Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA (KCC), part of Norwegian shipping company Torvald Klaveness, is embarking on an initiative to enhance vessel connectivity through a pilot program with Starlink, a satellite internet service provided by Marlink.
Through this endeavor KCC aims to facilitate digital collaboration and data exchange between ships and onshore offices, aligning closely with its overarching objectives of reinforcing crew safety, improving welfare, and minimizing carbon emissions.
Starlink uses a vast constellation of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites to ensure high-speed, low-latency, and high-capacity internet access even in the most remote maritime locations.
“Starlink holds the potential for our vessels to make a quantum leap beyond traditional satellite internet services. This will allow us to bring the vessel closer to home contributing to enhancing crew safety and welfare as well as further improving the efficiency of our operations and cutting the carbon footprint of our business,” comments KCC CEO Engebret Dahm .
The benefits encompass closer collaboration during vessel operations enabling efficient safety meetings between onshore and offshore teams, innovative safety training, elevated crew well-being, advanced remote inspections, real-time performance monitoring, accelerated digitalization, support for emerging technologies, and streamlined documentation processes.
In addition, the pilot is set to improve onboard connectivity enabling better communication between crew members and their friends and family, while gaining improved access to onboard entertainment options.
As of September 2023, Starlink has been installed on KCC’s CLEANBU vessel MV Baru and the CABU vessel MV Ballard is currently undergoing installation.
In June 2023, the Norway-based shipowner concluded the contract for the construction of three third-generation CABU vessels with Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding and Jiangsu Yangzi Xinfu Shipbuilding Co.
The new vessels will have around 10% higher cargo carrying capacity and the fuel consumption is estimated to be 30% lower than the first generation CABUs through an optimized design and installation of several energy efficiency measures partly tested out on KCC’s current fleet over the recent years.
Furthermore, KCC targets to install wind-assisted propulsion on the CABU III newbuilds, improving efficiency even further. The vessels will also be prepared for a later conversion to burning zero-emission fuels.