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DYNAMIC POSITIONING
HYBRID AND DP UPGRADES FOR PSVS
Kongsberg has received an order to deliver unique ‘Full Picture’ technology upgrades for three Platform Supply
Vessels (PSV) owned by Mantenimiento Express Marítimo SAPI de CV (MEXMAR), SEACOR Marine’s joint
venture in Mexico.
The contract follows the same upgrade package on the SEACOR Maya PSV, which was a key step taken by
MEXMAR towards meeting the increasing industry demand to reduce the environmental footprint of offshore
operations.
Under the new contract, Kongsberg will deliver and install a state-of-the-art hybrid power and dynamic
positioning (DP) upgrade designed to enhance energy efficiency on board SEACOR Azteca, SEACOR Warrior and
SEACOR Viking. The SEACOR Maya conversion began in January, and the follow-up vessel conversions are
expected to be completed by July 2018.
While delivering unique environmental benefits for MEXMAR charter clients Kongsberg’s hybrid power and
DP solution adds safety and efficiency beyond conventional energy storage, in addition to enabling tangible
operational cost savings through reduced fuel consumption. As a single supplier for the upgrades,
KONGSBERG’s responsibility includes supply and full integration of the energy storage system with a custom
designed Energy Control System (ECS), and the existing Dynamic Positioning (K-Pos DP-22) and Integrated
Automation System (K-Chief 700 IAS), both of which will be upgraded as part of the contract.
SHIP OPTIMISATION
SHIPOWNERS EMBRACE NEW WEATHER ROUTEING TOOLS
Data provider Tidetech reports that owners are increasingly requesting high resolution data for regional
trading patterns and coastal waters where tides and currents can have a greater impact on fuel consumption
than on an ocean voyage.
The renewed take-up of interest in weather routeing is being driven by a combination of related factors. A
combination of EU MRV, the 2020 sulphur cap and IMO DCS regulations means owners are seeking costefficient
ways to save fuel, lower emissions and improve schedule performance on existing vessels.
“There is a long-standing misconception that weather services can only have a benefit when sailing in blue
water and that once ships are in coastal waters or traffic separation schemes that this part of the voyage cannot
be optimised,” explains Tidetech Founder and Managing Director Penny Haire.
“We have proven definitively that there are more potential cost savings from optimising against currents in
UK coastal and Northern European waters than there are across the whole North Atlantic and customers are
already taking advantage of this in speed optimisation and performance analysis.”
As a result, operators can predict ETA more accurately and use vessel speed and power settings to arrive on
schedule, even when it changes. Tidetech is the only provider high resolution modelling of coastal tides and
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