We have delivered our 1000th azimuth thruster to Damen in what marks a milestone achievement in a relationship that spans more than 30 years.

The 1000th and 1001^st Rolls-Royce US 255 FP azimuth thrusters, each with a power of 2525 kW, will be installed to a new Damen ASD2913 tug, meeting customer demands for high bollard pull and cost efficiency.

Damen’s first ASD tug design with Rolls-Royce US azimuth thrusters was delivered in 1993 but the relationship between Rolls-Royce and Damen goes much further back.

Ronald Lindeman, Rolls Royce, Marine Head of Sales, Central Europe West, said: “In 1983, before its acquisition by Rolls-Royce, Rauma-based Aquamaster supplied the first retractable thruster for installation to the anchor handling tug Damen Dragon Fly.

“In 2002 the ASD 2810 tug design was introduced and is today one of the world’s most popular tug designs. More than 420 Rolls-Royce azimuth thrusters have been delivered to this series.

“The milestone delivery of the 1000^th and 1001^st US units underscores our partnership with Damen, our biggest customer for this type of thruster.”

Aila Lainio, Rolls-Royce, Marine Area Sales Manager, who has twenty years’ experience at the Rauma thruster plant, said: “You can say that Damen has become part of our life now. Rauma has produced a wide range of azimuth thrusters for Damen’s various tug designs. The ASD design and the Rolls-Royce US-type azimuth thrusters make a unique combination.”

She added: “We have worked closely in cooperation with Damen over the years to develop the optimum azimuth thruster range for tugs. We have a very creative and talented team in Rauma. Whenever Damen presents new requirements, we accept the challenge of developing solutions that allow us to continue being Damen’s first choice for propulsion equipment. We continually invest in research and development to optimise thruster performance and environmental efficiency. Ultimately we endeavour to design the best propulsion solution for all of our customers.”

Lindeman added: “We are constantly developing our azimuth thrusters to reach the customers’ expectations. Rolls-Royce is investing £44 million in our production plant in Rauma to further strengthen our position as the leading supplier of azimuth thrusters. The work to transform the facility in Finland is underway and is due for completion in 2020.”

Damen’s 1000^th and 1001^st Rolls-Royce US-type thrusters were delivered at the end of the year for installation in Romania.

There is no doubt that cyber security is becoming a hot topic in the maritime industry as ships become more interconnected. “As new technologies are used within the maritime sector, criminals will always try to adapt and take advantage of the new opportunities that they bring,” says Dr Robert Oates, a Rolls-Royce  Product Cyber Security Specialist.

Maritime cyber-attacks are real
It is already happening.  A report issued earlier this year, by US tech firm Verizon, highlighted the case of pirates who had hacked into the manifests of a global shipping company and with the help of barcode readers, quickly and efficiently tracked down and emptied the most valuable containers before leaving  the vessel. This was just one of hundreds of cyber-related incidents in the report.  

Nor are maritime cyber-attacks limited to the sea.  Between 2011 and 2013 in the port of Antwerp, an organised crime group used hackers to infiltrate shipping company systems and access secure data giving them the location and security details of valuable containers. They then sent in lorry drivers to steal the cargo before the legitimate owner arrived. 

How likely is a cyber-attack?
“Risk is about likelihood and impact,” says Oates. “And the likelihood of a successful attack is a function of a criminal’s motivation and capability versus the technical barriers that we put in place. Though it may be difficult to have a clear picture of how motivated a criminal is to attack, we can control the risk by designing robust solutions and ensuring that projects have an acceptable level of risk for us, our customers and the general public.”

Autonomous shipping presents challenges
As we move towards autonomous ships, greater interconnectivity means that the threat landscape (the possible avenues of attack) is growing. If all systems are connected there is a risk that people will try to “pivot” from one network to another. 

Autonomy also means more software, more functionality, more sensors and more intelligent nodes sitting on the network. That means more potential routes for infection.  On the plus side there are no humans to tinker with the configuration or accidentally contaminate the system with hardware changes!

In addition the use of ‘off-the-shelf’ components and the Internet of Things means the resources you are using are the same as those the hackers have experience with. As ship networks become similar to office networks, all the skills hackers have acquired targeting traditional IT becomes transferrable to ships. Now the risk must be evaluated across the supply chain. Component providers are effectively building risk into their product and passing it up the supply chain. 

The lifetime of current ships will coincide with the rise of incredibly powerful quantum computing. This means that in a few years, the cryptography we are currently using will not provide the same level of protection.  “We need cryptographic agility,” says Oates to ensure that at any time, we have the latest security.”

Secure ships demand industry collaboration
“We are beginning to see classification societies and the International Maritime organisation (IMO) taking a position on cyber security,” Oates argues. “If you take a look at the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) report in 2011 , the number one problem was ‘low awareness and focus on cyber security’. I think things have changed since then” he adds. “We have various different rules, guidance and regulation from the societies driven by the rising interest in autonomous shipping.

“System integrators are in the strongest position to reduce risk. But we have to remember that any risk we cannot remove is passed onto the ship owner.  We have a responsibility to communicate those residual risks transparently so our customers can make informed choices about how to manage and escalate security concerns. We also need to make sure that our supply chain is aware of the context we’re using their equipment in and the concerns we might have about their security stance.  

Ultimately, security is everyone’s responsibility.”

Teams of designers and developers raced against the clock to design a new kind of virtual navigation system for the remote operation of Rolls-Royce’s future autonomous ships. 

To create their system teams used real-life data. This included a 3D ship model from Rolls-Royce, waterways, nautical chart and traffic data from the Finnish Transport Agency, a live automatic identification system (AIS) data feed provided by the Marine Traffic Data Services API, and weather data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. A range of high tech design tools were also available: Samsung smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and VR headsets. 

The winning team, who received a €7000 prize, came from Intopalo, a Tampere-based company, specialising in secure Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and data-driven business development. The team comprised  Antti Hahto, an AI robotics and data analysis specialist, Antti Sinnemaa, a graphics and user experience (UX) specialist and Antti Pehkonen, who is studying Game Production at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, specialising in virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

Iiro Lindborg  Rolls-Royce, General Manager for Remote and Autonomous Operations said: “The quality of the work of all the teams was really high and their solutions were well thought out. We chose Intopalo as winners because they had plenty of good ideas and were able to package those ideas into a solution which most precisely addressed the problem we set. The team had a really strong idea that they refined through the weekend.”   

Rolls-Royce will continue to work with Intopalo and some of the other teams who demonstrated really good capabilities in understanding and responding to the challenge.

Speaking for the team Antti Sinnemaa said: “We enjoyed the interaction with the Rolls-Royce representatives, the open and creative atmosphere and the fast pace of the event. It was great to meet a lot of talented people and see how they work. We learned the importance of close cooperation with the customer to come up with a solution that creates the most value. We’re looking forward to working on more interesting digitalisation projects and hope some of them are Rolls-Royce related.

Iiro Lindborg Rolls-Royce, General Manager for Remote and Autonomous Operations said: “Technology and innovation are at the heart of Rolls-Royce. We anticipate technology, then create products and services that our customers need ahead of market requirements. However, we cannot rely solely on our own research, but seek to harness expertise and ideas from outside. Finland is home to world-class digital and marine technologists and we are looking to tap into that expertise and knowledge to discover new solutions and accelerate our progress towards having a commercial remote controlled and autonomous vessel in operation by the end of the decade.”

Rolls-Royce has opened a new production line for its new permanent magnet motor electric winch in Brattvåg, Norway.

In a twist on the traditional ribbon cutting local mayor, Vebjørn Krogsæter, lifted a magnet to release the red silk band and declare the facility “open.”

The motors being produced at Brattvåg will drive winches aboard a variety of ship types. The prototype is already hard at work aboard the Rolls-Royce designed Norwegian fishing vessel Holmøy.

Speaking at the ceremony Ottar Antonsen, Rolls-Royce SVP Deck Machinery and Site Manager said: “In two years, with today’s order book, we will have winches in operation in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Barents Sea. The electrification of shipboard equipment is an important step on the road to increased digitisation. And we at Rolls-Royce will always have relevant products to offer, both now and in the future.

“We couldn’t find the optimal electric motors for our deck machinery so we decided to develop and produce them ourselves. We know what’s needed better than the general motor manufacturers, and with our own production line we also have control over availability.”

The production line is currently configured with capacity for 40 motors a year, but this can be scaled up as required. The plant can be expanded to meet increased demand if necessary. 

Kevin Daffey, Rolls-Royce, Director of Engineering and Technology - Marine, who was also at the event said:  “Innovation is our driving force. The development and deployment of new ideas is a competitive advantage, and the plant here at Brattvåg, where the world’s first low-pressure winch was invented, is proof that it has always been so.” 

The Brattvåg plant celebrated its 75th anniversary, in 2016.

Rolls-Royce expertise is driving the diesel-electric system powering the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s first hybrid vessel, the 44m workboat, the OV Bøkfjord

The Bøkfjord is equipped with an 850 kWh battery pack in addition to a traditional propulsion system comprising three diesel-powered electrical generators.  This hybrid configuration allows the vessel to operate in an environment-friendly and fuel-saving way. It also cuts noise and vibration levels on board making the Bøkfjord a more comfortable and better workplace for its crew.

