Høglund Marine Automation announced that has secured two contracts to supply automation systems for an LNG bunker vessel operated by Bernhard Schulte, and two chemical tankers for Sirius Shipping.
The automation systems include the vessel’s power management system, and additional systems that manage interactions between the ship machinery systems, and the cargo plant.
The company has provided automation solutions on three LNG bunkering vessels so far, including Shell’s LNG bunkering vessel now being built at STX in Korea, and the Seagas, a bunkering vessel owned by AGA and operated by Sirius.
Similarly, Sirius Shipping’s chemical tankers, to be built at the AVIC Ding Heng yards in China, will use integrated automation systems developed by Høglund. The integration will for instance link the power management systems to the cargo system. While the two systems are usually separate, integrating the two means that offloading operations will be more efficient, and require fewer generators to operate.
Børge Nogva, CEO of Høglund Marine Automation, said: “When creating automation solutions for an entirely new vessel sub-segment within LNG, it’s hard to predict and foresee what challenges might emerge, which means you can’t just use an off the shelf solution. By playing a consultative role throughout the design and build stages, and supporting vessels 24/7 once they begin operation, automation suppliers can deliver significant benefits in terms of reliability and efficiency, as these projects demonstrate.”
Jeroen Deelen, Gas Tanker Director, at Bernhard Schulte said: “In a challenging shipbuilding market, automation suppliers need to compete on more than just cost. It comes down to the lifecycle support that suppliers offer to owners – the commitment from a maker that they will support you when it gets difficult.”
