

Crews can be trained in

offshore vessel operations using the
K-Sim bridge simulator (credit: Modal)

M
odal Training
has begun
courses in its
new £7 million
(US$8.8 million) simulation
centre in Immingham in the
UK. The centre has been
created to provide a centre
of excellence for the ports,
energy and logistics sectors
in the Humber region, with
particular focus on what is
required for the offshore
renewables sector.
Kongsberg Maritime has
supplied a suite of simulators
to the centre. These will be
used to deliver training for
a wide range of maritime
roles, including bridge
crews, navigators, maritime
engineers and vessel traffic
service (VTS) operators. A
full range of marine simulator
courses will be delivered
for deck, engineering and
electro-technical officers
working in the deepsea,
offshore and port sectors.
The industry-accredited
courses will include:
• bridge resource and team
management
• dynamic positioning
• navigation with radar and
ecdis
• the Global Maritime Distress
and Safety System
• human element, leadership
and management
• high voltage systems
• engineroom operations
• vessel traffic services.
Each section of the
simulator system can be
operated independently,
or sections can be
interconnected to provide full
vessel operation exercises for
an entire crew. Modal Training
is jointly funded by the
Grimsby Institute Group and
the Humber Local Enterprise
Partnership. Grimsby Institute
Group director of strategic
projects Sam Whitaker said
high quality and bespoke
training was needed in
the region to meet the
growing requirements of the

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

 TRAINING SYSTEMS | 35

offshore renewables and

shipping sectors. He added:
“Simulation is at the heart
of what we offer here. We
are confident this will help
to create a new generation
of highly skilled offshore
operators, and will be key to
streamlining the processes for
offshore windfarm installation
and service.”

A FULL SUITE
OF SIMULATORS
Modal Training has a full
mission bridge K-Sim simulator
rated as DNV Class A. It
incorporates a detailed
360-degrees model of the
Humber, as well as forward
and aft bridge stations for
dynamic positioning (DP) and
anchor-handling operations.
This can be connected to
work simultaneously with the
engineroom simulator.
There is also a K-Sim Class
C desktop simulator system,
with six PCs for DP training,
and a desktop K-Sim ecdis
and radar simulator for up to
six students. The engineroom
suite is equipped with a
full mission K-Sim engine
simulator with a new high
voltage breaker function, and
a desktop engineroom unit.
There is also a K-Sim VTS
operator simulator.
Offshore Simulator Centre will supply a crane simulator suite to Modal Training (credit: Modal)
Modal Training has also
appointed Norwegian simulator
specialist Offshore Simulator
Centre to create an advanced
crane driver simulator training
suite. At the centre of this
will be two crane simulators
housed in domes. Each will
have seven projectors capable
of creating realistic training
environments. There will also
be six desktop classroom crane
simulators, four deck personnel
simulators, an instructor station
and a debrief room.
The suite will see individuals
train to drive all types of cranes,
across a wide range of portside
and offshore operations, said
Offshore Simulator Centre
chief executive Joel Alexander
Mills. He added: “A simulator
environment like this will enable
users to gain experience in
many crane operations.”
These simulators can be
used to simulate offshore
ship bridge and underwater
vehicle applications which
will enable whole teams of
crane drivers, deck hands
and offshore vessel operators
to train together in a wide
range of critical scenarios.
“Interconnection is imperative,
enabling people to interact
with others,” said Mr Mills.
“From basic training to virtual
prototyping, which enables the
test and development of new
concepts, our simulators are
flexible and provide the ability
to interconnect with personnel,
cranes and vessels.”
Modal Training will
also provide introductory
courses for managers and
businesses that need a
fuller understanding of the
operational issues associated
with vessel operations.