In ordinary service the vessel can operate on a single engine, with the battery pack used to cover occasional peak loads. In addition, the batteries supply power to the vessel when it is docked, so its diesel engines do not have to be kept running. The batteries can also be recharged from an onshore power supply in ports where such facilities are available.

According to John Roger Nesje, Rolls-Royce, Vice President, Power Electric Systems – Marine; “At Rolls-Royce we have a strong belief in the future of batteries and electricity. Our experience in all aspects of ship design and construction, means we can help customers, such as the NCA, carefully consider a vessel’s operational profile and identify the optimum combination of technologies to use in order to reduce emissions and achieve improved performance and fuel economy.”

Rolls-Royce has supplied several major components to the new vessel, as well as the diesel-electric system for the main propellers and side thrusters, the propulsion included azimuth propellers and bow thrusters. Rolls-Royce also supplied the automation system, dynamic positioning system (DP), control system and the battery system.

OV Bøkfjord was built at the Danish shipyard A/S Hvide Sande Skibs- & Baadebyggeri, and was baptised at an official naming ceremony in Ålesund on Thursday, 15 September. 

(Image top: Courtesy Norwegian Coastal Administration)

Picture sailing on a cruise ship into a Norwegian fjord, silently and emission-free. Fully electric propulsion on a passenger ship has become possible.

The Norwegian explorer cruise line, Hurtigruten, is to build its two new expedition ships using a new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology from Rolls-Royce. In fact, MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen» about to be constructed at Kleven Yard in Norway will be packed with innovative Rolls-Royce solutions.

In addition to the hybrid power solution, the vessels will have the latest of automation and control systems, including the Rolls-Royce Unified bridge, the first delivery of two azipull propellers using permanent magnet technology, two large tunnel thrusters, stabilisers, four engines, winches and power electric systems. And of course the Rolls-Royce ship design.

Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce, President – Marine, said: “The two new explorer cruise vessels for Hurtigruten represent somewhat of a dream project for us; delivering our latest technology innovations into beautifully designed and fit-for-purpose vessels.”

A hybrid sea journey
The hybrid technology for MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen» is planned for delivery in two phases. In phase one, auxiliary battery power will provide large reductions in fuel consumption related to “peak shaving”.  In an optional phase two larger batteries can be installed, enabling the possibility of fully electric sailing across longer distances and over longer periods of time. This propulsion will be used when sailing into fjords, at port and in vulnerable areas.

Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten, said: “The future of shipping is, without a doubt, silent and emission free. We will use our new expeditionary ships as groundbreakers for this new technology and show the world that hybrid propulsion on large ships is possible, today.”

Saves 3000 tons CO₂ per year
The decision to invest in a hybrid solution is an important milestone in Hurtigruten’s goal of sailing fully electric expeditionary ships in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The technology, in combination with the construction of the hull and effective use of electricity on board, will reduce the fuel consumption by approximately 20 percent and CO₂-emissions from the ships with 20 percent. This amounts to more than 3000 metric tons of CO₂ per year.

“A passenger ship requires enormous amounts of energy to operate, and so far, there have been no technologies able to fulfil the requirements of a fully electric Hurtigruten ship. Hurtigruten’s new ships will probably be the first in the world,” said Daniel Skjeldam.

Electric propellers
Another innovation to be installed on MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen» are main propulsion thrusters that use integrated permanent magnet (PM) technology instead of being powered by separate propulsion motors. Over the last two years, Rolls-Royce has launched a range of propulsion and deck machinery equipment driven by PM. From 2017 a new Azipull model will be on offer, and this is the product specified as the main propeller units on board Hurtigruten.

Azipull thrusters with pulling propeller and streamlined underwater skeg have proved highly popular propulsion units since they were introduced in 2003. Over four hundred and fifty units have been manufactured by Rolls-Royce (in Ulsteinvik, Norway) to date. With the introduction of electric drive through the use of permanent magnets, a proven Rolls-Royce technology is ensured a prolonged life according to SVP Propulsion Knut Eilert Røsvik: “We expect to see a shift from mechanical to electrical propulsion systems, and we are well positioned for this shift. We have invested in PM technology for more than ten years, and already have a lot of experience with it.”

The PM motor provides a very high efficiency over a wide speed range and reduces the space required in the thruster room. The propulsion system is well qualified for ships with ice class demand. Combined with the proven high propulsive and hydrodynamic efficiency of the azipull, this will be a winning combination.

Engine efficiency
As part of the hybrid power solutions to the new explorer vessels for Hurtigruten the newest diesel engines will be installed, the Bergen B33:45. Since it’s launch in 2014, this medium speed engine has been chosen by a variety of owners and yards for a range of ship designs, with 50 engines now delivered or on order.

The engine offers 20 per cent increased power compared to its predecessor, delivering the same output with fewer cylinders. This lowers the costs through the engine’s lifecycle, and also allows for smaller machine rooms on board. The engine meets the international environment requirements for IMO NOx Tier III with support from a SCR system (Selective catalytic Reduction). These four engines in combination with the use of batteries, comprise the cornerstones of the innovative hybrid solution onboard Hurtigruten.

Complete control
The captain and his team at the ship’s bridge, will literally have Rolls-Royce innovations in their hands. Ship control systems has developed fast over the last decade, and the number of screens, wires handlers and equipment for the operators onboard increased in parallel. Rolls-Royce has addressed this, and developed common control systems and a new Unified Bridge solution to clean up the clutter and design more user-friendly bridge and control stations for the crew. Ultimately, the result is a safer and more efficient working environment.

The Unified Bridge represents a complete redesign of the ship bridge environment, including consoles, levers and software interfaces. It is said to be the most innovative bridge design available on the market today.

Full Rolls-Royce scope of supply

• Main Generating Sets: Four Bergen B33:45, each with scrubber system for removal of NOx 
• Battery system
• Propulsion system comprising two Azimuth Thrusters - Azipull, with permanent magnet motor, and two tunnel thrusters.
• Remote control system
• Stabilisers, type Aquarius 100
• Dynamic positioning system, DP0
• ACON Integrated Automation System, including Acon Connect and Acon Energy.
• Unified Bridge including chairs, consoles and auxiliary bridge control
• Mooring winches and cable lifter units of electric frequency converter.
• Rolls-Royce Power Electric System, technology including generators, motors, switchboards and a Power Management System
• Design, basic design and detailed engineering

About the ships

• Two ships, including an option for two more ships.
• Specially constructed for voyages in polar waters.
• To be named MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen»
• The ships are designed by Rolls-Royce and being constructed by Kleven Yard.
• Number of passengers: 530
• Strengthened hulls and propellers for traversing ice
• Number of cabins: 265
• Dimensions (exterior): Length 140 metres, breadth 23.6 metres, height 29 metres
• Draft: 5.3 metres
• Delivery: First ship in July 2018 the second in 2019
• Adapted for the service route along the Norwegian coast.

About Hurtigruten and the Hurtigruten fleet

Hurtigruten is the original Norwegian coastal route since 1893. The company brings goods, local passengers and tourists to 34 ports along the unique Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes – every day of the year. Hurtigruten explorer ship MS Fram sails in Antarctica, around Spitsbergen and around Greenland. From the autumn of 2016, MS Midnatsol will be sailing to Antarctica. Hurtigruten's newest expeditionary ship, MS Spitsbergen, was recently put into service along the Norwegian coast and will be sailing to the Arctic from 2017.

Focusing on autonomous technology, from aerial drones to driverless cars and the smartphone, the first phase in the Rolls-Royce project towards making remote-controlled ships a reality has been completed

As disruptive as the smartphone, the autonomous ship looks set to revolutionise parts of the maritime industry, provided a number of technological and legal challenges can be overcome and the many aspects of cyber-security adequately managed.

Rolls-Royce is leading the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA), in collaboration with some of Finland’s top research universities and world-leading maritime companies. “AAWA has three distinct phases of work and phase 1 has recently been completed,” says Esa Jokioinen, Head of the Rolls-Royce Blue Ocean Team. “It has looked at the feasibility of remote controlled ships and how they could be developed. We have examined autonomy in all its forms, from aerial drones to driverless cars and the smartphone, and developed a roadmap of what is needed by reviewing the technological, safety, legal aspects and business implications.” Under technology, three key areas were identified for development: sensor fusion, control algorithms, and connectivity.

Sensor fusion and object detection: On a ship, sensors are used for sensing the surroundings and monitoring equipment to create an understanding of both the internal and external environment of the ship for a shore-based crew. 

Each type of sensor has its own benefits and disadvantages. For a vessel to produce a sufficiently accurate output for human interpretation, a range of sensor outputs needs to be combined, which will require sensor fusion. The main challenge is creating the most cost-effective solution for reliable and robust object detection.

Control algorithms: These interpret the sensor data for functions such as reactive control for collision avoidance. To do this, the data needs to be processed with regards to the maritime rules and regulations, which is the most difficult aspect. For example, if and when two vessels begin to approach each other, the law states that they must both alter their course in an appropriate time. This leads to interpretation difficulties for an algorithm programmer – in what amount of time should the vessel change course, and what angle is deemed appropriate? Human interpretation is required to evaluate what is the best approach.

