Leading power and automation group ABB is working with weather solutions provider MeteoGroup to equip 140 Maersk containerships with advisory software to optimise routes, boost maritime safety and protect precious cargo based on factors including the hull design and the weather.
ABB have taken the initiative in order to help Maersk Line avoid conditions that could be harmful to ships, crews and cargo.
The deal will see ABB combine its Octopus motion-monitoring, forecasting and decision-support software, which improves vessel availability and safety, with MeteoGroup’s SPOS Seekeeping plug-in.
ABB’s Octopus advisory suite includes a 3D hydrodynamic database for each individual hull type. This means the software, together with MeteoGroup’s plug-in, produces very accurate calculations about how a ship will respond to dynamic weather and ocean conditions.
Once fitted, the software will enable captains to define on-board loading conditions, and more accurately determine areas of the ocean where their ship’s motion is likely to exceed threshold values.
Routes can then be optimised automatically to skirt adverse conditions, ensuring cargo arrives safely and on-time at its destination port.
Heikki Soljama, Managing Director of ABB’s Marine and Ports Business Unit, said: “Both MeteoGroup and ABB take great pride in the fact that we are delivering an onboard advisory tool for the world’s biggest container shipping company. This will enable Maersk to execute cargo transportation across the world in a safe and efficient manner.”
The software solution reflects ABB’s focus on the ‘Internet of Things’, services and people in helping marine customers leverage vast amounts of previously untapped data about their ships to boost the efficiency and safety of their operations while cutting costs.
The decision reflects Maersk’s recent decision to spend more money on equipment and containerships, where it has pledged to invest around US$15 billion as part of its capital investment programme.
Fact File: ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs around 140,000 people.