Ship operators turn to competency assurance training

Tanker and gas carrier operator Consolidated Marine Management
(CMM) and passenger shipping company Condor Ferries have both
begun providing crew with ecdis type-specific training. The two
companies have signed up to provide annual competency assurance
training (ACAT) courses through UK-based Ecdis Ltd.
Greece-headquartered CMM will provide its crew with ACAT
training for ecdis models supplied by Japan Radio Co and Furuno
Electric on 23 ships. It operates a fleet of 12 product and chemical
tankers, three oil tankers and eight very large gas carriers. The
assurance training will be available to crew on these ships for at least
one year.
Condor Ferries, which operates passenger ships between the UK,
France and the Channel Islands, has agreed to use Ecdis Ltd to
offer competence assurance training to crew that use ecdis supplied
by Transas.
There is increasing interest in ACAT courses as shipping
managers need to be aware of the competencies of their officers,
particularly in using navigation systems, instead of solely relying on
them holding a certificate.
Latvian Shipping Co subsidiary LSC Shipmanagement already
offers ACAT courses to crew through Ecdis Ltd. Its head of
personnel Sanita Žurzdina said that ACAT courses for specific ecdis
models have been beneficial to the company. She added: “From
my perspective, the courses have given us great insight into our
crews’ competence and have given us peace of mind that they fully
understand how to use the equipment. We have already found that
our crew members are being reminded about the functions on their
ecdis systems on which they needed refreshing.”
Ecdis Ltd provides generic ecdis training that follows IMO’s
1.27 model ecdis course and several type-specific and familarisation
courses. It is developing a range of additional ACAT refresher
courses for other ecdis models. MEC

www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017

36 | TRAINING SYSTEMS

GE invests
in US maritime
training centre
GE trains DP operators on its
SeaStream DP console

G
eneral Electric (GE) has
reinvested in its dynamic
positioning (DP) training school
in Houston, USA in response to the
changing requirements of offshore and
maritime sectors. GE Marine Solutions
has moved the Marine Technical Center
to a larger facility in the Westway Plaza,
Houston, and added new simulators.
The school offers hands-on
immersion DP training using a fully
interactive simulation suite. The centre
recently gained Nautical Institute
accreditation to conduct sea-time
reduction courses using its simulators.
Mariners undergoing this training will
be credited with 30 days of DP sea-time
when they complete the five-day courses.
Marine Technical Center has
introduced new training courses that cover
a larger scope of maritime operations as
part of its expansion. This means it can
train twice as many trainees as before and
cover subjects such as power management
automation, propulsion and drilling
operations and maintenance courses.
One of the new simulation facilities at
the centre is a MV3000 medium-voltage
switchboard, and another is a SD7000
low-voltage switchboard.
The centre offers courses on
SeaStream DP, MV3000 drives, vessel
automation and control systems. It
intends to offer training on LV5, MV6
and SD7000 switchboard and switchgear
from May 2017.
GE Marine Solutions president and
chief executive Tim Schweikert said
there was greater demand for training
on this equipment. He added: “We see
that demand for technical support and
training is gaining momentum. We
strongly believe in educating mariners
on how to make the best use of these
technologies to carry out safer and more
efficient maritime operations.”
The centre will also be used by GE
to provide support to ship operators in
North America that have GE systems
on board their vessels. GE is employing
field engineers and remote monitoring
and diagnostics through its SeaStream
Insight and Visor solutions at the centre
to deliver this technical support.

Training is vital for
maritime safety
Training of maritime personnel is vital for safety at sea, says
Transas Academy vice-president Ralf Lehnert. As a global leader
in advanced simulation solutions, Transas constantly keeps
track of all the aspects of development in marine technologies,
allowing it to meet modern training standards.
Training and operation skills of the crews of ships that use
low-flashpoint fuel should improve because of the innovative
technologies developed through Transas' research and
development capabilities in IT, mathematical modelling and
system integration, all implemented in the latest LNG tanker
and terminal simulator solutions.
Preparing crew means minimising the risk to the ship,
personnel and the environment, having regard to the nature of
the fuels involved. The main problem is a lack of infrastructure
and of qualified seafarers. Transas' task is to provide seafarers
and LNG terminal personnel with advanced simulator training.
The recently launched Transas Academy takes a holistic
approach to training delivery. New training requirements for
seafarers will depend on simulator training more than before, and
Transas has contributed to maritime simulator training, especially
in dynamic positioning, LNG-fuelled bunkering and ice navigation.
With the amendment of the STCW Convention coming into
force on 1 January, ice simulator training will become important.
Transas has redeveloped the ice functionality in its simulator
to train and assess ice-navigator proficiencies in polar waters
according to the Polar Code. This includes identification of ice
types, ice avoidance, risk identification, A-to-B transit in various
ice concentrations, the use of polynyas, finding leads, iceberg drift
track and ice management.
The new ice functionality features meet the requirements
of classic ice navigation training and ice management and
icebreaking training to support energy production and cruise ship
activities in the polar regions. MEC