Communication and connectivity: Each vessel in the future will still need human input, making it crucial that connectivity between the ship and the crew is bi-directional, accurate and supported by multiple redundant methods. Obviously this means that we need to look into hybrid solutions consisting of different satellite and land-based systems. One of the essential questions is how do we allocate the traffic between these communication methods so that data link is always available for the critical areas, keeping in mind the cost of data transfer.

Cyber-security also adds a number of aspects to data transfer: depending on the encryption method, additional latency will be introduced, which could be critical for example for tele-operation commands. The methodology for data transfer for autonomous vessels is one of the critical research topics within the project.

Security and safety

Autonomous ships will become reality only if they are as safe or safer as conventional vessels. The risks of autonomous vessels can be split into ‘known knowns’, ‘known unknowns’ and ‘unknown unknowns’. All will be considered by the AAWA team.

A major ‘known known’ is the potential cognitive overload of the operator. The operator most likely operates more than one vessel at a time. If a system becomes too complex, operators will not respond rapidly enough in an emergency. When designing the control centre the interfaces must display all relevant information in a logical layout. This ergonomic design approach is championed in the Unified Bridge.

A ‘known unknown’ is harder to account for. One of the key aspects falling into this category is how manned ships will react to unmanned vessels. Traffic scenarios can be quite complex and the challenge is to make the autonomous ship’s navigational behaviour logical and easy to understand for the manned vessels.

One item which has issues in each of the categories is cybersecurity. All aspects of the ship including software, hardware and operations will be investigated.

Legalities

The maritime legal system is dependent on the operational area of the vessel. For example, ships operating only in national waters are operating within a different legal framework than those engaged in international traffic. In both legal systems some regulations pose challenges to autonomous shipping.

Implementation of autonomous vessels with demonstrators is easier in the short term within national waters as the local administration has the possibility to give exceptions to the rules. However, there is a need to start the discussions in IMO level as well to get guidelines for operation in international waters.

Business implications

AAWA’s research to date has highlighted how remote and autonomous ships could change the economic landscape. Macroeconomic changes might be significant and they will potentially redefine the roles of different players in the shipping business. A land-based crew in the remote operations centre would be able to operate a larger number of the vessels compared to the current on-board operation, reducing crew costs significantly. 

Personnel would include speciality roles such as systems engineers and weather specialists, allowing greater fleet optimisation. At a national level, autonomous shipping would enable transportation to be more competitive, as operational efficiency has the potential to improve.

Future

Phase I has shown autonomous shipping is achievable. “It is an amalgamation of various elements all coming together that will make autonomous ships a reality,” says Jokioinen. Using these findings, phase II will move to the building and testing of specific technical solutions. The project will run until the end of 2017.

In the next step towards smart ships, Rolls-Royce and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd have announced a strategic partnership to design, test and validate the first generation of remote and autonomous ships. The new partnership will combine and integrate the two company’s unique expertise to make such vessels a commercial reality.

Rolls-Royce is pioneering the development of remote controlled and autonomous ships and believes a remote controlled ship will be in commercial use by the end of the decade. The company is applying technology, skills and experience from across its businesses to this development.

VTT has deep knowledge of ship simulation and extensive expertise in the development and management of safety-critical and complex systems in demanding environments such as nuclear safety. They combine physical tests such as model and tank testing, with digital technologies, such as data analytics and computer visualisation. They will also use field research to incorporate human factors into safe ship design. As a result of working with the Finnish telecommunications sector, VTT has extensive experience of working with 5G mobile phone technology and wi-fi mesh networks. VTT has the first 5G test network in Finland.

Working with VTT will allow Rolls-Royce to assess the performance of remote and autonomous designs through the use of both traditional model tank tests and digital simulation, allowing the company to develop functional, safe and reliable prototypes.

Karno Tenovuo, Rolls-Royce, Vice President Ship Intelligence, said: “Remotely operated ships are a key development project for Rolls-Royce Marine, and VTT is a reliable and innovative partner for the development of a smart ship concept. This collaboration is a natural continuation of the earlier User Experience for Complex systems (UXUS) project, where we developed totally new bridge and remote control systems for shipping.”

Erja Turunen, Executive Vice President at VTT, said: “Rolls-Royce is a pioneer in remotely controlled and autonomous shipping. Our collaboration strengthens the way we can integrate and leverage VTT’s expertise in simulation and safety validation, including the industrial Internet of Things, to develop new products and in the future, enable us to develop new solutions for new areas of application as well.”

About Rolls-Royce and autonomous shipping

Rolls-Royce is pioneering the development of remote controlled and autonomous ships, applying technology, skills and experience from across its businesses with the ambition of seeing a remote controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade. Rolls-Royce’s experience in secure data analytics across civil aerospace, defence, nuclear power and marine; coupled with its ship intelligence capabilities, design, propulsion and machinery expertise means it is ideally placed to take the lead in defining the future of shipping, in collaboration with industry, academia and Government.

Rolls-Royce is leading the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA). Funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation), AAWA brings together universities, ship designers, equipment manufacturers, and classification societies to explore the economic, social, legal, regulatory and technological factors which need to be addressed to make autonomous ships a reality. It combines the expertise of some of Finland’s top academic researchers from Tampere University of Technology; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd; Åbo Akademi University; Aalto University; the University of Turku; and leading members of the maritime cluster including Rolls-Royce, NAPA, Deltamarin, DNV GL and Inmarsat.

Rolls-Royce is also a member of the Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships (NFAS) which has the backing of the Norwegian Maritime Administration, The Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Federation of Norwegian Industries and MARINTEK. Its objectives are to strengthen the cooperation between users, researchers, authorities and others that are interested in autonomous ships and their use; contribute to the development of common Norwegian strategies for development and use of autonomous ships and co-operate with other international and national bodies interested in autonomous shipping.

Rolls-Royce is a founder member of the Finnish ecosystem for autonomous marine transport (DIMECC). Supported by the Finnish Marine Industries Association, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation and leading companies including: Rolls-Royce, ABB, Cargotec, Ericsson, Meyer Turku, Tieto, and Wärtsilä it aims to create the world’s first autonomous marine transport system in the Baltic Sea.

Rolls-Royce is helping to get thousands of Hong Kong Commuters to work quickly, economically, reliably and sustainably every day.

The company has provided power and propulsion for three Blue Sea Jet, fast ferries for the Zhuhai High-Speed Passenger Ferry Co., Ltd. The catamarans which carry 288 passengers between Zhuhai and Hong Kong are powered by twin MTU 16V 4000M70 engines and Rolls-Royce Kamewa S71-4 waterjets.

The Zhuhai High-Speed Passenger Ferry Co. took delivery of their first ferry, the HAI QIN, in February. The HAI QIN was followed into service by the HAI JING in March 2016. During sea trials the HAI QIN reached a full load speed of 38 knots.

Mr. Liang Kaibin of the Zhuhai High Speed Ferry Company said: “We were surprised and delighted that the vessel comfortably exceeded the contracted speed of 34 knots on trial. Both our customers and ourselves value the speed, stability and maneuverability that the Rolls-Royce equipment has given the vessel.

The ferries are the first to be built in China with Rolls-Royce’s most advanced waterjets.

World’s first automatic crossing system brings remote and autonomous vessels’ a step closer

In a world first Rolls-Royce has signed a deal to supply an automatic crossing system for two new double-ended battery ferries operate by Fjord 1.

The system ensures safe and energy-efficient transit back and forth by automatically controlling the vessel’s acceleration, deceleration, speed and track. Two energy-efficient Rolls-Royce Azipull thrusters respond adaptively to environmental conditions to ensure optimal behaviour and maximise efficiency.  

The Captain supervises the automatic system and intervenes using traditional manoeuvring systems if needed. In this first delivery, the Captain will manoeuvre the ferry manually the last few metres to the dock. The next iteration of this product will extend the system to allow automatic berthing. Rolls-Royce is looking to test this in the near future.

If the Captain is not, for some reason, able to take manual control, the system stops the vessel at a safe distance from the quayside and keeps it safely positioned automatically until further action can be taken.  

Battery powered ferries have strict yearly limits on energy consumption as part of the commercial agreement between the ferry operator and the government. Automatic systems ensure consistent behaviour during the journey and hence predictable energy consumption. 
 “The Automatic Crossing System has been developed with the company’s Ship Intelligence programme,” said  Jann Peter Strand, Rolls-Royce, Product Manager, Automatic & Control – Marine “It will help the customer meet their contractual need to ensure predictable energy consumption optimised for varying environmental conditions. It is a step on the road to realising Rolls-Royce’s goal of remote and autonomous vessels.”

The Automatic Crossing System can be installed as an add-on to any standard Rolls-Royce azimuthing thruster. This means the system can be retrofitted to the existing fleet of ferries around the world. 

The vessels will be built at the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey, starting in October this year. Norwegian ship design company Multi Maritime has developed the design, in close cooperation with Fjord1. 

The vessels are due for delivery in 2017 and will begin operation on 1st January 2018. They will operate between Anda and Lote on the 1330 km long E39 which connects communities south of Trondheim along the west coast of Norway.

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Engineering (DSME) have launched the Republic of Korea’s first FFXII frigate of the new Daegu-class at its Okpo yard in South Korea.

