Technology group Wärtsilä and Singapore-based towage services provider PSA Marine have agreed to collaborate in the co-creation of smart technologies for the marine sector.
On November 14, 2019, the parties signed a letter of intent as part of the events celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the Wärtsilä Acceleration Centre in Singapore .
With one dual-fuel LNG harbor tug already in service and another joining the PSA Marine fleet by the end of December 2019, PSA Marine and Wärtsilä have pledged to design and develop more solutions for smart and low-emission harbor craft. The intention is to integrate the deep capabilities developed in the IntelliTug project with new configurations and concepts of hybrid, electric and other clean energy sources.
“PSA Marine and Wärtsilä intend to lead and develop smart, scalable, and clean energy solutions for the longer term, as we play our part towards decarbonisation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” Peter Chew, Managing Director of PSA Marine, commented.
According to Wärtsilä, specific collaboration areas envisioned include the use of electric or hybrid technologies that further the use of low-emissions energy and propulsion systems, the incorporation of next-generation smart vessel technologies, the adoption of secured connectivity to facilitate ship-to-shore data exchange and marketing and branding activities that generate awareness.
“The Acceleration Centre promotes innovation and joint projects with qualified partners in support of Wärtsilä’s ambition of a Smart Marine Ecosystem that will deliver huge advances in efficiency, safety, and environmental performance,” Mervin Ong, Managing Director, Wärtsilä Singapore, said.
“Our on-going IntelliTug project was the centre’s first co-created initiative together with PSA Marine, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Lloyd’s Register, and the Technology Centre for Offshore & Marine Singapore (TCOMS). This cooperation with PSA Marine is now being continued through this agreement, and we look forward to continuing our innovative and important work together,” Ong added.
The IntelliTug project is bringing an autonomously operated harbor tug concept to feasibility. The concept is undergoing testing aboard PSA Marine’s ‘PSA Polaris’ tug. Among the enabling technologies thus far employed are the joystick and digital control of the vessel’s azimuth thrusters, virtual anchoring to hold position, smart navigation with automatic path planning, and situational awareness for detecting and avoiding the risk of collisions.