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

38 | BEST OF THE WEB

BEST OF THE WEB marinemec.com

Marine Electronics & Communications’ website covers the latest technology developments,
contracts and deployments. Our news coverage is exclusively online and free to read.
Here are some of the most popular articles from the past month.

Forward thinking: Kongsberg’s Tom Eystø Tarbit invests

In the second article of our forward thinking that Kongsberg is doing for the UK’s Automated in tanker
series, Kongsberg Maritime looks ahead to wider Ships Ltd, which is building the world’s first
deployment of autonomous ships. The future unmanned and fully-automated vessel for offshore safety
of unmanned ships is closer than many had operations. Hrönn will be a state-of-the-art ship
expected, Kongberg Maritime vice president Tom when it is delivered, scheduled for 2018. Tarbit Shipping has upgraded
Eystø explained. He bases this opinion on the work Hrönn will be a light-duty, offshore utility its safety management system
ship servicing the offshore energy, scientific, across a fleet of tankers using
hydrographic and offshore fish-farming industries. Logimatic’s software. The
“It will initially operate and function primarily as Swedish tanker company has
a remotely piloted ship, in a man-in-the-loop deployed the Sertica fleet
control mode,” said Mr Eystø. He added: “But it management system on 14
will transition to fully automated, and ultimately tankers to improve operations
autonomous operations as the control algorithms and meet industry safety criteria.
are developed concurrently during remotely The software is already
piloted operations.” being used on two other
Mr Eystø thinks Hrönn will demonstrate the Tarbit-operated tankers. Its
viability of autonomous systems that will lead ships transport bitumen,
to construction of larger ships with greater petroleum products and
automation. “There are no technical limitations chemicals globally. The tool
to constructing large, unmanned and automated enables the shipowner to
vessels,” he said. The main challenges are comply with the Oil Companies
regulatory, but there is hope these will be International Marine Forum’s
overcome. “With the confirmed participation of Tanker Management and
class society DNV GL and the Norwegian Maritime Self Assessment (TMSA)
Authority, and Norwegian and UK institutions, it will programme. This helps tanker
be possible to rapidly, and at low-cost, build a full- operators assess, measure
size unmanned ship.” and improve their safety
Tom Eystø: Hrönn will demonstrate management systems.
the viability of autonomous systems http://bit.ly/2hqyLN8 Tarbit has deployed
the full Sertica solution
including modules covering
maintenance, procurement

NSSLGlobal UK-based NSSLGlobal has acquired Norwegian online television

specialist SnapTV to launch IP-based entertainment services for
and vessel performance. It is
also using the health, safety,

acquires IPTV maritime and offshore sectors. The companies will collaborate to
promote TV and media distribution to shipping, offshore vessels and
environment and quality
assurance module. Tarbit
specialist drilling rigs to enhance the working environment and crew welfare.
NSSLGlobal has satellite connectivity using VSAT and L-band for
technical superintendent
Joakim Hermansson explained
SnapTV these services. SnapTV provides a range of infotainment software,
hardware and services.
how useful the software is:
“With modules such as Sertica
The infotainment software service uses graphical user interfaces Inspection and Analytics, we
to provide TV, film and radio programs. Snap TV’s video on demand are now able to continuously
and TV streaming will provide a legally licenced media content to improve our tanker operations
http://bit.ly/2i0rbca crews over NSSLGlobal’s VSAT IP@Sea service. and fulfil all relevant industry ›››