Slightly larger than the FFX Batch I Incheon class, with an overall length of 122m, the Batch II variant retains most of the main core ship systems, with the main difference being the propulsion arrangement.

Earlier FFX-I frigates have a CODOG mechanical propulsion arrangement that uses two propulsion diesels, four diesel generator sets for ships electrical power and two gas turbines for propulsion. The FFX-II CODLOG propulsion arrangement has two permanent magnet propulsion motors and four diesel generators plus a single gas turbine.

MTU 12v4000M53B diesel generators will supply the ships power and propulsion needs with a single Rolls-Royce MT30 providing additional propulsion power for higher speeds. This has reduced the number of power units per frigate from eight to five.

An arrangement that offers significant cost, weight and space savings with reduced maintenance requirements. It also makes FFXII one of the most advanced frigates in terms of acoustic signature among western navies. The configuration is similar that adopted for the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers, the Royal Navy’s QE class aircraft carriers and future Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

The MT30 gas turbine was built and tested in Bristol, UK and was then integrated into a compact steel enclosure, with air inlet, exhaust and ancillary equipment by local partner Hyundai Heavy Industries, Engine & Machinery Division. Rolls-Royce also delivered the CP propellers and during 2016 will supporting commissioning of the propulsion system.

The first FFX-II carries the pennant number 818 and is named Daegu. It is scheduled for delivery to the RoK Navy in late 2017 with commissioning a year later.

What started out little more than ten years ago as a small team providing in-service support to the Royal Australian Navy’s amphibious fleet has evolved to become one of the naval sectors leading fully integrated material support providers

Together with strategic partner Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), Rolls-Royce Australia Services (RRAS) now has a fully integrated team of more than 100 naval engineering specialists operating from a state-of-the art facility inside Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Garden Island naval base, in Sydney, providing critical engineering support to the Australian Department of Defence (DoD).

Rob Madders, Programme Director at RRAS takes up the story. “There’s been a Rolls-Royce presence in Australia since 1999, when RRAS was established to provide engineering consultancy to HMAS Farncomb, a Collins Class submarine undergoing refit. But it was in 2006, following the expansion of our 50/50 partnership with KBR that really cemented our position as an organisation capable of minimising naval maintenance costs and improving a vessel’s operational availability through a performance based contract.”

The Rolls-Royce and KBR team secured a long-term fully integrated materials support (FICMS) contract that has grown considerably over 10 years. Its aim was to improve the through-life maintenance, logistics and technical ship management of four RAN vessels: the replenishment oiler HMAS Success, the amphibious landing ships, HMAS Tobruk, HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla. A key aspect of the agreement was to manage equipment obsolescence, identify upkeep requirements and establish equipment and maintenance base lines. A complex task as some of the vessels were commissioned 30 years earlier.

“In essence, this meant itemising every piece of equipment and component installed at the newbuild stage, along with any subsequent changes made during refits before we could confirm the current status of the vessels and improve their maintenance baselines,” recalls Madders.

Hitherto, the RAN had operated a reactive maintenance programme, so the move to more prescriptive planning was completely new. In order to provide a platform from which the DoD could manage vessel costs more effectively and concentrate on operating their ships at sea, RRAS had to document each vessel’s base material state before it could ‘rebuild’ and implement planned maintenance schedules.

Rather like the work undertaken to generate a ‘Green Passport’ accreditation for a commercial vessel, the identification, validation and verification process – part of a wider Control Data Remediation Project to increase the operational lifetime of the vessels – was “an administrative challenge taking two years to complete,” says Madders.

“The data required to upkeep a vessel in service is not the same as the date captured at the newbuild stage. It is inadequate, not a true reflection of the operational state of the vessel. We needed to take each vessel back, so to speak, to the design stage, the building stage and refit stages to ensure everything was updated and documented - machinery, components, controls, software updates, everything.

“We also introduced a hull survey regime, bringing in specialist naval surveyors to assess the vessels for any structural defects, which has since become a key area of growth for us. Often structural defects result in significant investment in steel renewals, but prescriptive maintenance regimes can reduce this substantially,” says Madders, going on to explain that RRAS was able to keep budget growth under 12 per cent during the vessels’ 2015/2016 refits. “This was unprecedented for the Australian DoD,” he attests.

The success of the FICMS contract signed in 2006 and the ensuing maintenance cost reductions achieved for the vessels, three of which have now paid-off, resulted in the RRAS/KBR partnership wining the bid to provide similar FICMS to amphibious assault ships HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide, two 26,000t  LHDs (Landing Helicopter Dock), the largest vessels in the RAN fleet.  A third vessel, the LSD (Landing Ship Dock) HMAS Choules has recently been added to the list.

“From very small beginnings, we have grown to become one of the leading FICMS providers to the Australian Department of Defence,” says Madders. “Together Rolls-Royce and KBR have the breadth of capabilities and teaming experience to deliver the world-leading integrated material support demanded not only by the RAN, but also other navies around the world. We are already registering increased interest from other navies, including the UK’s MoD.”

The potential for RRAS to roll out this integrated support model to navies outside Australia is not lost on Sam Cameron, SVP Sales and Business Development at Rolls-Royce.

“If other navies want to separate the means of production from the identification requirement then Rolls-Royce can transfer the model seamlessly across to other nations.  It has been very successful because quite simply there are no vested interests. The only way navies can reduce the cost of ownership, the cost of maintenance and reduce operational costs is by separating the identification of a problem from the solution.”

With reduced manning levels and increasing technical complexity resulting in the outsourcing of various maintenance functions by a number of navies, a more integrated approach can pay dividends.

“Industry partnerships, such as the strategic alliance we have with KBR, can meet the primary defence objective of improving operational availability whilst minimising costs,” says Cameron. “There is now no reason why budget predictions cannot be controlled.”

MF Berlin, the first of two new modern passenger and freight hybrid ferries has entered service with Scandlines, its innovative Rolls-Royce propulsion system provides efficient propulsion in transit, and agile manoeuvring in harbour

When sister vessel MF Copenhagen enters service later this year on the Gedser-Rostock route between Denmark and Germany, the two new ferries together with additional improvements at the terminals, will have doubled the transport capacity on this vital route between Scandinavia and Europe.

Berlin and its sister can carry 1,300 passengers in considerable comfort and the equivalent of 460 cars or 96 trucks. Both were designed specifically for the route and feature a centerline CP Promas propeller/rudder and two wing Azipull thrusters. The vessel length of 169.5m with a draught of 5.5m is optimised for Gedser harbour at the Danish end of the route, and the design of the hull has taken into account the shallow water on the entire 26 nautical mile run. Within Gedser harbour the water depth is only about 7.5m, and the depth varies between 14 and 21m over the rest of the route. Another complicating factor is the strong across current at the opening between the piers at Gedser.

The operating strategy is therefore to accelerate rapidly to 9 knots astern when leaving Gedser, then turn the vessel once outside the port, proceed to Rostock, and turn again before entering berth stern first. On the return trip the ferries will go ahead from berth to berth.

As part of the investment the ferry piers and ramps have been rebuilt at both terminals to reduce turnaround times. Therefore transit speeds that give optimum fuel economy can be adopted for the given departure frequency, which is 20 departures per day in a fixed two-hour cycle, which means around 19 knots for a 105 minute passage time.

This way of operating puts the focus on manoeuvrability and speed, and hence the design of Rolls-Royce propulsion solution. The two wing Azipull azimuth thrusters are in operation at all stages of the voyage, each driven by a 3,500kW electric motor. They enable large turning forces to be exerted on the vessel, whether it is stationary or moving. When reversing off the berth and out between the harbour piers at Gedser and dealing with the cross currents, the Azipulls are rotated for full astern thrust to give precise course keeping and will accelerate the ferry from standstill to 9 knots in less than three shiplengths. In transit, the thrusters deliver efficient forward thrust.

For manoeuvring and at lower speeds the centreline CP propeller is feathered. Once the ferry’s speed reaches 17 knots the propeller is set to the freewheeling pitch and clutched in. The centre shaftline then supplies the additional propulsion thrust needed for full transit speed, driven through a combining reduction gearbox. Two generator sets, two main engines and a battery pack provide a total of 18MW to the propellers and the hotel load. The Helicon X3 control system adjusts propeller pitch and speed, and determines the power fed to the azimuth thrusters, to give the optimum power split of 40 per cent of the total equally divided between thrusters, and 60 per cent to the centreline controllable pitch propeller.

To maximise propulsive efficiency and reduce cavitation induced pressure pulses the Promas system has a five bladed propeller. The rudder with a Costa bulb and a twisted leading edge recovers swirl energy in the propeller slipstream that would otherwise be lost, converting it into additional forward thrust. The Promas is also a low drag solution in the feathered position, and the five bladed monoblock propellers on the Azipull units are designed to provide high propulsive efficiency up to 17.5 knots.

This innovative solution was designed after extensive mathematical modelling, and test tank work, with input from Scandlines, Rolls-Royce and the test tank establishment in Hamburg, HSVA. Model testing was also undertaken in Duisburg, where the tank could be configured to evaluate performance in shallow waters.

