The ship repair business is undergoing a fundamental transformation as ship-to-shore digital connections enable always-on monitoring systems to flag up issues long before a vessel arrives for docking.

That is dramatically changing what has always been a ‘spot’ business with important implications for designers. 

Rapid advances in online monitoring systems relating to ship operations are transforming the skills and working practices required of seafarers. But they are also changing the lives of fleet superintendents, shore-based ship managers and, of course, repair yards that service ships on a regular basis. 

This accelerating digitalisation is likely to gather even more pace as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widely used in the design optimisation of ships on the digital drawing board. Systems to raise ship productivity – more uptime, shorter surveys and as few ‘spot’ repairs as possible – will become key priorities. 

Digital twins are increasingly important for maximising operational efficiency of power units, key components including propellers, rudders, thrusters, and day-to-day operation including voyage optimisation, weather routing, and just-in-time arrival. Even the condition of hull coatings can be tracked as emissions have climbed the agenda.

Yard superintendents can familiarise themselves with a vessel, ahead of its arrival at the yard, and look to data such as fuel consumption to understand whether coatings are failing, propellers are suffering from cavitation or engines are optimised, saving yard time and cutting downtime costs.

Shipping decarbonisation adds urgency. New fuels, hybrid electrical setups and battery management all require a whole new generation of control systems providing instant data on key parameters, both to sea staff and managers ashore.

There are, of course, many hundreds of marine equipment suppliers who are watching these developments closely but have not yet generated transition strategies of their own. But the leading engine technology companies, cargo system developers, digital communication firms, and coatings companies are all focusing on the design of systems compatible with the digital ship of the future, that will optimise drydocking events.

Engine monitoring

Everllence’s PrimeServ Assist, for example, markets a digital platform that uses machine data, AI, advanced analytics, and human expertise to optimise the operation of its assets, reducing both planned and unscheduled downtime. There are modular options to suit individual requirements including ensuring cybersecurity and optimising parameters such as fuel efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Meanwhile, WinGD’s digital twin setup – WinGD Integrated Digital Expert – is based on three key components and data that is already collected by standard engine control systems. Its Data Collection and Monitoring Unit uses hardware on board ship to record hundreds of engine signals, data that yards can use to analyse potential remedial work.

Its Engine Diagnostics System comprises software that analyses data, predicts component malfunctions, and identifies anomalies that could escalate into costly downtime. And its Intelligent Combustion Control balances firing and combustion pressures in real time, to optimise fuel consumption and minimise emissions.

Kongsberg Maritime’s Vessel Insight uses a cloud-based dashboard to enable operators to track a range of ship efficiency parameters in real time. These include fuel consumption and energy efficiency benchmarking, emissions monitoring, vessel motion control, and enable data from shipboard systems to be instantly available on shore.

Clean bottoms

Newcastle-based Safinah Group is a marine coatings consultancy focused on maximising hull efficiency by minimising key macro- and micro-fouling including barnacles, mussels, weed, and slime. The company’s analysis has revealed that at least 40% of ships have hard biofouling of more than 20% on their flat bottoms, impacting both fuel and emissions performance. Increased fouling can be revealed by fuel consumption data.

Safinah has Framework Agreements with a significant number of large shipowners providing constant ship-specific coatings guidance which, it claims, supports optimal coatings management and saves money. As an example, depending on the frequency of hull cleaning in a five-year survey cycle, coating systems can become ineffective from year three or four onwards, and data can show that performance deterioration.

Don’t forget the ESDs

Additionally, shipping’s emissions performance can be monitored following the installation of energy saving devices. Harnessing the power of the wind has attracted lots of attention, with ships now being built with sails of various types or ‘wind ready’ for retrofits.

Sails have attracted the attention not only of proactive shipowners, but some of their charterers too. With Scope 3 emissions now part of ESG strategies, knowing what the problem is, is the initial part of the remedy.

The world’s largest iron ore miner, Brazil’s Vale, is a good example. The company has various wind-assistance technologies installed on eight large bulk carriers on long-term charter.