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com


››› demands. As an example,
we can easily extract reports
on our current status in
relation to the TMSA stages,”
he commented.
Soget and
Thales launch
port security
coalition
Thales has joined forces with
Soget to deliver secured port
systems that include physical
and cyber security. Combined,
the two companies will protect
critical port infrastructure from
growing digital and physical
threats. Thales will offer its
expertise in cyber security and
in securing coastal and port
sites. Soget will offer its supply
chain management, information-
sharing and intelligence.
Thales can deliver
integrated safety, security
and cyber security to reduce
intervention times and improve
information sharing between
the security operators.
Soget can provide logistics
optimisation solutions that
helps improve the movement
of goods and commercial or
customs processes. Together
they will offer a collaborative
platform and a series of
intelligent applications, such
as video protection, anti-drone
surveillance, cyber security and
online security forces.
This should provide effective
protection to ports, said Thales
vice president for secure
communications and information
systems Marc Damon.
He added: “Global ports can
effectively protect themselves
against all types of threats, both
on land and at sea: from physical
intrusions to spying and the
sabotage of their communication
networks and systems.”
http://bit.ly/2i0pETB
www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017
COSCO signs energy management
fleet contract with Marorka
COSCO Shipping Lines has struck a
contract to roll out energy management and
operational performance solutions from Iceland
headquartered company Marorka across its
container fleet.
The rollout decision has been made following
verification of the performance improvement
results during pilot projects. “After two years of
continuous monitoring and comparison of the
pilot vessels with others in the same series,
we see a clear difference between ships with
advanced Marorka optimisation tools and those
Accident highlights risk of not
using bridge electronics effectively
The UK government has highlighted the
importance of keeping high standards of
watchkeeping following a report into a ship
collision. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation
Branch (MAIB) said high standards of bridge
operations should include using radar and
Automatic Identification System (AIS) information
to identify dangers to navigation.
The recommendations come in a report into
the collision of general cargo ship Daroja and
bunker barge Erin Wood east of Peterhead,
Scotland. The accident occurred on 29 August
2015 in daylight and good visibility, and the MAIB
report was published on 22 December 2016. Erin
Wood, which was managed by Northern Oils, was
badly damaged and its crew put in danger due to
www.osjonline.com/s/knowledgebank To upload a whitepaper to the Knowledge Bank,
www.marinemec.com/s/knowledgebank please email Steve Edwards at
steve.edwards@rivieramm.com
Editor’s selection:
Editor’s selection:
Predicting performance, promoting
transparency, by International Paint
Telemedicine for the Marine Industry
Intertrac Vision: a new tool to predict the
impact of fouling control coatings on
A merchant ship at sea is one of the most
ship efficiency. This paper explains why
challenging environments in which to provide
the shipping industry needs an improved
healthcare. Recent legislation requires
vessel performance prediction tool.
shipowners to offer seafarers a level of
medical care as close as possible to that
available onshore.
BEST OF THE WEB | 39
without. We have verified that Marorka’s solution
has helped crews make better decisions,
leading to fuel savings and other operational
improvements,” said Capt. Qian Feng, manager of
the Global Marine Operating Centre.
COSCO Shipping Lines says that it selected
Marorka as the preferred provider of energy
management solutions on board its operating
fleet due to its sophisticated algorithms and
performance record.
http://bit.ly/2hcaKN7
the collision. There was also some minor pollution
from leaking fuel cargo.
The MAIB said the accident happened
because a proper lookout was not being kept on
either vessel. This meant that watchkeepers in
both vessels were unaware of the risk of collision
and took no action to avoid the other ship.
Similar to previous MAIB investigations, this
accident highlighted the potential consequences
of using only one officer of the watch on ships
and not using bridge navigational aids effectively.
The MAIB said the use of radar, visual and
AIS information could have been used more
effectively on both ships to prevent the accident.
http://bit.ly/2hyeBjP
To view more whitepapers visit the Knowledge
Bank at www.marinemec.com
Editor’s comment:
Editor’s
Ship comment:
owners and operators are sometimes
sceptical about coating performance claims
This paper examines the costs to the shipping
and there is a genuine need for more
industry for providing healthcare and handling
accurate and transparent prediction models
medical emergencies, which is required by the
to be developed. This paper explains how
Maritime Labour Convention. It explores the role
Intertrac Vision can help ship owners make
that telemedicine can play in onboard healthcare
informed decisions regarding fouling
provision and crew welfare.
control coating selection from both an
economic and environmental perspective.
40 | FORESIGHT