Small underkeel clearance can give rise to propeller wear or damage. To minimise this the thrusters are positioned close up under the hull, the CP propeller diameter is limited to 4.6m, and the bottom of the hull is dished to give more clearance over the propeller.  As the ships run at speed in shallow waters, cavitation and pressure pulses were analysed in detail to ensure they met passenger vessel noise criteria. The propulsion system complies with Lloyd’s Register Ice Class 1C rules, and FEM analysis was used in propeller design, to meet the new Finnish/Swedish rules which require blade strength to be calculated against a stated ice loading.

Environmentally friendly power for propulsion and hotel load is provided by four diesel engines with combined scrubbers, one less than a non-hybrid design, integrated with a 1.5MWh Energy storage system of lithium polymer batteries.

These new ferries now join the Scandlines fleet, which is the largest fleet of hybrid ferries in the world.

The new ferries were finally completed in the Danish shipyard Fayard, and represent an investment of more than 140 million EUR per vessel. Together with the expansion of the port facilities, the ferries will complete Scandlines’ strategic focus on expanding the central and eastern transport corridor between the European mainland and Scandinavia.

Decades of experience in studying hydrodynamics and cavitation are vital in meeting those critical customer requirements, especially when they are on the edge of known knowledge

 “When Feadship asked us to provide the propulsion for their innovative new ‘Breathe’ hull design requiring a number of different propulsion modes for different conditions, we weren’t sure it could be done,” says Göran Grunditz, Manager of the Rolls-Royce Hydrodynamic Research Centre in Sweden (pictured left). “We’d been researching contra-rotating propulsion on and off for over 30 years, but we knew we had not delivered something this radical before and there were still a number of risks to mitigate.”

So began a 5-year programme, which combined state-of-the-art hydrodynamic research with the development and adoption of ground breaking new design tools.

The result sits below a striking new vessel the 83m Feadship Savannah, which claims to be the first hybrid motoryacht. Featuring an eco-friendly blend of single diesel engine, three gensets, batteries, CP propeller, azimuth thruster and a streamlined hull shape, the vessel offers improved fuel economy of 30 per cent, quiet cruising at low speeds on battery power and extra speed when going flat out. Further innovation includes a floating superstructure, an underwater lounge and ‘open’ aft deck areas.

Unique product combination

The Rolls-Royce contribution to the vessel’s pioneering electro-mechanical propulsion platform was a unique combination of a number of existing but separate products in a new way.

A large CP propeller, rotating in a counter clockwise direction, when viewed from aft, was installed in front of an Azipull unit with its propeller rotating in the opposite, clockwise direction to create a contra-rotating propulsion system located along the vessels centre line.  Operating in the rotational slipstream of the forward propeller, the aft propeller recovers energy from the swirl it creates. This energy would otherwise be lost, making the system more efficient than a conventional twin screw.

The Azipull also provides excellent low speed manoeuvring so there is no need for a tunnel thruster in the aft skeg. That means less drag further contributing to energy saving.

However, the skeg, located in front of the forward propeller also presents a design challenge.  It creates a reduced water flow over the first propeller. This improves the overall efficiency of the vessel, but the flow is non-uniform and at the propeller causes noise and vibration. That meant a special, bespoke propeller design was required to maximise efficiency with minimum noise.

Back to the future

“To develop the system we began by reviewing the existing research which had been done, going back as far as the 1980s,” says Grunditz.

A key challenge identified was the extent of the dynamic loads the configuration placed on the aft propeller blades that operate in the slip stream of the forward one. They were identified as being at their worst when the Azipull is being used to steer. These dynamic loads could increase wear on internal bearings and gear wheels causing them to fail prematurely, and could even damage propeller blades.

One of the factors that helped solve this is that in contra-rotating mode at high speeds the Azipull does not steer, separate rudders are used. The rudders also limit the freedom of movement of the Azipull at speed further reducing the risk of high dynamic load. 

At slow speeds and when operating in DP the yacht is manoeuvred using the 360° thrust vectoring of the Azipull, whilst the forward propellers are feathered. Therefore excellent maneuverability is provided with marginal impact from the forward propeller.”

Designers also worried about the way in which the natural frequency of the Azipull corresponds to the blade pass speeds of the propeller. A contra-rotating propeller uses a lower than normal shaft speed and experiences different excitation frequencies compared to a conventional propeller. This means that the torque is higher for the same power, which can lead to lower safety margins of gearwheels when dynamic loadings are considered. In this case, investigations indicated that in some operational modes the blade pass rotational speed was quite close to the natural frequency of the Azipull, which could result in vibration and noise.

To mitigate this Rolls-Royce designers worked with the yard and another specialist supplier to mount the Azipull on robust custom designed elastic supports, something never done before.  The special supports reduced the impact of vibrations caused by the propeller and were confirmed as effective during sea trials. Studies found some resonances but they were all low in magnitude, so there was no need for any restrictions, such as RPM.

Research and design tools:

Rolls-Royce designers made extensive use of innovative Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) tools to design and validate the propulsion system.

“We developed a tool to evaluate the performance of the CRP set up; predicting efficiency for combinations of propeller pitch and RPM,” says Rikard Johansson, Senior Hydrodynamicist. “This tool was validated against model tests carried out in our own cavitation test facility in Kristinehamn. Conventional design tools could not do this because of the influence of the swirl. The combination of advanced CFD methods, validated by cavitation testing at model scale allowed us to estimate the optimum power distribution for the forward and aft propeller, optimum shaft speeds and propeller pitch for both, giving a starting point for detailed design.”

Another set of design tools were used for the detailed design, which took account of propeller interaction effects.

“CFD tells us a lot,” adds Johansson. “We found additional information from CFD simulations.  We used it to explore the interaction between the hull and the contra-rotating propellers so dynamic loads on the Azipull could be predicted and understand the implications of swirl on the rear propeller. It also allowed us to go through multiple design loops before arriving at the optimum design, which was then model tested, saving time and money. Model testing validates the fundamental physics of the CFD model, which enables us to trust our simulation results. A particular strength of Rolls-Royce is our ability to combine CFD with testing.”

The number of variables explored in the design of the propulsion system and its complexity cannot be understated. The Savannah has a number of propulsion modes for different operations – boost, high speed, diesel-electric, manoeuvring and stationary. Therefore the control system was designed to switch between these modes seamlessly, ensuring passengers were not disturbed by any noise and vibration, which sea trials confirmed.  Achieving this added significant complexity to both the control system and associated hydrodynamics, which had to be clearly understood before the system’s on-board controller could be programmed for optimum performance.

“Rolls-Royce is probably the only company that could have developed and produced this ground breaking system for this innovative vessel,” says Grunditz. “It required an extensive primary research base built up over years, the ability to develop innovative computer design tools, undertake experimental validation and turn the design into a physical reality which could be manufactured, installed and operate.”

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract worth about £25 million with the ship building company Kleven in Norway for design and ship equipment to two new polar cruise vessels, with an option for two additional vessels. The contract between Kleven and Rolls-Royce follows the conversion of a letter of intent into a firm contract signed between Kleven and Hurtigruten.

Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten, said: “The ships soon about to take shape in the docks of Kleven will be striking. They will attract interest to both the Norwegian ship building industry and to Hurtigruten as a leading player within the field of explorer tourism. To me, this contract is proof of the combined innovation powers of Norway’s maritime industry and the country’s growing tourism industry. Together we are providing growth along the long and beautiful Norwegian coastline.”

Helge Gjerde, Director of Offshore and Merchant Solutions, Rolls-Royce, said: “Hurtigruten and Kleven have agreed to build state-of the art passenger vessels, and Rolls-Royce will provide some of the most innovate ship technology on the market today. I’m confident that these new polar cruise vessels will bring the proud heritage of the Hurtigruten into a similarly proud future.”

In addition to the innovative ship design with a wave piercing bow, Rolls-Royce will supply an integrated package of technology and equipment.  Among the deliveries will be the innovativeRolls-Royce Unified Bridge, which represents a complete redesign of the ship bridge environment. Consoles, levers and software interfaces will have a common look and feel, resulting in a more comfortable, clutter-free and ultimately more safe and efficient working environment for the captain and his team on the bridge.

Rolls-Royce online Health Management Monitoring Centre can see into the future

By monitoring vessel data, wirelessly transmitted from a range of on-board sensors, experts can analyse the performance of the operating Rolls-Royce equipment and identify any changes to normal operation. These changes can be the early warning signs of a potential failure that could have an impact on availability, and therefore save money and improve safety.

These benefits were recently demonstrated as the Eidesvik multi-purpose offshore vessel, Viking Poseidon, was making a 24-day voyage back to Norway from the USA. 

In 2014 the two Azipull 120 thrusters that propel Viking Poseidon had been fitted with sensors and the automation and control system programmed to transmit the condition information back to the Rolls-Royce Monitoring Centre in Finland. As a Health Management Solutions customer Eidesvik receive quarterly equipment condition reports.

Later that year the sensors [that measure vibration, frequency and torque] recorded a change from normal operation. Håkon Stensen, Ass. Technical Manager and Technical Superintendent for Viking Poseidon (pictured left) was alerted. 

The electric motor driving the starboard Azipull was reporting ‘fault frequencies’ but on investigation was determined to be stable and capable of continued operation. Effectively a ‘code yellow’, not a failure, but the motor would need regular monitoring and checking as soon as possible.

On commencing the trans-Atlantic voyage, Eidesvik advised the Monitoring Centre team to keep a close eye on the potential problem and report if the situation worsened.

Fifteen days into the voyage the sensors started to pick up significant changes in vibration. Communications were established with the crew, who were advised to pay close attention to the condition monitoring screens onboard, regularly lubricate the motor bearings and contact the motor manufacturer. Five days later the Monitoring Centre reported vibration levels were still high but stable. Close observation by the crew continued for the remainder of the voyage.

During the transit the crew did not detect any abnormal vibration. Left unaddressed the motor could have failed completely, significantly slowing the transit with a potential unplanned repair costing the owner both time and money. Instead, before docking a new bearing had been ordered and was waiting at the dockside. Repairs were made prior to a new contract beginning.

Håkon Stensen adds: “With the Rolls-Royce condition monitoring system we identified early the issues with the electric motor bearing. Regular monitoring avoided any time off hire, we ordered the parts in good time and were able to plan the repair with no interference to operations. The support we got from the Monitoring Centre in Finland was excellent. They provided us with regular reports and advice enabling us to continue the voyage with two propulsion lines intact and avoided losing any time before starting the new contract.”

Eidesvik has since installed sensors on the Azipull thrusters on another vessel, the Acergy Viking. 

“There is great value for us in predictability”, says Håkon Stensen. “Being able to avoid critical failures and time off-hire is essential. With condition monitoring we can improve maintenance planning and potentially reduce the dry docking period. Condition monitoring is not just about preventative maintenance. I personally do not think will monitor all the equipment onboard in the future, but monitoring mission critical systems, such as the main propulsion line, will be preferred.”

Norwegian shipping line Hurtigruten has placed its largest ever order for up to four new 600 passenger explorer vessels, designed by Rolls-Royce and to be built by Kleven Verft

Hurtigruten, Norway’s world famous coastal shipping line, started in 1893 as a service carrying passengers and goods from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the far north, providing a vital link to a total of 34 towns and villages along the way. It still operates on the same route, but is now seeing a rising demand for adventure tourism, so the trip has become more of a tourist experience than an economic lifeline. One vessel leaves Bergen each day, taking eleven days to complete the round trip. 

In recent years, Hurtigruten has extended its activities, with several of the newer ships engaged on seasonal adventure cruising to Svalbard in northern Norway, Iceland, Greenland and in Antarctic waters. They can also operate the traditional coastal service. This year there are now four Hurtigruten ships engaged in this type of cruising, and from 2017 the company will offer explorer travel to additional new destinations such as the Amazon rainforest and Arctic Canada.

To meet the forecast rise in demand, Hurtigruten is expanding the adventure cruising side of the business significantly, with the largest investment in the company’s 120 year history. Rolls-Royce has signed a contract to design two new Hurtigruten ships for expedition cruising in polar waters, with options for two more. Following an international competition Norway’s Kleven shipyard in Ulsteinvik, a longstanding partner, has secured the contract to build the vessels.

“People no longer want to spend their holidays being passive spectators,” said Daniel Skjeldam, Hurtigruten CEO. “The new adventure traveller is looking for authentic experiences, which is why sedentary, standardised travel packages are becoming less popular and active adventure travel is booming. We offer real experiences in local environments, just steps away from wildlife.”

Rolls-Royce has worked closely with Hurtigruten and Kleven to develop the NVC design to meet the owner’s tough requirements and the polar weather conditions in which the vessels will operate. 

The new ships are designed specifically for adventure-rich expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as traversing Norway’s long coastline and will be equipped with advanced environmentally friendly technology to minimise emissions, underlining Hurtingruten’s commitment to sustainability.

Guests will be able to attend onboard lectures about the destinations lead by experts in history, zoology, botany and environmental science. Experienced expedition teams will accompany passengers on educational excursions to isolated places only accessible by ships or smaller boats. Activities will range from climbing and kayaking to rib-boat tours, whale and sea eagle safaris.

The new cruise ships will be around 140m long with 23.6m beam and 5.3m draught with accommodation and facilities for passengers and crew spread over nine decks. They will also have a cargo hold with side port loading for operation on the Hurtigruten Norwegian coastal service, which can alternatively house a fleet of RIB tenders to take passengers ashore on expeditions and wildlife observation excursions. 

In addition to comfortable accommodation for up to 600 passengers in 300 cabins, plus crew and shore expedition leaders, there will be a top deck with a large observation lounge, pool and saunas. On lower decks will be the main restaurant plus several fine dining areas, a gym and massage rooms, a shopping zone, a multi-purpose activity centre with lecture halls and an immersive science centre.

As the new ships will sail very long distances in the course of a year, some of it in ice infested waters, both strength and low propulsion power for a given speed are required from the hull design, which meets Polar ice class. The shallow draught will allow access to a wide variety of smaller ports and near shore anchorages. To provide a stable and easily propelled hull form, the patented Rolls-Royce Environship design principles were used, with a near vertical bow and integrated bulb to improve performance in a seaway and thereby enhance passenger comfort.

In addition to the innovative ship design with wave piercing bow, Rolls-Royce will supply an integrated package of technology and equipment. Among the deliveries will be the award winning Unified Bridge, which represents a complete redesign of the ship bridge environment. Consoles, levers and software interfaces will have a common look and feel, resulting a comfortable, ergonomic, clutter free and ultimately more safe and efficient working environment for the captain and his team on the bridge.   A detailed overview of the other equipment selected for these advanced ships and how they will be built will feature in the next edition of in-depth.

The first of these new ships is scheduled for delivery during 2018 with the second following a year later.

Rolls-Royce is planning for a major programme of investment in its azimuth thruster production facility in Rauma, Finland, consolidating assembly and test capability and modernising the operation to position the business for future growth opportunities.

The €57 million (£44 million) project will include a major rebuild of existing facilities, the transfer of thruster assembly and testing onto one site from the existing two locations, and a significant investment in new equipment.

Rauma produces a wide range of mechanical azimuth thrusters for use on a wide range of applications including semi-submersible drilling rigs and drillships, tugs and offshore vessels. Rauma also produces thrusters for specialist vessels such as icebreakers and polar research ships.

Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce, President – Marine, said: “Our azimuth thrusters are one of our most important products, providing mission critical power and propulsion for some of the largest floating objects on the planet. To be able to make this significant investment in Rauma not only prepares us for future growth in this market, but is a vote of confidence in the capability and expertise of our people.”

Olli Rantanen, Rolls-Royce Finland, Managing Director, added: “Since the first azimuth thruster was developed here in Rauma over 50 years ago, these products have become the standard choice for customers demanding very high levels of reliability, power and performance often in extremely challenging environments. This investment will allow us to plan for the future, and enable us to efficiently produce our existing range and develop new and larger mechanical thrusters.”

Azimuthing thrusters rotate through 360 degrees, providing propulsion and manoeuvrability without the need for a rudder. The largest and most powerful thrusters from Rauma are the ARC type which power icebreakers including the Finnish vessel Fennica. They are among the largest products produced by Rolls-Royce and can each weigh up to 190 tonnes, providing 7.5Mw of power.

Two of the world’s largest floating structures are powered by another range of thrusters produced in Rauma, UUC underwater mountable thrusters:

• The Pioneering Spirit, owned by Allseas, is an innovative heavy lift vessel which is used for decommissioning oil platforms – 13 UUC thrusters power this twin hulled, construction vessel.
• Shell’s Prelude, the world’s first floating liquefied natural gas production facility will feature three large UUC thrusters, for position keeping. The thrusters are installed in a novel arrangement that allows them to be removed and maintained within the ship.

The work to transform Rauma will begin immediately and is due for completion in 2020. The investment will include installation of a crane capable of lifting 200 tonnes, and at least six factory acceptance test rigs. Offices and IT systems will also be refurbished.

Image courtesy: SalMar/Ocean Farming 

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract for the construction and delivery of an eight point mooring system to the world’s first offshore fish farm installation being developed for Ocean Farming AS, a subsidiary of the SalMar Group in Norway. 

The equipment will be used to secure the installation to the seabed at Frohavet, off the coast of central Norway. The 68 meter high rig will have a diameter of 110 meters and a volume of 250.000 cubic meters. 

SalMar is one of the world’s largest and most efficient producers of farmed salmon. Further growth in the industry of harvesting from the sea is said to require use of new locations that offer good biological condition for the farming of fish stocks. However moving further offshore also requires new technology.

Asbjørn Skaro, Rolls-Royce, Executive Vice President – Deck Machinery, said: "This contract win shows how years of experience providing sophisticated mooring and deck machinery solutions in some of the world's most difficult sea conditions can be applied in other areas of the maritime economy today and for the future. The technical solutions for SalMar’s pilot installation is based on the state-of-the-art technology Norwegian industry has to offer from both fields of aquaculture and offshore oil and gas." 

The eight point mooring system to be delivered by Rolls-Royce includes monitoring, fairleads, connectors and subsea load sensing system.

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract with the Chinese Institute of Marine and Offshore Enginering, and the new semi-submersible rig will be constructed at Qingdao Wuchuan Heavy Industry Co. Ltd in China. It is designed by Global Maritime in Norway, and the pilot ocean fish farm is planned to be completed by the second half of 2017.