Martek starts European

operations to support member
states. Martek has been
awarded one of a number of
framework contracts launched

drone research project

Martek’s Paul Luen (right)
agrees to develop drones
for EMSA (credit: Martek)
by EMSA to develop drones
for maritime applications.
Martek will develop drones
that can sample gases from a
vessel’s emissions plume by
using a sophisticated payload
of electro-optical, infra-red
imaging, and gas emission
sensors as well as detecting
the vessel’s AIS signature.
Each RPAS will have a
range of 50km from the
ground station and will have
an onboard video camera
that streams images back to
EU member states. It will also
have an onboard gas analyser
that draws samples of air to
measure SOx, NOx and CO2
levels, so member states can
determine possible breaches
of EU law with regard to the
sulphur content of a ship’s fuel.

M
artek Marine has
gained a position
on a European
Maritime Safety Agency
(EMSA) research project that
is looking at remotely piloted
aircraft systems (RPAS) for
maritime applications. The
drone developed from the
project will be designed for
monitoring ship emissions and
marine pollution. Martek has
invested in drone technology
for the last three years and
has combined its existing
gas monitoring package for
EMSA’s project.
Through this project,
EMSA intends to develop
remotely piloted aircraft to
help European Union member
states meet Council Directive
1999/32/EC that governs
the rules for sampling and
reporting on marine fuels
for sulphur content, and
monitoring sulphur oxides
(SOx) emissions from ships.
Data from sensors on RPAS
units can be incorporated with
existing information to enable
member states to comply with
the directive requirements.
EMSA will organise and
provide, as an institutional
service provider, pilot RPAS
Martek is developing
methods of incorporating
command and control and
payload data streaming over
satellite so the drone can
operate beyond radio line-of-
sight capabilities.
Martek chief executive Paul
Luen said the drone would
need to withstand storm force
winds and heavy rain, snow
and salt spray to operate
effectively in marine conditions.

Technology to transform battery-powered ships

Ultra-high density supercapacitors could transform the storage
of energy on vessels and the way mobile devices are charged.
UK company Augmented Optics, a subsidiary of Supercapacitor
Materials, has developed technology that it says could revolutionise
the capabilities of battery-powered appliances.
Augmented Optics worked with the University of Surrey and the
University of Bristol to develop high density supercapacitors that have
proved to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times more powerful than
existing batteries and other supercapacitor technology. The material
would be safer, faster charging and more efficient than battery power.
It could enable battery-powered vessels to take longer voyages without
needing to recharge, or mobile devices to be charged within seconds.
Supercapacitors store energy using electrodes and electrolytes.
These charge and deliver energy quickly, unlike conventional batteries
that do so in a much slower, more sustained way. Supercapacitors have
the ability to charge and discharge rapidly over very large numbers of
cycles. But previously developed materials had poor ratios of energy
density per kilogram, which meant they were unable to compete with
conventional battery energy storage in many applications.
However, Augmented Optics has developed high density
supercapacitors using high capacitance polymers. These tough, flexible
and conducting materials have other potential applications including
bioelectronics, sensors, wearable electronics, and advanced optics.
Augmented Optics chief executive Jim Heathcote said the company
was seeking commercial partners to develop ultra high energy density
storage devices. He added: “The test results from the new polymers
suggest that extremely high energy density supercapacitors could be
constructed in the very near future.” MEC

Marine Electronics & Communications | 1st Quarter 2017 www.marinemec.com

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