Norwegian ferry and expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has signed a letter of intent with the Kleven shipyard in Norway for the construction of two new ships, with an option for an additional two vessels.

The concept described in the letter has been designed and developed by Rolls-Royce and the new ships are the first in a new generation of super-efficient, environmentally friendly vessels designed to meet growing passenger demand for adventure or expedition cruises.

"We are delighted and very proud to be involved in Hurtigruten's new project," said Helge Gjerde, President Offshore and Merchant Solutions at Rolls-Royce. "We have developed a vessel whose technology will contribute to lower emissions, and whose modern design will give a unique passenger experience."

"Given the current slowdown in the oil industry, we are focusing on growth in other markets, including the cruise sector. A contract from Hurtigruten at this time helps us with realignment of the business here in Norway."

Rolls-Royce has worked with Norwegian yacht designer Espen Øino on the external styling of the new vessels.

"We wanted to preserve Hurtigruten's classic lines, but with an updated, contemporary look. There are few Norwegians better able to do just that than Espen Øino," said Helge Gjerde.

Adventure or expedition cruises are an interesting proposition as they represent one of the most rapidly growing areas of the overall cruise market - which has been enjoying about 8% year on year passenger growth.

The deal shows how Rolls-Royce's Marine business is taking existing technology and adapting it for 'adjacent' markets. The 'wave piercing' bow design of the new Hurtigruten ships was originally developed for cargo vessels, and is now used on all new offshore vessels designed by Rolls-Royce. It's designed to cut through the water with the least possible resistance, ensuring a comfortable journey for both passengers and crew. It also reduces fuel consumption and gives the ship greater stability in rough seas.

The ships are intended to operate in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the world, including the Arctic.

The new vessels will receive the design designation NVC 2140 from Rolls-Royce. This is not the first time Rolls-Royce has designed a ship for Hurtigruten. The previous was Polarlys, which was delivered 20 years ago, in 1996.

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We are making autonomous vessels a reality - testing of sensors at sea begins in the Baltics

The Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative (AAWA) project, led by Rolls-Royce, introduced the project’s first commercial ship operators: ferry operator Finferries and dry bulk cargo carriers ESL Shipping Oy. The announcement came at a conference presenting the findings of the initiative’s first year of research at Helsinki’s Finlandia Hall last week.

The AAWA project brings together universities, ship designers, equipment manufacturers and classification societies to explore the economic, social, legal, regulatory and technological factors which need to be addressed to make autonomous ships a reality. It will produce the specification and preliminary designs for the next generation of advanced ship solutions.

Finferries will assist the project by carrying out a series of tests of sensor arrays in a range of operating and climatic conditions on board their 65 metre double ended ferry, the Stella, which operates between Korpo and Houtskär.

Mats Rosin, Finferries, Managing Director, said: “Finferries is pleased to be able to contribute to the development of a safer shipping industry by finding the optimum, cost effective, combination of visual and thermal cameras, radar and LIDAR to enhance mariners’ situational awareness, helping them navigate safely and avoid collisions.”

ESL Shipping Ltd will help the project explore the implications of remote and autonomous ships for the short sea cargo sector.

Mikki Koskinen, ESL Shipping Oy, Managing Director, said: “We have seen increasing interest in, and acceptance of, remote and autonomous technologies worldwide across the transport and logistics industries. While not all ships will be remotely operated or autonomous, these developments have the potential to transform mariners’ jobs for the better. The work will not disappear but it will be different and more attractive to younger generations. By participating in the AAWA project we will get an early insight into the impact of such transformation on our industry, our business and the lives of the people who work in it.”

Welcoming the companies to the project Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce, President – Marine, said: “Autonomous shipping is the future of the maritime industry. As disruptive as the smart phone, the smart ship will revolutionise the landscape of ship design and operations. I welcome the involvement of both Finferries and ESL Shipping and look forward to the commercial experience and industry insight they will bring to the project.” 

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After a decade patrolling the Norwegian coastline and the Barent’s Sea the Norwegian Coastguard vessel Harstad is due a makeover.

And for the Rolls-Royce Engineering to Order Team’s Manager Ludvig Kåre Øyen, based in Aalesund, it’s a poignant moment.  Øyen worked on fitting the then new Icon DP system aboard the Harstad when it was built in 2005. At the time the Harstad was the first vessel to be equipped with such a system.  Now, ten years later, the vessel has returned to Aalesund to be refitted with the company’s latest Icon DP system delivered as DP1 installation.

The flexible Icon DP system can be configured for DP1, 2 and 3 depending on the mission profile of the vessel and allows the vessel to automatically maintain position or heading by using its propellers, rudders and thrusters contributing to safer and more accurate operations.

The Icon DP system enables the load and status on the switchboard to be read allowing the operator to know what power is being used and is still available. That allows more efficient management of the available thrusters and propellers and avoids overloading the generators.

Following her refit the Harstad is also equipped with the latest version of the Rolls-Royce Common Control components. This includes an award winning user interface designed to improve ease of operation for the DP Operator. The most frequently used controls are presented on a single touch screen making them easy to find. Further detail can be obtained by touching individual icons whilst less frequently used functions are hidden. The overall approach aims to simplify DP operations by reducing the cognitive load on the operator improving their performance and consequently overall operational safety.

In the new Icon DP version, the user interaction is further simplified by moving all essential functions for DP operation into just one joystick operator device.  The user can now easily change position of the vessel by using the new push-buttons on top of the joystick lever."

Following its refit the Harstad will be the first vessel to be fitted with the Rolls-Royce weather optimized positioning function. This can be a useful attribute when you spend your life operating in extreme conditions. When activated this allows the vessel to automatically position itself into the wind minimising the amount of fuel used to maintain position. This is particularly useful when on standby, for example when awaiting the return of one of the vessel’s tenders has been dispatched to carry out an inspection which can take several hours.

Øyen described how things have changed since he worked on the vessel in 2005, “as you would expect things are much more advanced, software has improved significantly and at Rolls-Royce we have given significant thought to the Human – Machine Interface resulting in changes to the operational interfaces designed to improve the ease and safety of the system’s operation.”

Multi-operations
The K/V Harstad undertakes a variety of coastguard and EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) management roles. These include offshore standby and rescue, firefighting, salvage, and general law enforcement operations and fishery control. She is crewed, as are other Norwegian coastguard vessels, by a combined military and civilian crew and accommodates up to 35 people in single and twin berth cabins with full facilities.

Operating along the full length of Norway’s coastline and throughout the country’s exclusive economic zone involves spending much time in the Barent’s Sea, so the vessel is ICE 1B class and has anti-icing measures such as heated shelters for the two MOB/boarding boats.

The vessel is fitted with Rolls-Royce deck machinery, comprising a main low pressure hydraulic towing winch with a 50 tonne pull and 250 tonne brake holding load, anchor windlass, capstan and tugger winch. Towing pins and a hydraulic deck crane are also provided. The vessel was the first to be supplied with a Rolls-Royce safer deck system designed to reduce the risk of accidents for the crew.

One of the Harstad’s most important duties is pollution prevention. The KV Harstad is on standby against the risk that a disabled vessel grounds and causes an oil spill. The Rolls-Royce deck machinery allows the emergency towing of tankers up to about 200,000dwt and spill clean-up.  For towing and emergency work the Harstad has an optimally located towing winch, a reinforced pushbow, FiFi 1 firefighting capability, a hospital, and extensive equipment including line throwing gear, a harpoon system for attaching the tow wire to stricken vessels, oil spill booms and skimmers and 1,000m³ of tankage for recovered oil. 

The vessel is also able to support the NATO Submarine Rescue System. The Harstad is a Rolls-Royce UT512 design. She is 83m long with a top speed of about 18.5 knots to enable the vessel to reach the scene of an incident quickly and a bollard pull of about 110 tonnes to tow a stricken vessel to safety.

The vessel’s main propulsion engines are two 8-cylinder Bergen B32:40L diesels, each developing 4,000kW, turning a CP propellers in nozzles. Independent steering gears operate the high lift rudders, and there are two electrically driven thrusters at the bow. One is a 736kW tunnel thruster and the other is a swing-up azimuth thruster rated at 883kW of Rolls-Royce manufacture.

For its patrol boat role it has a foredeck mounted gun and it is equipped with fast rescue/boarding boats and a full military and civilian communications system.

All images courtesy Norwegian Coast Guard

With an operating life likely to exceed 30 years, naval combatants have to remain relevant. That’s not easy in an era of tightening defence budgets and in a world where predicting global security is, by its nature, difficult to do.

The Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship, which will replace the Type 23 frigate as the workhorse of the Fleet, is designed to evolve in line with the future needs of a modern Navy.

Designing a modern warship is no mean feat. It’s a lengthy process that requires a mix of expertise, capability and experience.

Eight Type 26s will replace the eight dedicated anti-submarine frigates, alongside a new class of general purpose light frigates, announced in the Strategic Defence & Security Review last year.

First and foremost, the new ships are being designed to protect the nation’s strategic deterrent and new aircraft carriers from hostile submarines. They will feature some of the most modern and effective weapons systems available today.

Rolls-Royce is delivering the majority of the propulsion system. Power will come from a single MT30 gas turbine, providing direct drive through a gearbox, and four MTU Series 4000 diesel gensets from Rolls-Royce Power Systems. This configuration is known as CODLOG, or combined diesel or gas, and offers flexibility, efficiency and power on demand.

The first MT30 recently completed its factory acceptance test at the Rolls-Royce facility in Bristol. Completion of what is the first ‘real’ component on the ship was a major achievement. “It was a very significant moment for the whole programme,” says Geoff Searle - BAE Systems’ Programme Director Type 26.

“While we don’t start building the hull for some time, there’s a great deal of work going on right across the supply chain now, particularly in manufacturing of the propulsion equipment and the key combat technologies.”

Flexible future

The Global Combat Ship is designed with modularity and flexibility in mind. The key feature which sets it apart from competing designs is its mission bay. Located just forward of the hangar, the mission bay allows the use of a wide range of payloads through the ship’s life.

Geoff says: “Everything from disaster relief stores, through to deploying surface and underwater vehicles, or high-speed special boats for maritime security can be handled in the mission bay.

“The Rolls-Royce Handling System enables the self-loading of the mission bay. So, you can rapidly load from any port in the world. It’s a very innovative design, and enables the safe launch and recovery of vehicles in conditions up to sea state 6.

“The mission bay concept is that the people come with the payload,” adds Geoff. “It’s about having the right people for the mission. So, rather than carrying 250 people around all the time, it’ll have a smaller crew and the ‘capability teams’ will be embarked for whichever role the ship is doing.”

While the external appearance of the ship is quite well known, those impressive sleek lines and graphic renditions mask what is a hugely complex design challenge underneath. It’s a challenge that’s being tackled using the latest visualisation techniques, which allow the programme team to make detailed design decisions in real time, from opposite ends of the country. “We’re using 3D CAD modelling techniques and so far we have digitised 180,000 components and that’s set to grow.”

“Visualisation technology is transforming the way we design, build and deliver complex warships. By creating a virtual prototype, we can gain a real understanding of the vessel and the experience of those serving on board before manufacturing begins.

“We use large screens showing live CAD models, at up to five locations simultaneously. We can zoom in to any part of the ship in full scale and even deploy digital avatars to populate the ship, which is a great way of getting the detail just right from the crew’s perspective.

There are two clear strands to Geoff’s day job. Firstly, it’s about progressing the engineering and the supply chain. “The other part, is preparing for the next phase, and that means maturing the cost models, developing the build schedules and managing risks so that when it’s time to build, we’re ready to go,” he says.

How do Geoff and the team ensure it’s a design that’s still relevant decades from now?

“If you look back at how naval warfare has changed in the last 30 years, you have to also take a look forward and try to predict how it will change over the next 30, so through-life capability is a key part of what we’re doing right now.”

Size is important too. The volume of the ship, its much longer range, and the physical features such as the mission bay and large flight deck – which can accommodate a Chinook helicopter – give the ship that all important flexibility.

“The design philosophy is about trying to build on proven, existing technology to help de-risk the programme. The mission bay handling system is a great example of this. It’s technology that has its pedigree in the offshore oil and gas world, where Rolls-Royce has extensive experience, and we’re developing that to meet the Royal Navy’s requirements.”

Rolls-Royce has signed a US$6.5 million contract with Tersan Shipyard in Turkey. The contract is to supply a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion package for a cargo carrier designed by NSK Ship Design for Norwegian ship owner NSK Shipping. The vessel will deliver fish food on behalf of BioMar Group. 
 
The new cargo carrier will be a slightly larger sister ship to NSK Shipping’s MS Høydal which was the world’s first LNG powered cargo vessel and which was delivered from Tersan Shipyard in 2012. Both ships are designed by NSK Ship Design
 
The 81.5m long vessel will be able to carry 2.700 tonnes of fish food to fish farms along the Norwegian coast. 
 
Kristian Høydal, NSK Shipping, Managing Director said: “We are proud to be trusted once again by BioMar to deliver their finished product to the fish farming industry and to be able to work with Rolls-Royce on the delivery of a more environmentally friendly and effective LNG powered vessel.”   
 
Kjartan Karlsen, NSK Ship Design, Managing Director stated that: “We are thrilled that our designs have contributed to the use of LNG in powering cargo vessels, therefore reducing carbon footprints. We commend NSK Shipping and Rolls Royce for being at the helm of a more sustainable industry.”
 
Helge Gjerde, Rolls-Royce, President Offshore and Merchant Solutions, said: “BioMar and NSK Shipping invest in modern technology that helps reduce fuel costs and environmental footprint. They are among the absolute frontrunners in the area of short sea shipping.”
 
The LNG Propulsion system comprises one eight cylinder Bergen C26:33 natural gas engine rated at 2160kW, Promas combined rudder and propeller system, one tunnel thruster in the bow and one in the aft, and a Rolls-Royce automation and DP system. 
 
The vessel is also equipped with the Rolls-Royce hybrid shaft generator (HSG) propulsion system. This means the main engine also generates electricity for the ship. The Hybrid Shaft Generator will generate electrical power for the ship even if the engine power output varies, saving fuel. The HSG can also act as a propulsion motor (PTI) providing an alternative power source should LNG becomes unavailable – a prerequisite for class approval.
 
Bergen Gas Engines from Rolls-Royce are the only pure gas engines on the market using a spark plug ignition. Alternative “dual fuel” engines use a small amount of diesel for ignition. The B and C Series engines emit around 22% (including methane slip) less CO2per unit of power than a diesel engine and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions are reduced by 90%. Sulphur Oxide (SOx) emissions are negligible. Bergen gas engines deliver a significant reduction in fuel and lubrication oil consumption. In addition, the clean, safe engine rooms and advanced technology can reduce maintenance costs as well as providing a more pleasant working environment for the crew. 
 
BioMar has 11 factories producing fish food, in Norway, Chile, Denmark, Scotland, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey and Costa Rica. 
 
The new cargo carrier is expected to be delivered from the yard in 2017.

Rolls-Royce Marine customers in the Western U.S.A., Alaska and Hawaii will have access to a single source provider for a complete range of propulsion components including engines, control systems, and waterjets thanks to an agreement with Washington state based Pacific Power Group to distribute and service Kamewa steel and aluminium series waterjets.

Pacific Power Group, a longtime distributor for Rolls-Royce MTU diesel engines, has been providing sales, service and engineering solutions for the marine industry for over 30 years. With access to Pacific Power Group’s engineering expertise and 24/7 customer support, marine customers across the Western U.S, will benefit from a streamlined procurement and building process. Customers will now have access to an expanded service network improving the availability of service engineers and spare parts needed to keep their vessels working.

Tommi Viiperi, Rolls-Royce, General Manager Waterjets Sales and Marketing, said: “Pacific Power Group is an existing distributor for Rolls-Royce MTU engines, which are the perfect complement to our range of waterjets. This partnership with Pacific Power Group will allow us to support our existing customers better, improving services and parts availability as well as introducing the Rolls-Royce brand to new ones.”

Pacific Power Group has four sales, service, and parts warehousing facilities servicing the Western U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. They provide a wide range of products to various industries and have a strong market position in the defense, commercial fishing, ferry, yacht and tug markets.

Bill Mossey, Vice President of Marine at Pacific Power Group said: “We’ve seen increasing demand from customers looking for a single-source propulsion provider that offers technical expertise on all propulsion components.The addition of Rolls Royce Kamewa waterjets to our product lineup allows us to better meet the needs of customers in the Western U.S.”

Long-time customer and Singapore-headquartered Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) has taken delivery of the high speed crew transfer vessel Pacific Kestrel.

The all-aluminium catamaran, which can reach an optimal speed of 40 knots, features Rolls-Royce DP2 dynamic positioning control system as well as four MTU 16V4000 M73L main engines.

This is the first time SPO has used Rolls-Royce DP technology for a ‘walk-to-work’ vessel, marking a significant achievement for the company’s technology in the growing crew transfer market in Asia-Pacific.

Crew transfer vessels are a highly effective alternative to fair-weather dependent helicopters, and are increasingly seen as the preferred mode of transportation for getting personnel onto offshore platforms. However, it can be a challenge to integrate conventional ‘walk-to-work’ systems, which were originally designed for larger offshore supply vessels, on to these lightweight, high-speed vessels.

The Rolls-Royce DP2 dynamic positioning system addresses this issue by better utilising available power to allow smaller and faster lightweight vessels to remain stationary in rough sea conditions. The novel application of DP technology in the Pacific Kestrel also complements the vessel’s Ampelmann motion-compensated “walk-to-work” gangway to enable greater stability, allowing for a safer transfer of personnel from vessel to offshore platforms.

Richard Dreverman, Rolls-Royce Sales Manager, Australia, said: “We are very proud to be able to make a significant improvement in the capability of high speed crew transfer vessels using the optimised thrust our ICON DP system can deliver. Increased capability on station means a safer service for the people who rely on high speed vessels to take them to and from their place of work.”

Built to accommodate 90 personnel and carry up to 100 tonnes of cargo on the 200 sqm cargo deck, the Pacific Kestrel was designed by Incat Crowther and constructed by Austal’s shipyard in the Philippines.